Turtle Label Sale

I finished the Snapping Turtle in time to submit for the GNSI show this summer.  I finally prepped the painting for printing and web view.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I painting it.  This, along with several other prints are among the ones available for sale.



Watercolor on imported handmade rough paper



I recently accepted a job to do labels for a local start up brewery.  I am very excited about this opportunity and as much as I'd like to share some details, I'm afraid we will have to wait. 

Works in Progress and Sales

 I last wrote about the wash from the other day.  In case you didn't know, I laid a wash down and it was absolutely horrid.  I spent several hours on it before work for a couple days but it could not be saved.  I ended up pitching it.  Embarrassment has kept me from posting a picture of it.  I started two paintings today and had another one lying around as a work in progress.  When I wasn't playing Spider-Man with my son,  I was working these three paintings.  They are all based from things I saw this past summer. 

All three serve a teaching purpose. The American Robin is part of several paintings I've planned that comment on nature and it's assimilation into human development.  This particular piece was designed to work on producing mechanical objects.  The primary purpose of the Day Lily is to increase proficiency in washes and fading backgrounds.  The Snapping Turtle I plan to play with light and it's relationship with darkness.  These paintings should be done fairly soon and ready for photographing.

On a side note, I listed several reproductions on sale through ebay.  I wanted to see how things would go before I told anyone I know they were up.  So far I've had maybe 6 views total amongst the several "prints".  I'm working on a more attractive template to use for my listings in the future but feel free to check them out anyway.  Just search my name.  The views would definitely calm the anxiety!

Washed Out.

I laid the ugliest wash ever the other day!!!  I spent sessions trying to lift it and fix it.  Nothing worked.  I tried painting the foreground to see if it would look better but no.  Finally, just now I had to accept that it was a loss and threw away the painting.  Tomorrow I will try it agian and hopefully get it right.  Good night, I'll post a pic when the wash is done.

Painting and Printing

So last I left off about printing, I was testing several papers and researching printers.  The paper issue has been solved, a printer has been chosen, and terms have been clearly defined! 

I've recently learned that using the term "print" for paintings being being printed on paper from printers is inaccurate.  It sounds a bit confusing but after an article I read, it all made sense.  The term print was used well before the times of the common inkjet printers for older presses and technology.  In the art world, a "print" is of these older technologies and is not defined by anything produced from a modern inkjet printer.  Instead, images created using an inkjet are known as reproductions.  If a simple analogy would suffice... the misuse of the word print is grossly abused by the modern society in a striking similarity to what the modern society constitutes as a vampire. Yikes!!! http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/a-print-vs-a-reproduction/2011/09/30/gIQAysTnTL_story.html

And now onto printers and paper...  I've chosen an Epson Stylus 1400.  It's a slightly older model but the price tag of 300 instead of 900 just made sense to me.  The work it produces is incredible and can "print" border less in sizes up to 13"x19".  User defined sizes, non-border less are up to 13"x44".  There has been some debate over inks and the archival qualities of other companies, so I've settled on the claria inks of this printer because of the existence of independent testing and scientific information provided to the public.  The paper I've chosen I found at Central Camera.  It is the Canon Infinity Arches Aquarelle Rag 240 gsm paper.  Fancy words aside, it's a highest quality watercolor paper designed for inkjet printers!!!  It is perfectly amazing!!!  I can't even begin to tell you how excited I was when I viewed the first image digitally printed onto it.

Well, that is enough blah blah blah for now.  Here are a couple more paintings to look at.

Early Morning Fix!

Not what tires should look like.

Ahh, so I wake up the other day ready to paint and enjoy the morning. It didn't go so well. You see, the belt on my tire popped.  So instead of enjoying the weather and painting, I spent it calling tire places and racing against what little time I had to replace it before going to work.  Somehow, I made it to work with a few minutes to spare and it only cost me getting dressed, shaving, and a couple meals. 

Printing and Painting

I've been doing a lot of research on printing.  I don't have the greatest of funds to get the highest quality prints available, so I am searching for more affordable solutions that will produce archival prints.  Paper wise, there is no getting around paying for quality.  I've settled on Arches 90 lb cold pressed paper.  It's archival and acid free.  Although it has a tendency to print with a green favor, a simple adjustment on the color balance prior to printing will alleviate headaches.  In case you are wondering, change the color balance slightly to the magenta side as opposed to green. Do this for the mid tones only.  For now I've been test printing on my lowly Kodak ESP 5250.  I've been able to produce some pretty accurate prints from this model but nothing I want to sell. This printer serves its purpose for school, but for making art prints an upgrade is needed.  I'm looking into epson artisan and stylus printers.  These printers offer archival ink and a greater range of color(average 6 color cartridges).  I also can install a colors continuous ink flow system to these printers.  No more losing yellow in my prints midway through.

I came upon a realization when I was researching.  I don't think I have a lot of artwork that someone would want a print of.  So I decided to paint what I thought would make for attractive prints.  Here are a few new paintings...

 

Sketches and a Pastel Drawing

 These are the last of the drawings I will share from my figure drawing class.  I'd like to move forward and include some logo work or perhaps natural science art in the next posts. 
My favorite of these is of the girl leaning backward while sitting.  It took about three minutes of subconscious drawing.