A Perfect Day...Mostly

Another lovely day - great for painting...and smoothies!  I love living in strawberry country!

"Look Mom!  I've only been working 1 minute and I've already got paint on me!"
It was nice to have company in the studio today!

After a morning trip to the grocery store, various around-the-house "to do" stuff, I was beginning to think that I wouldn't get much painting done.  By the time I got out there it was after lunch!  When I finally did get out there, I was quickly joined by two other family artists.

A good start - more to do...

It's alreay Thursday!  What made me think I might actually get 2 paintings done this week?  At least this one did flow once I got started - I was able to get paint on the entire canvas fairly quickly.  What you see above seems pretty far along, but there are still layers to be added, details to be refined, problems to fix...I always notice more problems once I photograph a project.  I'm cringing as I type.  If only I had all of tomorrow to paint.  But, we're off to see a matinee of Robin Hood at Cal Poly's Performing Arts Center.  That will be fun, too.  Hopefully, I will be able to finish it before we start back to school on Monday, though.

Springtime, Easter Vacation, and the Pre-Painting Begins...Finally

Believe it or not, these are flesh tones
 (base, warm & cool shadows, and highlight)

I can't believe it's already Wednesday and I haven't started officially painting yet - Easter Vacation is just flying by!  But, yesterday, I updated my playlists with some new songs and headed out to the garage for some of the prep-work.  I always like to start a larger-size project with as many premixed colors as possible so I don't end up running out of something in the middle of painting.  It was my "mad scientist" day - I felt like I should be wearing a lab coat and laughing maniacally when I achieved the right shade.  I will still have a palette for additional mixing and fine tuning of colors, but I should be able to do a lot with these.

Mixed, labeled, and ready to go...

One of the nice things about working in the garage on a sunny spring day is that my littlest gets to play in the front yard (which she doesn't normally get to do).  Although her big sisters are usually with her, there's a nice big window so I can keep an eye on her and she has her boundaries so that she's stays within that window of sight - of course, that's also the window where crane flies go to die this time of year.  They were all over, stuck between the glass and the screen or in webs in the corners.  So, I had to clean up that disgusting mess, too - YUCK!  But, it's fun to see my bouncing beauty enjoying the sunshine.


Now, I can't wait to actually start painting - maybe I'll get to do that tomorrow.  Hopefully, I'll get at least one painting done this week and still have some family time.  In the meantime, my painting looks a little freaky with all of the test spots created as searched for the right base colors, highlights and shadows.

Color test spots making the subject look a bit strange

Hoping for a Productive Week Ahead...

Easter Vacation is officially here!  The girls finished up their classwork today and we all have a break for the next week (from school, anyway).

The new painting is underway and surprisingly farther along than I thought!  Earlier this week, I started with a pencil drawing which I painted over and refined with burnt umber - I wanted to take the time to get the proportions right.

Happy to have a use for leftover mural mixtures!

I realized that I had several color mixes leftover from the mural - some that I had mixed in quantity and kept in airtight containers - that would actually work with this painting.  Some will need to be adjusted slightly, but they were well suited for the underpainting portion of the project.  Sooooo, I was able to get started.

Underpainting underway...

BUT, I hesitate to say that this painting will go quickly, even with all of my studies and pre-mixed colors.  I've done that before and there's always something that I get hung-up on that extends the project for a while.  I can still hope, though, and I do know that the time I took with the studies has helped me a lot.  After all, it's a complicated pose, especially when it comes to the tilt and angle of the head - I fought with that one a while.  But, I was much more comfortable with it when drawing it out on the canvas (all freehand - no projector for this).

Meanwhile, while mom's busy painting in the garage, my youngest 2 have found a way to entertain themselves before the weather turns.  I'm not sure if this is a rain dance, but...

The Longest Quick Little Painting Ever...

I'm sure I mentioned somewhere something about doing quick and loose little paintings to play around with the medium and have a little fun.  I have a small space in the corner of my room which has been great for drawing, but lacks the space and storage for painting projects.  Normally, it wouldn't take to much time to set up a quick little still life, scoop some paint onto my Sta-Wet palette, and get down to business.  But, throw in household duties, homeschooling duties, helping Grandma run some errands, dentist appointments, soccer games...well, a 1-day activity turned into several days.

Day 1 - I managed to put together the still life before I had to run off somewhere. And, a day or so later, I quickly sketched the shapes onto my pre-primed paper (I had primed several pieces of paper weeks ago, so at least I didn't have to do that).

A couple days later, I had to come up with a solution to paint storage - I have no place in my room for the pint and quart size Nova Color containers.  So, I grabbed some small Gladware (or whatever brand) containers and transferred the colors I'd be working with.  I have a plant stand to set the palette on next to the table.  I was able to soak the palette paper and get it set up before having to call it quits.

Finally, yesterday afternoon, I actually got to paint.  I had envisioned a quick painting that would have beautiful color and contrast in relatively few strokes - HA!  My reality is that I layer and layer, push and pull, building values...maybe now that I've practiced the shapes and colors, I could put something together that's looser without losing the color and contrast that I like.  Perhaps I'll do that next.

Anyway, I think this is my first non-illustration project since I don't know when.  I'm excited about more exploration - I just hope it doesn't take so many days to do one little painting...but, it probably will!

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.

Roll Out the Barrel...

Yes, that's right.  Today, the barrel table and stray grape were the focus of my attention.

If you looking close, there's one of those annoying crane flies sitting
on the table near the man's sleeve - the joys of painting in a garage at night.

There's so much to do in this panel and a lot of it required some changes - I knew that going in.  I'm down to the figures and I fully expect to get thoroughly wrapped up in those details for a while.  I did adjust the woman's arm this evening (which I noticed was freakishly long).  I've also moved the man's leg back (not shown in picture) - it seemed to be uncomfortably tucked under the table and the overlap of the pants and the barrel seemed awkward.

99 Clusters of Grapes on the Wall..

99 clusters of grapes,

You take one down, pass it around...

Guess I'll be painting more grapes on the wall!

(oh the things you think of when doing repetitious work)

The red and purple grapes are more developed at the moment, but the green grape clusters and the grape leaves have to be addressed still.

I've actually been taking some time to work out more detail at the moment and, honestly, my jury is still out on Dionysus - I go back and forth between liking him and not liking him.  I actually had something a bit different envisioned originally - something more sculpture-like and not "fleshy."  But this is what came forward in the study and I liked it. I'll have to get more of the panel done and see it as a whole - guess that's why I've been compelled to do a bit more detail beyond just the underpainting.  Plus, there's just a lot of little things in this panel and I want to make a good dent in it.

Greetings From ...Somewhere Else

I guess there's an alternate universe in my garage.  It's full of giant strawberries and grapes, and in this place, there is no time.  I step out here to do a little painting and the next thing I know, it's midnight!  For a little while, I was joined by husband, Smitty, and the youngest kidlet (who are now asleep).

That's Smitty on bass and Lindy (the pirate) on tennis racket.

I'm glad the weekend is here because the 4th panel will require some time - lots of grape leaves and clusters of grapes and figures for which I have not mixed any paint colors yet.  I knew the people would slow me down - as an illustrator, I've always been able to take liberties with the way I depict subjects like people.  But, I don't want to go too cartoony for the mural - the composition is already rooted in fantasy, and I'd like it to have a foot in reality.



Study for mural - some adjustments to be made, but you get te idea

Soooooo, I've been working on some small studies beforeI tackle the certain characters or scenarios.  This evening, I spent time on the Dionysus character - the Greek god of wine and winemaking (or Bacchus, if you happen to be Roman).  He's the guy up in the trellis among the grapes (in case you were wondering).  I haven't done a lot of figurative painting in a looooong time and I need to brush-up on my color mixing when it comes to flesh tones, highlights, and shadows.

Thanks to the person who invented this - I have now made peace
with acrylic paints.

I also wanted to try my Masterson Sta-Wet palette that I got for when I'm working on detail work and don't need to mix containerfuls of paint.  One of the things that has always driven me nuts about acrylic paint is how quickly it dries and how I constantly seem to be remixing paint (I used oils in college - they stay wet forever).  Well, so far the verdict is AWESOME.  I never once had to remix a color because it had dried to uselessness in the (apparently) many hours I worked on this.

Solving Problems...

I'm REALLY glad that the mural is being painted on panels which allows me to work in the garage around my schedule during odd hours!  I don't feel rushed, yet I feel like I'm still getting things accomplished (even with daytime demands).

This evening, I played around with the grape colors, bringing them closer to what I want.  I still need to build up layers and values.

Before

After

I also worked out a couple of issues with the figures - particularly the man.  I dealt with the NCS, or Narrow Chin Syndrome, as well as the Big-Footitis that he suffered from.  He really had too much heel - the heel was more profile while the front of the foot was more 3/4 view.  Anyway, he's been healed - Hallelujah!  (And "heeled," I guess).

Back to Work...

After a wonderful Easter Vacation where I was able to spend big chunks of the day working on the mural, an unexpectedly extended trip out of town and the start of schoolwork again makes it feel like I've been away from the mural for a long time.  We found out as we drove into Lancaster (after 4 hours in the Friday downpour) that all the State Cup games had been moved from Saturday to Sunday - soooooo, since we were already there, we ended up staying longer than planned.

Not quite there...but closer.  Photos can help you see
flaws that you didn't notice when you were working on it

Today, I had a full day of CoOp, art classes, mom-taxi, and dinner-making, but I was determined to get out to the garage and at least make some adjustments.  In my last post, I explained how the scale of the toasting figures was a bit on the wimpy side.  So, this evening I figured I'd start reworking the proportions.  Not only did the figures have to change, but so did the barrel.  To understand the changes made, if you look at the male figure, the top point of the hair of the original guy fell just below the jawline of the current guy.  In other words, he gained a whole head in height.

Cheers - his chin's a bit skinny, but I'll fix that...

It's very "cartoon-ish", but I'm just trying to get the shapes the way I want them.  It's not quite there, but it's closer than it was.  And, having to draw this out REALLY made me appreciate the projector I had at the beginning. I was constantly stepping back to see how it actually looked and it made me wonder how Michelangelo painted the Sistine Chapel ceiling - it's not like he could easily take a step back every few minutes to see if the proportions were right.  And, he did not have the luxury of a projector to transfer his design.  My hat is definitely off to those Basilica-painting masters!

A Strawberry Day...

This has certainly been a productive couple of days with many hours in the garage - looks like I'll have one more fairly full day tomorrow (with time out to teach an art class in the afternoon).  Then, it's off to the next round of State Cup games out of town followed by back-to-school Monday.  I have to say that it sure has been nice to just focus on this project for at least a little while.

I had a little help today - my daughter Joley really wanted to paint something.  There really isn't much for someone else to come in and do, but I let her lay down a base coat of yellow on the girl's dress and the strawberry blossoms.  

Much of today was spent working out the strawberry leaves - there was A LOT of overlapping shapes and values to work out - very time consuming (but, then again, I love detail work).

I'm still figuring out the greens.  I wasn't happy with the cauliflower and broccoli - much too blue once I got the warmer strawberry and grape leaves in there.  I always tell my students that color is relative - you may think it looks a certain way until you put more colors next to it.

Venturing Into Panel #3...

While I continue to play around with the layers in the first two panels, I've also been laying in base colors on the third panel.  Things have slowed down a teensy bit because of time off to celebrate Easter, but also because color needs are a bit more demanding. 

The first couple panels depict a scene we're all familiar with here on the Central Coast - a John Deere in the midst of rich brown soil and green hillsides.  There will be a little more color added in this part, but the limited color is intended for a sense of calm, familiarity, and contrast with the energy that's in the rest of the mural.



Each container is labeled with the different colors
used to mix that particular color

However, as I enter the "celebration" part of the mural, you can see that my collection of color mixtures is growing quickly.  For every color you see on the panels, there are usually 3 or 4 versions of it ranging from dark to light.  I'm also trying to mix a quantity of each color so that I won't run out right away.



Going for more bluish leaves on the cauliflour wave to stand out agains the warmer
green hillside and the green crops that will eventually be in the fields.

Today, I spent a bit of time playing with greens.  I have many different greens in this part of the painting - cauliflour leaves, broccoli, grape leaves, a strawberry plant...some are bright, others deeper, and still others, bluish.  Catch a wave...

Let the Painting Begin...

Well, we're back from Escondido and the first round of State Cup (the girls placed 2nd and move on to the next round - Go Crusaders).

Once I recovered from the loooooooong car ride, I began mixing some paint colors - I like to have a dark, a light, and a mid-tone on hand when I work.  I'm starting with the sky and mountains.

The paint is going on nicely - can't wait to see how it all comes together.

Mural Project - ALL DONE!

What to do with a plain, white wall...click below to see

I shared some glimpses into the mural project that I was working on a few posts back.  Well, the project is complete and you can see the end result at my art business blog Doodlebird Studio.  Lots of fun to do and I'd love to paint some more murals.  Maybe I'll start in my house...with all of this "free time" I have.

Illustration Friday: "Sneaky"

He thought he was so sneaky, but nothing gets by Mom!

Sorry if you recognize this from a couple years ago, but it just seems to fit the theme this week perfectly!  If you missed it before, I hope you enjoy it now.

I work in pencil so much, I'm longing to do some color work.  Just don't have the time to set up for painting at the moment.  Maybe during the Christmas break...