PINEAPPLE BLUEBERRY FARMS- STEP 1

Today I begin a 9" x 12" graphite pencil illustration for someone who found my Blog on Google and needs a wedding gift for friends who have found "interesting uses for pineapples and blueberries". They like horses so I have been asked to compose an illustration that has a horse standing on a farm with pineapples and blueberries subtly added.

LEIGH'S KITTIES- FINAL

After a nice day yesterday down at Shelter Island selling art in the park I worked some more on the kitties. Though it may be difficult to see in this small photo, I re-worked their eyes and did a general overall touchup on the fur of each of them as well as painted the edges of the wrap around canvas. Pending everyone's approval I think it may be finished.

WHISKERS

LEIGHS KITTIES- STEP 5

A little more rearranging and some stripes here and there. Tomorrow I may give them all some whiskers!

LEIGH'S KITTIES- STEP 4

LEIGHS KITTIES- STEP 3

A DAY IN THE PARK

Well I'm back from a terrific summer day spent selling art in the park at Shelter Island on the San Diego Bay. It was beautiful, with a nice breeze and some very interesting people to hang out and talk with. Now it's time to get back to the easel. Thanks for checking in... I'll have some progress to show you tomorrow.

LEIGHS KITTIES- STEP 2

A little fur added and some facial rearrangements... still a very long way to go. This thing's big, it's gonna' take a while.

DUSTING THE RIDGELINE - FINAL

Let's jump back to "Dusting The Ridgeline" and show you the final stage with the mountains all detailed out. This is the final image I'll post of this painting.

LEIGH'S KITTIES- STEP 1

Today I began a 48" x 36" acrylic on gallery wrapped canvas of my buddy, Leigh's, kitties. This is the preliminary sketch which I did with an airbrush directly on the canvas. I like to map out the areas of light and dark with an airbrush when a painting is this large because it is much faster. Tomorrow I will adjust some of the positioning of the cats and then begin painting cat hairs with sable brushes. Thank you Leigh for your patience and kindness as this has taken me quite a while to begin this painting.

DUSTING DETAIL- DONE

This is the final of the Beechcraft Staggerwing. I will show one more view of the entire painting when I complete the mountain range in a few days.

STEP 4- ONE MORE TIME...

I've added a little more detail but will still go back and clean up some edges and smooth a bit here and there when the paint firms up.

STEP 3- AGAIN!

I've added a little more detail again but need to let the paint dry a bit before I can complete this. For something this small I need to put my hand down on the canvas to steady it for the tiniest deatils and I sure don't want to mess it up again like I did yesterday.

RETURN TO STEP 2

OOPS!!!

A mid-air disaster!!! Yikes!! I accidentally laid the heel of my hand down right in the wet paint of the airplane and smeared it everywhere. When I tried to clean it up everything came off so I get to start all over. It's been many years since I screwed up this bad so I guess it's something I'm meant to show you. The point being that you shouldn't give up even if you totally wreck something. Take some deep breaths, calm down and start again.

"DUSTING" DETAIL- STEP 4

A little sharper detail on the plane.

"DUSTING" DETAIL - STEP 3

Today I'm moving back to the 36" x 14" Oil painting of "Dusting the Ridgeline. Here is a detail of the Beechcraft Staggerwing. On a 17" monitor this is very close to actual size. As you can see from this image there is still much work to be done.

TIGER AND NUGGET - FINAL

I've added more background out the window and some shadows. I've also added a lot more cat hair but it doesn't show in this size photo. I may still work a little more on the fur but it will be insignificant to this exercise and so we'll call this the final shot of "Tiger and Nugget" that I will post.
Thanks for watching!

TIGER AND NUGGET- STEP 4

I cleaned up the windows a little and (though it doesn't show well in the small photo) added a lot more cat hair. Now I need to step back and evaluate the light and dark areas closely and get the kitties' fur more balanced and natural. Every hair must be the right length and color and flow in the right direction. This takes a while one hair at a time.

TIGER AND NUGGET- STEP 3

Here I've blocked in the window and added a little more color to the kitties.

TIGER AND NUGGET- STEP 2

I've added some more detail with burnt sienna and yellow oxide.

TIGER AND NUGGET- STEP 1

This is a burnt umber sketch on 24" x 18" gallery wrapped canvas of my buddy, Tim's, two cats, Tiger and Nugget. It is the first step (after building the canvas) of an acrylic portrait that he commissioned. They are very cute kitties so this should be fun!

"DUSTING THE RIDGELINE"- STEP 2

In this next step I have added more detail with a number 1 bristle brush. I'm just starting to like the richness of the deep burnt umber shadows against the ochre with red added in places on the foreground of the main peak on the left. I also moved some things slightly and may do some more moving in the next step. The snow is beginning to take shape and is many different colors depending on what it is reflecting. I've barely begun the detail of the Beechcraft Staggerwing but have warmed it up a bit with some yellow in the lightest white areas on the plane. I did a bit of work on the sky with a half inch wide filbert to make it look more like the original. There is still a lot to be done.

A NEW PAINTING

This is the first step of several that I will post of a painting that I am doing for a friend. It is oil on linen and is 36" x 14". My buddy asked that I improvise a copy of a painting called, "Dusting the Ridgeline" by William S. Phillips; so the design is not mine and I ask Mr. Phillips forgiveness while I also praise his huge talent. He is a giant in the field of aviation art and I only hope that I do not insult him with my near copy. I generally do not do copies of other people's work but my very good friend begged me as prints of this image by William S. Phillips are not available. There will be more postings as I add details to this Painting.