Engineroom oil pianting

So it's been way too long since I last posted but here's proof that I'm still working and at least mostly alive (I've been sick for the last month). This is an illustration for a story I'm working on, a scene where the main character "Kans" gets into a situation that causes her some problems and it's my first try at oils in a while. Donato Giancola's Joan of Arc video inspired the medium and I used a lot of the techniques from the video in setting this picture up. Because of that I wanted to share my in-progress pics as well

Here's the transferred under-drawing sealed to the board with matte medium

I used a greenish acrylic wash over the skin and tried to lay in some basic colors and values before starting in on the hand with oils.

From there I moved on to the face because I knew the rest of the painting needed to center around Kans's expression.

My reference spent as much time stuck to my painting as it could before it got forced out by wet paint. I modeled for this one myself and got very good at making concerned faces, hopefully it doesn't still look like me too much.

Backgrounds. This was probably the first one I actually enjoyed painting.

Pipes and dials! I stepped outside my comfort zone and used a palate knife to rough up the wall.

I tried to sneak as much color as I could into the reflective metal surfaces.

Almost there! Everything's covered and it just needs the finishing touches....

....which for this scene meant a lot of blood. Sorry, Kans. The hardest part of the painting was making myself cover up parts of the image that I had worked so hard on but I was happy with the result.

Final close up.

Selkie

Around the Orkney Islands in northern Scotland selkies are occasionally spotted sunning themselves on the rocky shores. A form of grey seal, selkies are said to have the unique capability of shedding their skins and assuming human form. There are several conflicting legends about the seals. Some say only the females are capable of becoming human and there are stories claiming that hiding a selkie's skin traps the seal in human form.

Monarch Red Pandafly

This morning I caught a small pandafly or Ailurus plexippus. The book I found him in said he was a member of the Nymphalidae family (who knew?). Anyway, I put him in a nice big jar with some flowers and pebbles so he would feel at home.





Air holes in the lid are very important.

Zoo too

Part two of the first Neoburg zoo trip watercolors! Just in time for zoo trip number two. Plus a couple sheep for good measure. Baa.

"They Look So Life-Like..." or "It's Only Natural"

Some sketches from this week's Neoburg adventure to Cabela's plus one flooded river from Neoburg goes to Lexington.

Someone told me It's all happening at the zoo. I do believe it, I do believe it's true.

The Strawnecked Ibis' were a bit evil


Cockatoo looking coy :)


Demoiselle Crane and Magpie Goose


The Wreathed Hornbill was the best model




The Red Pandas were the cutest but they didn't want to wake up. haha

Went to the zoo a couple weeks ago and did some animal studies. I've been adding color from photo reference in my watercolor moleskin.

Dickon Sowersby with Soot the Crow, Captain the foxcub, Nut and Shell the squirrels, and Jump the moor pony.

Mary in India