Strawberry Princess

Since I was wiped out from a painting marathon yesterday, I relaxed most of the day after church and watched bad movies (you'd think a 3-day weekend would offer up some better options).

Anyway, I did venture out to the garage for a few hours and worked on a study for the strawberry girl.  She's the only major player in the mural that still had a lot to be developed.  Like the chef, it's a small study and the details are somewhat limited by its size.  Still, a lot of issues are resolved in the process.

A Very Productive Saturday!

For the first time in a long time, I had a free Saturday.  I must have painted for about 8 hours overall (not without interruption, of course). 

I feel like I've spent a lot of time in the first two panels - especially because there were so many complicated issues on the tractor, the figure in the tractor, and the plow that hadn't been resolved.  However, there are a lot of details on these panels that I have yet to do, and they won't happen until the very end.  One of the last things I'll have to do is to get some of these panels exactly side by side with no gaps to make sure things line up. But, for now, I just measure where I can and "eyeball" it when I can't.

I started today by working on the pumpkins again, adjusting some of the shadows and highlights a little.  Then, I moved on to the wave of soil - a larger area of color to troubleshoot and blend.  Once you start working on an area like that, you don't want to stop - gotta keep blending before the paint dries.  And, working on this part took me back into panel #3 again.

Then, I moved on to the cauliflower.  I didn't like the highlight color I had used for the vegetable's leaves in the first layer - too blue.  So, I mixed a bit more yellow in and that worked better.  I also worked on the cauliflower itself, stippling with and a light purple for shading.  There's still detailing to be done or adjusted there.

The last thing I did was to "plant some crops" in the far field.  That took a little extra time because I tried a few different greens before I found something I liked.

I love seeing how everything is starting to build, little by little.

Pumpkins!

Getting tired of painting with so much green and brown - luckily today was orange (and a little green).

Notice anything new?  After I'd submitted my original proposal, I'd thought about adding some leaves around the pumpkins and along what will be a vine between the plowed field and the band of light green along the bottom.  So, I did...and I'll probably add a few more.

It's a 3-day weekend - no soccer games, to events!  Just time to relax and paint, paint, paint!  Oh, and probably BBQ.

Plowing Away...

I realized yesterday as I was working on the tractor and plow that I really didn't have a firm grasp of the plow-thingy.  I couldn't locate the photo I'd originally referenced and all I had to look at was a crude sketch in ye olde sketchbook.  My drawing experience is limited when it comes to mechanical things (and not high on my list of popular subject matter).  The more I worked on it, the more uncomfortable I became - I was just "wingin' it."

So, I scoured the internet for a good plow photo only to discover that good plow photos are hard to find.  Who knew?  I finally found something to work from - a photo of a toy model John Deere tractor and plow.  Of course, it was the wrong orientation and viewpoint, but I could work with that.

This evening, my one painting mission was to solve the plow problem and, at least, get it off to a good start (or restart).  After 2 1/2 hours (time really flies when I'm painting), I'm happy with the change.  I feel like it is a major hurdle that I've overcome.  At least I have a plow that is grounded in reality.

More details to be defined...

And now, I can move on to more "fun" stuff to paint!

On the Farm...

The latest changes have been challenging - working on the tractor details.  There was a lot left undone on this panel and there's still a ways to go.  But, I'm off to a good start (if I do say so myself).

The other night, I worked on the driver for quite a while - trying to get the scale right and the appearance of a figure within a glass enclosure.  The struggle here was that I don't have a visual to work from - no photo to check my details.  But, I like the way it's turning out so far...after a few "not" likes.

One thing that I couldn't wait to change was the plowed soil in the foreground.  I had originally put in more precise rows, but I didn't care for the rigidity of it. When I did the tractor study and was a bit more carefree about the landscape, I liked the loose brush strokes and wanted to go more in that direction.  I think the result is in between - there are still rows, but the edges are less defined.

Lots coming together.  It took a couple days to detail the sky.  Last time, I had used a combo of Cerulean and white for the clouds (see photo in last post).  But, the clouds were too "blue." Afterwards, I went in with a fairly dry brush and added white on it's own to poof the clouds.

Doing the sky in the last couple panels took a while because I had already brought the figures and grape clusters to a greater degree of completion.  Since I really don't want to rework them, I needed to be extra careful going around them.

I also opted to not put clouds behind the figures themselves.  There's already a lot going on in that panel and it would be too busy overall.

After the sky, I went back over the mountains.  It's time for the camera to do it's talking - to make clear any problems (as it always does).  Of course, they are not "done."  There will be layers of shrubbery, trees, and flowers that are so common to the Santa Maria hillsides.  But, those are a top layer and will happen after the lower layers are completed.

Forecast: Patchy Clouds and Blue Skies

Let the fun begin!

This is the "before"

This evening I thought I'd go back to the first panel, the first place I started over a month and a half ago - the sky.


The "after"

The first layer was just Cerulean Blue and white.  Going back through it, I am using the original mixtures plus an added mixture of the Cerulean and Ultramarine Blue which takes it a step deeper and darker = more contrast.  I work with 3 mixtures at the same time - dark, medium, and light. 

I kind of thought I'd get through more panels this evening, but I only made it through the first two.  But, this is my favorite part - I've got the basic color layer down, and now I can build and fine tune (OK, one of my favorite parts).

I also completed the tractor study.

Time to Get Out of the Kitchen

A few days off with lots of Mother's Day sleep!  Just what the doctor ordered.  I've had a lot of other things to think about lately with lots of end-of-year parties for all of our homeschooling co-ops and collaborations.  That, and trying to get some things in order for next fall (yes NEXT fall - gotta catch everyone before summer hits).

Anyway, last time I hinted at another intended change to the chef panel.  Can you guess what it is?

More veggies?  Nope.  Kitchen clutter on the back counter?  Nope.  I decided to frame the panel with a matching column on the right (not in the original plan).  Did you figure it out?   Now, see if you can find Waldo...

Just kidding. 

But, I do think this is my last evening working on panel #5 for a little while.  As we all know, one can only work with vegetables so long before it gets a little tiresome.  Luckily, I've got 4 other panels I can revisit. 

I've worked out most of the kinks in the kitchen and now I'm ready to start going back through the mural to build layers, values, details, fill in the unfinished, etc.  First, however, it's time for another study - since I'm headed back to the farm, I need to work out some details of the tractor that I haven't yet filled in.

Who's that lurking in the background...it isn't Waldo.

It's Raining Veggies...

The produce has started flying - so far lettuce, onion, garlic, celery, broccoli, tomatoes and yellow squash.  Of course, there's more to come...

A little touch added to the panel that wasn't in the original is some produce on the floor (garlic and onion in the background, a celery stalk in the foreground).  I have another change planned, but I won't spoil the surprise, now.

Also, the chef now has a complete mustache (I'm sure that will come as a great relief to everyone).

A stylin' "stache"

The Camera Doesn't Lie...

Isn't that the saying?  Well, it's true.  As predicted in my previous post, a photograph brings into focus anything that isn't working in the painting.  I quickly saw problems that I couldn't quite put my finger on while I was in the process - mainly the uncomfortable position of the right arm, the awkward fingers, and the shortened legs. 

Likin' the lighter background

After working on a lot of that panel in one day, I think I was coming up with excuses as to why I don't really need to repaint anything.  But, with the dawn of a new day, all issues have now been corrected.

There's A LOT of produce in my future

I raised the arm up a little, but a simple (yet important) change was simply changing the direction of the fold shadows on that forward shoulder.  The hand came together smoothly and looks more natural.  The legs experienced a growth spurt from the knew down.

Oops!  Forgot to add the other half of his mustache,
now that the background has been lightened.

I also touched-up the background with the yellow/white mixture, so the skin tones stand out quite a bit more.

My "littlest" fan!

Busy Day in the Kitchen

Today was a day of much progress in the kitchen...not MY kitchen, unfortunately.  I actually mixed several grays for the pot and the chef's pants.  But, one of the more time consuming things was mixing a batch of skin tone (probably should have done that a while ago, but I worked in small amounts on the palette before).  Now, I have a lot of a good base that can be tweaked a bit, depending on the figure.  I know I'll have some touch-up as I go back through the panels with detail. 

I'll definitely have to touch-up the chef as I need to rework the background around him.  There really isn't enough contrast between the background yellow and the fleshtone.  I'll probably mix the yellow with a touch of white to help create more contrast, but also because the yellow is so transparent, it doesn't cover anything!  So, sketchy pencil lines are still visible after several coats, not to mention painted lines that are no longer needed.  That's why you see patches of white around the figure - those are areas that needed to be covered (the big splotches of white, however, are future vegetables - and there'll be a lot more of them).

I always like seeing the panel in a photograph because "issues" are clearly visible (they're not as obvious when you're staring at the panel close-up).  My goal isn't necesarrily to have a completely anatomically correct figure - especially since the chef is quite a "character" - but there are often things that bother me and seeing a photo often helps me identify them.  Oh, and I know he only has half of a mustache.  No point in painting the other half until the background gets reworked.

Again, details will be adjusted and sharpened - but you get the idea.

Chef Study

The latest work in the garage involved a study of the chef.  After drawing and painting the original proposal, tracing/adjusting the figure on the panel, and now drawing and painting the study, I went back and looked at the chef in my sketchbook.  I did this when I was just playing around and brainstorming.  Drawing is more my strength and the sketch is much looser and fun. 

Original sketchbook "brainstorm" for the chef

The biggest difficulty and motivation behind the study was to figure out the right hand gesture.  But, since the study is small, I can only work out so much.  I kind of wish I'd gone back and looked at the sketchbook designs before I started painting - I might have taken the figures in a slightly different direction.  But, I also know that I'll always find something to second guess myself and I'm better off letting go of some things and letting the painting develop as it will (for sanity reasons).  The truth is that I'm learning a lot every day that I'm out there painting.  And, it's far from done - much more detail and "whimsy" will follow.

Photocopy of chef panel used in the projector and recent color study

My biggest lesson on this panel is the realization that the yellow that I purchased (which I chose because it was the most lightfast and permanent version of the yellow I needed) is probably the most transparent paint I picked up.  That explains why I've gone through more of it than any of the other paint colors.  It takes a lot more of it to cover anything and to create the mixtures that I've used for the various foliage.

In the past, I've had frustration with acrylic paint in general - mainly, the short drying time making which meant I had to remix colors frequently and the fact that it dries a slightly different color than it goes on.  But, with the Nova Color paints, the Sta-Wet Palette, and all the time spent working on this project, I can safely say that acrylics and I have made peace.  In fact, I plan to work with acrylic paint for more of my future illustration projects.

Seeing Yellow - Lots and Lots of Yellow

The nice thing about working on panel 5 is that it's a nice break from the multitude of detail on panel 4.  I covered a lot of real estate this evening just by working on the background.  The downside, however, is that because I was working a little red into the yellow for texture, I had to work without stopping in order to blend the colors before they dried completely.  And, since it was a larger area, I was using larger strokes...I feel alright right now, but I think my arm will fall off tomorrow morning.

Thought y'all might be interested in seeing more of the panels in one shot.  Since I don't have room to put all of the panels side-by-side, you'll have to fit them together in your mind.

At the end of it all, I will have to move certain panels together in order to finish them properly.  They're quite heavy, though.  So, I'll complete everything, do a little rearranging, and then finish off those objects that cross panels.

Rounding the Corner...

Well, I've finally made it into panel 5 (and it's turned against the side wall of the garge - hence, turning the corner)! 

Just started mapping out the floor tiles and fixing some proportions.  While the projector was incredibly handy, working from a very small original painting means that little distortions are increased in my tracings - mole hills become mountains.  So, some adjustments to the chef are necessary.  Also, the floor tiles are taking a little bit of time to get a sense of fairly balanced visual perspective without being overly hard-edge and mechanical.  But, I'm enjoying working on something different for a while.

The toasting figures are in a good place for now - I'm content with the direction that they're going.  I was not able to capture much detail in the original proposal because the scale was too small, so I've been making them up as I paint.  I'm not working from any models either - they're basically imaginary composites.