I did promise mermaids...

...and I am delivering on them. Sarah, make sure sneaky little prying eyes aren't around. This will be a first look at the birthday present.

First of all though, I am still working on the Fisherman commission. I have gotten it 95% done, but what little bit I did to it today is not enough to worry with a new picture so I am just waiting on the final product before I post him one last time.

On to mermaids.

As I said before my sister in law asked for a painting of a mermaid for my niece's birthday in November. I have been thinking about it diligently for six months even if I haven't been WORKING on it. I did get some sketches in...

I took the idea for this one from the Disney version of Ariel on the rock with the waves crashing...(maybe a little "From Here To Eternity" thrown in).



This was one I thought of while at work. Just a quick sketch to denote the speed and grace of mer-folk.



But I kept thinking that it wasn't EXACTLY what I wanted. I wanted something that was kind of a snapshot of a mermaid. Something that seemed more suitable for a painting's composition. So I turned to the internet. I found several images that were sort of what I wanted so I combined a few of the better ones and came up with this...



I decided this was the one I wanted to do, so today after working a little more on my commission piece, I got started on a mermaid. Keep in mind, this is VERY rough but it's coming along. And my wife insisted I put it on here because she liked it. Enjoy!

Time to make the doughnuts...

Okay, I am back at my easel working diligently(?) on my commission piece. I've got another one in the wings but it will not be documented nearly as much as this one has been.

For those of you who wondered what I was talking about when I said last time that "Coming soon: mermaids!", well, I still don't have a mermaid ready to display yet but I AM working on them. I have a request for a mermaid painting for my niece/flower girl/cutest thing in the world (right next to her little sister), that will be given to her for her birthday. Her birthday is in November which is a heck of a lot closer than it was 6 months ago when the idea was first put forth to me. So I am pulling out all of the preliminary sketches I've been playing with for six months and seeing which compositions work best, what kind of style I want to zzzzz.... What?!? You don't care about all of that technical artsy crap? Don't blame ya'. It's fun to do (for me anyway) but talking about it is for teachers and know-it-all art students. But I may get a few of the better ones and see if anyone has an opinion on the overall look of the mermaids.

Back to the now. Here is the latest work done on my fisherman. Hope you like it.

A Brief Respite...

I am not stopping work on the painting out of laziness. (Maybe a little.) But mostly, I just need to let it sit for a day or two so I can finish it up. Some of the oil paints don't dry that quickly and if you don't let them dry a bit, you just end up pushing them around the canvas for no reason. So for right now, it might be a day or two before I can update with any significant changes. Sorry for any disappointment this may incur but don't worry. Coming soon: mermaids!

Coming up with titles for these is tedious...

Seriously. This message is for anyone else who commissions a painting: I probably WON'T put up an update every day. This gets monotonous. Plus it takes away time I could be painting. I'm still new to the whole marketing myself bit, and according to those in the know it actually does take up quite a bit of your time, energy, and money to market yourself. I'm much more okay with that than I used to be but really I don't think I will post with daily advances on a painting. (Unless there is a mass protest to see my process in action. But I doubt it.)

So here is the next step in my Fisherman oil. The client had actually said something about doing away with the boats in the background to make the surroundings more natural, but I don't think I like that idea. The beauty of this photo is it is a family icon. The picture itself. Not even the moment really, because I'm pretty sure that none of the rest of the family was there. (Client was probably WAY too young.) So therefore the actual photograph is what is embedded in the families mind. A photo of dad youthfully basking in the pride of a giant honking lake fish. So enjoy the next evolution of a painting.

Commission Part III: The Reckoning

I have to post my most recent progress on the commission as I don't want the client to think I'm goofing off. Okay, maybe that and the title of the post are a WEE bit over dramatic. I just want to try and post something every day I have done a bit to the painting, even if it is just a little. So here you go.

Commission process: Part 2

I am making an attempt to fully document the process from blank canvas to fully realized painting. So for the next few days or so, I will be posting my friend's commissioned piece here as it slowly comes together into the finished product. Here is what has been done since yesterday:



I think it's coming along nicely.

Paintmonkey Studios Is Now Taking Commissions!

Yes, for the first time ever, Paintmonkey Studios is accepting commission work. For whatever reasons before (uncertainty of my abilities, afraid of taking on too much at once, not broke enough), I am now ready to tackle any and all customers who would like a Paintmonkey original of their very own.

I was actually very uncertain of my own abilities for a very long time and only allowed myself to paint within a very narrow frame of reference and comfort. But recently as I've allowed myself to expand my view of possibility, I have realized that there is nothing I am not willing to try artistically.

Last night I started my first commission for a friend. She had a photo of her dad she really liked and wanted me to reproduce it in oils. This is the first days' work:



Not bad for an hour's work. And it was actually a lot of fun. So if you have an idea of something that you have always wanted for a painting, leave me a comment or get in touch with me through The Paintmonkey Studios fan page. I will be glad to talk and see what I can do for you.