What I like about visual arts is that they all teach you to see. To really look and take it all in. My efforts in getting back into painting and finally grasp that concept of drawing a face made me aware of how many colours make up skin. And how screwed up those photoshopped, flawless faces in advertising really are…
In another attempt of overcoming my perfectionism I show you my latest work in progress, a rather weird looking eye. But, practice makes perfect, or so they say…
I finished my painting! It’s still not perfect and lightyears away from being remotely realistic, but there’s a face, and it actually looks like one!
The shading is still a bit weird, the skin could use a wider range of tones, and lashes are firmly in the archnemesis camp – as are noses. I could jammer on about what is not right, and what is still missing, but I’m not giving my inner perfectionist that pleasure. It’s a first try on a new programm, so it can’t be perfect anyway. Instead I’ll tell you what I like.
The hair. Oooh, I love painting hair. Different colours, dark strands, light strands, whispy hair… and reflections. All without having to be precise. Win!
I’m quite happy with the eyes. It amazes me every time what a difference two little white dots can make. It was an eye before, but reflections make them come alive. Sort of. They are also the part where the shading works best.
Lips. Hmmm, juicy lips. Like hair, I really like painting lips. And putting highlights on them has the same effect as putting reflections into eyes… suddenly they look more real.
And before anybody thinks that I’m some sort of talented genius, I confess that I traced the outlines from a random photo I found on We heart it. I think it’s a movie still.
I still consider that cheating, but I learned that even professional comic artists trace pictures, so I thought: What the heck, if they can do it, so can I. Mainly because sketching a remotely anatomically correct face/body is a task on its own, and I was more interested in colours and brushes and technique. And even with a traced outline one still has to fight with light and shadows and colours. It’s just helping with the placing of everything. I think I painted the eyes 5 times, and stopped counting with the nose. Darn noses!
So, yeah. First picture since… oh good, I don’t know… 10 years?
As the renovations of the great big hallway of doom come along nicely, I once again face the fact that this house lacks wall decoration. Shocking, I know.
Now, I don’t want any IKEA art1. Decoration consists so far of a gigantic SPAWN movie poster in the bedroom, next to a Lara Croft on a motorbike. There are Princess Leia dolls, and Mystery Machines. And an awesome old fashioned, huge oil painting of a ship under full sails over the dining table. As this is pretty geeky, the upcoming decorations have to fit that theme.
At the moment I’m thinking Spaceships in the hallway. Namely a TARDIS, a USS Enterprise and a Millenium Falcon. The latter two are not so much of a problem to find, but TARDISes are tricky.
I might go for a black/white/wood bedroom theme, so more black and white art might be in order. I do own a pop art black and white storm trooper, who needs proper framing.
As I’m on a major Wonder Woman / Batman trip at the moment2 I really want some awesome Batman and Wonder Woman posters, but those are rare. Especially for Wonder Woman, because I’m not so much into oversized breast/butts.
What’s hanging on you walls?