Blue Nude

Today's post is an in-class painting. This was done over three weeks (which I didn't miss out one class on! Score!)

Both warm and cool, with that hotspot of a FP, this painting was a lot of fun to paint. I also had some specific spots where I really tried to express the depth within the figure and space.

The best damn feet I've painted yet, despite the problems they were determined to give me.

mmm... focal point...

Have a great weekend, guys!

Holy Awesome Wild Cats!

Yesterday, with much excitement, I went to AAU's Illustration Department's live wild cats drawing workshop. Needless to say it was super packed and awesome. Prepare yourselves for inspiring awe and beauty (via some pixelated, shaky-handed pictures).

First up was the lynx. Unfortunately I had to come over to the workshop right after class and so I missed some of the beginning of this beautiful lynx. It kept laying around and was pretty calm, which the trainer later mentioned can lead to the animal being more difficult since it's confident and laid-back it doesn't feel like (s)he needs to listen.

Then came my favorite of them all.

The cheetah.

This guy was the best model of them all, surprisingly! He's new to their program and so they were impressed with his demeanor.... good cheetah!

That's right. There's video. Shaky video, but video none the less.

It was a bit difficult to sketch standing and holding all my shit, while also being impressed with the animals. Luckily, I brought my brush pen. All I could really get down were gestures mostly, but the cheetahs face just kept drawing me in.

Next was the bobcat. This guy was only 6 months old and adorable!

He kept jumping on his trainer's back and rubbing against him... just so everyone was clear who was boss.

Lookit that FACE!

Ridiculously adorable.

Last was the African Serval.

I really liked the little white markings on this guy's big ears.

This was truly a wonderful experience and I'd like to escort you over to the Wild Cat Fund website for more information. Many of these cats are endangered or near extinction--as in the case of the cheetah. The cheetah is the only wild cat remaining who lived the same time as the sabre-tooth cat. The cheetah as made it through centuries of evolution and change, but it is man who will take it off this Earth. If you'd like to donate or learn more, please go to the Wild Cat Fund's website.

Also, unfortunately, I had video of these cats to share but Blogger is having a problem uploading my videos.. which sucks because seeing the cats in action was one of the most enjoyable experiences. I'll see about fixing this and if I can then I'll post them ASAP.

Thumbs

Today's post are thumbnails! I need to do more pre-planning and preparation for paintings and illustrations, so I've been really trying to work on my thumbnails so that they're stronger and a real basis for the finished work. A few years ago, I still did thumbnails but they were oftentimes just sketches without the value established and mostly indecipherable to anyone but myself.

Here's to legibility and planning!

Going to go with the far right composition and value pattern. Very moody and I want it to appear as though she is emerging from the darkness.

Have an awesome Friday, everyone!

Shameless Promotion

Today's post is some good ol' fashioned self-promotion!

I'm going to be participating in a RAW: natural born artists gallery show in San Francisco on May 24!

Please check out my page with them here, and if you're in the Bay Area come out to the show! Tickets are $10 and I'll be there all night. I'd love to hang out and enjoy art together.

Beyond

Another painting finished! I like how this one turned out, especially with the texture of the underpainting showing through the color. I was going for ghostly detective woman Chelsea Rasmussen!

Laying down the lineart and placement. I've been forcing myself to do this part with the brush this semester in attempts to stay loose. However, I saw on Dan Dos Santos' blog that he does a pretty detailed pencil drawing under his paintings... and it just looks so delicious. If only I could pull that off...

Laying in those darks

Underpainting complete!

Glazing color...

And complete!

In Black

A finished painting for today!

I've been experimenting with grayscale underpaintings and really dig 'em.

Looks a bit freaky at this stage!

I kind of liked how it looked with the black and white background...

Reaching completion but still not there...

This was the stage it was in when I turned it in. Today I went back in to add more details and try and describe the planes in the arm and hands better.

Better! I still struggle with painting hands. Definitely something I need to work on more.

Have a great Wednesday, everyone!

A Peek

It's not much of an excuse, but I've been a bit busy with some freelance work and a Directed Study meeting for school so I don't have what I wanted to post today ready quite yet. Yes, I know, lame post is lame. But I thought I could at least give a peek into what I wanted to post.

This is from a painting I'm working on and it just needs a bit more tweaking before its completion. I posted the thumbnails for this one a bit of a ways back, so let the suspense build! I promise to have the final painting and lots of delicious in process shots for Wednesday's post.


Have a great weekend, everybody! And if you're so inclined, enjoy Passover/Easter/eating lots of chocolate.

A nice, good book

Who doesn't enjoy a good book? I know I do, and if you know what's good for you then you do too! Too bad the model wasn't actually able to read... made for a good situation though.