By Kevin
Filed in Uncategorized
Tagged with acrylic, airbrush, bride, demon, devil, Gia, gouache, masking, paint, work progress
August 30th, 2010 @ 10:12 pm
I started the day masking out the image, then airbrushing the background. I mixed a red-purple and covered the mid-section of the paper, then added some black to the mix and covered the lower section. Adding more black and a bit more red, I covered the remainder of the space, then with near-black I darkened areas until it was what I wanted. This paper seems quite absorbent, so the paint dries lighter and duller than expected. Still, I think it got dark enough (better to be a little lighter than darker, as there will be black areas in the foreground). Keeping the masking on still, I began painting the background elements, starting with a purple-gray for the floor’s pentagram. I also used a bit of the mix in beginning the skull, but found that the airbrushed paint mixed in enough to actually darken the areas that got wet (odd, considering how the paper seemed so absorbent – I would think the paint would hold better). I kept the skull and horns loose and subtle for the moment; I’ll work it more toward the end when I can see how it all fits together. Next, I painted the candles, starting with a dull gray-purple again, blending up through orange and into yellow. Up close, it seems quite bright, but is quickly dulled as I stand back, so I may have to add more paint later to bring them out. For the flames’ glow. I blended in a tan soft pastel. Before ending this half of the day, I wanted to complete all the airbrush work, so I moved the masking to expose the stockings and protect the background. I then covered the legs with a burnt sienna acrylic, followed by dark brown, and finally black, building up the shadows and forming the contours…
Later, I started the brush paintwork. I painted the face with gouache, then blocked in the hair with browns. I mixed a red acrylic paint to cover the dress’s train, and a brighter red for the rest of the red areas of the outfit. The acrylics will give me a good base to start from, allowing me to paint on top without worry of pulling up the red. Then, I painted the midriff and gloves with a mix of gray and burnt sienna gouache, in a wash. Once dry, I followed it up with black, washing it on over the brown, and more solid for the design and edges. There’s still more texturing on these areas to get them to feel like mesh/lace, but it’s a good base…
By Kevin
Filed in Uncategorized
Tagged with acrylic, airbrush, colored pencils, cowgirl, Kneely, lasso, masking, pinup, rope, work progress
August 18th, 2010 @ 9:02 pm
A bit of a setback having the website hacked a few days ago, but everything should be about normal again now (and safer).
I had a request for another cowgirl piece, so I went through the photo set I took of Kneely a few months ago and found something that might be fun. I worked on the outfit and lasso to complete the design, then drew it on illustration board…
- model Kneely
Next, I masked out the image, then mixed a light sky blue acrylic. I airbrushed it loosely around the top half of the board. I followed that up with a light tan acrylic, airbrushing the same way around the lower half. I used an ochre colored pencil to rough in the lasso rope…
I got to more than this today, but only took the one photo so far, so I’ll get describing the rest tomorrow.
Today, I masked out the image and airbrushed the background. I mixed grey, cerulean blue, and ultramarine blue with white acrylic, then covered the background loosely, leaving the edge of the paper nearly untouched. Once covered enough, I mixed black into the remainder of the blue color, thinned it out more, then created the shadow on the floor, as well as the edge of the wall, blending it lightly forward for a carpet look. Finally, I painted the frame of the diploma on the wall with brown gouache…
By Kevin
Filed in Uncategorized
Tagged with acrylic, airbrush, Amber, flesh, foliage, gouache, leaves, masking, paint, stockings, work progress
July 30th, 2010 @ 8:59 pm
Today I worked on the background, as well as the stockings. I started with masking out the whole image, then mixing a dark green acrylic and airbrushing the background. I mixed a bit more black and continued, putting more emphasis on the edges. I then used a light green acrylic and airbrushed mostly the center area of the background. Once dry, I used a dark green gouache to paint hints of leaves and foliage all over the background. I don’t want to call too much attention to it, so I keep it subtle, creating just a feeling of the plant life. With that done, I finished the background with another coat of the dark green acrylic, airbrushed loosely to created soft textures and hints of shadows.
I let that all completely dry before the next step, since I’ll be adding masking back over the background. I removed the masking on the stockings, and surrounded them with masking. Using a mix of brown and flesh gouache, I loosely painted the legs as if they had no stockings on them. This will hopefully give it a sense of sheer in the end. Next, I mixed a flesh acrylic and airbrushed the legs, followed by a medium light green. I darkened the green and began contouring the stockings, mixing darker shades as I moved into the shadows. Once that dried, I used the dark green gouache from before to paint in a vine design on the stockings. Then I airbrushed white highlights over the stockings to complete them…
With less than two weeks until the convention, I’ve been striving to get everything ready so I don’t have to run around at the last minute. This weekend was finishing off the print work, plus starting to pack up the big box. It becomes like a puzzle, trying to figure out which pieces will fit where, making the whole box solid and everything inside safe. I have it laid out in one configuration that looks to work, but the final test is actually packing. that’s something I only want to do once, so I’ll wait until I’m certain there’s nothing else I need to add or change.
Meanwhile, I did find time to start a new art piece. This is an image I’ve had for some time now, but it wasn’t until now that it struck me just right, and I decided it would look good. Before drawing it on the board, I knew I wanted a toned background (light tan), and since it would be light, I decided instead of going through the whole masking process, just cover the entire board first.
So, here you’ll see the drawing on the colored background. I’ve darkened the image to try to bring out the pencil lines for you to see. In future photos you’ll see it more in its true color…
model – Kneely
note – supposedly, I now have the blog adult-locked, so I will no longer be censoring the images.
Today started with masking out the entire image. Then I mixed a light blue acrylic and airbrushed the top third and bottom third of the board, fading into the center. Next, I mixed a soft green and filled in the center, blending outward. I used a diluted black for the shadow below the model, then covered the entire background with pearl and red ‘sparkles’.
Once dry, I rearranged the masking to expose only the wings and stockings. Although ladybug wings/shells are commonly shown as bright red, many of the photos I researched looked more copper. So, with that in mind, I mixed an orange/brown acrylic and airbrushed the wings as a base color. I also used this color as a start for the stockings, too. Then I mixed a bright red and covered them again, going light toward the highlight ends. Next, I mixed a light sienna and covered the stockings, suggesting the skin showing through. I continued with darker browns, creating the contours on both the wings and stockings until I got down to near black. Once dry, I brush painted black gouache on the wings’ spots. The final airbrushing was a copper ‘sparkle’ added to the wings. I was going to use the airbrush for the highlights, but I’ve had difficulty finding the right thickness for white to make it opaque, yet not clog the needle. Instead, I used oil pastels for the white highlights on the wings…
By Kevin
Filed in Uncategorized
Tagged with acrylic, airbrush, colored pencils, Gia, gouache, Io, Jupiter, masking, paint, pinup, space, work progress
June 16th, 2010 @ 9:42 pm
Last night and all today I worked on all the painted areas. I blotted and scrubbed in some browns and reds into the landscape’s rocks to give them more presence and form. I also tried some bright yellow and white for highlights. I then moved on to the model, starting with her face, painting in the eyes and mouth. She’ll have some wild long lashes in the end, but since I have to add oil pastels onto the skin around it, I only roughed them in for now. Next, I painted the hair using ultramarine blue, black, and violet. I’ll use colored pencils and perhaps more paint later for highlights and more texture. I outlined the edges of all the kin areas, and washed in some skin tone in the smaller areas (face, abdomen, left arm and leg).
I then started on the transparent rings on her outfit. I mixed a violet blue with the color that would be behind it wherever is was to give it that transparent look. Once everything else is colored, I’ll come back and finesse the colors here as well as add highlights to them.
All that remained was the uniform itself. I started using gouache to paint the top in, but decided I wanted sparkles, so I masked it all out and went to the airbrush. I mixed various shades/tints of the magenta and built up the layers to form the top and shorts. I used white for some highlights, although I’ll use a paintbrush later to get the solid white highlights. I finished the magenta areas with red ‘sparkle’ acrylic.
Once dry, I covered the magenta area and unmasked the gloves and boots. Before starting the airbrushing, I used some colored pencils to mark the designs and details in, especially in the boots. Then I mixed a variety of yellow-greens and covered those areas. I finished them with a mix of florescent yellow and green ‘sparkles’…
By Kevin
Filed in Uncategorized
Tagged with acrylic, airbrush, colored pencils, Gia, gouache, Io, Jupiter, masking, pinup, progress, space, work progress
June 15th, 2010 @ 6:27 pm
Last night I masked out the image and began working on the background. First, I painted some burnt sienna gouache in a wash over some of the darker details of the planet and moon. This will add a bit of texture as well as keep a perspective on the areas when I cover them with the airbrush. With enough lines painted in, I mixed a dull light pink acrylic and covered the entire planet. Next, I mixed in some burnt sienna, burnt umber, and more red for a darker pink, which I sprayed mostly along the edge of the planet, but also a few streaks and details throughout it. I mixed orange next, using the leftover paint and adding vermilion, which I used on the ‘eye’ and the main streaks of the planet. To finish the planet, I mixed a dark orange by adding burnt umber to the leftover mix, and sprayed the darkest details and shading. I also used this mix across the space over the moon, simulating its thin atmosphere. Completing the top ‘half’, I mixed a near-black acrylic (black, burnt umber and magenta) and covered the outer space, fading toward the moon’s surface, as well as going a bit into the planet to fade its edge.
Today, I worked on the moon. I started by using some colored pencils to create some surface details, both distant and near. Then I mixed a ‘dirty’ yellow acrylic and airbrushed the entire area. I then added some burnt sienna to the mix and began contouring the surface. Adding more sienna and some burnt umber, and continued with darker details. Then I mixed a light turquoise and airbrushed a few areas (not my intention, but it now looks a bit like lakes).
Once all was dry, I used an eraser to pull up some of the paint for a bit of highlights. I think the near background of the moon will need a bit more detail, as it currently looks like a simple illustration to me. I don’t want too much detail to pull focus, but this little lessens the overall look, I think…
The design of this piece is quite muted, almost monotone, so I decided to try airbrushing the skin this time. Before that though, I marked in a few details with gouache paint (eyebrows, eyes, nostril, a few skin creases, navel), then masked around all the skin areas. I probably took many more steps than needed (I think 7 total) in mixing the paint from light beige down to dark brown, but I’m not that comfortable with shading like this using an airbrush. I started light, and worked layer by layer, adding more to the shading and contouring. I didn’t dare try to get fine details (I don’t think my airbrush is built for that, anyway), so it’ll still need some more work to complete it. The face will still be done in oil pastels, at least in part.
For now, I left the skin as is and attempted to block in the hair. The paint and brush weren’t being cooperative, so I did the minimum coverage and moved on to the mouth. This marks the first time working details of the inside of the mouth, so it’s a new challenge for me. I finished most of it, but I want to give the paint time to really dry before doing the final details…
