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.

Can you spot the glaring problem with this painting

There is one huge problem with this picture.  Can you spot it?  I know that technically There are some problems with the picture, but there is one huge problem.  I didn't realize I had done it until it was time to scan the painting.

I on looking at this painting again, I think I need a shadow from the large pine tree on the left hand side.  I could go back and add that in later.  It's funny what you notice while you are painting and what you dont recognize until later.

Cotchett Education Building

This is the Cotchett Education Building on Cal Poly's campus.  In the foreground you can just see the word Design, which is on the Architecture Building.  Expect to see a picture or two of that building in the coming weeks.

I love the way the trees turned out on this picture.  They look like they have movement and life too them.  I also like the purple plants in the planter in front of the word design.  

In judging this one I think I should have made the shadows on the building darker. I think that would have given more definition to the building.  Also, I think I am gonna start to draw in pen so that I can get leaves on the trees.  As you can see I have loose drawings underneath the paint.  Drawing it this way allows me to have a general shape to the tree, but not get bogged down with a "tree" shape so that I can then just put the color on and let the tree become a tree.    Hope you all enjoy this.

Anyone Recognize This House?

Yes it is the pride of west Michigan.  It is, of course, The Buckeye House.

Natural History Museum

This is, as the title says, the Natural History Museum in Morro Bay.  It really does sit atop a little cliff overlooking the bay.  It has stunning views and when the tide is out, like in this picture, the rocks at the the base of the cliff are visible.  I think I made the building a little small in this picture, but I'll get it all right at some point.  Just gonna keep working at it.  If I were to turn about 160 degrees to my right from where I was standing to take this picture, I would have Morro Bay rock directly in front of me.

I really like the look of this building sitting up there and am going to keep painting it until I get it right.  Oh, and by the way, until the 1950's, this was the clubhouse for Morro Bay Golf Course.

Gus's Grocery

Ok, I will admit, Gus's isn't in Morro Bay, it's in San Luis, but its an institution and everyone knows it.  I had to give it a try.  Incidentally, if you want a great sub, Gus's is the place to go.

Some good and some bad on this one, just like the rest.  Seeing the scanned image, i can tell my perspective is still off a bit, but I don't think it really takes away from the picture all that much.  Some good coloring on the trees, and a bit ont he brick on the front of the store.  The stucco, I feel like I am having trouble with.  Soooooooooooooo many of the building here are all stucco, and if you know me, you know that i think stucco is like the laziest way to finish a building.  It rarely ever looks good.  Maybe I feel I am having a little trouble painting it because of the way I feel about it.    After painting the Bayside, I was told that if I made the windows totally dark, or black, that they would be much more dramatic.  I have to say, That was some good advice.  Well, I hope you all enjoy the painting.

Back Door to the CM Office

So, I was painting outdoors again today.  Once again I painted building 186.  Some good and some bad.  This is the first floor.  The second and third are of course not represented here.  The very top of this painting is where the railing for the walkway would be attached.  Yes the windows are a bit goofy, the bottom pane is opaque.  There are a few plants in front of the railing that comes from the door.  The lamp post is perhaps a little too thin.  It is close to the bench that I sat at to paint.

Now the good, I've been working on not having solid colors,  I think I got some of that where not all the sections of the wall are the same color.  Not all the panes of the windows are the same, not even all the concrete is the same color.

One more thing.  All but one line and I've got the perspective lines right.  That means my drawing is actually getting better.   Hope you all enjoy.

Broken Down and Rusting

Firstly, let me apologize for the quality of this image.  The size of the painting is larger than my scanner can hold so I had to snap a pic with my camera.  Obviously it didn't do quite as good a job as the scanner.

I've had a book of great pictures from across America for quite a while now.  One of the pictures had a truck in a field in front of a barn.  I like the truck a lot, the barn, not so much.  So here is my take on the truck.

When I drew the truck, I was thinking to myself, just dont screw it up.  When I had finished I thought I did a pretty good job, and wanted to take a picture so I could use the image again.  Then I though, if i can draw it once, I ought to be able to draw it again.  So I forged ahead with painting.  Then as I was painting the parts of the truck I kept thinking, don't screw it up its a long process to get back to where you are.  But in the end,  like the way it turned out.  I might to another one of these, but it wont be for a while.  I think I'll have more confidence in painting it knowing that I've already been able to do it once.


Painting is 11x15
For Sale - $20 - free shipping

Around Campus

This first picture is of my building, but not an entrance for my department.  The wheel on the bicycle rack has been there for about a year and a half.  I don't know if its ever gonna be removed at this point.

This picture is of the very top of our library.  OK, its not the most exciting in the world, but it looks a lot better than the unfinished concrete box that it is.  The greenery in the bottom of the picture is from the tops of trees in front of the library.






This picture is the back side of the taco stand that I described wanting to paint in a previous post.  I still wanna do one from the front of the stand, but this one is nice too.

New Sketches

Two buildings from the Engineering complex here on campus.  I couldn't tell yo the names of them, but I can tell you they have some fun angles to try to paint.  I think these are really fun and I can't wait to get out and paint more of the campus.  While I was painting, a student happened along and stopped to look over my shoulder for a few minutes.  Truthfully, I was getting a little annoyed, when he said, "Those are looking pretty good" and went about his way.  

Hope you enjoy them too.

Beach House on the Moon (well, maybe the beach)

Watercolor 9 x 12.  This Painting for sale.

Trying to do the stylized method on this picture just like on yesterdays bird.  Putting the darkest part of the sky at the horizon and the darkest part of the ground at the horizon line is supposed to make whatever sits along that line really pop out.  It certainly did with the bird yesterday, today, not quite as much, but i probably didn't make the sky quite as dark as I should have.    I tried to blend and lighten the green as it came down the beach toward the viewer, the ad som mounding and beach grass.  Seeing this painting scanned in, it looks a little too grey for my taste.  I wish I could would have noticed it while i was painting.  I guess that will come with experience.    Also the outlining is purposely done very loosely.  I didn't want to do an exact outline of every shape.  This style gives you indications of where the lines should de, and allows your eye or mind to fill in what it thinks should be there.  Hope you enjoy.