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This is me, at work, raw and unpolished
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The title is not confirmed yet ( haven't thought of something that would encompass all the themes I designed this piece to convey )
Update Feb'19 - Been inspired to continue with this old old old piece (started back in 2010). There have been several failed attempts to restart it in the past, but I wanted to 'feel' the concept passionately again (at least in the initial stages. I know it won't last) as I did when I began it. Reading 'Sapiens' by Yuval Noah Harari has reignited part of the concept again in my mind's eye now though and with time to focus lately on my art I feel more clarity in thoughts of the matter. I also felt somewhat bored of painting something photorealistically (as I had initially intended for the turkey and table) but since my minds eye wasn't fully engaged with the concept I didn't feel I could really make proper decisions that would serve the painting best if I wanted to adjust anything from my initial plans. However it's 'there' now again for me, clarity of what I want to achieve with the piece and what it means and with that also hopefully a little more experience. I see now the photorealistic style would not only bore me but the viewer too and actually doesn't serve the concept I want to convey properly. I will be handling it realistically but with more subtlety and mood to represent the soul of the earth that it is...
As I've mentioned before all previous WIP images of this piece were lost when my camera got stolen at the start of the piece. Indeed I couldn't help thinking how much one of the themes of this piece applied to the unfortunates who had gotten so desperate as to attempt an essentially botched burglary on us (all they got was the the rather old and cheap camera) which was displayed clear as day during their attempt...
Completed Dead Layer SIZE : 14 . 5 " x 12 "
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3rd Glaze Layer on Table & Turkey
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Lightening with just titanium white alkyd after 3rd glaze layer.
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It was started off with a detailed underpainting in acrylic burnt umber, proceeded by the dead layer in alkyd (fast drying oils) with a mixture of -
Terre Verte (a lean (extra fast drying), very transparent greenish hue) Lamp Black (has an extremely high tinting strength. Adding more black, darkens and gives a more blueish cooler tone) Burnt Sienna (added because it seemed to give a wholeness to the hue) I'm currently going over the piece detailing the lights in Titanium White (an opaque white) as after the 3rd glaze, the turkey started to look a bit too dark. At this point I am still using alkyd and using a mixture of - Liquin fine detail : Refined Linseed Oil : Turpentine ( with a 1 : 1 : 2 ratio ) as my medium. |
I'm happy with the level of lightening that has been done for now and can continue with the 4th glaze layer next...
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I won't be working on this piece exclusively and due to the technique, updates are probably best kept at every 2 weeks or so perhaps..
Thanks for dropping by folks!.
Thanks for dropping by folks!.
Reflective Infoxication
Working out the composition...
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Finally being continued..
So I've been sitting on this for a while now as I felt there was just something missing, a void in its conception that I knew would niggle at me throughout. So I let it be, let it stew in my mind, till finally, as often happens, the pieces came together and inspiration struck as I was immersed in the literary web of a book. It was just a matter of redeveloping this more apropos composition from there. Conceptual concerns aside, I decided a lot more studies to work out the technicalities of the piece would be prudent with a few tonal and colour studies.
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The 'negative' space (where the silverleaf would be) has to be carefully designed as well, as its reflective qualities will have a major effect on the overall composition. I want the silverleaf to retain as much of its polished look as possible while still having a painterly texture, so the canvasboard was covered with thick gesso applied with a pallet knife. There are some parts where the canvas texture still comes through a bit but hopefully this does not effect the sheen of the silver too much.
I've pretty much decided on a colour pallet with a slight play on subtle complimentaries. The toned canvas will show through quite a lot, thus playing a major part in the colour scheme..
Decided that this piece would work a lot better on a much larger canvas, so I'm in the process of making a new primed canvasboard (which I always make from scratch to unsure the best quality possible).
I've pretty much decided on a colour pallet with a slight play on subtle complimentaries. The toned canvas will show through quite a lot, thus playing a major part in the colour scheme..
Decided that this piece would work a lot better on a much larger canvas, so I'm in the process of making a new primed canvasboard (which I always make from scratch to unsure the best quality possible).
Few tiny thumbnails were done first to suss out the composition and where the silverleaf would be.
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Update 9th March'16: Forgive me for not posting any updates lately peeps, been busy preparing for a group exhibition (VDA Freakshow), but I'm free once again to get back to my normal shtick so I thought I'd just update ya on the progress so far!..
After doing a few tiny test thumbnails ( left: I often work very small during the brainstorming phase so I can test my ideas out quickly with as much depth as possible) to help me decided on the basic composition. The preliminary idea was then blown to full size and worked on again. |
New larger canvasboard texturally primed and toned. I usually always make my own supports from scratch to ensure the best quality and so they are just as I require for each individual piece.
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The composition was worked on a again at full size.. This is the final compo ready now to be lightly transferred to the canvas.
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Image was transfer to the canvas with oil paint paper (oil paint rubbed on normal thin paper that acts like carbon paper)
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Compositions can look quite different when blown up to its proper size so I like to look at the composition with a fresh eye and work on it again to get it just right.
Each stage of the piece can look quite different so the composition will work no more than as a guide. I'll be moving forward with more expressive spontaneity when the brush hits the board!..
Each stage of the piece can look quite different so the composition will work no more than as a guide. I'll be moving forward with more expressive spontaneity when the brush hits the board!..
Beginning the Silverleaf!
Had to apply the leaf in parts as I used a waterbased gilding paste (the oil based was not available) that would have dried too fast for me to apply the glue all over then the leafing before it dried.. I used a No.0 round and No.10 Flat to apply the glue then a big makeup round brush to tamp down the leaf gently before smoothing softly with my finger tip.
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After leaving it to dry for a day I brushed of the excess with a No.8 pighair filbert (see example below). Someparts though had stuck down hard on parts with no glue.. Nothing worked (scratching with a blade did but left the surface scuffed) till I tried duck tape!.. Worked like a charm... :)
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I then went over tidying the edges of the silver leaf and checking if any details had been missed. The missed areas were just carefully touched up with glue and silverleaf again...
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This was the second round of touching up and brushing off... :)
Still in the mids of refining the silverleaf... I can get quite anal with details like this and feel this stage to be quite important because when the light hits the canvas at certain angles, the silver leaf design will be the most prominent part seen.. More to come.. :) |
Besides refining the edges of the silverleaf, the delicate details of the blanket's tassel are added.
Since I am using a composite metal leaf (not actual silver) it can tarnish in time if left to the elements. So once the silverleaf was refined to my liking it was given 2 coats of clear acrylic gloss for protection.
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With a photo taken in just the right lighting, you can see the completed silverleaf design in all its glory.
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Beginning the underpainting in raw umber. Pure oil paint from the tube is used without any medium (even turps).
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Still in the mids of the underpainting...
I thought I'd show ya a bit of how I set my pallet and reference material up. I usually have some sort of reference that I prefer viewing on my desktop along with any other sketches, colour studies etc.. that I have done, stuck adjacent to the artwork for quick reference as I work (usually all on the left side of the easel, since I'm right handed) At this stage I only require my tonal study thumbnail and the picture of the figure... I made my pallet many years ago from just a piece of plywood, carved and protected with a deep reddish varnish. This finish has in time settled into the perfect mellow neutral tone for mixing by just rubbing in the residue, left by the oil paint, after each painting session. The thumbhole had been form fitted with PVA glue for a comfortable grip, but I have found, more often than not, I prefer having both my hands free as I work. Thus the set up you see here,.. The pallet is just clamped between two pieces of wood held in place by the weight of the canvasboard. It's perfectly positioned this way to be in the same lighting as the artwork (thus more accurate mixing) and for a more seamless workflow, as opposed to if it were positioned on a table on my right.. To ensure I'm always keeping tabs on how the overall piece is developing, I prefer standing or sitting on a high seat as I work so I can regularly move back and around easily to check the artpiece from afar... |
I want to make sure to get the underpainting right, as I will be leaving parts of it showing in the final.. Tones have to be carefully considered so as to ensure the viewers attention is held and eye led harmoniously throughout the piece. The underpainting is basically being scumbled in thinnish layers (completely drying in between each layer) and a putty eraser helps for picking out details... I like the effect produced with the scumbling technique on the textured surface of the canvasboard, giving an interesting textural look as the paint settles in the ridges... Ok then, ta for now folks.. :)
The underpainting is done and before I proceeded with the colour I thought I should test out the pallet I had decided on in this little piece (below) first.. I'm glad I did as it brought up several problems with my choices that would not have suited my silver leaf painting.
Thus I went back to the drawing board and this time recruited the help of Adobe's Kuler that was created to help designers decide on colour schemes..
Thus I went back to the drawing board and this time recruited the help of Adobe's Kuler that was created to help designers decide on colour schemes..
This painting used a pallet of - Light Red, Cad Yellow, Cobalt Blue & Raw Umber.
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- Cadmium Yellow Hue
- Cerulean Blue (Just thought I'd try this instead of the Cobalt this time and see how it goes)
Ok testing time!.. See ya!..
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Completed Underpainting
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It's a little more than a year since my last update for this painting, and yes I've been testing and all sorts out.. One would not ideally wish to take so long getting back to a painting but one good thing about it is that I can see a marked improvement in my skill from when it was started (or it might have something to do with me recently acquiring a pair of glasses after a long time of needing some).. :) A few of my latest works testing out palettes and techniques for this piece are: Testing DIY Silverleaf Sealant, Size & Colour Palettes and Original Sin Rebirth WIP With that I've finally resumed and completed the underpainting ready for the colour layer. Rather than the limited palette I had initially wanted to use, I'll be using a wider range of colours on my palette however this range will be subtle in the final painting. Planned palette: Flake White Hue, Titanium White (only for tiny touches of highlights), Yellow Ocher, Cad Yellow, Cad Red, Burnt Sienna, Alizarin Crimson, French Ultramarine, Sap Green, Phthalo Blue & Raw Umber. That's all for now! ... |
So I've finally got some good lighting for my studio!!.. :D
Ever since moving to my new studio I've been struggling to find a way to light my work area adequate. I've been relying on a table lamp which besides being woefully dimmer that what is required, I had a tough time placing it where it could light the artwork I was working on without disturbing my own eyesight or reflecting (thus obscuring) off the computer screen I usually rely on to display my reference material. As you can see (below, the red lamp balancing on a pile of books behind my easel) I finally resorted to dismantling it enough so I could sort of balance the lamp part on a top beam of my easel. Still the light was uneven on the artwork and still too dark (plus the CRI was quite low, so I couldn't really rely on it to get accurate colour rendering).
After scouring for affordable alternatives, I just could not find a lamp light that would be bright enough with a high enough CRI until I came across this softbox on Lazada!.. Compared to all the other normal lighting methods (lamps etc..) I could find, it was way way cheaper ($29 USD) and had just the right specs I required for the light (150W, 5500K, 220V... and a 92 CRI !).. Perfect!.. I hadn't heard of artists ever using softboxes as a light source during painting though, and a google search similarly didn't bring up any results. I'd have to just take a risk and try it out for myself. If it didn't work at least I could use it for taking product shots or pawn it off to my photographer bf!.. lol.
Turns out it works absolutely Perfectly!!!. It lights everything evenly, doesn't shine in and hinder my own eyesight, nor does it effect the images on my computer screen. I was worried it may feel obtrusive in my limited space, but it isn't at all. In fact because I can place it high up behind me at a further distance it's a load less intrusive than the lamp when it was placed at my side. It's almost like a ceiling light in fact. The light of course (as you can see below) is absolutely everything I wanted, I really couldn't be happier and am well pleased with the purchase.. :D
The top row is how it looks in the daytime, the bottom row, at night. The first left pics are with just my studio ceiling lighting on, the middle pics show how it looks with the lamp light on as well and the last (right pics) show the lighting with the softbox light on instead!.. It's glorious isn't it!..
Ok folks, that's it for now, as you can see I've got some tidying up to do in my studio.. Ta!
Ok folks, that's it for now, as you can see I've got some tidying up to do in my studio.. Ta!
Night of fire
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Morning after
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Folks, I forgot oil on the stove and burnt my kitchen. Thankfully the damage is limited, but still costly as the stove hood is completely destroyed. It's going to take a lot of elbow grease to get it back in order and remove the greasy soot that seeped through all the cabinets and rest of the house. I think I should be able to sand the cabinet doors down, repaint them and get it looking great again.. Might have to be a bit creative with some things.. The fire caused our lightbox to fuse and we haven't had lights since it happened (Friday night), so the past two days have been spent scrubbing and cleaning when there is daylight and the nights in my studio, with my excellent studio light (our powerbox (we have two fuse boxes) is still ok so all our appliances that are plugged in, work). I've resigned myself to having to set aside a good portion of time from my studio work to get it back in order.
Thanks for visiting! ... |
Hiya guys, thought I'd share a bit of an update on the restoration of my kitchen. I only allocate a bit of time a day to work on it so progress as you can imagine is creeping forward. Here's a quick summary..
After extensive scrubbing and clean up, work can begin...
Inside View....
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Fire damaged Middle Cupboard doors front (before)
Fire damaged Middle Cupboard doors back (before)
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Middle Cupboard doors after sanding with new plywood backing front (before)
Middle Cupboard doors after sanding with new plywood backing back (before)
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Loving the look of this burn!! and I'm gonna keep it!
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Stencilled Design
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Though I could have sanded the burn down and plaster/paint it up again, I couldn't bring myself to remove this gorgeous burn though! I simply adore how it looks!! So I've decided to keep it as a lovely unique accent to the kitchen with some creative stencil designs ( so that it looks perfectly finished when it is done!)
You can see the initial tooth design I went for that I then later changed to a more organic fiery design (If ya notice the trailing burnt tail going down looks a bit different from the rest of the burn, this is cause this was burnt on purpose (using a hot spoon) to get a more appealing pattern to my fiery design). I may have to add charcoal later and seal it to recreate the deep black of the original burn.
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Fiery design stencilled and the rest sanded ready to be painted.
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This door will also have the burn preserved and a fiery design added to it too..
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Kitchen ready for the ceiling paint job. The ceiling was cleaned, scrapped and plastered (as there was slight peeling paint, water damage and leaking holes from before too) and primed with a waterproof sealant ready for the paint.
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Good to see the ceiling all pristine white again after the paint job!!
The parts to be plastered was first sanded down.
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Plastic netting (sourced from an old aircon) cut to fit the design.
The plastic netting was then stapled to the sanded part to ensure the plaster has a good tooth to hold on to.
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