Progress on the tree painting...

Progress on the tree painting. I have the main shapes in. After a false start and several experiments, I finally started using #liquin fine detail to get the consistency I wanted from oil paints. Not perfect, but that may be some very old tubes of paint that are very stiff anyway. Second photo shows detailing. 

Will be unified with a glaze like final snapshot.

Whole image, it's 100cm x 100cm on canvas. Have painted about 25% of detail. Really taking ages, about a week now. Manage around 3 hours a day. But not every day. Arm aches after that!

Close up of detailing. First layer, will need light/dark/underpaint in-between lines. Then glase with overall wash.

Test glaze. Needs bit more work. Struck me I could use a gold underneath or even gold leaf in a future project.

 

Bathscape Walking Map. Part Two

 Armed with the information from the walk and (obviously) a brief from the client, I sat down yesterday to start drawing the map. This is just first draft, I have a feeling there will be many drafts. Already I can see changes I want to make. For what it's worth, I think the rear works better than the front - but that may be the effect of the pencil drawing here - makes it look very busy.

That green lettering has to go!

Red tint is result of poor scan.

Bathscape Walking Map. Part One

I have been commissioned to draw a walking map for Bathscape. These posts will show development.

First up, was walk the route. These are in no particular order and are part of approx 200 pictures and an hour of video taken to document the route. Found several differences and walking the route gave an insight into what the map should look and feel like.

It's quite muddy and very pretty.

Now it's time for oil paints...

 Start of something new. 🙂🤞 Using #oilcolour for first time in a very long time. Up to now, I haven't really appreciated them. This is an experiment. Will they frustrate me less, drying too slowly than acrylics drying too quickly? here's the first version:

Watched a lot of Bob Ross, to try and find out his techniques. Worked pretty well. Secret, big soft brush (= expensive) 

Background for painting. Painted on top of the one I posted last week. stuff was showing through. This image got a lot of approval when posted on Facebook. Is this also the Bob Ross effect - or is it the pictures are simple to understand. To be honest, at the actual size, I quite liked it as well. Felt you could stare at it. Perhaps the that's the art of the banal.

Have sketched out tree in charcoal. Based on tree near here. Underpainting next. Incidentally, canvas is 1m square. 

So start of painting. Applied some colour, used burned sienna first. Mistake. Should have stuck to ochres and greys like lower half. Paints I have vary in age. But some have gone stiff; similar aged acrylics have lasted better.

This time with pastel pencils

 This time with pastel pencils. Never really used them, which is weird because I have 144 different colours! Will try again. Used fixative between layers. #derwentpastelpencils #fabercastellpastels#derwentpastels #paper #drawing #Art#bath_bafineart #illustration

Still not convinced...

Trying out coloured pencils.

 So I'm catching up with blog posts. Wish I could link some applications - still here's the first catch up. The other thing that annoys me is that the drag and drop for pictures has stopped working.

Drawing with pencils. Finally worked out ok, but loads of layering. #derwentcoloursoft#inktensepencils #derwentartists #derwentstudio#drawing #Art #bath_bafineart #illustration

Dark spaces

So, I'm playing with some extra black paint from Culture Hustle. It's supposed to be 99% light absorption, so that should mean things - even in bright light -  are very dark.

Supposed to be the blackest black. One bottle of version three, plus a small tub of version one; which isn't as black. Initial reactions. How much does the V3 packaging add to the cost, which is already quite high. Fulfillment should Chech v1 before dispatch. Either the lid was slightly loose, or there had been a previous spillage. Pigment all over inside, not huge amount, just enough to get hands really dirty. 

Prototype automata in progress. Artists figure pulled apart and then wired. White stuff is glue just applied. This to test #culturehustle #black3 when finished.

So, the figure has-been painted with oneciat black 1 as a primer, two coats black 3. Dried with hairdryer as suggested. It's 85% successful. Figure is hard to see in normal lighting without moving box. Lid looks like flat area. Positive enough to try version two. This will be the flat version I talked about.