OK first blog EVER, I'll try not to sound too much like a self-important know-it-all douchebag...
I've been thinking for some time about painting a bunch of the SuicideGirls and FINALLY got the ball rolling. I have wanted to get back to painting and drawing full-time for awhile. Since I also need to eat and pay the rent, I'm going to try and make this work in a way where I can do both. So everything I paint and post here I'll auction on eBay...circle of life cue the Elton John. BTW this one is of DISCORDIA
I took a few pictures during the process, so I'll post them and explain what was going on and what I was doing. If it gets too wordy or you just don't care, click here to see the large scan of the finished image. And for those interested in the process, keep reading and I'll try to keep it interesting...
When I do watercolor paintings, I like to do a fairly detailed pencil drawing first. With watercolors, I need to kind of get it right the first time. Its hard to lift color back up off the paper once you've laid it down without damaging the surface. I don't do this with acrylics because I can paint over the same spot a hundred thousand million times until I get it right and can devote much less time toward making a detailed underdrawing. So, I lay light washes of color layer after layer over each other and erase the pencil drawing little by little as I get to certain stages where I fell that don't need the line drawing for a guide anymore.
Even at this early stage I'm realizing that the size of the paper (10 x 15 inches) was a bit too small to get as much detail as I really wanted in the face and hair. Or more accurately, it would have been easier to work on those areas if they were done larger. I think I picked this particular image because I liked how some of the edges could just disappeared into to the white of the page (which was why I didn't do a background). Also, the body pose has this nice long lean stretch to it, and the blue hair was a nice small punch of color.
This is about halfway through, and I'm trying to not only get the colors accurate, but also establish the contrast levels...where if this was photocopied in black and white, it would look correct as well. If you know color theory at all, you know that you only need red, yellow and blue to create any other color. With that in mind, for most of my paintings I like to use a really limited pallete. Many times my preference is to just use 3 colors (plus white if its an acrylic painting). I like using just burnt umber, yellow ochre, and ultramarine blue and then another more vibrant color or two (for this one I used another brighter red for areas like her elbows, knees, lips and other accent spots, and another blue for her hair). I guess I like to keep it simple?
This stage looks a lot more like the finished piece. The black hair has been laid in, finer details like the face and the tattoos are getting more attention. Because of the small area I gave myself to work the detail in the hair, I've already overworked a few spots and laid color over areas that I wanted to leave lighter. The executive decision...I'll have to go back over it with some white color pencil. Not a huge deal. Also, I'm not able to match the blue accurately enough with the paints I have to make me happy, so color pencils once again will do the trick. The "blacks" in this are mixed from my limited palette. I don't use the actual color black. Don't like it, don't want it and don't own a tube of it. I can mix a great dark tone with burnt sienna and ultramarine blue and adjust the cool or warmth of it easy peasy. As the darkest value, your eyes and brain translate it into black. The way I paint, by layering colors over each other again and again, true black just turns my images into mud...and I enjoy little challenges like making my own.
I get to the point where its a combination of my eyes staring to play tricks on me from staring at it for too long and feeling paranoid that I'm on the brink of overworking areas Ithat I can't hide or fix, that I consider it finished. I'll pin it to the wall for a week, and glance at it every now and then with much fresher eyes. I'll fix anything obvious that I might be missing right now because I've been staring at it too closely for way too long. I think it came out fairly well though. The color pencil was a good idea and I'm happy with the lettering of the tattoo on her torso. This final scan could be better (smoething a little fuzzy going on...or I need to sleep?). Of course the painting is larger than the scanner bed, so I had to puzzle together 2 half-scans. If you didn't click the first link above to see the enlarges finished image, here it is again.
I hope this wasn't too boring and of some information to a few of you who read this all the way through. Since I'm trying to be an artist again, I'd be just as happy painting pretty girls as anything else...so if any SG want me to paint them, let me know. I'll do ya first come, first serve. If you have a few favorite pictures you'd prefer, suggest them to me when you request a painting and if one of them makes my toes tingle, I'll do it over having to pick one myself. If you like what I do, feel free to put me over with your friends and let everyone know they can buy the paintings to hang in their homes!
Like this one, they'll all go on auction on eBay after I paint them so that I can afford to keep doing this. If you like one, feel free to PLACE A BID!
I also do commissions, so if you're interested in having me paint something to match you couch, just let me know. Oh, and add me as a friend, as of writing this I am pathetic and have none!!!
-BHT
I've been thinking for some time about painting a bunch of the SuicideGirls and FINALLY got the ball rolling. I have wanted to get back to painting and drawing full-time for awhile. Since I also need to eat and pay the rent, I'm going to try and make this work in a way where I can do both. So everything I paint and post here I'll auction on eBay...circle of life cue the Elton John. BTW this one is of DISCORDIA
I took a few pictures during the process, so I'll post them and explain what was going on and what I was doing. If it gets too wordy or you just don't care, click here to see the large scan of the finished image. And for those interested in the process, keep reading and I'll try to keep it interesting...
When I do watercolor paintings, I like to do a fairly detailed pencil drawing first. With watercolors, I need to kind of get it right the first time. Its hard to lift color back up off the paper once you've laid it down without damaging the surface. I don't do this with acrylics because I can paint over the same spot a hundred thousand million times until I get it right and can devote much less time toward making a detailed underdrawing. So, I lay light washes of color layer after layer over each other and erase the pencil drawing little by little as I get to certain stages where I fell that don't need the line drawing for a guide anymore.
Even at this early stage I'm realizing that the size of the paper (10 x 15 inches) was a bit too small to get as much detail as I really wanted in the face and hair. Or more accurately, it would have been easier to work on those areas if they were done larger. I think I picked this particular image because I liked how some of the edges could just disappeared into to the white of the page (which was why I didn't do a background). Also, the body pose has this nice long lean stretch to it, and the blue hair was a nice small punch of color.
This is about halfway through, and I'm trying to not only get the colors accurate, but also establish the contrast levels...where if this was photocopied in black and white, it would look correct as well. If you know color theory at all, you know that you only need red, yellow and blue to create any other color. With that in mind, for most of my paintings I like to use a really limited pallete. Many times my preference is to just use 3 colors (plus white if its an acrylic painting). I like using just burnt umber, yellow ochre, and ultramarine blue and then another more vibrant color or two (for this one I used another brighter red for areas like her elbows, knees, lips and other accent spots, and another blue for her hair). I guess I like to keep it simple?
This stage looks a lot more like the finished piece. The black hair has been laid in, finer details like the face and the tattoos are getting more attention. Because of the small area I gave myself to work the detail in the hair, I've already overworked a few spots and laid color over areas that I wanted to leave lighter. The executive decision...I'll have to go back over it with some white color pencil. Not a huge deal. Also, I'm not able to match the blue accurately enough with the paints I have to make me happy, so color pencils once again will do the trick. The "blacks" in this are mixed from my limited palette. I don't use the actual color black. Don't like it, don't want it and don't own a tube of it. I can mix a great dark tone with burnt sienna and ultramarine blue and adjust the cool or warmth of it easy peasy. As the darkest value, your eyes and brain translate it into black. The way I paint, by layering colors over each other again and again, true black just turns my images into mud...and I enjoy little challenges like making my own.
I get to the point where its a combination of my eyes staring to play tricks on me from staring at it for too long and feeling paranoid that I'm on the brink of overworking areas Ithat I can't hide or fix, that I consider it finished. I'll pin it to the wall for a week, and glance at it every now and then with much fresher eyes. I'll fix anything obvious that I might be missing right now because I've been staring at it too closely for way too long. I think it came out fairly well though. The color pencil was a good idea and I'm happy with the lettering of the tattoo on her torso. This final scan could be better (smoething a little fuzzy going on...or I need to sleep?). Of course the painting is larger than the scanner bed, so I had to puzzle together 2 half-scans. If you didn't click the first link above to see the enlarges finished image, here it is again.
I hope this wasn't too boring and of some information to a few of you who read this all the way through. Since I'm trying to be an artist again, I'd be just as happy painting pretty girls as anything else...so if any SG want me to paint them, let me know. I'll do ya first come, first serve. If you have a few favorite pictures you'd prefer, suggest them to me when you request a painting and if one of them makes my toes tingle, I'll do it over having to pick one myself. If you like what I do, feel free to put me over with your friends and let everyone know they can buy the paintings to hang in their homes!
Like this one, they'll all go on auction on eBay after I paint them so that I can afford to keep doing this. If you like one, feel free to PLACE A BID!
I also do commissions, so if you're interested in having me paint something to match you couch, just let me know. Oh, and add me as a friend, as of writing this I am pathetic and have none!!!
-BHT
VIEW 6 of 6 COMMENTS
palisade7:
Great work. You did an amazing job controlling the edges (one of the most difficult parts of watercolor). I love the use of the lost edge on the left side of the torso (from the figure's perspective, her right side). I think a background (purple perhaps) would really help the figure pop. Right now, the lights of the figure have to compete with the starkness of the white background. A few cast shadows underneath the figure may help her look like she's occupying a space. You did a fantastic job on the tattoos. They look like they sit on the skin and follow the contours of the body (sometimes when I see people paint tattoos, it looks like they're floating in space). Excellent job.
smoothdaddyride:
I think you're right, I'll probably go back in and throw some shadow underneath her knees/legs. thanks.