Fur In The Paint

First let me say I’m sorry I’ve been MIA yet again. I’ve been having problems with my uploads and since I didn’t really have any text only posts … well there was a bit of a break. Also still working through my life stuffs.

Anywho, back now and with some new surprises coming up. But for today this is it.

I photographed this old Dodge truck several years back and fell in love. I wanted to experiment a little with laying down an orange base coat and putting my favorite chartruese-y greens over the top.

This piece was done on 110# Hot Press watercolor paper. I used Inktense pencil for my base orange and then used Neopastel II for the top layer.

I learned 3 things.

Make that 3.5 Things

My vision included some serious textures whether through mark making or surface paper. Neither could be achieved with this scenario. So my plan is to pick up some Cold Press Watercolor Paper next time I’m out in a city and try again. Sadly this most likely won’t be until my first art event which is like 3 weeks away. (Eeck!)

But I posted this to show that I am still trying to do something. I’ve also pulled out an old oil pastel which I plan to finish up this weekend. Will post a pic soon.

So I had been sitting around thinking the Kirkendahl portrait was “fine.” (And by “fine” I mean okay.) It’s a perfectly adequate portrait and since it’s my first horse in God only knows how long … well, it was fine. Rather illustrator-ish but in general fine. (Do you think I could squeeze the word “fine” in any more?) However I had this niggling feeling every time I looked at it. Something wasn’t right and I needed to figure out what that something was. I had plenty of tweaking left to do but I knew whatever tweaks I had planned wouldn’t change what was nagging at me.

I tend to prop a painting up somewhere when I’m trying to figure this kind of thing out. That way when I’m going about my gallery business I can stop for a couple of minutes and ponder it. Also it helps to sort of “come upon” the painting. First impressions of the first glance, kind of thing. In the end I decided it was the mane that was the problem.

Well perhaps not the mane alone. But the fact that the mane was by far this big darkness that didn’t really have any balance anywhere else in the overall piece. Everything was so bright in comparison. So I imagine what the piece would look like in grayscale. Trying to suss out tonal value of the piece on the whole.

While I didn’t actually do a grayscale check in photoshop I decided I’d darken much of the background and some of the horse. Create more richness as well as contrast. I increased the shadows along the neck and shoulder.

At this point I am much happier with the piece. There is still tweaking to be done but I can look at it with a certain amount of pride now rather than feeling squeamish like I hadn’t put my whole heart and soul in to the piece. Honestly though only the first couple of days I found painfully boring. About the time I started the neck I was getting into it. This is only the second time I have worked off a photo that was provided rather than one I took myself. It was a good challenge for me.

So I know I have said this before but hopefully tomorrow I will consider it finished. Sign it and email the owner. Or I may delay everything and “live” with it for a few days.

Almost But Not Quite Done
Still working out the kinks of the background as well as trying to get the horse to feel like it’s a part of the scene not just cut and pasted into it. Maybe tomorrow I’ll get it finished up. I figured I’d have it done by now but I’ve been working on creating a page for the website that deals with commissioning a horse portrait in between painting stints. (and by “creating” I mean building the page from scratch.)

I learned HTML for my blog. (and by “learned” I mean I have a tenuous grasp, but it’s enough that I can manage the basics) I’ve learned CSS for squidoo and now I’m learning to use PmWiki for my website.

Turns out I’m not just a pretty face with an awesome rack … but I also have a brain too. (Okay that sentence right there is why I’ll never be taken seriously as an artist.)

At any rate the Kirkendahl horse portrait is coming along. I may even be content with it when it’s done.

Maybe.

I was really hoping to be able to finish this piece off today so I could start a new “something” tomorrow. But nope. I’m spending way too much time pondering and puzzling over all the minor details and mental minutia like “Do I have enough shine on his face to match the shine on his shoulder?” (not yet but close) or “Do I include the lead chain or pretend he’s at liberty?” (liberty)

The mane is just washed in to give me a feel for it. Next the background … Uhg!

Yeah I know right? How many decades of my life will I continue to dread doing the background. You’d figure someone who has done as many paintings of horses as I’ve had would have it pretty well nailed down by now. Part of the problem is I rarely do what is in the photo for backgrounds so it leaves a lot to figure out. Colors to be used, whether I want dramatic lighting or just some sort of soft wash.

And to top it all off I’m hungry. I don’t do my best thinking when I’m hungry. Fantasies of pizza’s and cheesy poofs are floating through my head. I may have some strawberries for desert because I’m all up into the healthy like that. Hmm … perhaps a quick grocery store run is in order. You know, just to get the creative juices flowing because right now all I can concentrate on is the gastric ones.

What? Too much information?

Have a good weekend ya’ll. Here’s hoping come Monday I’ll have the piece done and then will finally tell you all about the model like I promised to do half a dozen posts back or so.

Well this piece has been a challenge. Partly because it is so terribly portrait like. (I seriously don’t know how you portrait artists do it.) Of course the great appeal of creating this piece was all his fluttering mane and that is yet to be worked in.

I set myself the challenge to make him as realistic as possible. And I clung to that notion for quite awhile. But today some violets, periwinkles and cabernets began showing up. Very subtle but his lower neck is a veritable rainbow. Still reads realism though.

I am getting close enough to finishing the horse itself to begin sweating the background. I had a plan but as things tend to go for me … I am beginning to doubt my plan. Maybe I’ll just put in a color wash or maybe I’ll try for that blurred tree look of photographers. I guess I’ll know it when I get there.

I’ve yet to send a WIP to the owner. Partly because an unfinished piece leaves a lot to the imagination. And partly because I could ruin it at any moment and am willing to wait until it is finished before I connect with them. Of course they could be privy to the blog. So that whole mental argument with myself may be for naught.

So here’s what I got so far. Trying for that hyper realism thing but still sneaking in periwinkle where ever I can.

Me and my new digital camera have yet to come to terms. I have no idea why it photographs my art like it is under an inch of coffee. I have it set for easy mode which in theory means my camera should be doing all the thinking. Well I’m not liking what it’s thinking. Even after major photoshop adjustments it is still too yellow.

Hm … maybe I better read the handbook.

On the plus side it shoots Budda in all his glorious detail while he assists in the painting photography fiasco.

Next post
I’ll tell you a little about the horse.

Here’s a teaser. He likes peppermints and beer … though probably not together.

I need to check with the owners before I talk anything about the horse in the photo so I’ll just keep this post short by saying … I have only laid in the base wash for him. But I have begun.

Oh yeah, and it is about an 18×24 or so in size. I haven’t measured it and most likely I will crop it to a different proportion anyway.

Spotted - Giraffes
Watercolor pencil on museum grade suede board.
Image Size : 15 1/2 x 40

Yup it’s done … and sold. Just gotta get it profiled for prints and then I’m ready to move on to the next one. Not sure what that’ll be yet. Haven’t heard from the horse portrait (she was scheduled for surgery just before we talked last so …)

At any rate I am getting ready to move forward. I have sent off several art fair applications this week and so I know my remaining creative time is limited. Today being Sunday I plan to dig around my photos and see if anything pops out at me. Also plan to learn a little more about Wordpress and see if I can’t customize this thing called a blog better. I’d like to add another sidebar and then plug in a few things like an archive, a zazzle product link and perhaps a feeds link for Facebook and Twitter.

Since my husband built the blog it’s inner workings are very much a mystery to me. Just thinking about “trying” to learn it, gives me headache. Maybe I’ll go for a walk and then eat some chocolate covered peanuts or cheesy poofs to gear up for my brain function and because I’m all up into the healthy like that.

So without further ado … the start to finish on my giraffe painting. Followed by my first Zazzle product in several weeks as well. Featuring … you guessed it … the latest painting.

Giraffe Coffee Mug by WildFacesGallery
More Giraffe Mugs

The image is a perfect fit. Nothing is cropped off. I think it makes a really cute mug with the matching rim and handle. What do you think?

UPDATED: Forgot to mention you can see a larger example of the finished painting on my African Wildlife Art squidoo page.

Snow Day!
It’s gonna be a snow day today Which is usually a whoohoo! event. But this snow day started at 6am of choking down some breakfast, feeding the critters and running up town so I could clean out the gallery cornstove and get it crankin’ for a few days.

Yeah okay I know that if I had cleaned it out prior then I wouldn’t have had to rush this morning. But … I’m only a think ahead kinda gal on certain things.

Anywho after I finish cat proofing (i.e. removing all plants and breakables and anything that may intrigue a bored cat to naughtiness) the showroom gallery part so Budda can run wild and eat himself into a stupor (because unlike everyday with a specific diet controlled ration, he gets free range cat kibble in these kind of situations) just in case I can’t get off the farm tomorrow.

Though I’m guessing I will be able to but your never know. They are predicting up 10 inches in the next 24 hours. That’s more snow than we’ve had all year so far. Weird.

About The Painting
So I almost have this piece done. You can see what shape the last (and smallest) giraffe will take in the close photo. Then I just need give it a good coating of fixative and remove the protective film in order to finish the edges. Had the weather cooperated I would have gotten it completed today but for now it will just have to wait another day or two.

Time to finish the Budda proofing and then maybe I’ll go build a snowman … though it is far more likely to be a snow pony.

And That’s Why It’s Called Fur In The Paint
I had an artist in the gallery the other day having some framing done and while I was figuring things up Budda took a stroll across the giraffes.

Her: (with a look of horror and a squeal to her voice) “The cat is on your painting!”

Me: (look up at her and then casually look back to see that Budda is indeed walking over the giraffes) “Yeah he does that.”

Her: “But he’s ON your painting!”

Me: “Well technically he’s heading over to drink the water in my brush cup. My materials are all non-toxic but I still reprimand him when I catch him at it.”

Her: …

Me: “I had a friend who is a watercolorist and her cats knocked over her water and then walked all over her in progress painting. She brought it to art group once to show us the cat tracks. Pretty funny.” (chuckles at the memory)

Her: … …

Me: (because she clearly thinks something needs to be done here.) “Budda … get down”

Budda: Mreow! cranky he jumps down and stalks away.

Me: “Sorry little man, she totally narqed you out.”

Her: gives me an uncertain smile as she silently questions my sanity that only a non-pet owner could in this situation.

FYI
Just so you know Budda has many surfaces that he is not allowed on. My framing counter, the framing tables and shelves storing artwork, as well as the scanning tables and microwave. But for some reason my drafting table isn’t one of them. No I don’t encourage the cat to walk across my artwork and if the piece had been an oil pastel I would have been a lot more in his face. But the piece is dry and frankly the cat hair just kinda falls from the sky around here so ….