May 25th, 2009
So I’ve already talked about ConceptArt.Org’s awesome tutorials in the past, but there’s a brand spankin’ new one that just looks jawesome.
ZhangLu with Jason Manley have just launched Digital Painting - Female Caucausian Portraits, and from first impressions on the forums, it’s mind-blowingly awesome. US$20 too. I’m making a conscience effort to hold out until next pay to grab it (at which point, no doubt, El Coro’s Portrait Painting tutorial will be released, filling me with glee and artful knowledge but nom’ing on noodles all the same @:-) but everyone should totally buy it now. Or even Jason Chan’s Style Exploration, where he steps through the creation of a buff dude in 4 different styles. I’m not entirely sure if he’s going to traverse the video frame like he does in the trailer, but hey, even if he does, he’ll do it while making your MIND EXPLODE WITH MAD SKILLZ!
And that’s gotta be worth the price of admission. And neural disintegration.
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April 11th, 2009
I’m happy to report I survived 24 days without a working home phone line. Somehow. I’ve now caught up on downloading all our missed podcasts (thank goodness we upgraded our quota) and now feel a little more in tune with the world’s happenings. You have no idea how much you live online until someone takes it away, then takes their damn sweet time getting it repaired.
Thought I’d give a quicky quick lil’ update on my art happenings. I’ve been diving back into the world of colour in the form of acrylic paint. I believe Shaun Barber’s Oil Painting video has given me quite a good nudge while teaching me a world of things I didn’t know, which I’m keen to apply and try.
First up is a koi fish painting that Katie wanted to compliment the 50″ plasma in the living room. This was started quite early this year, and ended up going on the wall due to Katie’s demands. It being on the wall gives it a feeling of finality, almost more than signing it, so it has been mentally difficult for me to pull it down and work on it more. That said, not a great deal has been done to it recently apart from a colour change of the koi and a revamping of it’s background to a more saturated colour. I do apologise for the laptop webcam photos, but alas, this is all I have in my kit at the moment.
Koi - Work in Progress
Needing a break from my focus on the koi, I did a study of a mushroom landscape from the Art of World of Warcraft book, which I can’t currently get a decent picture of due to lighting (may post it later before I paint over it). Once that was done, I thought I’d tackle a still life. The first thing I saw in my room was my R2D2, and thought it would be a decent enough challenge. It also is currently a work in progress, though I currently have the paint waiting upon the palette. It’s being created on a canvas that Katie never got around to finish, and promised she never would, hence the blue background. Who knows…I may fill in the missed blue bits and keep it that way. It is but a study, after all.
R2 D2 Still Life - Work in Progress
So, there you have it.
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February 28th, 2009
After discovering my AAAA batteries had all expired and hence died, Ma and Pa kindly sent up a pack after I discovered Mount Isa just doesn’t carry them. Anywhere. And now finally I’ve been able to get something half decent drawn, though it is from the comfort zone of self portraits.
Click for larger image.
Pretty simple black and white made with Artweaver. I did do hair and eyes, and a bit more stubble, but felt that it was overworked. Think it’s a good place to start to get the motor cranking again.
Tags: Art, Artweaver, Digital, Self Portrait
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February 2nd, 2009
I seem to have so many tools in my grasp at the moment. The lovely set of Inktense pencils that I received from my parents; the Chinese Brush Painting set and related books I bought thanks to Townview State School’s generosity; my usual slew of pencils and acrylics; my graphics tablet which I cart around in my work laptop bag but never pull out (hence sustaining some damage, dangit).
Too many toys and not enough knowledge, so I think I’ve realised. Greg Manchess and his recent tutorial series with Massive Black on his work “Above the Timberline” (Youtube video preview) is an amazing inspiration, and has shown me that I’ve always been a self driven artist that hasn’t taken a lot of instruction, though absolutely absorbed any that has been delivered to me. I still rate my best period of learning to be from David Z during my days at QANTM as it was the real base knowledge that I needed, and stuff that I wouldn’t get out of a Fine Arts degree (a lesson I wish I learnt before it had to happen. Such is life).
I’m definitely trying to pull art back in to my life’s focus, if only just to fulfill the need. Being successful at it would be awesome, however if I can simply bring it back to being my escape and to experience the enjoyment (and the enjoyment of frustration, so it would seem), then I can be happy at that.
And, once again, here’s a post without any art. @:-P I’ll make a concerted effort to get something digital down until I get a fresh camera.
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January 1st, 2009
I hope 2009 is fruitful and fulfilling for all. @:-D
No work on the site today, so still it it’s rough state. However I put some time aside to play with the Derwent Inktense pencil set that Mum and Dad gave me for Christmas (thanks!), and I’ve been quite impressed with the intensity of colour. I look forward to fiddling with these some more, and I’ll post up what I can when I can. My scanner died a little while ago, so I’ll source one soon.
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December 30th, 2008
About time I dusted off the ol’ internets and got something fresh all up in this hizzle. Don’t currently have any art to show, but consider that on it’s way. Need to try and kick the old habits back in to gear and grace this place with a licka paint and pastel.
Stay tuned, weary traveller, for your journey is not in vain. You just may need to grab a cocktail at the bar and socialise with the other patrons til the show starts.
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