Who Doesn't Love the Shell Shop

Once more I'm tackling the more memorable sights in Morro Bay.  Everyone who comes here drives past the Shell Shop.  Some even stop.   I've lived here six years and been in there once.  But if you talk to visitors of our fair city, they all know the Shell Shop.  I don't think my last picture did it justice, so, armed with a different picture, I tackled it again.

This one has much better perspective.  The really big thing I did differently, which I started on the last painting, but brought out more here, is the shadowing.  The shadows of the building are all building color. It's a more intense, darker color.  From this you can tell what part of the building is in shadow (most of it), and you can see the triangle at the bottom that is not in shadow.  I think it makes more sense to do shadows this way than by putting a blue grey shadow on everything.  I might have been able to mix a little more grey in the color, but I think the principal is one I am gonna continue with.  Shadows on the focal point of the painting are gonna be the same color as that of the subject.

Additionally, I think the anchor turned out pretty good.  The writing on the shell is a little crooked.  Its really hard to paint letters freehand.  Especially with red.  With red if you make a mistake, you can never take it off the page.  Other colors a a little more forgiving.

Well, thats it, I hope you all enjoy it, and when you come to Morro Bay, you can stop by the Shell Shop and see it for yourself.

Guy With Guitar (perspective)

Today we are going a completely different direction from tomatoes.  This is obviously a guy playing guitar, but I wanted to work on both drawing hands and on perspective.  When I stumbled upon this picture, I couldn't resist.

I really wish that the picture wasn't all blue and grey.  maybe I should repaint and use a red shirt or something.  Despite the way the left hand looks, I'm really proud of bing able to draw the hands as well as I did.  I think the main problem with the hand is not that it isn't drawn well, bu that the paint looks a little odd.  If you look at the hand again, you will see the fingers are formed well and in proportion.  Its just a little running I got from the pain that makes it look a little odd.

The left shoulder is supposed to be way in front of the right one.  I definately think I got the size of his arms right, but there is something not right about the way it looks.  It looks like this guy is sitting square to the viewer.  Well, I'll just keep at it, and I'll get it some day.

I tried hard to leave extra white in this picture.  I could easily have made his shirt a solid color, and it might have worked out ok.  But leaving the white gives a sense of highlights.

I am toying with the idea of putting guitar strings on this,  what do you think?