Mermaid

So, I got on a little bit of a mermaid kick lately.  It started a couple of weeks ago, and has just about run its course.  This might be about my last one.  I really think her tail fin turned out great on this on.  Also, I'm really happy that the shading of her skin turned out pretty good.

Under her hair is darker than her face and chest.  Her left arm is darker than her right.  She even has a little shadow on one butt cheek.  Not too back on a little painting.

The hair didn't quite turn out like I thought, but it isn't too bad either.  I'm totally happy with this little painting.

If you want to watch me paint this, you can view the video below.

Last One In This Series (Nudes)

I don't know what happened with this one.  I thought it started out great, and then I kinda lost a little momentum.   I think I started putting shadow where my brain told me shadow ought to be, rather than where it was at based upon the picture.

I have that problem every now and again.  I don't remember if I need a right brain or left brain shift to rid myself of that problem.  Maybe just a change in music will do it.  I've started listening to Dean Martin while I paint, but perhaps I need to listen to something just a bit different.

Well, m not disappointed in this, but I think I could do a better job if I were to do it again.

Regardless, hope you enjoy it.

Sleeping Nude

I like to try new ways to paint all the time.  Recently, I was watching some watercolor videos I had collected a long time ago.  The video suggested covering the entire paper with paint as a base color, then going back and doing the same thing with the next layer, etc.  I'd gotten away from doing this because I never seemed to be able to paint quite right like that.

Well, with this picture, since I had just watches those videos,  I tried it.  Well, I hated it.  I painted this whole picture that way, and kinda got fed up with it and walked away.  Maybe I can't see that large a picture or something.  I went back over this picture with what I call "my way" and it got better, but sill not loving this one.

Maybe its because I have the attention span of a gnat (already had to take 3 breaks in typing this) or only the ability to think of half a thing at once, but "my way" is to paint a small portion, then go to another small portion, then another, and another, etc.   I don't mind going back over and back over to blend the portions previously painted together.  I think I can work with that method (my method) to paint just about anything.  It just seems that when I start painting a full layer of paint on paper, I lose the ability to manipulate the painting to what I want.  It just kinda goes its own way, and I'm constantly trying to reel it in.

Well, this one is what it is.  Hope you enjoy.

Continuing the Theme

Here are two more sketches.  Both done in under 30 minutes.  I spent less than 10 drawing each, and finished the painting at abut the 20 minute mark.

No these aren't museum quality, but it is forcing me to draw more, and also to think more about where i put my paint.  Since I am trying to paint in such a compressed time, I have to conserve my paint strokes.

I don't know if I mentioned that I have switched to painting with a travel palette.  Having a palette with only 12 colors on it actually makes it easier than having one with 24.  I guess I have to think less, or maybe I have to think more.  Not sure.  do know that having all 24 colors I just used to grab the exact (or nearly) color I wanted to use.  With only 12, I now have to mix my colors a bit to get colors, and I think the mixing of colors makes the paintings a bit more alive.

Well, they are what they are, enjoy.

Nude sketch

I was challenged by a friend to do a nude sketch.  I didn't have a model to sit for me, but thanks to the good folks at pixelovely I was able to find something to paint.

It is of course a woman sitting with her head turned away from us.  I wasn't initially happy with the sketch, so I added a little background.  The colors are nothing like the original picture, but I think they help.

Since I wanted light on the models back, I put yellow there and tried to make it progressively darker as we move to the left.  I think it helped with the representation of light.

I've been reading a bit about painting quickly, and I am excited to learn that these quick sketches really are a valuable to learn form, shading and water control for watercolors.  I really like doing them, since they are so quick and last about as long as my attention span.  This sketch, for example, from blank page to finish was about 30 minutes.

Hope you enjoy it.

Nude, but covered

I'm calling this a WIP (work in Progress) because I am gonna go back and add a background at some point.  I like most of the shading and coloring, but I think it needs a bit more.  The only thing is that I am not quite ready to do it yet.  I've been busy and will be even busier throughout this week.  I don't wanna rush thought and put on a bad background.  I'd rather let it sit and come up with something better after a while.  I also think I need to put on a little darker shading.  Its really hard to notice when looking at it right after you've painted it.    Maybe that's the key.  Paint it and let it sit for a while before you mark it as finished.

I tried to give her some realistic skin tones, while trying to not just use one color.  There are reds and yellows and greens in in her skin.   Believe it or not, the only brown i used is in her hair.

I also used 120 lb paper, which I don't normally use, but it was all I had on hand when I started. The paper has a different feel, and holds water differently.  The grey that you see in the scan is from the paper being just off the scanner bed.

Well, I'm off for now.  Enjoy.

Woman on blanket

This painting for sale  9x12  $30

Alright, instead of just a head, this time I thought I would tackle the whole body.  It's not a perfect painting by any stretch, but I think its pretty good.  I had a reference picture that was black and white, so any I had to come up with all the color on my own.  I think did  a pretty good job of capturing skin color.  I will admit that she probably could use a few hours in the sun.  I think if (or when) I go back and tinker with this one, I'll add a bit more definition to her chin and neck.

The hair was difficult, because in the reference picture, she had platinum blonde hair.  I'm not sure how to paint that, so I made hers a bit dirtier blonde.  

Like always, the hands are terribly hard.  The one across her torso was a bit odd in the photo, and as such a bit odd on the painting.  A little more work and I'll get better at them.  All in all I think for a first attempt, this turned out terrific.