PAINTINGS - "The Vark Returns!"

Here's a piece I did over the holidays. I was experimenting again with trying to paint a robot conventionally. The image above is "sweetened" digitally in Photoshop...I couldn't make it look like I wanted without some help on the computer. (So sue me, all you "purists" out there!) Seemed like a good situation to put The Vark into...turns out, he's a pretty good Giant Bot Fighter!

This time I used acrylic paints (instead of oils, like I did for my "Hopscotch" painting). Below is the process. I didn't want to spend any time sketching out the idea beforehand, so I just went with what came to mind spontaneously. I would have to say, it might have turned out better with a bit more thought, but this was mostly just a test in technique. I used a sharpy marker on some canvas board, and just started drawing. Then I blocked in the larger areas, trying to stay loose. I just kept building up glazes on top.

This is where I left things in the final painting stage. I took this image into Photoshop and started working it over. I wasn't that excited about the way the painting looked, but I did like the final digital version enough to want to try this approach again sometime.

SCULPTURE - "Frog Rider" pt.3

Today is the last of my two-week vacation, so these sculpt-in-process posts will start to slow down some. As I said last time, there were some structural issues that developed with the way I designed the leaping frog. While Sculpy is great for some things, it's not quite strong enough to handle the pressure that this pose put on the wire armature. So I started to find multiple cracks in the weight-bearing areas. It was necessary to cut away the original sculpt, add some new support wires, and re-sculpt the damaged parts.

Here are the finished repairs...additional grass blades, and some more water splashes on the front leg. I wish I could have kept the original minimalist approach, but that's the way it goes. What looks good in a sketch, may not work in the actual sculpting process.

There were still some hairline cracks all over the base...perhaps the sculpy was too thin in places. And there was a crack all around the ankle in the water-splash (left leg) that needed to be filled in. So I decided to use a thick coating of Elmer's Wood Glue over the whole base. I thinned down the glue to a watery consistancy for painting on the rest of the frog.

The next stages will be the addition of the frog's armor. Since I cannot bake the frog any more, I'll have to change up my techniques. I will add on bits that are sculpted with epoxy putty, or glue on sculpy parts baked separately.

Till next time...

SCULPTURE - "Frog Rider" pt.2

First off... "HAPPY 2010!" Hope you all have a great new year!!

Okay, back to the "Frog Rider" sculpt-in-process. Here's where things are at the moment...the basic frog body is now finished.

Here's how I started the head...a little foil, and some wooden beads for the eyes. I baked it in stages, so the detail wouldn't get mashed along the way. I apologize for the blurry images. My wife reminded me how to turn on the "macro" setting on the camera...but it was too late to retake these early steps.

Below shows the head sculpted onto the body. I added a bit more "flesh" to fill out the plump little frog belly.

Part of me hates to cover up this little guy with all the Samurai armor...but he's way too cute at this stage. Way.

I've now got some structural issues to resolve. I will be adding some more foliage to help support the weight of the hyper-extended pose...the sculpy is cracking under the stress. Next time, I'll show how I repair the damage, and add on the extra blades of grass.