Ken Ruzic - Paintings,Drawings,Ceramics,Pyrography and Other Stuffs!

And here we are....

Standing before a 6 by 4 foot monolith

Near completion

maybe a dozen more hours...

 

With "Sympathies and Antipathies" only 17 days away

it's time to put the pedal to the metal

and get this done

So time can be spent on Promotion

Cleanup

sealing

wiring

and documenting

and last on the list...

the pricing.

 

Anyways,while i have a small pocket of time

let's spy the battlefield

and see the progress of the troops....

 

Let's intensify the drama

with a little Faure'...shall we?

 

We'll start with a rally from the upper left corner

more shadows and lighting enhanced

gold and silver embellishments added to the soldiers

developing more buildings in the misty background...

a little further towards the middle

some more arched architecture near the top

and clouds all over the place!

 

Finally a Spear is placed into the Solemn Angel's hands

Also the "dump" of fallen transforming angels has remained untouched for the moment...

a shrouded Bruegel Beastie near the top  begins his descent downward

More lighting was also added to the DUOMO style building above the accusing Angel.

 

The fourth Direction/Wind has been placed

and some grand courtyard looms in the background

St. Michael...or the Angel with the scales

has finally gotten some wiings fleshed out...

 

Now we SOAR back to the middle of the Left side of the canvas

(it's like we're reading a book...kinda...with 4 x 6 foot pages

like one of them HUGE Audobon books i desired as a kid)

A Heroic Angel ,finally armed and winged,rushes to the battlefield

propelled by one of the Four Winds...

the Clouds and archictecture in this area are close to finished..

Also note the two fallen fellows bottom right of this picture

We'll see more of them later...

 

Here they are with a third fellow repenting up a storm amidst trumpet blasts...
i also wanted to give y'alls a sense of the space covered in this canvas..

First off,we have top (Heaven) and Bottom (Hell)

1/3 of the Angels have rebelled and there was a War in Heaven

whee Satan and his ilk were cast down into Eternal Fire...

Now besides the flat Top/Bottom spacial division

i wanted to capture Majestic Heavenly Buildings soaring upwards

and capture a misty distance as they receded.

For the Hell areas,i wanted jagged pathways and nonsensical stairways and columns supporting cavern ceilings

i wanted the clouds of hell to muffle into smoke and dissipate

And here's a better view of the Angel with the spear

AND the accusing Angel...

 

As we progress further to the right of the middle of this piece

We see an angel with a half-finished shield...

 

Here he is a little further to the right

with some half-built edifices behind him

and a seraphim floating about in the lower area....

 

Here we can see the scales almost finished

i was thinking of placing a heart and a brain in them

to represent emotion/feeling over reason/logic...

 

Here's a close-up of an area we neglected earlier.. the Angel dragging a chained figure down to Hell.....

 

And here is a detail of the chaos under the accusing Angel

a few damned souls plunge downward....

 

and here is a close-up of the dog-like demon  as he tumbles towards his destination.....

And to the left are the two angels' robes ,as they crisscross around and thru each other...

And here we are at the bottom

with a few more pf the hell-Bound rendered out and the shield rendered....

 

And here is a detail with the background fully displayed

to give you an idea of the labrynthian passageways contained down there...

 

Pictured above are some of the trumpets and columns

showing how the landscape is built upon...

 

And here is a close-up of our avenging Angel as he charges towards a frightened red devil pressed against a rock....

 

And an ULTRA deatail to show you some vestigal pencil lines and the beginnings of the mini-landscape planned for this area...

 

Added a demon clinging to our handsome heroic Angel

and a regretful figure not far behind him...

 

 

Pictured here are some more buildings that give this piece a more VISTA feel....

And some more finished details

for the bottom right area...

Note the cloth slowly encircling the character to the right....

See how worried he is?

Also added a building with some buttresses to the right...

 

a little closer to allow you to see the huge skull winged sculptures above the doorways on this building....

And here is another detail of the finished prison area in the corner...

Well.... that's all i got for now.

the finish line is in view

so check back here next week and i should have it done!

Thanks for visitin!

 

 

 

 

 

Well.... Pictured above is what began as a Post Saint Surveillance "Warm-Up" piece

before i jumped back into the bar room brawl that is the 6x4 foot Rebel Angels painting

Slowly evolved into a week long sojourn thru a waterfall laden forest...

Figuring after giving my ALL to the Saint Surveillance masterwork

i needed to RE-ADJUST back into the Rebel Angels mode

a more Classic mode

but i wasn't ready

the brain wasn't ready

After all that battle and struggle

i needed an Oasis...

a little breakfrom the chaos..

and so...one night

after looking at persian miniatures

balinese paintings

and old drawings and sketches i had collected

this was born

FAST and instinctual

Playing....

I wanted something playful and relaxing

A land the viewer could wander about for days.

That was one thing ALWAYS in mind when creating these...

Paint something that can acommodate a large group

That way somebody near one side can have a place to enjoy...

everyone can have an area....a place...

Here is a closeup of the humble beginnings

Taking a cue from Klee and Kandinsky and Mary Blair for starters

very rough and playing with shapes

shapes which will later form a rhythm upward

to offset the downward rush of the waterfall...

Here's a little further into the piece,revealing the sunlight charged basin

beneath the first of twin falls....

Some more rough coloring to flesh out the land.... Note the blue circle to the right....

an echo of the one near the bottom....

Hiking further up the cliffs

a few waterfalls torrent downward.

And yes.... another circle

The fun is going to be laying down transparencies later...

And the very top of the piece....

Cooling down with a calmer,quieter location.

Seeing as this painting will be messing with depth and perception and

a certain stylized realism

This tree was placed in the extreme foreground

to help with the illusion of atmosphere later.....

you'll see!

 

unfortunately.....Painting this wa such an obsessive blur

no more step by step photos were taken...

Above is 1/3 of the way thru

before the water and other details were enhanced....

like the white flowers in the upper center...

No shadows yet! look for them later...

And here it is,placed atop the Rebel Angels to give you a size comparison...

it's 2 x 5 Feet,which is a pain in the Bee-hind to paint...

especially the middle!

Above is the finished

and as yet...untitled ...painting.

just waiting on the title.

That happens often when i wander and play

outside of official scheduled pieces..

But a small price to pay....

the title will bubble up....

 

Anyways... Here is some music for you

as we climb and grunt and shimmy

up and down this landscape...

 

Working on the beard of Saint Surveillance gave me a hankerin for some WATERFALL!

Some water moving DOWN a surface

rippling

flowing

moving

This was a Blast

Working with reflections

shadows

depth

tilting up riverbanks

and flattening verdant hills...

Great care was taken to make this place seem ALIVE!

Note the ferns in the lower left foreground

a wash of light blue was thrown on the lower fronds to establish a depth and realism

to this place...

Here you can see the first "circle" in the composition

a little flat area of red dirt

sprouting forth all types of goodies!

A closeup of the bottom palm

JUST to allow y'alls a chance to see all the detail that goes into each and every plant...

Above the palm are these two trees

the decorative nature of the vegetation on these trees

was inspired by the art of Bali.

A little further up,we reach a shady spot near a steep pair of falls...

 

A view of the other bank

a patchwork of trees and bushes and ferns and flowers

dappled upon the closely stacked cliffs...

A close-up of the tree,again showing the decorative motifs in the trees....

A view of another semi-circle

sneaking it's way into the composition....

In the above picture,we pan back a little to see how the cools and warms interact.

and reflect how this piece

that began as a mere excercise

has "sprung" to life

and become a place

despite breaking so many rules of form and physical space...

One of my Favorite areas in the piece

especially the blue palm...

Such a Grand Vista!

A closeup of one of them pesky circles and the semi-transparency of the water

revealing a bit of the red dirt cliff underneath...

 

And here's a pretty little grouping...

Can you hear the water

feel the coolness?

i sure did when painting it!

Peeking thru a maze of branches

a few upper waterfalls rush slowly down...

Here's those upper branches we saw in shots of the first session...

And here is a final picture.

it's getting late,so i will save my Rebel Angels progress

for the next blog

Which should be VERY SOON!

Here's a teaser

just cause i loves ya!

Thanks for the visit

and taking the time to go hiking this fine day!

Hello! and Welcome to yet another blog!

With ONE MONTH until the Opening night of "Sympathies and Antipathies"

it was a bit of a relief to have finished this 3 x 5 foot monolith!

Let me tell you,Folks....there is NOTHING like

signing a finished piece

during the wee hours of a Sunday morning

Stepping back,feeling woozy from the long hours of focus

i was able to step back about 10 feet away and see what the viewer would see....

there is NOTHING like this on EARTH....Nothing...

Really makes one thankful for the gifts we're given...

 

Enough of Reliving that moment!

It shall be my Carrot on a string

as i struggle to finish the Rebel Angels

before SHEWTIME!

 

Let us take a tour through this piece

NOT the tour YOU will take with your eyes when you stand in front of this piece:

Focusing on the  Calm,Knowing,Almost Kind face,and then sliding down the staff

rolling down his beard,over the stone walls.past a church-like structure,

and DOWN into a pit of turmoil and anguish...

Only to be swept back upward,

Like Francesca and Paolo in the whirlwind in Dante's Second Circle....

That was how the painting was designed...to take you from

Serenity to Chaos,and THEN allow you to explore all the little details

that the calm face of the Saint does not reveal.....

 

Here is some more music that was played during the painting of this piece

Let it be a Soundtrack to your explorations tonight...

 

For our tour here

We will be travelling left to right

across the top of the painting

the middle

and bottom

left to right

left to right!

 

Let us begin,dear friends...Upper left !

a Dove, the usual symbol of peace,attempts to fly away.

The top of the Saint's crozier/staff has a bunch of Microwave panels at the top

Forming a cross while viewed from above

Note the white outline i gave the staff-one of them little tricks to make an object POP forward-closer to the viewer....

Also you can see the "halo" behind him,composed of flames and smoke.

Emerging from his pointed mitre,we see spokes of micrwave panels

interspersed with strange crowned eye ,resting on robotic branches....

The Sight and Communication aspect of Surveillance..

And what's that popping out of his ear? Some kind of listening device!

Part of the Saint is constructed of Classic Roman and Medievel Architectural elements

The Columns evoke our own Nation's buildings of justice and Representation

and of Rome's experiment in Democracy before the spectre of tyranny washed over them.

The Medievel details remind us of a time when knowledge was Guarded and Hidden,

keeping the populace uninformed,without many rights,and controlled by an Institution

that claimed a mouthpiece  of the Divine CEO....

 

Here's a shot of the Mitre

with an Eagle atop it.

The Eagle plays a duo representative

Rome and America...Empires

Political AND ,if we are to consider Vatican City,

Religious ,as well....

 

a little more of the ,what i call, AIR-DUCT halo

a view of the Chakra centered  Third eye,

and a view of the Globe,slowly roasting over a flame,

a portent of Future events?

 

And here's a good view of the Saint's whole face...

Note the camera lens in place of an eye

The message here is that the Saint only HAS 2 actual eyes

the Third Eye attempts to display Spiritual insight

but in reality,there IS no third eye,just 2,one just happens to be in his forehead....

Oh yes! and the whole Camera aspect of Surveillance..

i just LOVE how the Saint's beard cascades downward...like a hair waterfall...

Which brings up the Saint's age....He is Ancient.

the sweet scent of CONTROL has kept him hungry for many centuries...

 

Here's an EXTRA close-up of the Eye camera and hair...

 

And here's the top right corner

with a sad American flag caught in barbed wire

and a dove flying by,spreading Chemtrails  thru the sky....

 

Let's walk over here,to the middle left side of the canvas....

yet ANOTHER chemtrail dove zooming by....

If you look at the stairs beyond the barbed wire and stone walls

you'll see stains that whisper out events that were meant to remain hidden....

In the bottom right corner of this picture,a drone came buzzing by!

 

Here's a closeup of the drone with a camera on the bottom

Also note the white outline again...This helps throw it closer to the viewer,

as stated earlier....

 

Above,you can get a good feel for the CENTER of the piece..

An illuminati Pyramid posing as an angel sits at the entrance gate

Guarding the Opening is a Mechanical heart,

A Heart that feigns concern and vows protection

but is actually a cold mechanical  machine focused on a purpose....

 

The closeup above also gives an example of achieving depth

but still keeping the work graphic..

Black,indigo,and forest

those are the three outline colors i use

Black being the closest to the viewer

forest outlines set that object further back into the painting...

 

Here you can see the indigo outlines in contrast with the forest....

See how the forest outlines seem farther away?

Told ya so!


Here is a woodburn of the Heart,also created for this show...

 

As well as this gate,based on an Auschwitz Birkenau entryway

contemporized for the theme....

I wanted to put this at the entrance where the heart was

But it would have obscured a lot of it

and dampered the message...

Sooooo...i gave it it's own showcase....

 

Back to the Painting.......

Here is a view of the church-like structure

i say Church-like,because ,like other objects in this piece

one only has to peel off a few layers

or take a closer,more examined look

to unravel true intent.....

Plus, i figured the bars on the windows would make it almost obvious....

And of course,our Dear Saint Surveillance must wear those TSA blue surgical gloves

A subtle way of creating a barrier,avoiding human contact via touch

a way of dehumanizing the citizen...

 

And now we wander over to the middle right side of the work...

The two cameras on the bottom are mounted to the steeples of the "church".

a dove sprays white plumes past a sad neglected Statue of Liberty...

 

Here's a little slide down lower on the right hand side...

the barrel of an M-16 A-1,

the same weapon i shot during my Marine Corps four Years of Service,

peeks ominously from a steeple...

 

a little lower to get a feel for the landscape of the shoulder as it flows down into the sleeve...

 

And here's a visit to see more of the "church" and it's trappings....

 

If one peers close enough inside the doorway

they'll see a nice display of torture instruments on the walls...

 

Pictured here is an overview of his sleeve....

a cel-phone tower embedded in a bicep

and what's this?

a drone near the bottom surveys the area....

 

and here is the arm/sleeve on the right...

 

and a little lower down the left side

to admire our Saint's sleeve trim...

below and emerging from the recesses of his abdomen area,

police rough up a malcontent...

 

And here we are..finally at the bottom left of the painting..

We see,rushing out of the Saint's sleeve,

some riot police joining the fray...

 

Here's a good central view of the tumultous happenings...

Nothing was written on the protest sign

because

1) there are SO many causes and complaints

2)a sign need say anything,it is the act of resistance that speaks the loudest to those in control...

 

Here is a view of the other sleeve

the reflections on the helmets and riot shield were a joy to render...

 

And the two officers on the right signal the bottom right side of the painting...

The drone appears to be monitoring EVEN the police...

 

Here's a closeup of the drone...with a UN symbol on it even!

How timely with the  UN Terrorism Resolution

the Security Council unanimously approved recently...

There are a LOT ofsimiliarities to our own Patriot Act,

increasing Global Surveillance of its' citizens,

based vaguely on preventing acts of terror,

but instead, allows broader measures for police forces to monitor,apprehend,

and deny the right of travel to suspects

all under the guise of protecting our way of life...

Sound Familiar?

Well now it's GLOBAL.

 

a few more details of the police,and our tour will soon be over....

Thank you again for accompanying me on this tour of a painting i've put more than 40 hours into.. i hope it amazed and thrilled you

and especially made you THINK a little about our world and nation today

Thank you for the visit and we'll pick back up soon

as soon as i reapproach "the fall of the rebel Angels"

and begin blogging some more!

See you on the 7th of November!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hello Folks!

Took a slight detour from the 6 x 4 foot "Fall of the Rebel Angels" and thought

that i had better get this piece started!

But before i drone ceaselessly about that...

"Sympathies and Antipathies"

a Solo exhibition of Work by yours truly
November 7th at the Egan gallery
curated by the legendary Bax Baxter
and located in the Magoski Arts Colony
223 West Santa Fe Ave, Fullerton California!
7 to 11pm

BE THERE!

 

Now Back to our regularly scheduled Blog....

For this exhibition, it was decided that it should contain a few

MONUMENTAL pieces..... paintings worthy of a museum

paintings the viewer could get lost inside

Works that entrance and absorb the eyes,mind,and heart...

Works that Speak

and have enough room to tell their story...

Well.... today's story concerns "Saint Surveillance".

This is a concept that has birthed a few paintings...

different versions for different circumstances..

He was born at my 2002 exhibition "Rational Suspicion"

at the legendary Caged Chameleon in Santa Ana.

It was an  art show that combined

the Book of Revelation

with contemporary Conspiracy Theories

and showed the good folks

that we were RIGHT on schedule!

Most folks didn't get it back then,

despite the fact that the Patriot Act

and all the measures enacted since then

bespoke a much different future than we ever imagined....

I had a 2 year chemtrail log displayed on the wall,

and we had mounted a motion activated  "camera"

in the bathroom!

Of course,it really wasn't a camera,it LOOKED like a camera

but merely moved left and right when activated.

No recording machinery in there whatsoever!

It was meant to give folks a feel of their intimacy being observed...scrutinized.

but the main response was general uneasiness....

MUCH LIKE TODAY,with the NSA and advertisers

observing and recording

our intentions and actions...

But i digress...

 

Anyways.....

Above is the first Saint painting in the series...

It was painted in gouache on a gessoed board...

 

This painting is the second piece in this series.

It was painted in acrylic with paintpen over that....

 

and the third,also rendered in acrylic and paintpen.

Well, for November's "Sympathies and Antipathies",

a FOURTH version needed to blossom forth.

One different...more EVOLVED than the previous incarnations....

 

And here's an old Militarized Saint from an OLD sketchbook

 

So first..... there were a LOT of studies and a LOT of mullin

and ruminating to begin...

So First i went thru the Studio/batcave/Art Studio of Solitude

to see what i could dredge up....

And after some useful reading and notes taken

found this on the internets

BOING!

 

The pose,dignity,

and solemn seriousness

of purpose and destiny

just drew me in....

Being a lover of Stained glass ever since my Lutheran midWestern upbringing

this one just begged to become a newly transformed

PATRON SAINT of our new Societal Model....

Let us Begin!

Initially, it was just a flurry of impressions

the initial concept of the police shocktroops

emerging from the folds

began here

as well as the camera/eye.

Another Rickie-Quickie sketch....gathering up speed

playing with possibilities and treating the sketchbook like a post-it note pad!

The concept of gate/enclosure/corralling....

Dreadful!

 

Also had the idea of a ring of children in a camp

kind of a Matisse homage for our times....

 

Note: As i start to gather steam and the brain starts a-boiling

ideas just pop up lickety-split

one after the other.

They're all not winners

or they may be brilliant but not right for THIS piece...

or maybe deserving of their own painting....

that's the way it works here

Shotgun effect

lots of buckshot....

 

Pictured above is just a quick Copic marker study of the stained glass St. Patrick

retaining the staff and church  and mitre...

 

and here's where the form is played with and different machines and structures are added.

I wanted the cloak to flow downward

red and viscous

evoking blood

but more of a subtle  than literal translation.

There was a clearing in the middle for a Moses type exodus/corralling into the structure

but that was rejected after realizing that it may suggest birth or penetration.

or they may just look like lil tots on Santa's lap!

So a different solution was discovered...

 

Why not have the figures emerge from the sleeves?

Spilling out from that SOURCE

that Monumental Source!

and it will be BIG!

36 x 60"

a Commanding Vision,if ever there was one!

 

Now for the difficult part...

nailing that arm cradling the church!

 

and with the blue surgical TSA gloves

the mood was further reinforced

and stamped for approval!

 

Decisions were made and it was ready for the final "fitting.

Taking the dimensions of the canvas and mathematically reducing them

IN PROPORTION

allowed for a SHRUNKEN version

and helped me to visualize where the eye would travel

the map of the landscape....

Next step was to figure out how to colorthis

the supporting actor to the drawing

to create some MOOD.

 

The sky was still TOO Blue too Sunny too LIGHT

for the gravity of the narrative....

 

Here's some close-ups of the drawing....

Well... it was time to transfer this drawing onto a canvas!

a BIG CANVAS!

 

I have an Old trusty Opaque projector that i use to projectthe drawing onto the canvas

Sometimes an artist has trouble capturing the immediacy of a drawing

when pressed with enlarging it... Well ,at least i do....

Learned that gem of wisdom after about the third mural...

Here it is ,in comparison with the Rebel Angels

i sketched it on quickly

allowing for more freedom of flow with the elements.

Here are some other various shots showing it in progress of being realised

as well as some details....

FIIIINALLY,it was at a point where i could establish some of the lighting

play with some textures

and some DRAPERY! :)

and mechanical thingamabobs

and stone

PLUS, i could practice BOTH

a slow downward flow (the beard)

with a sloooooooower mollasses type flow

with the crimson colored drapery of the cloak...

Yeeeeeee-EE-EE!

 

An initial RAW UMBER for the shading

and then washes of the fill colors

growing from the initial RAW UMBAH shading

Enough washes and they are COVERED practically!

flowing and transitioning smoothly

especially when the viewer steps back from the piece...

You'll see!

 

Here are some details

As well as the Bottom

where i began to add more figures

off the cuff ,on a whim

ON A NEED for a way to promote distance

and enhance the story...

Here's sketchbook studies where they were assigned

TO THE CANVAS!

Of course ,there are about a dozen more pages of studies

but these each contain elements used in the piece..

Now.... where were we?

Ah yes!

The initial tinting/building up of colors...

some details....

And Now,dear viewer

Onto Phase THREE of this Heroic Undertaking!

 

i KNOW the painting was supposed to be COMPLETELY PAINTED with acrylic

before the final touch  with the paintpen.

YES! My anal retentive organized paintpen quiver

a dear old friend...

I have been using paintpens

embellished over acrylic

since 1990

on and off

honing up on painting for a few months

involving more time with the sketchbook for a time

it's always drawing vs painting

which one to give time to?

with paintpen OVER acrylic

it's like both

AND,the advantage is

it's FASTER than just laboring with a brush

over the deadline..

and the more one uses them

the more tricks can be discovered and used!

So anyways..

the intention is to completely paint it first

but it usually ends up a mishmash of finished areas next to white canvas parts

as the piece slowly comes together

 

Always leaving a place setting for chance

for new ideas in those white milky areas of opportunity

with just a few pencil lines to prevent

mini snow-blindness...

 

BUT i always get curious

How will this part look?

How can i buttress the lighting over here?

and i just....well......GO AWF!

As mentioned earlier....

Parts are closer to completion than others

Sort of a Tower of babel

Different areas Cultures of their own

with territories of their own

boundaries they must stay within...

Here's a good example of the stark whiteness next to a nearly finished area

The face was nicely  rendered with washes of raw umber

some red from the cloak

and a tiny tiny bit of blue

'cause Dali says so!

and that boy could PAINT!

And if you haven't read his books

i recommend most

the Secret Life of Salvador Dali

50 Secrets of magic Craftsmanship

(where the term and concept of Sympathies and Antipathies is discussed

Objects and colors and textures and plants and ani,als

How some compliment each other

while others clash violently....

Which is a PERFECT analogy for the way i approach

styles and subject matter.

Some work well together

while other groupings come from completely different worlds.)

Anywaaays......

Oh!

i also highly recommend

the Autobiography of Benvenuto Cellini

it's illustrated by Dali,

but it's authentic old venice artisan timey

and Benvenuto is a capable writer and kind of

proud of himself and kind of daring and brash

So it's a fun read

if you're into that art-geek stuff!

Speaking of....

Albinoni's Adagio in G minor for organ and strings...

This was the soundtrack for painting a LOT of this piece

Monday and Tuesday night

i hope some of the sadness

and longing for liberty seeps into it...

Here's a REAL BIG lookie see at his face

the camera AND the human eye-working together

the third eye

not of spiritual wisdom

but of INFORMATION driven wisdom...

Also,note the Super listening device in the ear....

 

Below is a view of the Mid-section

the MEAT of the piece...

Still undecided on how to fill the white areas

but inspiration always comes at the right moment....

Above you can see the police slowly forming

slowly getting built up....

Also,in the back

under the church

and a little further into the "guts of our dear Saint

there are some new structures

some walls

an arch

and even some fallen citizens in an alleyway!

Here's a little closer look at the Police on the bottom.

the great part about  keeping parts of the painting untouched by paintpen

allowing for the texture and sloppiness of the painting to peek out.

the helmets are a prime example

little is needed  for them to convey what they are....

it will achieve SEMI-realness in this style..

Also peep back into the background and take a gander

at them details i described earlier...

the fallen individuals are a bit clearer

barely rendered.....

Above shows us the two corner cops emerging from a fold

and also the WONDERFUL braiding

i will be giving this Saint's Cloak!

and a view of the left hand troops

as they also emerge from the dark recesses of the blood-colored sleeve..

On this sleeve the braiding isn't as developed...

 

 

NEXT SESSION!

Fourth? they all blur into one another...

Let's look closer!

Fleshing out the wall

and church

and deepening and accenting the folds

keeping the lush texture of the fabric intact

rumple rumple!

 

a little more work developing the beard

remember that vertical flow thang mentioned about 10000 words ago?

well it's getting there now

You will notice later how the beard appears to spill downward faster

than the fabric,weight texture color all play a factor in that

but most of these mortals never notice,,,,

More work on the techno-halo as well

consisting of divine Eyes  woven with microwave towers.

The upper shot also gives one a detail of the surveillance cams on the turrets....

and the illuminati pyramid angel wing gate opening...

Here's a detail showing the paintpen overlaying/enhancement.

 

Finally some penwork on the other hand

the facade of the church

the TRIM and BRAIDING!

 

Side note:

if you read some of the older REBEL ANGEL blogs

we discussed a lil trick to promote distance in a subtle way

outline in black-closest to the viewer

outline in indigo-a little behind the black outlined objects

outline in Forest Green-even farther back

etc. etc. ad naseum

basic...

 

This closeup shows the above outlining theory put to semi-use.

 

and here's a lil tour outside the church

or is it?

i know most churches now have cel-towers

on their property

as do schools

etc ad naseum.

but jail bars on the windows?

hmmmmmmmmm....

 

The picture above also showcases that whole

leave an are free of paintpen and let the paint sing thru it

theory...

 

a closeup of the braiding for the eagle patch and eye-motifed trim...

 

an aerial view of the patio area.

Somebody shoul fence that perimeter

dontcha think?

 

a closeup of the corner cops for your consumption....

 

AND NOW ONTO the PRESENT STAGE

Where i last left off

1am Monday morning

after a brilliant week of POWERIN it!

 

Sorry about the lighting

my studio has a few errant UFO-like shafts of light

from the upper vent area WAY UP high in the studio

sometimes it makes the studio look underwater

other times

the stacatto of lightshafts would give Picachu epilepsy...

 

There's one captured on film...

elusive lil devils....

 

Beard is better

flames around halo-better

clouds more enhanced

turrets close to completion

and check out the nice Roman eagle atop our Saint's mitre.....

 

a little further down the painting

you will see i have created a Mechanical heart

to guard this doorway...

 

Here's some studies i assembled to make the final one you see....

The idea of displaying "heart"

especially in the political arena

seeems to defy logic in this day of lobbyists and agendas beyond our voices or ears.

Hence the melding of machinery with organic matter

that whole transhumanism movement to those of y'all hip to Dat!

 

Gold trim for the buildings

the riotous clash is popping to life

This is what i call the

OOMPH! stage

where it begins to fall into place...

 

Also if you look way back in the background behind the cops

you will see some trash

because these scenes are never as sanitized as we would want them to

Here's a trash study to show you the lengths i go to

make this piece a DOOZY!

Also,some extensive reinforcement has been going on

with some barbed wire fencing added to the cloak.

 

the almost Completed church

and look! lady Liberty crops up

a sad reminder of a time long past,,,,

 

Here's a closeup of the techno halo upgrades

sice the last session.

 

Here's the mitre so far

still a lil raw...

 

a lil tiny bit of makeup....

 

Here's a closeup of the turrets

Notice the white outline

a lil trick to help certain elements POP out from other

usually more distant ones......

 

a sniper in the tower

and a spotlight post slowly

sinking intot the folds...

 

a closer peek at the gate construction...

 

More OOMPH added....





Here you can see the beginnings of both the trash and the fallen alley folks...

 

in case you didn't notice

those are medievel torture instruments....

 

some areas still lay bare

after all the bustle around it!

 

Here's a much better view of the heart...

 

Here we pan back a little just to assemble all those nifty details....

 

And here we have a strange little vent/pipe shoulder attachment....

 

and i do believe that

1)you are up to date with this piece

2) i am tired and should get some shuteye before work.

 

Adios dear friends

and thanks for the visit!

Any questions or inquiries

go to the Contact page

Thanks

and Good Night!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Father Spring"

18 x 24"

Pyrography and acrylic/cel-vinyl tinting on wood

 

Hello Fellow Artists,Art Lovers and Cerebral Voyagers!

So sorry for the delay/space between postings..

i will attempt to contribute more as the November exhibition draws closer...

Sometimes a slow-patch on one painting

opens a path to another work. Such is the story of the above piece...

Preparing for Tiki Oasis a few weeks ago,a lot of effort and energy was poured into drawings,small paintings,embellished mugs ,etc for the good peoples at the event.

Needless to say,oft-times when an artist is "on a jag" with a creation,there is a certain

mindset,feel,vibe attached.. For instance ,when I'm working on the Rebel Angels,this is what i play over and over again (along with other works by Bach) Loved this piece even before the lyrics were discovered... Here are the lyrics..

Original text :
Erbarme dich, mein Gott,
Um meiner Zähren Willen !
Shaue hier, Herz und Auge
Weint vor dir bitterlich.
Erbarme dich, mein Gott !

 

Translation:
Have mercy, my God,
For the sake of my tears !
See here, heart an eye
Weep bitterly before you.
Have mercy, my God !

Play this and you'll see what i'm tawkin 'bout...

 

Well, after Oasis,it was time to hunker down and get serious about the November show....

Desiring  some works that would truly move and Transform the visitors

it was decided to create a few BIG,GRAND,Powerful works...Ones that would never sell, but NEEDED to be done,with smaller works of varying subjects,fluttering about the larger pieces.

Kind of quotes and punctuations to the bigger work...Plus, the smaller works could not only help cement the bigger works,but would also provide more affordable works to the folks who always been behind the work and my journey...

 

Anyways...All this mullin on subjects and thinking of a dozen paintings at once

the Rebel Angels Vibe just wasn't there at that moment,so,after half-transferring

another grand piece for the show, "Saint Surveillance",

i decided to work on a woodburn

a pyrographical display

as no other earlier woodburn had been!

Well,first off,it was BIGGER than any other earlier woodburn

18 x 24"

which is pretty big,even for a drawing

,let alone a fire-etched masterwork!

Here is the original sketch from one of last year's sketchbooks....

a passing fancy,a spark of an idea,a gem

awaiting some polishing...

After gathering up a number of these sketches

this one SANG and it was decided to attempt this piece

a chance to create a landscape/Semi-Pseudo Mythological/Apothesis-istic filled work...

plus the desire to take pyrography and give it more DEPTH...a vaster expanse

that was a lil goal i had hoped for

BUT actually was a little intimidated by...which is a good humbling state

where nothing is taken for granted...

After sketching it in pencil onto the wood

improving and elaborating on the original

this is the end result...

 

First off, i wanted to give the face a Solemn,Old,just Awakened character

a little more exaggeration and a viney crown,and hair blooming with fresh flowers...

 

Next up were the hands,expressive end points,that decorate the personality.

And the sleeves,how to share the illusion of landscape  and still follow the reasonable folds and creases of a garment?

SIDE NOTE: the above challenge,penchant for combining the human form with architectural and geographical elements has always been a fascination and part of this artistical vocabulary..Here is a below example when i wqs combining the human form with architecture. The below painting is an examination of these elements in context with the theme of the Devil's Courtyard...

IF YOU ARE UNDER 18,PLEASE SCROLL PAST THE BELOW PICTURE and continue...

"the Devil's Courtyard"

acrylic and paintpen

24 x 36" (i think)

 

More of that later...I may actually create a folder of Erotic work

but we'll see.. Erotic love is a very strange subject to approach and contemplate

despite the fact it is such a large part of all of our lives...

 

Anywaaaays.....

Here is the other hand,holding onto a staff

both for support

as well as a display of title.

like a bishop's Crozier..

Again the challenge of leaving the FAR DISTANT background alone and undecided

was difficult when in a horror vacuii mood,but the fascination of working the folds and creases into landscapes was alluring enough to distract me from that task for the moment...

Here is a close-up of a small valley and waterfall below...

After this part,the topological and vegetation problems were solved, in large part to the inspiration of certain Balinese paintings ...

Here is a Drawing that displays a more graphic  expression of different plants and their decorative/motif-driven forms.
"the Windy Jungle"
sharpie and Copic marker on Aquarelle watercolor paper

 

Now onto the initial tinting stage!

i use a burnt umber in washes to build up some of the depth and expression/mood of the piece...attempting to give form to the graphic trees and bushes...This was also a Grand opportunity to begin to develop the face...giving it the perfect modelling and,by adding shadows that create recesses,layering,heaviness,and movement,the simple burnt lines

of the pyrography is allied with paint and becomes something even MORE!

Next up is the arm,hand,and sleeve area....with waterfall,of course!

the cave-like inner sleeve adds to the mystery,and the shading and washes contribute to

the transformation from mere 2-dimensional image ,into a PLACE...

Here is the other hand and part of the staff,and the challenge of letting the sleeve drape down and become a Forest floor...

 

Below is an example of some fof the tinting concerning the water...

i wanted there to be a certain reflective/transparent quality ,

both to the actual waterfall and the cliff behind it,

but also the small pond/river it had formed below...

 

And a little closer view,so y'alls can see some of the blending and layering of washes to give it that LIFE! to make it an actual PLACE!

And Here's a nice close-up of the top of the staff  and the profile of father Spring...




And here is the WHOLE piece Finished with it's sepia tinting phase

and ready for the final coloration...

And now here it is....

the LAST STAGE

the most precarious...

a good colorway can make a painting merely MEH

or it can transform itself and the viewer

catapult them into a mood,an experience...

a PLACE....a WORLD!

 

As you will discover as we examine this close

you will see how the background

the vast expanse is BRUSH only

no pyrography

no hard outline

it has broken free and laid out a world for this drowsy giant to traverse across

there are hints of the blue Violet from the sky

scattered onto the landscape and the face and lips...

in person it really ties the figure into the whole environment...

i let the wood retain it's natural color for the face and hands...

Here is the upturned hand and sleeve and waterfall,the variety of colors wrapped in the violet and the blues smattered here and there,helps with the cool,refreshing,dew-laden

dawn i wanted to communicate...

 

And here is the other hand with the staff

AND the background i fretted and fawned over.

As you can see,it was a good call to ixnay the oodburnway on the background.

it sets it back....WAAAAY BACKand establishes the desired expanse thattransforms

Father Spring into a much larger,encompassing figure...

 

Pictured below is the sleeve of the Staff-hand.I tried to have the beard flow outward like viscous water...the same with the tumult flowing down and carpeting the landscape of the back....The lower left area,where the foreground meets the vast expanse,evokes memories

of being on the edge of the grand canyon at dawn.the quiet,the cool air,the majesty...

As we progress down the sleeve

towards the bottom of the work,you'll note the extreme foreground to appear closer to you,the viewer...

This lil trick is created by darkening that area with tints (i used the blue violet of the sky to tie it in) You can all thank Dore,Ray Harryhausen,and countless other masters for that tip!

Here's a detail shot of the entire waterfall and a little bit of the background/vast expanse on the right edge of the work.you can how i achieved some of the transparency by establishing a broken continuation of the cliffs behind the cascading water.. a little added shading and the illusion works well enough for this piece....

Again,the extreme foreground is darkened ,leading the eye to the crystal clear pool at the bottom of the waterfall....

And here,in our final close-up,is the staff of Father Spring and his final profile

slowly awakening and readying himself for his Seasonal Journey...

 

and here is the final FINISHED work

just in case you forgot what it looked like!

I'll be releasing more details and whatnot about the UPCOMING NOVEMBER exhibition

SOON!

Thanks for the visit!

write if you have any questions about the work,and stuff...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hello Folks!

How have you been?

Well.... in between a couple of Polynesian and Tropical themed paintings for this year's Tiki Oasis (and a bunch of drawings and sketchbook entries)

there was a refreshing oasis of time to have a few 6 by 4 foot painting sessions.

We will start this week's tour with the top left of the canvas

(finally color-corrected so it actually looks like the original)

the fluffy,buoyant clouds are starting to take form,perhaps billowed into existence from one of the four winds peering out. Our trumpeting angel is taking shape,with some more rendering applied.Also, the architecture and columns (supporting clouds-a longtime theme inspired by a series of dreams during the early 90s)are beginning to spread out and reveal themselves.... The real fun part of these big canvasesis sitting down to paint only about 50% of the painting finished in one's head... That way,it is never automatic.....nevermechanical.. each line and shadow brings with it the potential to mess up the piece... (or at least put a stymie on an afternoon's session). It is that terror,that excitement,that DISCOVERY of NOT knowing how the painting will end up,is what is the truly enjoyable part of working on big canvases.. Drawings...meh! One messes up and it's just a piece of paper...no biggie!

a Hunnert Dollar canvas ..well....50% of a composition and reliance on artistic instinct make it JUST dangerous enough to create the tension required that needs to be communicated...

Pictured above are the beginnings of some of the architecture,mentioned earlier,that seems to be blossoming here and there on the top part of this canvas....

More columns and an arched bridge or aqueduct,and an archway where an angel is spilling out,ready to help corral the fallen angels downward.. I'm using an indigo paintpen for the clouds and architecture because it sets the elements a little farther back optically.In person the results are more than satisfactory!

An up close picture of the doorway and brilliance spilling outward...

An ultra-close shot to give y'alls a feel for the underdrawing,the subtle shading and taking advantage of the willy-nilly brushstroked ground colors....

A little lower down the left side of the canvas,we see more Heavenly structures taking shape,as well as another of the four winds. I held back the decision to further populate the painting with all of the angelic host,the seraphim and cherubim,etc,but decided to save that for other paintings,and produce buildings that don't distract as much....

Scooching down a bit more (is "scooching" a word?) an angel is bursting from a cloud and propelled by the wind's gust...The heavenly trumpets are beginning to blare near the bottom of this photo.

as the composition sinks lower,hints of the underworld are beginning to manifest...

A red creature thrashes wildly as his new body plummets towards the infernal region...

Near the bottom,a demon displays a lucid remorse,

a nod to the japanes legends concerning Oni converting to Buddhism.

Reminds me of a part in a favorite Bach piece

"Have mercy. Have mercy my God for my tears' sake...

have mercy.

Look here. Look here.

Heart and eye weep before you.

Weep before you. have mercy."

St. Matthew's Passion

Aria (alto): Erbarme dich, mein Gott, um meiner Zähren Willen!

A full reveal of the scene shows another fallen angel,his wings withering as he descends.

To the left,a dark and gloomy foreshadowing of Hell...

Our next picture brings us to the Top middle of the painting.This is the area where i'd like to have a downpour ,a schreeching,thrashing freefall..not as populated or intense as the deluge of beasties in Brueghel's masterwork,just enough to get the party started.... Here is what i started with...

 A few more were added,even a nod to brueghel and Bosch with the hooded bird fellow in the upper right of this shot....but it still needed more...

 I decided to add a dragon,of sorts behind this bunch,giving a spiral,tossled movement to their drop.... Another thing to notice here is the atmospheric illusion gained from using the black,indigo,and now a forest outline on the devils.... Using that and the remedial "place one thing in front of another thing" trick, a sense of distance is being realized.

 
The angel at the bottom will be brandishing a spear,but i'd like to get the background and all that settled before arming him...

In the center is a fellow i like to refer to as Screwtape,one of the characters from the famous C S Lewis work..Such an enjoyable read,and such insight into what motivates us truly and the subtle snares that evil lays out for each of us....

Another little detail i'd like you to see (before we proceed downward) is the pillar in the background on the left side of this pic. It is an angel weeping tears onto a flame... a kind of architectural buttress of the overall theme....the loss of a third of the Angelic host...

Here's a closeup capturing the confusion and fury of the fallen,and the wind-swept bliss of the 2/3 who remained faithful...

 

On a whim, i decided to put a building here. the view was great and the acreage was a steal....

Here is further right at the top of the pieces,Pictured here is the building further along

floating ...waiting for other buildings and activity to pop up around it....

Also the beginnings of the sword bearing accusing angel and an angel with a set of scales,

the fulcrum of all major judgment paintings...well, why not dust it off and bring it along to this significant event?

 

And here it is,even further along,with the scales of judgment materializing and some more heavenly columns...

 

An extreme close-up with some structures filling in the background..

 

And we finally float over to the right side of the top of the canvas...An unfinished wing,Number Three Wind fellow,and some clouds.....Still more miles to go before i sleep on this corner!

 

(please excuse the glare)

Here is the scale-bearer,visually explaining (by displaying the scales) to the fallen,

of their fate...

 

Here's an angel bein born right before your eyes! Not really, but you can see the under drawing and the slow buildup of his face and robe... This is located right under the scale bearer and amongst the folds of his garments,little flashes of Underworld buildings begin to appear....

 

and here's another building,barely sketched (with a charcoal pencil) and shaded with blue.

 

Well, i think i'm about tuckered out for the evening.I'll share more later as snippets of time skitter by. Thanks for visiting and allowing me to share the process with all of you! If you have any questions or whatnot,feel free to hit me up via the Contact page on this site!

Have a good night!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hello Again!

and thanks for coming by to visit!

Well, the last entry shared some studies and possibilities for this Monolith

so it's about time i shared someof the MEAT of a painting....the paintin!

Here ...again,is the workspace and a beginning shot to give you all an impression of where and how i work on these Big'uns...
and a picture of the table i've been using... A sturdy beautiful piece by the infamous Bamboo Ben (and a favorite of Doug Horne's  whenever he comes over to Artjam). It was created by an artist and has been used by many artists,so hopefully that absorbed mana  will CHARGE the air with crackles of creativity!

The materials used on this painting will mostly be acrylic and cel-vinyl paint...I try and use matt acrylics because they mix with the cel-vinyls better ...The third medium i will be using is Decocolor or sharpie paintpen...i try and use that last,but one can go over it with the latter materials as long as the work is given a couple of hearty coats of sealant a few times during the process..... Also, Energy drinks and cigarettes help keep the mind alert for these sessions.

Playing Bach's Mass in B-Minor or Faure's Requiem can also help to enhance the spiritual intensity desired for this work....

 

Here's a quick catch-up for the steps that were not photographed,due to an oppressive need to begin immediately on it,during the time....

To quote buddy Guy, "When my left eye starts ta jumpin..."

The desire to paint sometimes becomes an all-consuming need that nothing else can quench,

not even a good book or naps!

The first thing i did was to grab a few colors:

teal,yellow,orange,mustard,white,some red,and some nice pool seafoam green.

Burnt umber was originally chosen for the shading,but was replaced by the teal,which provided for a more cool and windy...tumultuous landscape...and the blues would have fun playing with the warms near the bottom,creating optical popping excitements here and there.

Here is the upper left portion of the canvas.... The four winds will be making an appearance in this piece..the four directions,and also of note,the four seraphim around the throne of God are hinted at here (to put them in this painting would be far too distracting), as well as providing thrust for the angels as they careen out of the clouds... In reference to the Seraphim again,in Ezekiel's vision they were pictured flying to and fro,across the corners of the globe,almost like messengers relaying information to the throne...

Also,i began to carry over a favorite theme of Spiritual architecture,the landscape of Heaven and Hell for this painting...For heaven i usually refer to Classical Roman or Medievel sources...the Roman style,for the period during Christ's lifetime,and the architecture of the Middle Ages because of their artistic legacy of Biblical Masterworks...The pillars supporting clouds theme is a motif that has been with these paintings since the early 90's...They were inspired by a dream fo great verdant expanses,bridges leading to nowhere,Roman columns supporting storm clouds,and a field of dancers,naked and each chained by one foot to the sky,a symbol later interpreted as Humanities sometimes reluctant link to the Divine....

Anyways,i thought this would be another appropriate venue for some buildings.

Didn't Christ say "My mansion has many rooms."? Well, here are some of the courtyards and outer facades,at least...

Here's a close-up,where you can see the rough underdrawing before erasing/cleanup. i use a charcoal or water-soluble pencil for the underdrawing,that way it can be wiped off with a damp cloth and gentle swirls,leaving a pristine fancypants painting in it's wake...

This step is before i add the teal shadowing and work over that...

after sketching the figures,i will paint in some rough shadows and lighting,just to get the form of  the subjects...After that i tighten it up a little more,and then add the black paintpen.

the black paintpen covering is usually the halfway point in finishing a character.... After that step,wash upon wash of light and shadow is applied before a final touchup with the black and 3-4 highlight colors (white/yellow/flesh.etc). You can see both the black and white paintpen work on the wing in the foreground.Notice how it is used WITH the acrylic ground,and not just alone... 3-4 feet away and this puppy OPTICALLY BLENDS! I can't wait to share this with the Public in November!

Here is the same scene from above with more shading and lighting giving it more dimension and a bit of cartoonish realism,if that's what it's called....

Here is an Angelic Herald with a Trumpet swooping in from the top left corner. Note JUST the Blackline was established over the base shading...this is because it's going to be worked over a BUNCH of times before he's all dialed in.

Here's an Angel brandishing a sword,helping to cast these fallen angels into their new home...

As you can see,parts of him are more polished than others,as i flit like a butterfly from one area of the canvas to the next...

A row of colums and clouds have been added since the first shot....Note how for the foreground figures and items,i use a black paintpen....BUT! if you look in the distance,i have used the Indigo pen....What this does is brings the black outlined items closer to the viewer ,while the indigo sweeps it into the background....A lil trick we artists use to create the illusion of expanse......

And a little bridge and columns from my dream of long ago... You can also see the start of the trumpet and the attitude of the angel's hands holding onto it.....

Here's one of the fallen ones,transforming into a beast as he is flung downward....If you notice the charcoal sketching,there seems to be some trumpets and a sad praying devil in the background....

Pictured above is a little lower down the left side of the canvas... You can see Heaven above and a hint of Hell below (with trumpets!). The landscape is changing from soft comfortable clouds into the jagged ragged stalagmites and tites of the Subterranean Prison....

Also,we have the second Wind,Blowing a gust that propels and angel upwards...

And here we have arrived in Hell... Infernal groans and cries mixed with the Clarion peal of Heavenly musicians... Tho not as noticeable as a previous descriptive shot,this part of the landscape/architecture utilizes THREE outlines to denote distance.... Black,indigo,and for the farthest areas i will be using Hunters green....You can kind of see it in the top part of the middle.. In person,the impact is astonishing..but since we are on the internets,try squinting and refocusing on that area...You'll get a slight ilusion of that illusion....

 

Here's the same landscape,but shifted to the right a little...That way you can admire the huge carved friezes under construction... For the hell columns,i am leaving them unfluted...i like the fact they are just dull stone,unpolished marble....

 

If we scootch down even deeper towards the bottom of the canvas,an angel is revealed in the act of driving a devil into the pit...You can see the raw highlights and shadows under the paintpen..That's what we call a Second Stage,before all the UMPH is added....

 

Here is the same scene after a little more work.enhancing the flames and starting another cavern near the bottom.as well as the beginnings of yet another little devil,clinging to the rock,and hoping to escape the oncoming impact...Also, note the sleeves of the angel and their sleight development from the previous shot......Also Note that the above picture is closer to the painting's actual colors...

 

Thus concludes our second installment of the 6x 4 foot eventual masterwork. i hope you enjoyed all the pictures and musings and babblings,and i hope they inspire YOU to go out there and create something Beautiful,something that makes your fellow human THINK,or FEEL...

Until the next blog....

 

Thanks for Visitin!

 

Hello Folks! Thanks for Checking out the Blog section of this website.I will try to amuse and amaze here on a regular basis....

Just started a 6 by 4 foot monstrosity for a solo exhibition in November....

Thought i'd share how one of these behemoths is born....

 

I was originally going to paint the throne of God,

as viewed by John in the Book of Revelation

but i think 6x4 is too small.....

6 x 10 at LEAST for such a grand and powerful subject....

My second choice was for another Saint Surveillance,one more in relation with the environment around it,

which was to be filled with riot police,protestors,and delightful weaponry.

But! it was TOO Big and TOO Oppressive,

especially as a painting that would greet folks to an Art Opening....

Soooo....

my third choice was to revisit  an old favorite theme i had tackled in two earlier pieces....

The Fall of the Rebel Angels...

the War in Heaven,

and the ultimate penalty  suffered by the third that turned away....

Bruegel's approach shows the Fallen Angels being transformed into all types of beasties..

an outward reflection of their spiritual malaise...

I've always dug that concept as well as the variety and originality of his creations.

Grunewald's "Temptation of Saint Anthony"  also has some great reference

for the task at hand....

 

So, first step........

Sketchbook studies...figuring out the movement and the character of the piece...

Here are a few pages of Angel studies...trying to give them each their own personality and

appearance...

A lot of these are quick pencil sketches,which are then covered with a sumi brush pen and then blended with a small amount of water....

After concentrating on the Warrior aspect of the Angels,it was time to examine the Fallen ones...At first,the notion of them remaining unchanged (with the exception of bat-like wings) but defeated was a possibility until the lure of painting monsters and devils nixed that thought...

Finally after this,it was time to bust out the Aquarelle watercolor paper and work out some compositional studies with the space alloted.Here is a study of the Angels only,situating where they will battle on the canvas...Of course,with all of these studies,the trick is to do them fast and instinctual and then later,cherry-pick the best poses,the best face,the best attitude,out of them all....

 

And now for the fun part,the Fallen Angels transformed to match the evil and depravity they have inside....

For this stage,there was no direction or compositional matters to mull over,it was just pure 12-year old ken drawing monsters for a spell...

and from these,some ink  and pen on Watercolor paper studies were in order...

"Crack in the Wall of Hell"

This drawing was an attempt to create a dissassociated theme from characters slated for the rebel Angels painting. Killing two birds with one stone...

Here is an unfinished drawing working out the way the Fallen Angels are to fall,and how they react once landing in the maelstrom....

And finally,after initially slopping paint around on the canvas,an initial placement of the characters was worked out in the sketchbook and then sketched roughly onto the painted canvas with a black pastel pencil (they wipe off easy with water,as well as blend with the paint applied over it a bit,which helps to work out the initial shading...

Check in for the next installment when i share photos of the ACTUAL painting so far!

in the meantime ,here's one teaser and a few shots of me actually paintin!

Thanks again for visiting and please drop by often as i will be updating this and the site on a fairly regular basis JUST FOR YOU!