Painting final

So here is the final version of the painting. This step is just the fleshing out and final detail. Obviously this is rougher than my usual style but I've done that purposely. The initial and rough work is done with bristle brushes and the more finished work is sometimes sable but usually Langnickel Royal Sable which I really like at the moment. The Sable and hog bristle are from an online company called Trekell, who have great prices.

I'll probably have this propped up against the wall in my studio for a couple months to see if it feels okay or I may have to go back to it.

You can see each step in the process here.

now in Digital HD color

And just in time for the governments scheduled conversion to digital! The textured version of the below model.
Sorry to visitors that are not interested in 3D modeling.

Sculpted Royalty

I was hoping to post a new oil painting but here is a sculpture based off of a painting I did a little while back, which you can find here. I would love to do a sculpture in clay and actually bronze the thing. This one would be nice to have on my desk.
This was all done in ZBrush, again thanks to Danny Williams for his mentoring.

sketchbook #34

I found this picture of Caroline Kennedy as a child, I guess I am too young to know how cute she was as a child. Very interesting eyes.

One, in my opinion very important, art tip is learning how to throw away what you've done and being confident that you can do it again. A lot of artists are way too hesitant to start over if they think something is pretty good already but maybe one portion is off. Don't be afraid to erase it and start over. These drawings are usually the second or third attempt, consider it as 3x the practice.

sketchbook #33

Today's drawing.

I've been breaking my cardinal rule lately which requires me to draw constantly. Luckily today I did. Don't worry this drawing is not a jerk I saw on the street, he is a jerk that I saw in a catalog. While drawing from photos, especially not my own, is not preferable to life it does give me a nearly endless supply of good subjects that don't take breaks.

3D model - Pirate

I did this model while experimenting in Mudbox. It was modeled in a flat gray but I wanted to see what it would look like colored and got a little carried away. So this is a full painting done entirely in overlays over the rendering. He definitely looks like a pirate so I was inspired to give him tattoos, the mother one is cool but you can't leave him without a Koi fish. I'm sure all pirates had at least one Koi fish tattoo, it was practically a ticket onto the boat.
Actually, I was initially trying to just learn by copying a brilliant model done by Daniel Williams (the first in his gallery). But as it developed I could tell I was failing and going way to realistic. You can see some similarities if you look closely.

Painting painting - step #4

So here is more of the meat of the painting after a day or two of drying time. Again kind of a rougher process then usual but I've enjoyed the more straight forward approach. Similar to my drawing style the face is were I like working, I like the challenge, and the background is more of an afterthought. That's why with this of any other painting the face is done first.
I've laid down an extremely thin layer of walnut oil (non-alkyd) to give the feeling of painting wet on wet but without the messy mixing colors. The colors and draftsmanship are being tightened up at this point. And I am building up the lights, one thing I really like about painting in layers to build the hi-lights over 3-4 stages because it gets a really nice glow especially in good light. I've pushed the sky toward blue but wasn't comfortable with it so it will change.

My mind is muddled so if you have any specific questions come to mind please ask. More to come.
Also note, the step #3 image is awful, this is much better.

Pomposity

I found this cool picture of an art critic, started a painting a while back then never really got back to finish but the face is nice.

Base painting - step #3

Don't worry it gets better.

So this is step #3 in this painting. If I remember correctly I was in a hurry to get painting so a rushed value under drawing, a quick spray fix, wait 5 minutes and time to paint. I slapped on a burnt umber thin layer with turpentine to thin and painted into it with no medium except more turpentine if needed. That explains the dark colors because anything you paint picks up about as much Burnt Umber as it adds new color. I used a lot of quick loose strokes to get the face and was very proud of it when I was done, only to return the next day to be disappointed (was obviously staring at it too long). I did like the way the brush work looked but not the details of the drawing, no matter there are more steps to come.
Excuse the blown out light values, I'm also still learning to use a camera effectively.

Upcoming show

Good news about on the gallery front, I've got an upcoming show at the Legacy Gallery in Scottsdale, Arizona on February 19th.
I'm excited to get my work out there and see how it does in the real world. I got a feature in this months American Art Collector which is a very nice magazine. I'm a little uncomfortable with my comments, it's like watching yourself on tape, my own direct quotes always sound bad to me.

Underdrawing - step #2

Step one was the original drawing.

I said in the drawing stage that I would post pictures along the process, but that is a lot of pressure that demands a competent painting. I admit I held off until I could see I would be more or less satisfied withe the result. Another problem with posting my process is that I don't have a set process it changes a lot as I learn. Unfortunately oil painting is only a side job and I don't have enough experience to have a set method.

So here is the underdrawing. It is a new method that I haven't used before but I do like, quick linework then a lot of really loose charcoal scrubbed around with the back of my hand to get a simple value study.

Stay tuned...

Pennsylvania field

A landscape, obviously.
I feel landscapes are my weakest point. I naturally am inclined to do artwork of something like people, because it is so difficult and makes me work to capture it accurately. I think I have more of an analytical mind that makes landscapes that are so random extremely difficult for me to reproduce. This is maybe the first I've ever done that I have been mildly satisfied with, we'll see if that holds up.

Also notice the black and white painting two posts down has been updated with a better representative image. The old image was taken too close which gave me kind of a wall-eye view that I tried to warp back into place but I noticed some subtle but annoying distortions in the face. You may not notice a difference but it is better, trust me.

On a lighter note

I love politicians and Nancy Pelosi is always one of the favorites (read sarcasm).
I was worried that I may have lost any caricature ability with lack of practice, but this one turned out. Although I may not like it by tomorrow. this is my typical .3 size drafting pencil in my sketchbook.

Aside-that lighter note is probably more of a tragic note when they steal my hard earned money.

Flowers running off the edge-updated

Finally an oil painting. I felt like getting back to my roots with a black and white painting which is a very useful exercise to work on brush strokes, values, technique, composition, etc. All those elements that need to be worked on but get lost when you throw in the 300 pound gorilla called color.
I'm not sure I am completely happy with it. Let me know what you think of the composition I think the flowered branches running off the edge are kind of intriguing. Also, once it is shrunk down as a digital image it looks more photographic then I hope the painting does. Hopefully the brushwork makes it more of a painting though I should push it enough to show in this format.

Done?

The full color version of the aforementioned Christ statue in Prague. I was trying a new digital technique that I think I like. I work at it until it's looking pretty good then I use a filter to blur the entire thing. This keeps my structure but looses a lot of the ugly lines so I can go back into it cleaning edges and linework. I also used this on the drawing exercise below.

Also, thanks to the talented Varvara Harmon for tagging my blog.

Figure #27

A figure drawing of a long model.

Drawing - step #1

I have good news as far as galleries for the new year. I intend to be producing a stack of new oil paintings. Here is a new drawing study for a painting. I will try to keep a image record of my process for this one and post it. I hope I don't screw it up.

in progress

I found a really interest statue in the St. Vitus cathedral in Prague this spring. Obviously a Christ statue but a great medieval look to it.

Besides the great view from the tower this cathedral had the greatest Alphonse Mucha stained glass window.

drawing exercise

I am ashamed to say that I've found myself getting away from drawing too much lately. It has lead to distortions increasingly sneaking their way into my work. Drawing is an exercise that can't be avoided for long. It's like practice for a sports player, neglect it at your own peril.

And a Merry Christmas to all!

Drawing at the MET

Finally an oil painting. This is from some reference taken at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It is the life of a dedicated artist sitting on the hard chairs trying to block out the loud tourists and get a competent depiction of the sculptures.

The colors shifts were really subtle and a little tricky mainly because I was trying to push the loose brush work on this one. It also makes it looks kind of rough as a digital image. Seems to work okay as a piece of art though.
Another problem I keep running into is how to get a good idea of the real colors when the paint dries and turns from the wet vivid colors to the low contrast mat variety. Some colors are more mat then others(black) and I haven't figured out how to avoid that problem.
I'll have to keep thinking on it. I usually paint a piece then it will sit propped against a wall for a few months in my peripheral vision so I can decide if it'll work out. Often it is useful to have it sitting on it's side or even upside down to get a feel for how the shapes and colors work.

Study for a painting

A new painting on the easel currently. I hope the composition is interesting but this is the drawing of the main figure, my wife.

*Updated* Figure drawing #26

Update- I had some time last night so I took a while and improved the figure drawing done a couple weeks ago. I added some darks and smoothed the shading. The drawing becomes necessarily more generic as I worked because the model isn't there and I have no reference except the digital image of the original. I think it helped quite a bit to just take it and focus on the finish without the worries that are rushing through your head as you try to finish in the time that the model is there sitting for you.

Chacoal on paper 18"x24"
original post

figure drawing #22

NuPastel on paper 18"x24"

I wonder if it is ever possible to be truly happy with a figure drawing. Doubt it.

sketchbook #32

My niece after a swim in the pool.

figure drawing #26

Chacoal on paper 18"x24"
Fridays figure drawing which I am pleased with. I feel like my sketchbook drawings are my artistic strong point and I have been trying to get my figure drawings to catch up with them. This one is close. I like how it is tight and accurate around the face and eyes focusing the center of attention then letting the details go as you move out from there. And its accurate but also expressive.
And here is Sam's version.

Dr.Hyde

*Update- it may not come across clearly but the hand in the black area is some hapless victim obscured by his shadow.
Yet another illustration. The Avalanche blog topic is Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. I had this good idea for a composition but I get so bored trying to do full backgrounds so this is as close as I'll probably get. I hope it's not too dark it looks okay on one screen and dark on another.

Lighting practice

A little practice done after Sam's demo on painting different digital lighting enviroments. It's an old drawing used to do this original painting.

figure drawing -Portrait

This weeks figure drawing turned out really well I though. Full disclosure, the eye was misaligned but rendered well so I moved it slightly in Photoshop.

Illusions

A new illustration for the Weekly Standard. I am really pleased with the lighting in this one and owe it all to a class given by Sam Nielson. I haven't really figured out a lighting scheme before getting started until this painting and I think it really improved the lighting on the animals. I stole the Obama face from a earlier painting so the lighting doesn't quite match but it saved time with the quick turnaround.
I really nailed it on the fairy dust, I don't know why but it may have something to do with my week in Disney World.

charcoal mess

A very messy figure drawing from night school. It's been okay and I enjoy the practice but I am ready to move on.

One tip If you are working with pastel or charcoal do your rubbing with the back of your hand and a paper towel. Rubbing with your fingers should be very limited because the oils seal the area making it nearly impossible to erase anywhere near the original paper color.