SMALL COLOR STUDIES and B&W POSTER STUDIES

03/25/14
Skulley2
5x7" Gouache on
watercolor paper
Poster/value study

02/20/14
Selkie Study
4x6" Acrylic on primed paper
(45 min)
Goals:
Value
Hue/Temp
Light
Atmosphere
Weather
Click here for reference

02/10/14
Beach 70
4x6" Acrylic on primed paper
(50 min)
Goals:
Value
Hue/temperature
Light
Time of day
Atmosphere / weather
Click here for reference

01/30/14
Daenerys and the Owl
4x6" Acrylic on primed paper
(90 min)
Goals:
Light
Value
Atmosphere
Environment
Composition
Click here for reference

01/28/14
Evdokia
4x6"  Acrylic on primed paper
(75 min)
Goals:
Light
Value
Temperature
Infused light
Field effect
 Click here for reference

Armstreet 01/23/14
The Alchemist's Daughter
4x6" Acrylic on  primed paper
(60 min)
Goals:
Light
Value
Atmosphere
Gesture
Brushwork
Click here for reference

Armstreet 01/22/14
4x6" Acrylic on  primed paper
(45 min+15 min)
Goals:
Light
Form
Space
Atmosphere
Value
Temperature
Click here for reference

01/21/14
Armstreet 012114
4x6" Acrylic on  primed paper
(55 min)
Goals:
Values
Temperatures
Process
Brush selection & paint handling
 Block in structural changes
Click here for reference

01/14/14
The Watcher -
Watercolor Study 01
4x6" Watercolor on Paper
Goals:
Values
Temperatures
Composition
Linkage of shadow shapes

01/11/14
Ariel6
4x6" Acrylic on paper
(45 min)
Click Here for reference
Goals:
-Value on hair
-Color Temperature on skin
-Composition
I really like the mood of
this little color study.

 PREVIOUS COLOR STUDIES:

A...nother...i...dea...

Did you ever have one of those paintings that was going well, everything was fine... nothing was wrong, exactly... but somehow, it seemed that something was missing? Something you can't quite define, but once you see it, you know you'll recognize it...?
Well, I had been in that same funk with The Musketeer. It wasn't that anything was wrong, exactly... it's just that there was something right that wasn't there. That something that would make it more than a rendering, that would give it...
I was looking across the room at the painting, with the lights turned low, and that's when it hit me....
...drama!
In the low light, I could visualize a different light effect, more... theatrical. 
So I took the latest photo into Photoshop and did a few quick masks to see if anything would 'click.'

Before...
Not bad, but...

After:
More dramatic.

What do you think?
It seems to me that in the Before version, he's just there, but not really integrated with the environment.
In the After version, it's as if he's emerging fro the shadow, stepping into the spotlight.
The After version just seems to work better for me. It 'sits easier' or some other metaphor.
Of course, making this happen in paint will take a lot more work - wait, not work - effort. 

Follow me, Bones! I... have... an idea...

Creativity begets creativity. Momentum begets momentum...
I primed two more small 'practice' panels today. 8 thin coats of gesso seems to be the magic number.
I can only wonder what my neighbors must think is going on up here, with the hair dryer going on and off all night. 

Priming more panels!
8 coats of gesso...
So smooth... so white...

 And one of them will turn into...
This...!

A start on the 'test...'
Hi, Skulley!

While looking through a bunch of artists' work online, I saw something that... gave... me... an idea.I am still pulling everything together and making a plan. This small panel will be a test to see how well it works.
More to come...

New blood, good beginnings, and returning to my roots.

Now that I am turning my attention back to making art, I felt a need to 'start something new,' to get some fresh ideas and new blood.
In the interim while I was 'inactive' so to speak, I spent a good amount of effort researching new reference material. I came across a mountain of interesting reference material (thank you, internet.) Some really fascinating stuff that will turn into really cool pieces down the road. More on that at a later date.
At the present, in many ways I am returning to my roots - which, of course, is portraiture and figure.
Four pieces have emerged, three distinctly different visions, three different approaches, and three separate processes.
Cool.
Each one is distinct, yet what they all have in common is a crystal-clear vision of a simple, direct artistic statement, which is unique for each individual piece.
I am resisting the temptation to barge ahead, and enjoying the process of fully developing the ideas, cultivating a clear vision of where I am going with each step.

First, I have been wanting to do a new humorous celebrity portrait. Slash has a visual presence that is unmistakable. The distinctive angles and shape(s) of his face have a characteristic quality that, the more I researched, the more intriguing they became. And yet, in my research, I found very few caricatures that really seemed to zero in on this, let alone nail it. Most of the renditions I found simply missed the point, and missed the mark, of what I thought was obvious.
(Two of my favorites are the painting by Sebastian Kruger - of course it's brilliant - and an elegantly simple caricature by Tom Richmond, which is basically a black shrubbery with a cigarette, top hat and sunglasses. When you look at either of them , you immediately know it's Slash - no doubt about it. That's my goal for the piece, in addition to having fun.) 
 Seems like a good combination: a challenge, and intrinsically fascinating. So there you go - a perfect candidate for a humorous portrait.
While looking through photos, I was searching for the continuity, what was identifiable and consistent. Looking at hundreds of celebrity photos, and dozens of caricatures, and asking myself what was good in the rare examples - and what was wrong, or lacking, in the multitude of mediocre examples - I was able to find a few common threads that I could build upon.
The sketching for this was fun, and I quickly zeroed in on a concept, design, and point-of-view.

Slash - what a face.
And all that hair...
Plus he wears a top hat that's almost
exactly like the one I had in my
early days of rock & roll.

I have also really wanted to do some portraiture, which is my personal favorite. In my research, two reference photos just jumped out at me, and I listen to my intuition when something really grabs my attention.

When I saw this I thought
what a nice painting it would make.
I have not been able to track down
the name of the photographer...

The minute I saw this stock photo,
I knew what I wanted - I had a
crystal-clear vision of a
super-tight close up.

Finally, (although this was actually the first of the four pieces that I started,) for quite some time I have been harboring the desire to further explore the theme in Lady In White. I came across two reference photos and immediately knew how I wanted to combine them. It was on!

Two reference photos come
together. I even have a title:
The Message.

The common threads in all these pieces are listening to my intuition, cultivating a clear artistic vision for each piece, being patient and starting with a good start.
It's a good start... ;)

It's great to be making art again.
Well, I never really stop making art... something interesting is always percolating in my little ol' brain... That's one of the things about being an artist that's fun. :)

Back to the basics.

When returning to art-making from a period of being 'otherwise occupied,' sometimes it's nice to just get back to the basics. And what could be more basic and ground-level (ha) than priming panels with gesso?
I have been constantly re-tooling my painting process, and the one thing that I am constantly looking for is a painting support that I really love. I keep making improvements and tweaking. This time, I am laying on many thin coats of gesso. 

The priming setup.
Sometimes starting from
the very beginning is fun.

And here they are...
after eight coats of gesso-
two beautifully primed panels.

And what's not to love?
Just look at them...
It took eight coats, but they are evenly covered, with only the slightest hint of a texture to the surface.
We'll see how this goes, but for now I am hopeful.

A good day of art. Progress on The Musketeer...

Today was gonna be all about 'me time' and making art.

Did you ever have a day where you got a lot done, but on projects you never anticipated? Today was like that. Not only did I get all the dishes done and cleaned the oven to make 'cheesy bagels,' rearranged the living room/painting area... I wound up working on a painting that has been hanging on the wall for months.

It started when I woke up. I was excited about having a day off, my holiday to-do list finished, and my bills paid. Nothing to keep me from what I wanted to do... which is art, of course. I did a wise thing and decided not to decide which piece of art I was going to work on until the piece of art made itself known to me. As I was getting my breakfast, I was looking at The Musketeer.  The painting has been hanging on the wall, not sure what I wanted to do with the background. I didn't want to just copy what was in the reference photos, especially since the photos I was referring to had many other figures and elements, and I wanted to focus on the single figure. Neither did I want to just put in some generic, flat background.

I knew that if I just let it hang there and the ideas percolated, in time the right idea would present itself to me. And this morning, it did. It started with the general and worked its way to the specific. At first I just had an idea of the overall feel of the space around the figure. Then I had a flash of artistic vision; I could clearly see the relationship of the figure to the background. At this point, I still did not know exactly what the background was going to be, but I had a precise vision of how it would relate to the figure. I let the idea stew while I did a few quick thumbnail sketches to explore the possibilities. Then I set about the research.

Usually, this is where I get sidetracked. But today, I kept looking, kept on track, and kept gathering information. I looked up set design for every Musketeer movie ever made, classic paintings, buildings, and period props, until I had the information that I needed. And there were a couple of set designs that really sparked ideas.

Then came the scary part. After taunting me for months, I had to make marks on the canvas, which had been hanging there unchanged for all that time. I started with colored pencil, and 'found' my way into the design. Pretty soon, it came together and I could see clearly where it was going.
Next came the paint, thin and neutral. I am just laying in the structure. Later I will build up the lights and adjust the color.
And now, I have the figure placed in an environment - but not just any environment, but one that is congruent with the lighting conditions of the figure.
The progress was small but significant. I still have a long way to go, but  now I have a clear vision of where I am going with the painting.
Here is the Step-by-step of today's progress.

Step 1 - draw in the outlines

Step 2 - Light-facing planes

Step 3 - Planes facing
away from the light source
(nasty reflection from
the wet paint.)

Step 4 - Pull it all together
final step for now

Simple Solutions

I LOVE coming up with a simple, inexpensive idea that solves multiple problems at the same time.
Pen-Pal pen holder, $0.99 (minus employee discount.)
Now, I won't misplace my Wacom stylus. Plus, the bright green color makes it easier to find when swapping between laptop and desktop use (see Black is the New Pain In The Ass from my music blog) It is also a visual reminder to put the pen in the holder, and not set it down in some random place. Yet another little plus.

Wacom Bamboo tablet and stylus -
Now with new pen holder!

Yes, that is paint all over the surface of my laptop table. It comes with the territory. ;)

Denver Arts Week, First Friday Art Walk at the Gallery...

Last night Craig Rouse and I 'manned' the gallery (literally – ha!) for the Belmar Block 7 'First Friday Art Walk.'

A photo of Belmar Block 7
from the September Art Walk.
There were more active galleries,
and tons more people this month!

https://www.facebook.com/BelmarBlock7Arts

There was a good crowd, lots of people flowing in and out of the galleries, fun conversation, interesting questions and comments, and a little red wine... all in all, a very nice evening.

This month, the art walk coincides with the larger 'Denver Arts Week' celebration. It was a really good night. Block 7 has several new galleries and studios open with active artists, and a wide range of styles, mediums and genres. This really improves the artistic atmosphere for Block 7 - more artists is better! Carrie and Craig are very active with the Belmar area, the local art community and the city of Lakewood. They are working extremely hard to help Lakewood's art and cultural presence in Colorado.
I was delighted to meet the mayor of Lakewood, who stopped into the galleries along Block 7 and talked to the owners, artists and public. During the conversation, he said “The more we can get people using the words 'Lakewood' and 'Art' in the same sentence, the better.” I liked what I was hearing.

The gallery sold some prints, and I connected with a local couple who may be able to set me up with some wood panels to paint on. These panels would otherwise be discarded. This is a win/win for everybody involved. The panels go to good use, become part of something beautiful, rather than filling up the scrap yard.

I had great response to my artwork, and this month the “most correctly identified caricature” award goes to Roy Orbison. 3 people identified him dead-on, and a fourth recognized him, and got as close as “his last name begins with O.” That was close enough in my book.

Post Mile Hi Con Wrap Up

This past weekend at Mile Hi Con 45 was interesting, constructive, and fun. I had a good time with Lisa and Toni, ran into many old friends and companions, and met many new and interesting people.

First of all, Authors Row was a great place to network, meet others in the publishing and self-publishing business, and connect with like-minded individuals.

Second, and most dramatic for me, was the Art Show. I was singularly impressed with the work of Aaron Miller. I had seen his work in books, magazines, and online, and was always impressed. But in person, I was inspired. His paintings are spectacular. It was exhilarating for my creative mind, my heart, and my spirit to see his original works in person.

This was my favorite piece in the show:
Fires In The Desert.
...and I was only looking at a canvas print!
The paintings were equally stunning.
Go to
http://www.aaronbmiller.com/
to see more.

I am reminded what I told Carrie a few months back; I need to get out to galleries, museums, and art shows more often. I am uplifted by the works of my fellow artists; I always come back inspired to reach further in my own endeavors.

This is one of the areas that my own competitive nature is a boon. When I see that others can achieve great things, I feel I must achieve great things myself. Upon seeing the best that others can create, I cannot accept less than the best from myself. This is a good thing, when directed positively. 

I attended Aaron Miller's portrait painting demonstration. It was fun, and it is always educational and informative for me to see how another artist works, to get a glimpse into their thinking processes.

I made a personal goal to get into the art show for next year's Mile Hi Con. And not only to get in, but \to make my presence known and felt, as a powerful artistic force to be reckoned with.A noble - and attainable - goal, but it will take focus and dedication, and "no small amount" ofeffort.

 This is a further development of what I have been discussing with Carrie recently. I have put together a body of work. Now is the time to take that to the next level, in many ways.

First, I need to get into some shows, get my work out in front of as many people as possible.

Second, I need to elevate my artwork to the next level; I must begin to create the artwork that I was born to create. It is time for me to create my life's work, the pieces I will be known for, the artwork I have always yearned to create.

I have known, have felt it in my heart for years and years, that I was born to create great works of Fantasy Art, and more recently that my work in this area would be of a quality and level that would warrant being exhibited in galleries and museums.

So I must get busy. There is much to do.

Carrie has been great. I say I want to do figurative works that venture into the Fantasy Art genre, and she says “Do it!” I say that I want to incorporate figures with animals, and she says “Do it!” I say that I have a series in mind of female figures, clad in period costumes, wandering in the wilderness, floating, and flying, and she says “Do it!” I say that I want to do a series of animal studies that will be incorporated into larger, more complex pieces, and she says “Do it!”

I say that I want to take a step back and redirect my efforts (get more schooling, work on this skill or that skill, etc.) and she says “Don't do it!”

She has good instincts, knows that the best thing for me is to move forward. 

I also made many good contacts at the Con. I met with authors and publishers, and even made some connections for upcoming projects and cover art. This is great! I am moving forward, getting my work, and my skills, in front of people who appreciate it and are excited to work with me.

I also met quite a few good costumers and characters. I took a bunch of photographs, and exchanged contact info. I am getting in touch with good faces and costumes to populate the scenes in my paintings.

This is good news, especially after the recent mishaps with my computer crashing (another one!) and being unable to access the awesome reference photos I had taken with Michael Sheridan.

I am very excited. Good things are on the horizon, and great artwork is in the making....!

Friends in costume

Aaron Miller painting demo

Great costume!
When we met, she said
"You're a brave man, shaking hands
with the Mother Confessor."
True dat. ;)

Great costumes!

Adorable AND scary!

Adorable AND scary!

Adorable AND scary!

What can I say? It's Peter:
Long-time friend.
Good costume.
Adorable AND scary!
(...and he has baklava!)

Mile Hi Con 2013

This Friday, Saturday and Sunday I will be at MileHiCon to promote the books Fable and Fated by Lisa Fender and Toni Burns.

Look for us in the authors' row section.
http://www.milehicon.org