Almost there

Well you must be getting tired of this piece by now. But, thanks to the lack of a job (for the moment) and my realization that I need to have a much higher output of artwork, here she is nearly complete, almost a week from inception. She's just shy of 16x20. Anyone who decides to take a gander, feel free to make suggestions for the background. I am planning on keeping it very simple, but that doesn't mean I couldn't put a subtle gradient back there. Hmm?

Every day

She'll be ready by the end of the week. Hope you like it so far!

Old Paintings, new awards

This is the second art show in as many months that I've entered one old painting and one new painting, and the older painting won a prize! I entered the robot piece, "November Mourning," which I have since changed (updated pic on the way) and my cowboy piece, "Cowboy Carrion." My best 'Tragic John Wayne' impression netted first place overall, and my robot piece got nothing. Perhaps I will call it "November Neglected." I also got (finally) a clear-ish picture of the "Dark Pearl." As if you hadn't seen enough of this painting. Still, I think this photo finally starts to do it justice. Thanks Parents!


Also, Future Girl update:

Busy Bee

I have gifts for you today! Everyone look under your chair! Now look back at the screen. Let's pretend you weren't already looking at the screen before you read that last message. Now look at all the pretty progress pics I have! First off, I have the 1980's love-child of Madonna and Molly Ringwold:



I know I've said that every painting goes through an ugly stage, but this is more of a 'kill it with fire' stage.

I tapped into my inner Breakfast Club, and dance-montaged my painting away. At the end of the three minutes and thirty-eight seconds it took for "We Are Not Alone" to finish wailing, I had gotten this much done:


It is amazing what you can do when you set down the paints and dance. I call her "Girl with the Pearl Eye."

I liked the creepy way her milky eye stared into my soul, but my sister (the gracious model) came in and told me to finish it. I resisted, but she dragged me into her office and told me I was a punk and dared me to hit her. So I got back to work.


I was going to finish here, but something felt off. I needed to have an emotional outpouring and fall for the innocent prudish girl. Which is painter-code speak for 'do the hair.'


And that ends my first day of painting on 'Future Girl,' also known as, 'The Painting I Will Re-name Because Future Girl is Dumb.' After a good six hours and the realization that prudish girls put out too, I put on my leather gloves and headed to the nearest football field for some hardcore freeze-frame fist pumping.

New paintings

Hokay, so. After moving to another state, I am back in business. First off, I have progress on a new painting comission:



It is kind of confidential, so this will have to do for now.

Lately I've been in a rut. I am surrounded by so many unfinished paintings that have just 'this much' to do before they are finished. I am at all times obsessed with trying to produce sale-able gallery work that can fit into my illustration portfolio. So I nay-say this, I poo-poo that, but in the name of keeping my artistic integrity, I have limited my output both painting and creative wise.

Who cares how socially relevant a dude with a jet pack punching some sorry alien is? It looks cool, and it works great for an AD. I keep telling myself that, and then doing something else. Ha. So this is the latest in my series of paintings I feel fit all the criteria. After this painting maybe I'll do my best 'spaceman punch' piece.

I want SIMPLE. Just a really nice portrait with a hint of science fiction. This will be my final entry into the joint show I am doing with my dad, Gary Hovey, at Bears Mill.

Sold!

Hey! This happened at the end of last month, but I might as well share the excitement in all of my online spheres: I sold a painting! You know what they say, if you love something, sell it. And I did just that! Goodbye, precious. I hope your new owner treats you as well as I did. Well, actually I didn't have space for you so I stuck you in the corner with all the other paintings. You are probably actually a lot better off...


P.S. This painting also netted me first place in Oils at a local art show.

At long last! Until I inevitably give it another pass...

Here is my latest. I mentioned in an earlier post that planning can make everything easier, and that is forever true. Here is a painting that is much more complicated in every way, and at least twice as detailed, but it did not take nearly as much time. This is primarily because I made sure that I knew, with every step, that I was on the right track. I don't have an image of the line drawing, but here's the value study:


Followed by a mid-progress shot:


And finally, the end result:


It is interesting to note how very different the progress shots of the Dark Pearl look from each other, while this as-yet-untitled work just gets color!

Details: