All art copyright (c) Mike Kloepfer
"The level of achievement that we have at anything is a reflection of how well we were able to focus on it."
-Steve Vai

Saturday, December 3, 2011

Color Study - "Temperature"

12/04/11:

A slightly more accurate color correction.

12/03/11:

Acrylic, 5x7"
After watching a documentary on Polar Bears, I had the idea to do a small color study contrasting the cool shadows on the snow with the warm sunlight hitting the polar bear's fur; a metaphor for the contrast of the warmth of the sun against the cold, vast expanse of polar region.
Not surprisingly, I call this study "Temperature."
The color on this scan is as close as I could get to the actual painting study.
Did you ever have one of those times when you didn't quit while you were ahead? Yeah, I know.
I pretty much had the colors and values dialed in about halfway through, but I kept going. Pretty soon, I was trying to correct what I had done to the original sketch...
There is a point where you don't go back in and 'fix' things, or you'll spend more time fixing your 'fixes' - this is one of those times.
Still, it came out okay in the end, I got to exercise my color and value-matching skills, and I learned from the experience.With a color study, it's not about producing a finished piece, it's about learning and honing the skills of perception and execution.

2 comments:

Felicia Dale said...

Very nice, especially for a study. I would only add a tiny bit of that snow-blue to the bear's shadows.

I really love your work.

Felicia.

Mikey said...

Thanks Felicia.
[Actually, there is blue in the shadows on the polar bear - it just didn't come out in the scan.] ;)