[spooge demon]

From Gotterdammerung. The three fates sit and spin the rope of gold, basically retelling the story up to this point in case you could not handle the three previous nights. They are sitting on Brunnhilde's rock, which was surrounded by fire placed by Wotan. Siegfried and Brunnhilde are up on the rock in a cave having sex.

I think there are supposed to be three different ages, young middle and old. I was happy I was able to suggest this without hitting you over the head with it.

This type of pointillist technique is a fun diversion. It can be pretty and suggestive and you don't have to worry too much about a lot of the forms and surfaces. Really a lot easier. Give it a try.

Nori, I was thinking about your question about color and shadows and light temperature. The secret is, if the drawing is correct and the values are correct, you can do just about anything you want. Remember that value makes the form read and color is an independent variable. You can go nuts if you want, and you should sometime, just to underscore the lesson in your mind. Maybe I could cook up an exercise if there is interest.

That said, let me say that 95% of the work I see lives or dies on the strength of the drawing. It is hard work, but it will pay off. Drawing from life is the best way to learn it well. Drawing from photos makes you copy shapes, not internalize the forms and interpret them, which is the basis for a lot of naturalistic art. Draw from photos as a convenience, yes, but don't make a steady diet of it. Try not to let yourself fall into relying on the flat shapes you see in photos. You will cripple yourself. Photos are great for information about form.

[SlightlyTwisted]

You know, this is the first picture of fire I've seen to actually make me feel warm.

I love the oranges and greens in this. And the robed individuals. Waste of a good fire, if you don't prance around it in robes.

[spooge demon]

whoops, heres my 500 directory

http://www.goodbrush.com/public_ftp/forum/500/

[TheMilkMan]

Wow...very nice..love the shapes and your use of colors and tones I like the way you kind switch up what you are doing and the way you direction changes with your art.. I mean something like your last pirate pic doesnt leave much for interpritation ..but something like this is very impressional leaving me to fill in the blanks... I would like to be able to be that free with my work.

[Visigoth]

Interesting...
As much as your looser pictures are a departure from your regularly refined, precise style, I find this is almost reminiscent of VanGogh... Nice work Craig... I'm still working to be that expressive...hehe...

~{V}~

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Your car is a fiberglass penis extension.

[toast!]

wow, this 500 directory is dope !

One spooge 's picture a day, keeps the doctor away

cheers

Toasty


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givemoilafonk!

[kanabis]

I CANT SEE IT !!!!! damn im the only one who cant ....

someone else mirror it please

[Joachim]

cool stuff Spooge. Your 500 paintings so far are awesome. An exercise about values, yeah go ahead make one ! ....I for for sure would appreciate that a lot.

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www.JoachimArt.com

[nori]

spooge demon, an exercise would be excellent! I think pleanty of people here would benefit from a lesson.

I got a job and just now realize and I can afford figure drawing classes. Something I forgot completely about.

[ex]

The image has a really erie way of setting a mood. Actually, it's quite amazing. I like it alot.

A agree with nori, an exercise would be excellent. I would love it.

[eric_morrell]

The one thing I notice in a lot of your paintings is your use of maxing out values in some places to suggest strong light. Do you use the paintbrush in any other modes other than normal to acheive this? i.e. Softlight, Hardlight, Color Burn etc.

Thanks
Eric

[Frost]

I'm for a value exercise too if you have the time... ( more white matte cubes, or something more general? =)

[TheMilkMan]

I forgot to check out your 500 pics post there..wow wow wow..anwyays so that logging truck is my favorite so far but I know this just an excesise for you so not trying to go for the most appealing..

[somethingwonderful]

I think it is an excellent picture. The style reminds me of Chagall in those fluid brush strokes that paint a liquid light whose dances interweave as it reaches the eye. The use of colors is fabulous. I would frame such a picture...and I'm being serious. It is gorgeous and strikes a chord with me. I actually am going to study this for a while to observe technique. I think it's a wonderful piece of art to learn from for myself.

Traveling Uncle Nat.

[burn0ut]

omg spooge! thoes sketches are insane!
That logging truck one just blew my mind.
anyways i think your the devil.
and an exersise would just be awesome!

[marc_taro]

Nice Craig - Very nice.

I have a question. Why paint this one in photoshop? I'm just wondering why not paint this image traditionaly. This is a great photoshop painting, but it could be a REALLY GREAT physical painting. The brushstrokes and the color; excellent! But if those strokes had the life and 'roughness' of hogshair, this painting would be so much better! (imo...)

I'm not trying to impose my style, but I'm wondering about your opinions/rational on expressionistic painting in digital media.

Personaly; though try to stay loose, I use photoshop for (magic)realism, and I find brushes and paint much more suited to expression...

thoughts?

marc_taro

[quaternius]

Looks like you had some real fun with this one Craig! That's quite an interpretation.
Ah yes - the prologue to the opera. The norns spin the rope and predict the end of the Gods. When the rope breaks they run screaming in terror to their mother the earth goddess. Lemme see...it's been awhile... three norns would be "Skuld" (the future), "Verthandi"(the present)and "Urth" (the past).

Would the tree they're dancing/weaving around be the world tree "Yggdrasil"? or just a tree?
Ja, this technique will be fun to try in Painter

Q

[Duckman2]

As usual incredible stuff, Craig you're an animal! Yeah, I really need to do more figure drawing from life, right now all I have internalized are the 2d-shapes in books.

[ShinShot]

Cool.

It's been a long day and I must say that arrowing up & arrowing down through your pic...

Nailed it.

[daz199]

pleeease make the value exercise
it would really help

[Awetopsy]

Spooge,
your dancing people picture has a 'vetriano' feel to it.

not that anybody cares but the Vetriano's Singing Butler pic is my GFs fav painting.

[NeoFun]

The picture is freakin' awsome, but you have already been told. The only part that gets me is the left arm of the woman to the extreme left. The left arm doesn't seem to work well in contrast to the right arm over the fire. See what I mean, or am I smoking crack?
Greg

[Shadowman]

I love those loose funky brush strokes!