[worthless_meat_sack]

This is a little study that just got unearthed. I did it to see explore this technique, that is why it's not finished. It is gouache, but used in a way that I have not seen. You start with using it just like watercolor, and when you get a little past halfway down the value scale, you can start adding a little white into the paint. This gives you the hugely added range of an additive and subtractive technique, meaning you don�t have to keep your buttcheeks clamped a 2000 psi because you might loose a white. The opaque areas have a little different feel, and that is nice I think. Also the harder shapes are a good contrast. But the neat thing is if you are careful, the areas you work back into with the opaque do not need to be fully opaque. You can glaze back with white.

It is really a lot like using acrylics thinly, but has a nicer look, to me. The draw back is the lack of a dark value range, and if you are not careful, things could get muddy. Also, the value range is very extended while wet, so what you put down is not going to be what it is finally. Very difficult for matching colors exactly. You will get a feel for it, and if it really is critical, mix it up, dab it on, let it dry and alter your mixture based on that.

It is a rough copy of a mucha painting.

I will do the cubes this weekend, promise!

After the cubes, I would like to do some had drawing exercises, if that gets some interest.


bigger 400k

[burn0ut]

Hm not loading for me

[Snyper]

Impressive as usual Spooge. Thanks for sharing that technique with us.

I'm not quite sure what you mean by "had drawing exercises" though.

-S

[Cicinimo]

Wow...normally don't go for stuff with that sort of feel; but that's nice.

If you ment hand (not had), I for one would be VERY interested. Infact, I'm practicing hands right now!


Cicinimo

[Quasar]

Cool pic meat/spooge ..

[sacrelicious]

I'm guessing he meant "head" drawing. Truly great picture Craig, I love the colors. I wish I had learned how to paint, so I could try your technique.

[Phil]

Nice work Spooge. I like the subtractive textured look too.

Mucha was one of the best....

Phil

[Shaded]

Very interesting, have you done any gouache pieces with black and white only? Its what we're going through in university. While it took a while to get used to working with, it is a very neat medium. Looking forward to seeing more of the same.

[nori]

quote

Quote:

... I would like to do some had drawing exercises, if that gets some interest.

I'm not sure what "had drawing exercises" are (hard, head, hand?), but for any of your exercises; I have interest.

I've been trying to figure out gouache on my own, and so far I'm liking everything about it. I had not done any traditional painting before, other than messing with oils, so I'm starting with gouache.

I'm not sure if I'm mixing in enough water. I think I will run through these expensive tubes if I don't add more water, but then I lose the opacity. Also it could be that I'm using the wrong paper. Right now I've been working with "Canson Canva-Paper." I think my work will suffer a great deal if I don't use enough paint, but then again I can't afford to waste any.





here's the fullsize version (130k) of the teeth which looks really horrid upclose.

http://207.175.246.187:9999/images/teethfull.jpg

[ November 01, 2001: Message edited by: nori ]

[Lunatique]

I like. As a huge fan of Waterhouse, I HAVE to like this kind of sensibility. I don't recall this piece by Mucha, and I have two big monographs on him. Shame on me...

I have a question: If deadline is of no concern, would you revert back to doing all of your commercial work in traditional mediums, or have you gotten so used to PS that you'll continue using it?

[BooMSticK]

very nice Spooge...
On a note... this technique you mention is actually more widespread than you would first think. English painter (but living here in Copenhagen) Paul Bonner paints like that. You can find some of his works in the newest edition of Spectum (7 I think). Also he has done alot of work for GamesWorkshop - coverart and stuff... Def. worth checking out!
,boom

[Awetopsy]

at first I looked at this and thought to myself, who's is this? I didnt even remember your other alterego....

Im not a gouache guy at all but I must say I really like the feel in this picture. I dont know that this is as good as your other stuff but I think its nice.

It seems to have a classic feel to it. I jsut dont really get whats going on with the hair in the back of the head.

anyways its nice to see something different from you. I say Good Job.

[S4Sb]

I thought the cube-project would take a while. You said we will progress in tiny steps. Will the project be over after our second version? Will your limited time allow you to tach us something else? If so, I would gladly take part.

[silber]

I like this nice contrast between the wet areas and the hard edged shapes.
The wet areas work great on the hair.

Every exercise is greatly appreciated
-hope you meant hands though heads would be great too

[Steven Stahlberg]

Very tasty...
Like Boomstick said, many years ago I met another great illustrator from England, who used this style, except he took advantage of the opaqueness and the fact that it never totally dries, to paint with a VERY fine brush in a VERY detailed manner for the final layer. (Older guy, very realistic stuff, anybody know him? Forgot the name, could be Mike H..., 'heath' something?)
I and a couple other guys learned this technique from him, though none of us ever went as detailed as he did. I love the way you can let it dry, but work back into it the next day by spraying water on it.

[worthless_meat_sack]

Umm sorry, yes, hand exercise.

Once again I will borrow from ACCD (I wonder when I am going to get a "little visit" from them?) this time a great drawing teacher by the name of Mark Strickland. I suspect some of it has been adapted from the Betty Edwards book, so I really want to check that book out.

SO all the weenies that cant get their ass out of the house and into a life drawing class this exercise is for YOU! Got a pencil? got a hand? good!

Shaded, yes, I have done BW gouache, but not like this. could be fun. The problem is as I said before, the value range is limited with gouache. The black is, well, gray almost. You can get some of this back by spraying it with acrylic krylon, but that's a trick. It works fine for high key, I suppose.

Nori, heavyweight cold press Ill board is the perfect surface for gouache. You have to mix plenty of paint. Just do it! I remember I outlined a palette arrangement with paper towels under vellum to keep the paint wet while not interfering with the important viscosity. Since I did it before, I am sure it can be found somewhere. Search here on me and acrylic. I would do it but the searches take a half hour This should solve any wasted paint problem, so now you can trowel it on, if that is what you want.

When I was doing gouache paintings for a living, the clients would send off the originals to be drum scanned. An illustration board is meant to be separated, meaning that the paper is glued onto the cardboard backing in a non-serious way. You can then wrap the paper and attached illustration to a drum scanner. Kind of ironic how things turned out. I remember getting the illustration back from the printer in a cardboard tube, with half of the paint rattling around in the bottom. I switched to acrylic.

Lunatique, I would continue to use PS, that is why I bought a machine in the first place. I wanted to scan in color roughs and play with them before I would commit to a large board. It was never intentional that the computer took things over completely

Thanks for the tip boomstick, I think I have an image in that spectrum. The ugliest arrangement of pixels ever.

Steven, yes, now that I think about it, I am sure a lot of wildlife artists use this technique. It is great for control. You can even lift out the highlights, ala Fuchs. He may use gouache, not sure.

[Snyper]

Pencil: Check
Hand: Check

I anxiously await the hand drawing exercise Spooge. I'm currently learning the funamentals of life drawing ala Hogarth and some others. I hope to learn a great deal.

[horstenpeter]

Hey spooge, while a hand exercise sounds just as interesting (if not more interesting) as the cubes exercise, I'm wondering whether you want to discontinue the cubes (and if so, why). I thought this was intended as an exercise that goes on like forever until the cubes have turned into a Ford Explorer at sunset in Alaska...
I'd like to get to the Ford Explorer.....

Oh yeah if you do the hands exercise I want to participate of course. Hands don't exactly belong to my strengths....

[Mr. T]

I'm in No drawing classes here, heh.

[Bishop_Six]

I've got a pencil. And a hand... two hands even!

[Frosted Flame]

I've got three hands. I'm a mutant.

I'd love to participate Craig if possible. Pick me, pick me!

/chris