Last Embrace

I created this piece as an attempt to join the Month of Love creative movement.  This was supposed to be for the 2nd week’s theme, Innocent.  The idea was that the love was forever locked in an innocent embrace.  Even as the lovers fade away, they are still forever embracing.  I wanted to try a different process than I how I normally pull together an image, which is a brief sketch followed by intense detail starting at the figure and working my way out and around until the piece is done.  I want to try other artist’s process that I’ve read about or seen in their video demos.  

I started out with some small thumb nails of the idea that I had in mind.  

Then I sketch the thumb nail on larger paper with a red col-erase pencil.  

I added some darker value with brown.  

I transfer the rough sketch using my light pad and finalize the detail on good paper.  

Using a 2B pencil I then go over all the areas that I wanted shaded.  

I slowly build up the dark area with darker pencils.  

As the dark areas got darker, the details emerged, some on their own, others are planned.  This is a simple image but I hope in working this way, I can build a better composition.

Up Coming Shows

I’m so excited to be showing in Artomatic 2017, an art extravaganza in Crystal City, Virginia, just outside of Washington D.C.  This show is free to the public and will be running for 6 weeks, from 24 March through 6 May 2017.  My artwork is hanging in Space #4403, on the 4th floor, right across the hall from the large performance room with the bar.  Come by, have a few drinks, view great art and enjoy great performances.

More event info can be found at www.artomatic.org

A Slightly Delayed New Year’s Resolution

My last post was in the middle of December last year.  I let January and February slip by and today is the first day of March.  Being an independent artist, I found, is pretty hard, but can be quite challenging and rewarding.  For a while I did not meet that challenge head on.  I was flailing, unsure of myself and how I want to pursue my art.  There was a time when I would step up to any challenge.  I have not done that in a while.  I was taking all the safe routes through life.  I want to step up to the challenge again and I hope to continue to share my experience and journey here.