Skull studies

These were created for the 2012 small works show at the Artists House gallery. Fun studies done from a few of the skulls I've collected. Each is roughly actual size.

"Deer", 8x8, oil on panel

"Rabbit", 5x7, oil on panel

"Snapping Turtle", 5x5, oil on panel

"Fox", 5x7, oil on panel

Fed

A recent personal piece

36x48, oil on panel

and a process animation from sketch to finish:

Terrible Weakness

A little bit later than I had expected, but here is the full composition which followed the head study from a couple weeks back. With this piece I'm continuing to push the new direction and approach and it is really feeling good. I can't think of any other recent painting which was as exciting and enjoyable as this was to work on. I'm also tremendously proud to say that this piece will be on display at the Allentown Art Museum for the At The Edge: Art of the Fantastic show from June 3rd through September 9th where it will be hanging in some very distinguished company.


"Terrible Weakness", 36x48, oil on panel


process shots

Venus study

Another study for another upcoming personal piece:



9x12, oil on panel

Head Study

Felt like sharing a quick study I did in preparing for a new painting on the way. Experimenting with combining some of the techniques from Coral Demon with the more painterly approach. The full scale piece should be up later this week...


5x7, oil on wood panel

Through a Blood Red Veil

oil on illustration board, 16x27

Here's a new piece completed for a private commission. At the request of the client, I was documenting the painting as it came along, so I figured I'd attach my process shots as well.

Step 1: thumbnails

Here are a few rough thumbs from the very early stages of the painting. At this point, I've discussed the general concept with the client (a harem girl dancing for a sultan, either in a palace or tent) and begin by playing with shape based compositions, more abstract than representational. The girl dancing is pretty much the only element that I know exactly what it is, the other shapes will evolve into figures and objects.

Step 2: rough sketch

Once I've done a number of thumbs, I'll either scan or re-draw the composition into photoshop and begin planning in value. In this case, my initial sketch was very loose just to check if the client is satisfied with the direction so far

Step 3: the drawing

Next I prepared a more resolved drawing which shows more clearly the details of the image. Perspective is still freehand and loose. I've also shot reference images for the figures. Sometimes I do this sooner, sometimes later, but I always reference my figures and any other subjects I feel necessary.


The client wasn't entirely happy with the pose of the girl and so I sent a revised version. I'm glad they requested the change, because the second go worked so much better!

Step 4: studies



These color studies were done to help plan the palette and value structure. Neither really satisfied me for a complete plan, but they helped prepare me for important decisions which would be made later on. These are oil on illustration board, about 5x8.5 inches each


This is a digitally reworked scan of color study #1 converted to B&W. At this point, I wanted a clear value plan to proceed with my underpainting.

Step 5: the transfer

Now that I have an approved drawing, reference, and a value plan, I begin to prepare the final painting. My illustration board has been cut to the correct size and prepped with three thin coats of acylic gesso. On a sheet of tracing paper/velum, I lightbox a transfer image in pencil from my sketches, drawings, and photo refs. This is done in reverse so that I can lay it on the board and rub the graphite onto the gessoed surface. I'm concerned with contours and shapes and only indicate tone as linear shapes of light and dark. I also make sure that my perspective is all correct and all details are as I want to paint them. This is the structure on which the painting will sit, so I prefer to get it right and not have to make changes down the road.

Step 6: the underpainting

Now I do a general value study in acrylic. This is just another step in the series of bringing the image into focus and the acrylic will seal down the graphite.

Step 7: executing the image in oil

dancing girl prelim sketch

I don't post WIP and sketches when working with commercial clients (which is to say I rarely post them at all), but here's a sketch from a private commission that I'm starting on. I think it'll be fun getting into the paint :)

Postcard painting demo online :)

I’ve been fussing with editing software and youtube for about a week now, finally got something online :) Kind of a teaser for the full length process DVD that I’ll have out this spring… oh, and there’s a new book coming too, but more on that later ;)



the finished piece without all the video compression:



5x7, oil on illustration board

Dr. Sketchy's

I finally made it out for a Dr. Sketchy's Philly earlier tonight and i have to say, it was a great time! Awesome costumes, good music, can't beat it :)

silliness

Just thought I'd put up this little doodle. There was a "draw yourself at 16, draw yourself today" thing going around in some blogs awhile back and I just got around to doing one. Nothing big, but it's nice to be a little cartoony now and again :)

Life drawings

So I finally got myself back to doing some life drawing last week. Unfortunately the sessions end this week for winter break so I'll be looking for alternatives until February (Dr. Sketchy's is on my list though, and I ought to finally get to investigating the Alumni Association life drawing sessions at PAFA, plus I hear they have a student group that I might be able to sneak in to). Anyhow, a few drawings from the two sessions I managed to catch. I'll be back soon with some paintings, right now everything is either in progress or top secret...

Zoo sketching

A few pages from my sketchbook after a nice relaxing afternoon at the zoo:

Oil sketch of Janette

NDAs and traveling have been making blog updates a little difficult, but I did find the time for a little oil sketch earlier today. 6x9 on illustration board, somewhere around 2 or 3 hours:

Four of Swords underpainting

An update to the Four of Swords tarot piece. Here's my acrylic underpainting. Once I've shot my refs and layed out the drawing, I transfer it to a gessoed board and do a quick tonal block in with acrylic washes. The next step from here is just to jump right in to the oils.

New oil sketch

I haven't done any loose/brushy oils in several months, so here's a little something I felt like knocking off this afternoon. 8x11 on board, say about 2 hours.

The Four of Swords sketch phase

So I'm currently involved in a somewhat long term project. Over the next three years, I'll be contributing 19 paintings for a Tarot set. It's a collaborative set between my parents and brother and myself, each taking as close to a quarter of the 78 cards as possible. Roughly, it'll be moving at a rate of one Tarot piece every two months worked in with my regular jobs. In the mean time, Heavy Metal is going to be running a few pieces each issue as they come along. The first piece that I did, The Queen of Swords, should be in the November issue I think (the bottom most painting in my post: Taking this First Step). Right now I'm working up my second contribution, the Four of Swords. The meaning of the card, more or less, is "rest after conflict, pause, reflection, gathering of strength, recovery". So here are a some of my thumbnails and the final sketch which I'll be working off of once I begin the painting.