ArtCtrl

This is Wellington Railway Station Digital Painting, I’ve been producing plenty of RedditGetsDrawn works lately, these have been a character focused but have included basic environments  I don’t like the idea of just painting a portrait or character, it has to be within an environment  I decided to go back to an older pencil drawing that I’ve worked from previously and produce a digital painting of it. This is the pencil reference I used. This was drawn during a trip to Wellington in 2012, The scene is out front of the railway station in central Wellington.  It’s one of my favorite drawings. Like previous works I’ve done like this I opened this up in GIMP and created a new layer for the line Line. I traced over the reference. Used my laptop computer for this - usually I use my desktop. The settings are a different for the paint dynamics and I’m not getting the best thick to thin. It’s something that I need to fiddle with.

And tone. Harsh dark for the figures in the work, and a mixture of mid to lights for other areas. I just guess the tone and made it up as I went. I started a color layer for this - only did a little before I got distracted with something else. I’ll likely just keep this a black and white tone work. I want to produce more of these environment works - maybe look though more of my older drawings and develop works from them.

Today has been a bad day. I have an awful headache and feeling sick. I’ve managed to half finish a painting (just have the color to do). I am broke if anyone would care to donate. Web-hosting renew is happening at the start of March so somewhat worried. The ads on the sites aren’t making me anything, sites barely get any traffic, but I stopped worrying about low traffic years ago, I make the site, art, and write for myself.

If anyone wants art let me know, I’ll do it for cheap. I like working from photographs.

Another color painting from Tuesday. This one was for RedditGetsDrawn:

Lovely photo, clear, and crisp. I would of preferred a full figure (don’t get to practice legs often). At least I get the waist and part of the arms. I took notice of the flower painting in the background. Bookshelf was ignored. 

Line. I developed the flower painting multiply times and spread it around the work - in the background I also made the usual spiky pillars of land. For the figure I worked off the reference mostly but had to make up the elbow, It took several lines to make it right.  Tone. For her dress I used a dot effect for the white highlights.Painting the figure is alright, but the area I enjoyed the most is the environment. It’s all imagination  I really should be using reference photos for it. I used a reference photo for another work I did yesterday - a cityscape. I’ll upload this work later.

Alright, onto the color layer now -

Color. I used a new red for her dress and the land in the paintings on the wall. It is similar to the red in the reference photo dress. For the sky and water (in the painting on the wall) I used the blue I often use. The floor has a new blue - turquoise even. Something different to work with. Often when I start using new colors they develop into my other paintings. I need more color though, and to not fear introducing new ones into the paintings. I’ve done it here though! New color! For the land in the distance I used the usual green that I use in the paintings - this is usually used for the floor -  I use it to create a water. Mix of the tone and color layer. As I said in the previous post - It feels finished.

I hope you have enjoyed this post. I aim to keep bringing you regular artwork.

Break from RedditGetsDrawn works for something a little different - Kiki’s Delivery Service. I watched this film in 2011. It’s rather perfect. If you haven’t seen it yet, please check it out.

This is a painting I did from a screenshot from the film: 

My mother has a Black Cat. I like how the reference photo also includes a black cat. I treated this reference the same as how I’ve been handling the RedditGetsDrawn works - red line, tone, and since I did it on the previous post - color. This is the view that I’ve been working with from RedditGetsDrawn so familiar setting for me.

Here’s the painting -

Line. I captured the figure. I changed the scene in the distance to a spiky, rugged land, rather than  the city scape in the reference. I’ve been using this pattern in all my recent backgrounds. Coming into the foreground from the distance are lines that could be used for a water effect. 

Tone applied. I used the same tone on the skin and the bird - the lightest area of the painting. Mid and slightly darker for the water area. Mid and darker than water for the sky. The land was very dark - but not as dark as the cat! It is a black cat after all so has to be the darkest! Other elements have been removed since the reference such as the birds (only the one bird).

This is the color layer only. I’m using two or three different tones for each color. In the past I’ve just done a quick wash of color over the tone layer. I’ll like to explore color further and experiment with a larger range of tones per color.This is a good start. I’ve used these colors all before, except for the blue in the dress. I had to create a new blue for it - I like to keep my colors quite restricted so was nervous! It helps the figure stand out against other areas in the painting.

Included this image which is a mix of the tone and color layer. Feels finished over the color layer which is missing the black. There are areas of the color layer that is missing color - such as the cat and broom. For future paintings like this I’ll use a color - best to fill in as much areas as possible. I do like some I’ve been giving the tonal paintings though!    I’m going to leave this post with a quote from Vincent Van Gogh:

I dream of painting and then I paint my dream.

Just a short one today. I think It’s better that I keep with these short blog posts rather than large 10+ paintings that just overwhelm me when typing and I end up giving up on the typing and just publishing it.

So yesterday was a slow down in the painting  I did 4 paintings in total but had problems with the computer and had the computer crash on me. Shame really, as I was happy with a few.

But one worked out OK, no video due to going over the 2000mb cap (added color and got distracted . Anyway, enjoy -

Reference photo. Reddit user Volume_Beat submitted this photo. Read the comments for it here. I noticed this photo straight away when scrolling through the photos - I had to paint it. It’s an interesting pose (hand and expression), background is unique (I’ve never seen another presidential photo like this. And multi figures!! The lighting is OK, I can get three different types of tone from his face which is better than most that have the one washed out tone.Line. Added the president figure in first before working on the environment and second figure. For this work I changed some settings within GIMP - experimenting with the angle and aspect ratio of the brush - something I’ve never touched before. It doesn’t effect the line but the next stage…

Tone. I’m using my usual brush but have it rotating around depending on velcoticy. It’s made me want to explore the Paint Dynamics editor further. In the past I’ve used it only for pressure size and opactiy pressure. Plenty of other settings I need to experiment with as well.

Color. It’s been over a month since I’ve used color in my work so great to get back into it. Focusing on the black and white tone has taught me to increase my range of tones in the work. Moving back into color I’ll look into using a range of tones of colors rather than just the washes of color over the work. It allows the color work to stand out further.

Currently taking a break from the painting and watching a few videos on youtube. Attempting to write this blog post as well, though it’s slow and I’m not that motivated for it. Talking about my frustrations about writing it may help me write it. Currently I’m watching:

Spent the day yesterday on RedditGetsDrawn drawing as many photos. I aimed for twenty, but fell short. I’ve also watched a bunch of

Here are the works:

Married Couple on boat I choose to draw this as the photo was clear, there is an interesting background. The navy outfit cat tattoo were also bonuses.

Line. The two figures in the center of the page. I’ve generally kept the same angle on all of these RedditGetsDrawn works. For the background I’ve kept it general the same with the trees being more spiky than the reference photo, I like these quick graffiti type movements. On the girls I made sure to include the cat tattoo.  Mum should get a tattoo of her Black Cat. 

Tone. Looking at this now I realized that I’ve left out the boats - I’ve included boat in other works and they are quick to create - just a dark horozontil flick. I made a clear contrast between the figures.

Woman on beach

Sorry, can’t find the

Woman on a baloney

Why did I choose to paint this? Well for a start it’s a full figure, the photo is not blurry. It could do with stronger tones, but at least it’s not washed out. The balcony in the background gives me a base to work from.

Woman on a baloney. I took some design liberty with this  Tone added. I love the background I created in this. I haven’t worked with tiled floors before, it’s a cool effect. Certainly extended the scene from what was happening in the reference photo. This couple just got married and are out on a boat. This is the line  e

more redditgetsdrawn works

More paintings from reference on Reddit. It’s been a busy few days with these.

These girls are having fun on a beach scene. I partially like the left post, the leg on the side is difference makes for an interesting shape of the figure.

Tone added. Dark highlights in the hair, shorts, and land in the distance. The white eyes look demon like.

And the video:'

Alright, onto the. next:

As GIMP was crashing I hit print scene in order to capture what I had done. I then reopened this image and just traced over it quickly. I keep my paintings under 20mins and the majority of that time is tone so losing a few lines is never a big problem. 

The line is finished. This is one of my favorite line works I have done recently. Comparing it to the developed tonal version - the linework has far more happening.

Tone. Her top is my favorite area. The water in the background is somewhat interesting as well. I’m not sure how I feel about her skin tones. There is something about it that’s not working.

The video:

The request for this next one was a Left for Dead character. So zombies. I generally don’t take notice of these requests but just paint what I see. I want to createa world for the character though

Line applied. I struggled a with the head angle, as you can see the line work for it is a mess. I just drew the face twice, I could of rubbed out areas but I’ve been taught to use the eraser for effects only and not for fixing mistakes. I’m going over it with tone anyway. In the reference photo she has a dog in the background, I moved this dog to her shoulder. Kind of like a pirate and parrot. But Zombie Hunter and Dog.

Tone. Background could have more in it? Maybe dark spikes poking out. Used elements from the reference in this - such as the clock, and tiled panels on the floor. 

Five people in this. Having lots of people is generally helpful as it can help with measuring one another. In the reference they \were on a boat so I kept true to that with creating land in the distance and water drifting into the foreground. 

Tone. I’m especially happy with the tone of the clothes on the left sitting figure, that mid gray and dark works together well. Instead of making the far left figure clothing white it may have been better to go with a darker tone - give some balance to the piece.

And onto the Steampunk wedding: 

Fantastic reference photo to work from. I especially enjoyed the clothing. The scenery around the figures was helpful, but sadly I lost the majority of the detail during the drawing and painting process. I’m still happy with this work.

And tone. As you can see one of the only areas of the environment that was kept was the pillars, the rest has been transformed into a lake and land in the distance.

And the video:

Thanks for visiting. Till next time.

It’s been a long time since I’ve submitted traditional media works. Here are a few works from my sketchbook. I haven’t been working in my sketchbook as much as I use to, but I always still carry it with me and get it out on occasions. It’s even helpful to get it out and show people. Great ice breaker.  

Basic perspective straight lines. I’ve been developing these shapes and areas of space in my digital works. These need cleaned up and painted,

This was drawn during my trip in Auckland - at the waterfront. This was a great scene. I enjoy the photos I captured here. They have been helpful in transferring to digital.

The was the second page for the Auckland Waterfront drawing. Here I’ve gone tonal with the mountains - getting very dark with a heavy pencil. 

Left size of the Hamilton drawing. It had been a long time since I’d drawn a double sided

Hamilton. This was drawn in the CBD on the Friday that the GGJ happened. One of my favorite drawings I’ve done like this. There was a performer on the stage. The sound was crap but some of the covers were ok.

Ok. So I’m back home now. That means I have my desktop computer and able to record my digital paintings without problems. During my time at my Mothers I didn’t bother with recording. Now that I’m back I’ll get back into it. Keeping an archieve of my paintings in video format is special for me.

Anyway, last night when I got back I managed to get a painting done, I continued my RedditGetsDrawn marathon, though I have been painting from other sources (uploading pencil drawings!).

Here’s the work from last night:  Reference used. Scrolling through the photos posted on RedditGetsDrawn I’m always on the lookout for full figure works. Not only did this photo include two people in full view, but they were riding horses! I don’t think I’ve draw/painted anyone on a horse before - I had to paint it! There is also a basic background but not a huge amount to work from. Guess I’ll be making a few things up!

Line. I had fun especially with drawing in the horses. Just something so different. I’ve been painting chickens recently so working on horses would be helpful in increasing my visual library. For the background I’ve made some basic shapes and lines, A forest in the back with a river  running into the foreground.

And tone. Again, very happy with the horses. The right horse is working well -  strong but understandable contrast. For the background I went with darker tones. I didn’t use lights in the background, that’s all very dark. Maybe some highlights would of helped?

Finally, here’s the video: