Sketchbook: Red Angel Wings.

At San Diego's Comic-Con, the people and outfits are often more interesting than the exhibits. It's a great place to people watch. These are drawings done in a Moleskine sketchbook based on photos I took five or six years ago at Comic-Con of two women dressed with red angel wings, representing a booth. There is something about people with wings that make it fun subject matter to draw. All drawings are various combinations of pencil, watercolor, and gouache.

Sketchbook: Pens And An Occasional Brush.

Stairway in Eze, France (Pen).

Vase (Pen).

Portrait (Watercolor).

Sketchbook In November.

Some sketchbook work done over the last few weeks....

Palace of Fine Arts (Pen and watercolor, 8x8").

Bellydancer (Pencil and watercolor, 4x6").

Woman With Red Angel Wings (Pencil and watercolor, 4x6").

Irish Deer and Elephant Skulls (Pencil, pen, and watercolor).

Sketchbook: Triceratops Skull.

Triceratops Skull (Ballpoint pen and colored pencil in Moleskine sketchbook, 6.5x4").

Ten-Ten.

Block Prints.

Koi.

Plush Chair.

Target.

Sketchbook: Morgan In Regency Costume.

Morgan in Regency Costume (pencil in Moleskine sketchbook, 5x6").

Rock Poster: Throwing Toast (September 19).

Throwing Toast - September 19, 2009 (click image for larger version).

Beginnings.

The beginning stages of two long-pose costumed figure paintings.

I Love A Great Bust.

For some time, I've been interested in buying anatomically accurate plaster casts of the figure to use for drawing and painting studies. It is nice to work from casts because they are stationary and you can easily control the environment (i.e. lighting, position, studio set-up...). However, they can be equal parts elusive and expensive. When I found this full-size bust at an antique store for $150, I jumped at the opportunity. Hopefully she’ll be making appearances in some artwork soon.

A Painting.

Santee (Oil on canvas board. 9x12"). I drew the picture, filled in the background, and painted the tree while painting plein air (outdoors) in Santee. It started to rain on me so I had to finish the rocks and foreground at home.

Art: Figure Sketches.

20 minute sketches from live model.

Pam (Watercolor and pencil on paper. 5 x 6").

Pam (Pen on paper. 5.5 x 8").

Portrait Painting Class, Week 9.

Week 9 of my portrait painting class... painted from a live model... Chris (oil on canvas, 9x12")....

The model posed for 20 minute sessions, with a short break in between. I took a photo at the end of each 20 minute period.

1st 20 minute session. I drew in the basic elements using transparent maroon paint thinned with turpentine.

2nd 20 minute session. I established a background and blocked in my darker areas.

3rd 20 minute session. I started "tiling" in the larger areas.

4th 20 minute session. My goal for this session was to get the entire canvas covered.

5th 20 minute session. Fine tuning shapes and values. Adding details and nuance.

6th 20 minute session. Added "flair" as my instructor, Meadow, dubbed the process. She helped me with this stage.

Last 20 minute session. Added final touches.

Portrait Painting Class, Week 8.

Week 8 of my portrait painting class... painted from a live model... Taysia (oil on canvas, 9x12")....

Here's my painting at the end of the drawing stage and start of the painting phase.

My instructor, Meadow, helped me fix the edges on my cheek (I had too many colors and details there) and added nuance to the eyes and nose. My drawing and shapes have been good -- I'm at the point where I need to negotiate with nuance and subtlety. It just takes some reps.