Tag Archives: digital painting

Finish Strong

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I have one last step before I close on my house and it gets underwriter approval; the inspection. I’m so nervous! I keep telling myself that it’s no big deal and that I don’t need a roof over my head, it’s not like I’m being evicted, lol.

It’s very hard to lie to yourself.

Anyway, to pass the time, I finished the Shelby. It gave me a sense of satisfaction and helped me focus. It’s amazing how sometimes art whets my appetite to create more and others I just feel drained and relieved. With this, I just swiveled my chair around and started anew.

Don’t mind R2, he’s a pet

But that’s for next week. In the meantime, be safe and enjoy the following video. Later! 😊

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ALL the Stars

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It’s been… interesting watching the responses to Chadwick Boseman’s passing. He was important to some people and overrated to others. But to me, he reinforced the idea that I can leave on my own terms.

It has a certain appeal.

In the last few years, I’ve had a classmate and a friend in the cosplay community die unexpectedly. By unexpectedly, I mean one I hoped would be okay, but knew she was battling illness; the other I had NO clue.

It sounds weird, but having a terminal diagnosis, at least to me, allows you to grieve you. You get to determine what your loved ones deal with, get yourself in order. It gives your remaining time clarity.

So yeah; I can see him not wanting the pity awards. Ledger did an awesome job as the Joker, but you always have to wonder how much of that was a lifetime achievement award. We were applauding a young talent, not knowing how briefly he would hear the praise and appreciation. He was our first REAL leading man superhero, who’s origins weren’t a gang or a ghetto. He’ll always be that for me.

Sorry no beginning. My capture software crashed! Not bad from memory, though…

Dancing Pants

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Well, I finished! After several trips and lots of stress I can relax a little. So I spent the night finishing my painting and making a clip of my work 😊

I try to be positive as much as possible, but sometimes it’s a difficult task. But I’m starting to separate my grief from my daily life.

I’m already starting on a project that would have been timely a week ago. With video! Should be fun.

Life goes on

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My mom passed away.

It was Coronavirus. She fought for as long as she could. Over a month. All we could do was hope. We couldn’t visit, couldn’t console. We couldn’t stay in her home, our home. She passed away on the 4th of July.

So I haven’t been able to draw. We’ve been making arrangements, trying to settle things. It’s a surprisingly difficult thing.

I’ve been angry with her church. More specifically, with the arrogance and stupidity that lead to my 71 year old mother being infected during a pandemic.

I finally got back to drawing. Time never stands still. And no one is as isolated as they think.

I know…it seems inappropriate. I had to start with the last project I was given. It’s probably why it took me so long.

Anyway… thanks for being patient while I worked through my grief. You guys are the best, thank you.

The Luxury of Sleep

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Hey guys! Sorry but I’m super busy with something that should cover my bills for a considerable amount of time if I can accomplish it. But hey, I’m a former paratrooper. The difficult can be done immediately and the impossible takes slightly longer. 😉

So I decided to show you the difference a little time makes. I was happy with this when I first produced it. But one of the ways that you know that you’re growing as an artist is that your old art looks primitive when you see it later. You see where you went wrong.

So fix it.

As you can see, it’s a lot more refined and the hair looks more like hair, lol. I kept her muscularity without losing the graceful flow.

And her hands aren’t big and thick.

And since one person liked my video, here’s another. Again, older work, but just as fun.

See you next week!

Cloudy

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Last post before the new year! I’d love to lie about being ready. I really would….

As you can see, I’m back to doing digital painting. Believe it or not, this one was fairly easy for me.

Everyone thinks that I have my own special, custom brushes for doing this kind of thing. Nope. I’m doing it the hard way. Opacity on 10%, so most of the brush strokes you see are built up. It’s how I get that feathered look.

As for the details… I’ve gotten a lot better at crossing the finish line nowadays. Those little things are the difference when it comes to your art.

To be honest, I never trusted myself with being able to bring them out.

Anyway, I’m not sure if I’m happy with it. I gave the old background more pop and a 3D feel, but…

…. we’ll see.

Be

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    Yay! I actually got permission to post my digital art! Maybe I was wrong to give the choice, but I feel that portraits​ are kinda personal. 

     I’ve been so busy with repairing my home. It’s a little over one hundred years old and it’s last update was in the 80’s. I’m not trying to go too modern, but things like floor sag and bad rafters come before the pretty stuff. Foundations first!

     Maybe I should just enjoy this period of my life. After all, it hasn’t been this quiet in a long time. No impending doom, just everyday things. I should be content.

    Ha! Who am I fooling? Even though it’s true, that’s just not my nature. After a decade of nothing but one emergency after another, there is no way I could fully believe that calm waters are ahead. But is that experience or paranoia?

    I gave up on happy. It abandoned me. My world has been mostly grey with occasional flashes of color. I’ve come to accept it, even appreciate those rare instances.

    Was I wrong? Could it be?

     Here’s the truth; I WANT to be. I really do. I know it’s a little like giving up on life the way I live. But I’m not sorry. It’s my way of… I’m getting my affairs in order. That’s all I’ve been doing. Stalling in the hopes that it isn’t necessary, but keeping my distance from life so that I won’t mind parting with it.

    Dammit.

   Okay. I need to start doing more than getting by. I need to find joy in little things. Like my art. It doesn’t need to be complicated because now I know what I want!
  I want to be.

 

Unexpected

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          I think this year for my vacation I’m going to stay in the mainland. Too close to not wanting that extra effort to pay off. It’s not something I can put a finger on. But I will.

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          This is Lee Haney,  8 times Mr Olympia. I met him years ago and was impressed most by his demeanor. Here was a man who had every reason to be a narcissistic ass, but he wasn’t. He showed me that greatness that self evaluates is greatness controlled. I draw him occasionally, usually when I’m doing my own evaluation.

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         Hopefully you guys are doing the same. Whether in art or life.

Always know you.

Color Blind part 3

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      So now we’re ready to add color to the image first I select a new layer and change it’s setting to color. I do the same for the brush, softening and lowering it’s opacity as well. I like to add color in strokes so it feels more like painting. Plus I don’t really clean up my brushstrokes. I like a little roughness to my art!

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      Remember to add any layers of color necessary to achieve the look you’re after. Flatten your image when needed; it’ll save file sizes from getting out of hand. I leave mine in so that you can see the steps in the photos.

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        The background color felt a little too dominant compared to the foreground. I use the hue/saturation tool [ctrl/cmd+u] to change the color and lighten it.

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        I still have a little work to do, but you get the idea. Try to choose your palette BEFORE you get to that last step. It’ll make life a lot easier. Have fun!