More trading

A new sketch to be traded away.

This has led to a color version and even a process video to be posted soon.

sketchbook #41

Just wanted to get something up for the weekend.

Happy Thanksgiving.

I hate this guy

For the Avalanche blog (not by choice, I assure you).

I had a rough version of this that I thought was probably finished but then some extra time led me to push it more. I'm glad. A little trick you may want to try with your next digital painting. run the blur filter when you think it is getting close to finished, then sharpen the selected areas that need it. This is similar to the method that I use with figure drawing. Build it up, then mash it all down, then build again, repeat as needed.

just one more

And now for something completely different.

Can you just see those little eyes just begging for another Cheerio.
This is our baby and the reason for my lack of good oil paintings/drawings these days but really how do you put down something like this to paint, I haven't figured it out yet. She's is totally delightful, we're glad we went ahead and got her with all the upgrades.

Shadowy

I found this guy hiding out in my closet, so I painted him. He seemed annoyed but didn't speak much.

Note: This story is not true

colors of the wind

In a recent post I mentioned some frustration with my own choice of coloring. Here is a new painting of my wife, after the drawing stage I flipped through my piles of reference and found this classical painting done by John Alexander White as my reference for the colors. I went a lot warmer but you get the idea, and it was a good way to use a color palette that turned out a lot more interesting then what I would have chosen otherwise.
I am also satisfied with the limited finish work that left the crosshatch work on certain areas like the jacket.

Color Sharpie™

I was so happy with the drawing I did a color version, This painting was a huge file because of the layers and layers I was using to build up the work.

Sharpie™

I had a request from workmate Casey Nelson for a Halloween poster of a monster family member. This is my contribution done with pencil and a Sharpie pen on a big poster board, I really used to love Sharpies for artwork in high school but these days I rarely get the opportunity to use one.

On the Halloween note check out Kevin Keele's ridiculously cool pumpkin and timely warning about trunk or treating.


Stay tuned for some coloring.

fig. 38

We got a little more imaginative with our pose this week. It was more interesting but it comes across as a little awkward which is about right when you hold that kind of pose for 20 minutes. But I was happy with the anatomy and the line work.

Halloween

I think I started this mad scientist painting 3 times. The colors were not working. So I went to my reference folder and found some art I liked that used colors more effectively and in a more original/interesting way then I am able to come up with. I found this Analogous combo and I like the results.
Stay tuned, more realism is on its way...

please go away

And in this weeks "I hate politicians" running series...

I think I got the likeness. Maybe not. I can never tell. I did some initial sketching for this and had a really rough piece. I thought to myself "That is fantastic! It's simple and right on." I looked at it the next day and it was, in reality, truly awful. Thank goodness I didn't show anyone else. I feel better with this but who knows how long that will last. I often feel like everything I do is tired and unoriginal, I think it has a lot to do with the fact that it's all coming out of my head and I already know all of my own tricks. Maybe all artists deal with the same thing?
My dad actually likes Jimmy Carter, I know, I don't want to talk about it.

shadow

A little painting done just to stay sharp I guess. I am pretty surprised the body worked out because it is almost entirely made up from scratch. The face had some reference but was also heavily altered.

bartering

Some areas of my work have reverted to the barter system lately at least as far as art. Instigated primarily by Virginia Critchfield, a wonderfully talented (and borderline insanely obsessive with her sketchbook, which I endorse) artist. We've been friends for a long while until she very recently abandoned our company. These were the pieces we traded. She has a nice collection on her blog of some of the intracompany bartering.

inspiration

I bought this drawing on the street in Russia years ago. I believe the artists name was Tokerev and this is from the early 1900s. I totally love it and it hangs above my desk in my studio.

Experimentation

I am always impressed by truly original artists that use wild colors and composition that my mind is incapable of. But one of the best to my thinking is Alex Kanevsky, great rough brushwork, fantastic anemic color palette and intriguing compositions. I should add the point that many in this catagory are epic failures using gimmicks to disguise their lack of talent.
I found this fantastic reference from an old photo, I as usual neglected to write down any information, it may be a famous person, regardless he looks very cool. Then I used the color palette of one of Mr. Kanevsky's nice interior paintings. It's still obvious that my painting lacks the wild rough edges and loose paint strokes, but I try.

Skinny

In lue of any real work.







Hopefully it makes sense?

portrait

*note: please look at the larger version before you scoff, I think this thumbnail misses the highlight on her lip and makes the mouth look stupid.

A couple weeks back I did this figure drawing. It's big 18"x24" but turned out nicely. Its done as usual with "Bottle green" NuPastel on sketch paper.

figure #36

This last Friday's results.

Football

I love football just about as much as anything. This year will my first toe dip into the fantasy football world. My team will be called the "Furious goats, because of this logo I've stolen from a previous painting. I understand a lot of my time will be wasted, we shall see.

drawing

Submitted for your consideration.

childhood

For the Avalanche blog, the theme was something about what I drew as a kid. All I drew as a kid were dinosaurs(or some modern variations like sharks or alligators).

figure #35

This Friday's drawing done in my sketchbook. I use a .3mm size lead drafting pencil. I don't know why, I became addicted to the lines a few years back and never got back to the regular pencils. That explains why there is rarely and shading, just crosshatching. I was happy with the likeness here though.

my new secretary

I have a new ombudsman to deal with the substantial load of criticism coming into my website. He may be a little abrasive but he is eager to solve your problem. Please overlook his rough edges and give him a warm welcome.
I was playing around with a different brush. A little tricky working with edges but forced the more general abstract handling.

Vampire w/ blood

In keeping with the current societal trend to use vampires in every possible scenario I've continued work on my previous drawing. I desperately don't want to be left behind by any trend or fad. If everybody think it's cool, I completely agree.

Vampire

Sketchbook #37

My wife just got a new magazine with some good reference for my sketchbook. This is last nights study. I asked Natalie what she thought she said "You always draw things long, don't you." That is wife speak for "It's too long." This version is in fact squished to compensate because it is true I always draw things long, it's possible it is the perspective or it may just be in my head, I may want to get that checked.

practice

This is from a couple of years back. Just some style practice with Oil on board.

finally

Nu pastel 18"x24"
At long last a figure drawing that I am very happy with. I get comments sometimes about the generally negative view expressed on this blog about my own work. It's true I am very rarely satisfied with my work. I am happy to declare this as probably my best figure drawing ever, technically at least. I am extremely pleased with the result, in my opinion very accurate with good line work and finished to just the right level. There is a good mix of realism and graphic lines.

So I told my wife how I felt about this and she looked at me like I was crazy then she was good enough to point out that there are no hands. Now it may not be the best composition ever but I actually like it. I really like the non-traditional compositions and this falls within that category. The fact that the hands have been left off is unsettling but intriguing to me, you just have to take my word for it that I can draw hands and this is not just a ploy to hide my inadequacy.

I guess that is enough self congratulation for this post. You are welcome to agree with Natalie, let me know if you think this drawing is mediocre.

long time gone

figure #33

A figure drawing from not too long ago. I thought this guy was awesome to draw he had a really interesting boney figure that was just really interesting, and he was extremely friendly. I was happy with some of the character I got out of the lines especially on that arm though now I wish I had been able to emphasize the great lines even more.

Sorry for the slow progress lately, a new home and the baby who just gets cuter makes art production difficult.