More process...

Sorry, but I didn't have any new drawings to put up this week. I've DONE some, they just aren't anything special. Layouts for projects and random cartoon doodling but nothing I want seen.

So I figured I'd put up the work this week that I AM happy with. I am churning along on my latest commission and I took a couple of shots along the way to show progress.

This one's after the first day of painting when I put in the light tones and areas...



And this next one is after a couple more days of work, putting in some mid range tones and a few darker ones...



Terribly exciting, yes?

It is for me, anyways. I like where the little guy is going. I promise to try and have some cartoons or other drawings for next week. (Keyword: "try".)

Inside the Process...

I didn't have any ideas for anything to finish this weekend so I thought I would give a glimpse inside my process of creating. (I told you I would have ways of cheating this "one a week" thing!)

First up is the beginnings of a commission I took on. The client wants a portrait of her nephew but the only photo she could get was one of the little guy riding a rocking horse and not even looking at the camera. At first I thought "Well, THAT'S gonna be difficult" but the more I looked at the picture, the more I thought it was perfect for the way I paint. I'm not a portrait painter per se, so this little "slice of life" photo absolutely fits my strengths.

I begin the painting by gessoing over a piece of sanded down masonite. Then I pencil in the composition that I like the best.



(I kind of liked the way the scanner makes it look like a chalk sketch but it's actually just pencil.)

But I thought that wasn't enough for a post so I figured I would give a little more. As a general rule I dislike people looking through my sketchbooks. I know some artists love it but to me it's a very personal intrusion. I have a LOT of crap in these things that I never intend to see the light of day. But every now and then there is a tidbit that I like enough to share.

Now I can't give any details about this sketchbook page as it is a super secret project I am working on with a friend. But if all goes well (and it seems to be falling into place the more I work on it) you should all be able to see it VERY publicly at some point in the future.



Neither of these images goes together exactly but that's the way it looks in sketchbook form. I'll be working on one thing, then just slip over to another part of the page and start doodling away at some other idea I had. Sometimes I end up with a page of completely indecipherable lines that all blend into one another and sometimes I have sense enough to stop while I'm ahead.

I hope you've enjoyed this little glimpse into the sketch life of the Paintmonkey and I'll try to have something completed for you to look at next time.

Cabin Fever (or the consequences thereby...)

So this is what happens when the Paintmonkey gets snowed in for two days...



I'm getting some other Paintmonkey related things accomplished too (thinking of YOU, Mark!), but all this indoors starts getting to you and your mind starts to wander. Making me seem VERY productive blogistically(?) though.

Politically Speaking...Duh!

For my first political cartoon of the year I decided to focus on what I find a ridiculous campaign promise. My mother always told me the only two sure things in life are death and taxes. So WHY do politicians (mostly Republicans) always promise to rid us of the shackles of taxation? And that whole "tax and spend" label they throw around is just a stupid thing to call your opponent. Government by its very nature is "tax and spend". If they didn't, there would be no government! There would just be a bunch of goofy folks sitting around making proclamations with no money to make any of it happen.



Although the idea of a bunch of windbags sitting around harrumphing their displeasure with no way to back it up IS a funny thought to me.

Super Doodling

Every now and then I get bored and I doodle super heroes. It could be known guys like Batman or Spiderman but sometimes it's just generic super people. Like this guy:



I actually drew him a week or so ago but the color I added today. I was playing with some inks and concentrated watercolor a graphic designer friend gave when she was cleaning out her clutter. I enjoy the "long-john" feel of his tights.

Just wanted to put a little something to keep up with my "one-a-week" pledge. I'm working on a new cartoon but I'm still waiting for some input from a fellow grumpy political mind (Mel, you know this means YOU, right?)

It's a Paintmonkey kind of New Year!

First order of business: Happy New Year everyone! Hope everyone had a fun and safe ringing in of the holiday!



Now on to art business. I am not a fan of New Year's resolutions for all the normal reasons...too much pressure, setting yourself up to fail, yadda yadda. Change is inevitable anyways so why force it upon yourself? ANYHOO...so I don't normally make resolutions. Okay, we get it.

However, my wife asked me if I was making any this year and my first thought was the usual "Heck no! I'm perfect the way I am!" (HA!) But the more I thought about it the more I thought about applying it not so much to me as applying it to the Paintmonkey (can you tell I read a LOT of comics? I think I just gave myself a poorly guarded secret identity.). And in this pondering of ways to better my artistic side and budding career I came up with my first resolution (possibly EVER).

I am going to attempt to post a new artwork every week for the year of 2011.

Be it painting, drawing, cartoon, or just a sketch I'm happy with (yep, gave myself an easy out anyways.) I spent the better part of today coming up with the above self portrait and I think it is a fine way to kick off what is to be (hopefully) a BIG year for all of you and the Paintmonkey!