Friday, October 14, 2005

Song Bird in Blue

A bird. I have never attempted a pastel painting focused on a bird as the subject. A bit mundane, but yet, completely differnt for me. I have had some requests to paint birds, and realized that I had never painted one in pastels. So I needed to try something first. Sure, I have drawn many birds with charcoal, pencil and colored pencil, just never pastel. It was an interesting process.

Sorry for no pictures of the process (do you guys even enjoy that? Lemme know), just did not do it for this. Plus, this painting was fixed to a board for most of the painting process, making the process of taking pictures (or in this case, scanning) rather cumbersome. I did not even use workable fix to layers the colors. Instead, I used increasing more "softer" pastels to achieve the same effect.

Hope you like it. Enjoy!

Song Bird in Blue
9x12, pastel on paper Posted by Picasa

Saturday, September 24, 2005

And now for something completely different

Started a new painting last week and hope to have it finished in another week. It is a small one, 9x12", and so it is much easier to cover the paper. I really want to be more productive so I thought this size would be perfect. Plus, I like alternating the size of the paintings, it just seems more fun that way.

The reason I am not posting the painting in a step by step process is because the subject matter is much different than what I am accustomed to painting. I think that this is the first time that I have attempted this subject matter. No that the subject matter is anything original, but it is new to me.

Interest piqued? I hope so. Look for finished product in a week or so.

Friday, September 09, 2005

Now what?

Finished and uploaded.

What a relief. The picture I was starting to think I would never complete is done. And I must say, I am happy with the results. There were several times while I was working and reworking this that I thought it was going to be a larger orange mess. But that is the beauty of pastels. Just hit it with workable fix and repaint it.

I thought reposting the other pieces in the sequence would be a neat idea. Thanks P-man, I am glad you talked me into taking pictures during the painting process. Of course, now everybody knows how much of a slacker I was about finishing this one. . .but I guess that is okay.

Now, I need something else to paint. But what size and what subject?

And finally, the finished product!! Hope you like it!
Mountains of Fall
16x20, charcoal on Canson Mi-Teintes board Posted by Picasa

Beginning to put in the details Posted by Picasa

Finished blocking the color Posted by Picasa

Starting to block in the colors Posted by Picasa

The sketch Posted by Picasa

Wednesday, August 24, 2005

Finally Done. . .I think

Well, after a nearly 6 month delay, I have finally finished "Mountains of the Fall". . .I think. The truth is, I never really know when a painting is done and this is no different.

Do not worry, I will be posting a photo of it soon so you can decide. It may need more work, then again, it may be over-worked. Just not sure.

And of course, now I think the title will need to be changed. The painting has become more about the trees in the foreground and less about the mountains in the background. Sigh.

But it is done. I think.

Saturday, February 19, 2005

Mountains of Fall

Now this took much longer to post than I had intended (or more precisely, I really have not worked on this in like forever). The progressing is coming along nicely, I just need to set some time aside to paint. I tried something a bit different and went right to work with the Unison pastels instead of the Rembrants. It turned out okay, but it just mearns that I will be using more workable-fix on the backend (which this piece desperately needs, if it ever is not raining and below freezing on the same day).

I really like how the deep purples folding into shadows, just the way I was hoping. I think with more details, this could turn out to be a very strong piece. Let's just keep our fingers crossed.

Mountains of Fall
16x20, charcoal on Canson Mi-Teintes board Posted by Hello

Mountains of Fall (detail)
16x20, charcoal on Canson Mi-Teintes board Posted by Hello

Saturday, February 05, 2005

Painitings of Snow

It would seem that paintings about snow are one of my favorite subjects. Just one of those funny observations that you make when you finally begin to catelogue the work you have done over the years.

I probably should have posted these a few weeks ago, it would have been more appropriate after the foot and half of snow that we received. And as should be evident from their style, these are older paintings done in the mid-nineties before I really knew anything about pastels and how to work them. I had no idea aobut uses workable fix to add depth. Nor did I know about the more expensive pastels. I was in grad school at the time and the $35 purchase for a set of landscape pastels was a luxury expense
($35 = 7 meals at Taco Bell). Glad I bought them. It is sometimes good to go back and look at the older stuff, it certainly gives me perspective.

Wintry Twilight
9x12, pastel on paper Posted by Hello

Ice Mountain
9x12, pastel on paper Posted by Hello

Friday, January 14, 2005

Goddess

Been posting mostly grey and black and white pictures of late, so I wanted to show something with more color. This is one of those paintings that I like a lot, but am not so pleased with the name. Really had no idea what else to call it. I should track the original down and take a digital picture so that I can show the beach that she is standing on (why is all art pads 9x12 and all scanners 8.5x11?).

Goddess of Rebirth
9x12, pastel on paper Posted by Hello

Tuesday, January 11, 2005

More Fun with Markers

For those of you who liked the horses in the markers (that simulated wash), here are some more. A much different subject matter and one closer to what I wish I could do when I grow up. Hrrrumph, I want to be a comic book artist!!!

The Battle
9x12, markers on Bristol paper Posted by Hello