This was the big project:
I lovingly refer to it as "Blood and Absinthe." It's Rachel Weisz looking a little scary. Or a WoW-player's character Heulwen, as she described "Getting out of the shower very angry." Or something like that. I was going to make a long post describing just how this was painted, but it's really complicated and I'm not sure how much sense my explanation would make. It is painted, by hand, with gouache - red, green, white and black, mixed together to make 9 different colors. Well, plus the reds in the dagger. It measures about 7.5" x 10".
This is the outline which I painted using a combination of carefully cut frisket and painfully intricate brushwork:
As one of my classmates described it, it was "paint by number on crack."
And right now we're starting a second big design project that's just like it, except MORE COLORS. Huzzah. I *will* survive this class. I will.
Partly because we also get to paint fun little things like this:
PURPLE CATOCTOPUS WITH A FISH YESSSSSS.
The same week I was painting the final for Blood & Absinthe, we also had huge anatomical drawings due for my figure drawing class. Now, I love anatomical drawings, I really do. I love the detail and complexity and seeing everything underneath. But the last thing I needed that week were detailed anatomical drawings!! Even if they could be done very large and in charcoal. This was the week before Halloween, too, and it was just so creepy and appropriate. By the time I was doing these torsos, I was near crazy. I have a few memories of working on artwork - I don't know what makes some moments stand out - but working on these torsos while *exhausted* the night they were due, getting charcoal everywhere and living off the tunes Pandora kept pumping out (These were drawn to Lady Gaga songs, lol) will not leave my memory any time soon.
Creeeepy....
Since that midterm hump things have calmed down a lot. Doing things like hands and feet in figure drawing, and a lot of fascinating *content* in Color & Design that takes a lot to sink in. It all makes sense (light temperature affecting local color, atmospheric perspective in color, etc.) but it's pretty big concepts. The next project will be our second to last big one, then - hard to believe - we'll start working on our final project. I think as soon as next week we'll be working up ideas. Wow, time flies.
I'm really looking forward to the Winter break to do some things to apply all this new stuff. =)
I've started a morning digital painting exercise, too, that I'll post about as soon as I've got a few studies to show for it. It's so difficult to find time to paint on my own, I decided I should just do it as soon as I get up, and make it an exercise like taking a jog or something. Some ideas worked out and so far it's been lots of fun, even though I lost one yesterday due to static-shocking my computer. =O
I'll show them off soon though! Until then!
