Mentorship Continues- Autumn

Trying to catch up on blogging. I related that I've started an online mentorship with Rebecca Guay. I meet with her, along with two other students via Skype once a week for 2-2 1/2 hours. We've had assignments each month but we also try to sneak in personal projects that have been sitting around either in our studios or our heads, gathering dust (and cat hair, in my case). Here is one I have posted on before. And here is the typical process one of my amateur sketches goes through under Rebecca's  professional hand.

There are other aspects to this painting that have emerged for me since it's conception. It has taken on very personal expression that Rebecca will help me convey. But for now...here is where it started and where it's going.

Technique Experiment.

One of the highlights at IMC was sitting down with Rebecca Guay and watching her work her magical technique from start to finish. It was one of the first things I wanted to try when I returned home. Though she began with a photo of her daughter, I figured it would work just as well on a sketch. So I pulled out this sketch and began.

In Photoshop, I built up light layers of color, keeping them fairly muted. After that, I "ghosted" the image with a layer of white and printed it out on a 13"x 19" sheet of watercolor paper. (This is darkened so you can see it better).

Next I wet down the paper and taped it to my board. After allowing it to dry completely, I applied a coat of acrylic matte medium. On top of this I started painting with Holbein's acryla gouache. Though the colors are opaque, you can water them down to a watercolor transparent-like consistency. I also strengthened the lines with a brown Verithin pencil.

This painting obviously went through many changes. Tried a couple different backgrounds, hair shapes and skies. After I thought it was ready, I photographed it and the problems were glaringly there before me. First, the weight of the trees in the background was too heavy on the right as well as crowding the bird.

Next was the sternomastoid (circled above...no, it's not a giant earring). Way too severe. Edges way too hard. So I softened it and will soften it some more with the oil layer.

I know there are other minor things wrong, but I decided to commit and move forward.

(This is an experiment after all).

Next, I put a layer of Galkyd on it. This warms up the colors with it's clear amber hue and seals the paint underneath. Once it dries, I will begin the transparent oil glazes on top.

Rebecca made this all look so easy when she demonstrated it. She uses watermarks to her advantage and wields her brush with such a deft hand. I have too many layers of paint on this, losing much of the transparent look she achieves with her work. But it's a start.

Reoccurring Themes or Ditto Drawing

Had a strange drawing experience this weekend. Was refining my Autumn sketch (yet again), just letting it unfold and not thinking too much about why I was inserting different things. When I stood back and looked at it I felt this jolt. I had just drawn the exact pose I had used in another painting I did back in 2008, not to mention a past Christmas card. Completely different subject matter but the same position as well as a bird. What's that all about??

My friend Tara asked if there was something significant about the bird. There is something about holding something so fragile and that something so timid trusting you enough to remain. But the reason I put the bird in this painting is to suggest the need to leave nests behind and fly to safer harbors before the earth is blanketed in winter's cold.

Guess it's best not to over analyze but I am curious if anyone else has experienced this.

Inspiration

UPDATE: Reworked this sketch a bit. Still rough but will refine and work in background.

Recently I was able to visit with two wonderful artists, J. Kirk Richards and Melissa Peck. I came away inspired. Both have influenced me in this new sketch and study. The idea is nothing new. I've been playing around with this "Autumn Maiden" painting way too long. But I've begun yet again with a different approach. I think I need something in the upper left-hand corner. Not sure about the colors either. Oh bother.

Autumn Revisited

Revisiting the Season Maidens. I've cropped this sketch and eliminated the Art Nouveau borders. Generally simplifying the original concept. Will approach this in much the same way I have applied the watercolor and colored pencils, except I will use thin layers of oil over an under painting of acrylics.

Painting Update

I've been switching off between these two oil paintings, allowing one to dry while I work on the other. I painted over all that yellow on Autumn and that helped me with the background. I'm starting to build up the layers on the main figure in Fireflies. I can't wait until I'm know what I'm doing and I can proceed much faster on these projects. A step at a time, I guess.

This is a photo of the Autumn Maiden. I tried calibrating the colors without success. This is way too saturated compared to the actual painting. I feel like I need to tone down the borders. They're jumping out at me. I wish I were better with color!!!! Give me a pencil and I'm confident. Hand me a brush and paint and I panic. I analize WAY too much. This will probably end up as "ugly painting #4". Only 96 more to go before I succeed.

Continuation of Season Maidens

Getting back to some of my other projects, now that the book cover is finished. Here is the THIRD version of the Season Maidens ...autumn. I sketched a very detailed layout on illustration board, sealed the graphite and then applied a few coats of this acrylic medium to prevent the oil from bleeding through to the board. I'm appying the oil in a glazes, slowly building them up, almost like I would with colored pencils. This is the first layer, with a little of the second layer on the harvest moon in the background. I let it dry in between layers. We'll see how it goes.

Third attempt

Ok, they say third time's the charm. Once more, I'm returning to the season maidens. I've returned to the first layout, because the second angle just wasn't feeling right to me. I've simplified the background and have eliminated the cloak and added a shawl instead. The borders are simpler as well. I've penciled the whole picture on hot press illustration board and will then seal it with an acrylic matte medium and paint in oil. My fingers are crossed.

Color Applied

I started putting down washes of watercolor. Hopefully this will cut down on the amount of colored pencil I will do later.

Seasons revised WIP

I fixed the face and finished more detail and strengthened the line with a dark brown verithin colored pencil. I can see I need to define waist more and establish stronger shadows. Then I will fix it with spray and begin the watercolor.

Season Maidens, version 2

OKAY....on to version number 2 of the season maidens. Began again with a completely new design. Let's see if this one works any better. Going to proceed with a different application of watercolors. Finger's crossed.

Season Maiden Update 2

I have made the suggested changes on this and started applying color, although this isn't very true due to the lighting. I started with colored pencil, then will use watercolor on the border and then, I'm going to seal it and attempt oil glazes on top. I tried it on a small picture and liked the luminosity it created. Drawback: time consuming! But it's rather therapeutic and has helped with my Harry Potter withdrawals.

Another Change

Think I prefer the change in the belt and the cords.

Season Maiden Update

Update on Season Maiden. All the details have been drawn. Thinking about a higher placement of the cords blowing out from the dress. ??? Also looks like the hands need to be slightly larger. The hands in our family run large, so I'm always compensating, but perhaps I did too much.
(sorry Audrey...you can blame me for the "man-hands")

Season Maiden-Autumn

On to the next project. Here is the first of the Season Maidens. This is Autumn.

The Season Maidens

One of the goals I have this year is to prepare a plan to become a legitimate illustrator...someone that an art director would consider hiring. I know I have to work very hard to get there. Quarterly postcards are one means of contacting AD's, so I thought I would do a series of Season Maidens....sort of an earth goddess theme. I have always been a fan of Alphonse Mucha and thought I would attempt a similar design approach. Fortunately, I have four daughters who are willing victims to model for each season. Here is the first I will try to do. This is Audrey, my third daughter and she is the Goddess of Fall. Would you believe she is blonde under that wig?! I will have the thumbnails up later.