Advanced Painting Midterm...

The Sibyl of Delphi…

Prof David Moyers continues in his relentless efforts to push and forge me into a better artist. I love this guy for this! He tasked us to recreate an "old masters" painting.  Prof Moyers is a great inspiration and coach. I am proud to be one of his students. But I need to chill with the admiration because folks will think I am trying to kiss up... 

This piece is my midterm project for advanced painting. I chose the Delphic Sibyl. I was introduced to this piece by my mentor and muse Prof. Tracey Hawkins. I remember hearing listening to Prof. Hawkins explain the process of how Michelangelo came about painting the Sistine chapel. I was intrigued by Michelangelo’s process and the stories behind the paintings on the chapel ceiling. The Delphic Sibyl called to me, when I learned of her. I don’t know why. Maybe it was her muscular arms, or her powerful sitting pose, or possibly the eyes. Her eyes say volumes. Is she pissed, scared or about to beat the breaks off that little cherub behind her for screwing up her dictation? I don’t know but I want to find out!  What I enjoy most about it her is the subtle variation in color and the contrast of the blue of her scarf with the browns and reds of her hair and skin.

In creating this piece I started by making my base illustration. A simple line drawing as a guide for the value and tonal changes of the image.

 

I next created my base coats in Yellow Orche annd Viridi. I followed up by adding in a wash of Yellow orche and Burnt Sienna and another with Viridi and Phalo Blue. This gave a nice base of mid tones.

   

I did my final touch ups with washes of Phalo blue, Burnt Sienna and Milky white.

I plan to come back often and rework this piece, as I also work the Bathsheeba, by improving on mimicking the Master Michelangelo an also changing the model but keeping the base feel of this beautiful woman. 

ILD311 - All Hail the Queen

Today’s midterm assignment… pencil illustration using hatching and line work, without blending for shading….Yup right up my ally yo!

So, I chose one of my favorite subject… Katey Segal as Gemma Teller. Katey is just hot. I don’t care what yinz say…She was hot as Peggy Bundy, she was hot as Gemma Teller, she was hot as Nancy Gilroy…  

I like Katey because she is glam without glam. Yeah she has had some things worked on, but overall she has the “dude your mom is hot” vibe going on.

This illustration took all of 2 to 3 hours to complete (in multiple settings – because I was very sick while trying to complete this). I got a new light box, which was just awesome and it really helped lay out the basic structure and anatomy of this portrait.

initial pencil sketch in progress

First round critique

second round critique

ILD311 - My Brother's Keeper...

This project was pretty dear to me. It is a way to honor a fallen hero that I never met but had a great impact on me. Kenneth Lee Wimberly, SR. was a great man, great soldier, and great cop. He was struck down in his prime and left behind a legacy that should be remembered and honored.

Having the honor and privilege able to serve on the same SWAT team that Kenny help find is one of my most prideful moments I can recall being a cop. 

BOOYAH! Your brothers in arms miss you and those little brothers you never knew (me) honor and salute you!

Bathsheeba In Blue #2 Final renders

As I continue this journey in art, I am finding that I am evolving as a person also. As Pablo Picaso found himself in “blue” period, as well as Yves Klein (IKB) … I am also finding myself enamored with the hue, temperature, and tone of blue.  But mine is not one of depression it is one of mania! I am excited about the future, what it holds, the unsure apprehension, the challenge, the adventure. God created me a warrior. He created me with fear but also blessed me with the courage to conquer it. I was raised by both parents that I am not to fear and that I am to seek out that which seeks to destroy me and illuminate it without reservation, without question and without mercy! If that language is too harsh for you or you are offended… then you are not a warrior.

This same mindset found me to be drawn to the character Bathsheba… She was focus of King David’s lust, passion, and desire. She was his muse. There can be much told about the story, characters and reasons. I will leave you to ponder you own opinions and feel free to post them.   But for me I was inspired by the spectacular sculpture of Bathsheba by renowned sculptor Benjamin Victor. I happened to stumble on this masterpiece while doing anatomy research. I fell in love. I saw in Victor’s work how David fell into Bathsheba’s spell. Victor captured the moment perfectly. I

Thus Bathsheba in Blue will be my signature piece throughout my art life on this world.  I plan to continue to repaint this until I get it perfect, then paint it again changing the model and making her various woman, of various sizes, races and shapes. Because I think there is something more here than just a woman taking a bath and a King spying on her. There is a spiritual symphony of love, lust, lies and life being orchestrated before your very eyes. Unfortunately the church refuses to accept the beauty of this entire story and wants to focus on the “the thou shalts…”, this is evil, that is Holy instead of the understanding the choice beauty and freedom of free will, and the inevitable consequence of that choice….

 I wrote more than intended on this, but onto the art. I present you Bathsheba in Blue #2…