Angry Bird
My bossed asked me if I wanted to do a painting for him. Of course I said yes. I mean, I can't pass up an opportunity to at least attempt to show off. Brian, my boss, wanted a picture of his son riding an 'Angry Bird'. This became a chance to try my hand at something new- vector images.
One of the biggest issues of painting something like 'Angry Birds' is the thick black lines that surround every form. With this I have no chance to fudge a line and say that it is because 'the light is hitting it just so…'. No sir, no ma'am I had to try something new.
It just so happens that the very same day I got the call from Brian I had purchased some liner brushes from Sam Flax after seeing Atlanta artist Sam Parker painting in store. As I was walking up to his work space he was outlining a form on the canvas. The newness and brilliance of his technique swept over my artistic sensibilities and nearly on the spot I purchased my new and awesome brushes.
Below is the progression of the painting. It is the four main stages from drawing, to watercolor wash to finished painting.
-When painting in watercolors I almost always will start with a pencil drawing that defines my shapes and general values.
-Next I do a wash over the entire painting then pull out the color from specific highlight areas. Areas such as the nob of the nose, the eyes, the bottom lip and forehead.
-The angry bird is made of 4 layers of color, one on top of the other. For the 'starburst' effect I used frog tape to mask the paper and allow for more freedom in my brushwork.
-Finally I went into the details in the face and we are at the end. Enjoy!
Trogdor, Robot Unicorn, Dolphin...
I was so so pleased to get this commission. It started out with just a man riding a dolphin. As it progressed it became so outrageous and so amazing that it has been one of the best experiences I have ever had. Before this commission I had actually never heard of trogdor. This creature was a fantastic creature of a brilliant mind. Robot Unicorn Go!! Again, this is something about which I knew nothing and now I'm in love.
Among the joy was a plethora of knowledge and new experiences. Now that you have read through my story of this painting enjoy the beautiful painting.
Kim Jong Il and Orca
After my recent show I received an email about a new commission piece. It mentioned something about a fascination with Kim Jong Il. When I read that tidbit of information I was taken aback. To what degree of fascination I'm not sure but nevertheless my intrigue was captured and my hands trembled with anticipation. The sketches were simple and straightforward and I moved right into the painting.
What came of it is shown below.
Mr. Miyagi...
So the Graveyard Tavern opening night was a hit! No it wasn't a firesale or anything of the sort, but by all means it was a success. We began setting up around 7 and were ready to go by 9- more or less. The support from friends was overwhelming but unfortunately there is no photographic evidence. The work will be up through the rest of the month so be sure to check it out. Buuut if you can't make it then pay attention to the blog in the coming weeks to see the works that debut the work of Sunflowerman on the Atlanta art scene.
Mr Miyagi (already sold =] ) was the headliner of the show. If you haven't made it out then here is a taste of what you missed.
At the End of the World
After all the nuclear radiation has half-lifed out, there is still life on earth...
The past and the present...
I'm back at it again. Here's a little twist... Instead of a person on an animal I put a robot on a dinosaur. Big deal.
Death Eaters
Below is a taste of a project I am working on dealing with resurrection. It's about life and death, sacrifice and selfishness.
These little guys are 5x7 acrylic illustrations. Each is a small grisaille- initially painted in gray scale then covered in colored glazes. They are part of a myriad of similar sized and themed paintings that will be hanged together to tell a story.
Man, Animal Watercolors...
I decided to post these together because I don't believe that either of them really have the merit to stand alone. Each is smaller than their wood counterpart and carry with them less of an impact of details. With that said, I really like how they turned out. The first was the vulture which has in it a conceptual basis. The second is the surfer which was more or less a fun painting to get done before the show last Friday.
WiseMan, Octopus...
I have had quite a bit of feedback about this piece. To this point it is the most attention grabbing, and perhaps most well done of the series. The color scheme and composition for this painting very from the template I was using for the first several 'man, animal' paintings. WiseMan, Octopus was sold the day after it was finished, but if you would like prints of it just give me a holler.
Caveman, Dodo...
I did this little guy last night. I am preparing for a showing this Friday where I want to feature my 'Man, Animal' series. The hope is that I can sell some of the work and actually have some money.
Girl, Snake
The Found Wood 'man, animal' series has led up to this current related series. This painting is not on found wood, and it is not simply about the imagery.
Girl, Snake is the work of concept about identity. It is about how we see ourselves as human beings, and finding our identity in the whole of our reality.
The subsequent pieces will follow the same theme in that they will contain the familiar 'man, animal,' be conceptually driven, and will be painted on canvas.
Enjoy.
Man, Rooster
This is the one! It is the last in the series on found wood, and it went off with a bang. This final piece brought together everything from the previous four. The beauty of the textured background, the imagery of 'man, animal,' the color of 'Lady, Goldfish' and the skill of the brushwork. Along with it comes the added bonus of some conceptual compositing. The idea at play is about the man positioned as if attempting to fly and the rooster laying on the grass with no obvious intention to move. The man is overweight, and most definitely will not be flying of his own accord and the rooster, which rarely flies anyway, is simply laying on the ground in apathy. There is a discord between the reality of each character, and the intentions of each.
Boy, Wolf Girl, Pterodactyl Baby, Brontosaurus Lady, Goldfish
Lady, Goldfish
This old lady was like a breath of fresh air for me. If you know my work, then you know that I use very little color. Most of the work is earth tones and greys, but this lady pushed me into a brand spankin' new color zone! Thank goodness too.She is lacking some technique with the brushwork, but she is beautiful to me.
Baby, Brontosaurus
This one is actually a disgrace! The painting lacks color and form and unity. It's all part of the process though. Sometimes you get a good one, sometimes you don't. Really I want to throw this small (scary looking) child off a bridge, but that's not safe...
Girl, Pterodactyl
Girl, Pterodactyl is the second in the 'man, animal' series. She is a direct result of the previous work, 'boy, wolf.' This, and the previous work were accomplished in a time frame of a 3 to 4 hours.
