THE WALL

I'm not going to bore you with another initial sketch blog so I'm going to jump right to my greatest fear: THE WALL. The wall has made me nervous since I decided on my subject. The initial idea of just using brush strokes was not working so I came up with the idea of dabbing the shit out of the canvas. It actually is making a really nice texture. I think with the dabbing effect for the background and smooth strokes for the foreground will look nicely in juxtapostion to one another. Did I use that million dollar word correctly? Any editors out there to help me out?


This is just one of the many layers to come...I also have an idea formulating on how to get specs of texture on this beast.

ACRYLIC LOVE!

Although they dry wicked fast, I fell in love with acrylics the minute I opened the paint tube and found they have little to no smell. I've never used acrylics before...they were looked down upon by the elitists of the BU art program...but so was graphic design. And look at me now, ten years later I'm a book designer living just above the poverty line making cheap children's novelty toys that have a shelf life of 2 to 3 months. Who's laughing now?? (tear)

NEAR DEATH

Attempt #1 at being artistic was an utter failure. My apartment is way too small to paint with oils. The fumes nearly choked me to death. I woke up the morning after my sketch with a sore throat and a huge headache. Suffocating in my own creativity I chose life and went to the store to buy acrylics. Sadly you can't paint acrylics over oil so I had to get a new canvas as well...thus retiring my initial sketch to the attic to dry.

The cost of new paints and a new canvas: $100
I'm thinking I should have just bought a mass market painting from Bed, Bath and Beyond.

OH THE SMELL!!

I feel my throat closing up. With two fans and windows open the smell of oil sits stagnate in my apartment. A quick trip to Bed Bath and Beyond has left me $16 dollars lighter but with a fresh scent of vanilla in the air. Hopefully this masks some of the smell.

THE SKETCH

Ten years holding a mouse has left me a little rusty. Oil paints smell more than I remember. This should be an interesting month.

BURNT UMBER

I hate a white canvas so I paint it dark brown. Have no idea what this style is called but "Thanks Stuart Baron for teaching it to me." Haven't thought about that name in years. I think I'm gonna need some more burnt umber! Yikes!

INSPIRATION

After a few minutes of set up I tape some Lucian Freud paintings to my window for some inspiration.

SUPPLIES

After scouting out a local art store for supplies I download a coupon to Michaels and AI Friedman and head over to these capitalist super stores to make my purchases. Two hundred dollars later I'm home and have everything I need.

PHOTOSHOP

With a "borrowed" shutterstock account I download the hi-res image and take this bad boy into photoshop for some minor cropping and color adjustment.

INCEPTION

The second month of the year of fun begins with a project to paint a picture. After an initial idea and a few minutes on shutterstock I have my subject.