Colored Version of the Drawing in the Last Post

Playing around, loosely following Don Seegmiller's digital watercolor tutorial.

A Sketch Using Painter's Scratchboard Tool

Trying another brush that I don't use often, the Scratchboard Tool from Painter's pen library.

I liked using it. It responded well to my Wacom Intuous' sensitivity, so it was pretty easy to control the line weight.

The Making of "Fiery Mountains"

Time for another digital painting walkthru, tutorial, how I work, painting method or how to paint a fantasy scene. Whichever one you want to call it is fine by me.

I wanted to do one of those fantasy scenes with the warrior looking properly heroic with the scantily clad woman hanging on his leg. Of course, I wanted to do it with a little twist. My hero wouldn't be the classic hero. He'd be the offspring of a rare union of elf and dwarf. He'd be taller than a dwarf, but much shorter than an elf. He'd be more slender than a dwarf.

This piece is being drawn and painted with Corel Painter 9.5.

After a few sketches, I settled on the poses.

I chose a color scheme for the background and laid it in with a custom brush. I like this brush because of it's ability to pick-up and mix color.

Now, I use a blending brush to blend the colors and remove the texture.

I start to indicate the mountains in the distance. I'm also determining the main direction of the light source. At this point, I'm starting to reconsider the foreground colors and its' shape.

I decide to place the figures on an outcropping. I add pixels to the left and bottom so that image elements won't look crowded. I work in the basic shape for the the new foreground and extend the background.
Next I block in the shadows and lights for the figures. At this point, I think I have all of the main elements in place. The only thing left is the details. Now I'll spend some time in my library, looking at fantasy scenes and characters to help spark some design ideas for my characters garb. I'll also be looking at some mountain references. I'll probably do some sketches and then get back to the painting later in the week when I have a block of time to throw at it.

Recharging the Artistic Batteries

Cleveland, Ohio is home to a fantastic, world class art museum, the Cleveland Museum of Art (CMA). They have great pieces in their permanent collection and would host fabulous exhibitions. I visited it regularly. Unfortunately, it has been closed for renovations since early 2005.

This summer, some of the galleries reopened. I made my first visit today. It was like greeting an old friend. Looking upon the many master works by artists like David, Caravaggio and Rubens is simply inspiring. I was a little surprised to find how much my knowledge of artistic techniques had grown in the years since my last visit. Besides appreciating the art, I could see the principles used in creating many of the works. That made the experience even better.

On of the best moments was entering a gallery and seeing the portrait of Mrs. Ralph Curtis hanging on the wall. It was painted by John Singer Sargent, one of my favorite painters. It had been on loan to another museum a year or two before CMA's closing. Having it back was an unexpected treat.

I left the museum feeling inspired and excited to get back to my own work. Who knows, I may even pull out the brushes, set up the easel and slap some pigment on canvas.

Blue Waltz

Another waltz study and a few more recommendations for the dance floor.

Moon River - Andy Williams
Ocean Waltz - Sting
Jazz Waltz Waltz - Bugs Bower
B Minor Waltz (for Elaine) - Bill Evans

Girl Sketch

Just having a little fun, taking some liberties with anatomy. Perspective on the gun is a bit off, but I liked the negative space created by the curve of the body and the straightness of the arm.

Publish Post

Sites I Like: Zhuzhu's Sketchbook V 2.0

Impressionistic. Vibrant. Vivid. Dynamic. Energetic. All of these adjectives can be used to describe the digital (and traditional) paintings of Zhuzhu. Few artists can get as much from a few skillfully placed brushstrokes. His work is a constant source of inspiration to me. I admire his sense of form and color. This thread, Zhuzhu's Sketchbook V 2.0, on ConceptArt.com is one of my favorites to visit.

Enjoy!