Art of le_fish

Recent sketches

2012-02-09T02:05:00.000-08:00

Boxing day sketches

2011-12-28T02:47:00.000-08:00

For the uninitiated, Boxing day in Canada is the day after Christmas, where every store would offer special discount and/or door prices with ridiculously low price tag. Every year, there would be army of shoppers battling it out for some bargain in hoping to save a few bucks. This year is no exception.(and so is my annual event in sketching the feeding frenzy)

Some tired shoppers resting on the bench in front fake plants, while at the same time discussing the next move in the plan of attack.

A couple of teenage girls seated on the floor after a round at Old Navy. Not sure why all the husbands and boyfriends need to be standing when it is much more comfortable sitting down. It seems to be happening everywhere I go.

Once a gift wrap station for Christmas gifts, now turned into "high rise" bench. With all the "never before seen" citizens showing up in the shopping center, there is barely even a place to stand. All the regular height benches were either taken or given to senior citizens.

A line of well trained husbands and boyfriends waiting outside the Ladies room, guarding all the precious loot. I am not sure if their puppy at home behaves this well.

Back to pencil

2011-11-24T21:42:00.001-08:00

For no real good reason, I have been avoid using pencil for many years. Time to get back into it. From the figure study this week. Roughly 1.5~2 hours, 9x12in Cason sketchbook.(the red one, for those who wants to know)

In case you were wondering, the contacts/links on the right disappeared after couple of click in the blog setting.(bad fingers, bad fingers...) Hopefully I will get them back some time soon.

The obsession for purple continues...

2011-10-17T20:28:00.000-07:00

This weeks purple figure. Where is the purple? as one may ask. Trust me, it is in there. If you were only there to see the bucket of the violet brush washing water at the end of the painting session... The challenge this week was mainly about capturing the model's delicate frame while preventing things from feeling out of proportion.(that was the original goal before the green entered the picture... stiff green paint... arrrg....) Looking at it on the day after, part of the background actually seems digital for some reason. Perhaps some had use similar source to create the custom brushes in Photoshop? Anyways, the picture was done with the usual material, acrylic on board 18x24 and about 1.5~2 hours.

From this week...

2011-10-14T07:17:00.000-07:00

Still following the trend of purple figures while trying slightly different palette. 18x24 Acrylic on board, about 1.5~2 hours.

Finally got to draw life animal for the first time in a very long while. As one may expect, it was total panic right from the very first stroke. Boy, do I need more practice.

Purple...

2011-10-02T22:46:00.000-07:00

Study from today. Acrylic on board, 18x24. Roughly 1.5~2 hours.(No, don't ask me why it is purple...)

Here's to you, Kazu

2011-09-07T18:25:00.000-07:00

Summer Sketches

2011-08-30T01:11:00.000-07:00

Finally there are some nice sunny days and it is time to head out with the watercolor box!

Did this in the shopping mall near by while the water in the fountain kept splashing on my back...(only realized that after sketching for a while...)

Still in the mall, sketching around bunch of old sleepy people on couches. Free air conditioning is hard to resist.

Sitting on the grass while avoiding bird dropping just to my left while being crawled all over by spiders...(bringing my stool next time for sure.)

Sitting in Starbucks sketching another Starbucks across the street. Yeah, they are everywhere...

Painting rocks on nude beach, believe it or not. There are all kinds of naked guys and gals tanning around the spot, with a boat blasting dance music from few miles away. I am sure those on the boat were either deaf or going to be...

Some new stuff

2011-08-07T04:29:00.000-07:00

Thumbnails

2011-07-20T21:47:00.000-07:00

Usually I post stuff from life studies. Just for a change of pace, here is a sample page of thumbnail studies I usually do for compositional studies.(un-edited and all...) Each is roughly 2 inches wide, done with Lamy fountain pen and about 1~2 minutes each.

Sketches from California

2011-06-13T11:45:00.000-07:00

Just came back from my visit to California. Love the Spanish/Mexican influenced architectures. Had great time visiting friends and simply wonder around to sketch. All were done with watercolor plus white gouache.

About 2 hours total. Sketched in the overall shape the first day and completely gave up after 30 minutes. After a night of sleep, crawled back to finish it off.

Similar story... except the painting portion went a lot faster. About 2 hours total.

Hanging in Starbucks while drinking nice cup of coffee.(Thanks Kevin!) About 1.5 hours total.

Change pace and went directly with paint without the usual color pencil drawing. about 1 hour.

Repetition, repetition...

2011-04-03T00:48:00.000-07:00

No matter how I try, just can't get to the point where it is possible to "auto-pilot".("auto-pilot" without falling off the air that is.) No sure how some can claim to know it all... From this weeks session. 20 minute poses, charcoal on sketch paper.

Good old newsprint

2011-03-21T23:33:00.000-07:00

Finally got to draw on newsprint paper for the first time in about 3 years. The archival drawing paper are nice, but there is just something about newsprint that make the charcoal goes on very easily. One was done during 2 minute poses, the other was 5 minute poses. 15x24 newsprint with pastel pencil.

Never ending descipline

2011-03-13T01:09:00.000-08:00

Here are some more of it, 20 minutes each.

Super size my painting

2011-03-10T00:06:00.000-08:00

Although I used to paint quite large for studies, after much attempt to make more time to work on the painting, the size have been gradually reduced over time. Now the size is so small I can hardly remember how it was possible to make much larger painting in the same or less amount of time. Yep, it is time to change that. This took roughly 1.5~2 hours on scrap wood.(16x25.5 inches) Still a lot of work ahead, but it does feel nice to waste large quantity of paint so quickly. Ironically, it seems like I actually wasted more time by painting small.

Recent studies

2011-02-04T02:34:00.000-08:00

After two weeks on the road and three weeks away from my regular routine, my skills are very rusty to say the least. It is mind boggling to think how much time and effort one needs to put in to improve on painting. On the opposite end, how quickly the skill can slip away. In any case, it is good to be back on my regular routine.(or dose of addiction.) Starting with the acrylic on board, 1.5~2 hours each.

Time for some update...

2010-12-29T03:24:00.000-08:00

Finally got some time to update. Starting with some gestures. Been working a lot with ink for the last little while. Something about the immediacy and having to commit really gives ink drawing the sense of confidence.(or into the fire place it goes...) The nude were about 1~2 minutes each, clothed about 5 minutes.

Faster, faster!

2010-11-10T01:12:00.000-08:00

Been working on accuracy of the drawing for quite a while now. Of course, when one works on one thing, it often means something else is being neglected.(hence the grass seems greener on the other side) Time to speed things up and try to get as much done as possible.(while trying to keep my finger nails intact that is.) Both were done with charcoal on 18x24 paper. 20 minutes pose.

Downtown Vancouver

2010-11-03T00:05:00.000-07:00

Finally got a chance to get out and walk around downtown before Anomaly 2010. Spent part of my time just walking around, looking and taking pictures. Fortunately, I was able to find a spot with a nice view and roof over my head in case it start to rain.(which did not happen until much later)

A coffee shop with really cool antique interior. After staring into the window for couple of minute a funny lady inside start to talk to me by holding her note book with writings. (Since I am a vampire, there is no reflection of me in the window.)

An old looking book store. Could also be selling some magical item by the look of it.

Such a pretty building... can't resist...

Took around an hour, with watercolor and toned paper sketchbook.

Digital study

2010-08-26T23:56:00.001-07:00

A quick study after Cornwell in Photoshop. Boy, I could use more practice with digital tools...

Back to the basics

2010-06-17T01:34:00.000-07:00

Been away on a trip and not attend life drawing session for a month. Very rusty indeed. Time to go back to the fundamentals and get my act together again. Roughly 1.5~2 hour working time with charcoal. The lighting, to my horror was back to the good old 15 light setting, with all spotlights pointing towards the model. Maybe I should wear my sun glasses for the next session...

Some new stuff from the photodepartment

2010-06-12T18:30:00.000-07:00

Another attempt in b/w

2010-05-17T15:58:00.001-07:00

Another day of "not so colorful" life. Still haven't got used to the slight violet tint on this particular brand of acrylic.(it is local brand Kroma Acrylic, which felt kind like buying local food.) I end up spending lots of time adjusting the "bush", aka the head, so that it implies the head within its mass. Maybe it would be a good exercise to paint the Muppets before attempting to approach the head from this angle...

The surface is a bit rougher in texture, but otherwise all the same material as before.

Where are the colors?

2010-05-12T17:57:00.000-07:00

Well, they didn't want to go out and decided to surf the web while I go paint with b/w. Colors are very emotional you know... *smile*

I love a lot of old illustration. Many of them were done in black, white, and one other color. It has to due with the limited printing technology and also the cost of the printing as well.(colors are expensive, especially when print in large quantity) The result is often great control of value with strong design.(when they work, of course)

Just though I should give it a go, since I often use charcoal for value studies instead. The pieces was acrylic on Gessoed fire wood.

Recent stuff

2010-04-28T23:17:00.001-07:00

Time does fly since the last update. Monthly update seems to be working so far. Hopefully I will be able to keep up with this rate. Below are some of the recent studies and experiments.

Start to paint on fire wood. A pack of 8 pre-cut pieces like this only cost about $5 at local hardware store.(5 1/2 x16 inches, 1 1/2 inch thick) Definitely a price tag for any starving artists out there. Just got to take a look and make sure there is no big crack down the middle before buying it.

Acrylic, about 2.5 hours with breaks.

Acrylic on 9x12 Masonite, about 2.5 hours with breaks.

Another fire wood piece. Gotto finish the pack.

Acrylic, about 2.5 hours with breaks.

For those of you who knows me well, when things start to seem repetitive something strange tends to find its way into my work. In this case, She-Hulk have made her appearance... *smile*

Acrylic, about 2.5 hours with breaks.

Switching gear and picked up watercolor for a quick head study. About 40 minutes. I gotto do more of it...

Another one of my "bare minimal" practice. Just trying to see how far I can go without using a palette to mix color. Two brushes, two jar of Latex house paint(white and brown), and a water jar for washing the brush. Took about 30 minute on construction paper of some random dude in my head...(No, not all random dude up there look like this. *smile*)

Recent studies

2010-03-29T01:42:00.000-07:00

Not sure what it is, but somethings changed since my trip during the break. Probably got something to do with what I ate... *smile*

Stay pretty muted in terms of color. Perhaps has to do with the color in the original picture I painted over.

Time to do another Mr. Blue.

Ran out of time when I got to the hands. Maybe I should do the hands first in the future?

Change of pace

2010-03-17T02:40:00.000-07:00

Something went wrong in my brain and I end up painting in the drawing workshop tonight. Kind of make me wonder how much time I have been wasting when painting in my usual small size studies.

18x25 inch, Acrylic on cardboard. 20 minutes each

Long be hold... here comes skeleton

2010-03-11T02:15:00.000-08:00

We had a no show for the weekly painting workshop. Our resident model, who had been waiting in the corner forever, finally made it big time. Other than being a bit on the skinny side, she is actually a pretty good model and very easy to work with.

Acylic on board, 12x16 inch

Gesture drawings with pen and ink

2010-02-22T22:07:00.000-08:00

It has been a while since I posted any pen drawings, thought it might be a good time to do so. Never been confident drawing with pen and ink for some reason, not the same feeling as charcoal on paper anyway. Maybe it is practice, or simply a personal thing. I guess I have to practice some more to find out which one it is though.(not much of a choice it is? *smile*)

These are 1 minute gestures done with Lamy fountain pen.

Location studies

2010-02-18T03:40:00.000-08:00

Yep, it is that time again. The thought of updating the blog actually made it into my task list.(it was a tough fight) Couple of quick studies on scrap wood. Been working on improving my DIY paint box as well.

Quick sketch around the dock. 5.5x2 inch Acrylic, about 20 minutes

Twilight study of the office buildings near home. 7x2.5 inch Acrylic, about 20 minutes.

Home made frames

2009-12-05T01:50:00.000-08:00

After couple visit to Home Depot, hand sawing, a bit of gluing and painting, 4 home made frames was born. The best part is that it cost only a fraction of the price compare to the framing shop. Although I would still leave proper framing job to the pros, these might be alright for small painting studies.(Keeping my fingers crossed and hope I don't see them again.)

The materials, glue, saw, and paint end up to be about $20 per frame.(The more I make the lower the overhead cost for each frame as well.)

Back to painting

2009-11-09T04:10:00.000-08:00

Few recent studies, around 1.5 to 2 hour working time. Been focusing on the brush work and still stuck in the muddy place. They are 6x12 inches since I tend to like longer formats. A nightmare to frame them though...

Apologies for the lack of reply for the previous postings. Somehow I am not able to post comment even when logged in.(Still trying to figure it out.)

Weekly chore

2009-10-12T04:11:00.001-07:00

Drawing workshop at the end of the month

2009-08-18T19:28:00.001-07:00

Will be conducting a drawing workshop in Vancouver at the end of the month. Time to visit the basics...(and my Draw123 Book. *smile*)

Recent studies

2009-08-14T23:47:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since the previous update, and many white hair later.(assuming no significant hair loss. :P ) Here are some of the recent studies. Been working on adjusting my schedule and hopefully I will be able to update more often.

Another study while I still have time...

2009-06-14T02:26:00.000-07:00

Did another test to see if it is possible to have similar approach consistently. Well, it turned out to be more than I can chew on. About 5 minutes into it, I had one of those "What the hell were you thinking?!" moment. End up taking around two hour for this head. Now I really want a pony... I will clean and draw it every day!

PS. I will leave out the artist who's work I copied from. It is easy enough to guess. *smile*

Late night study

2009-06-11T02:50:00.000-07:00

Can't sleep. Decided to do a study using a Loomis piece. Took a little over an hour or so. Hum... now I am really awake...

DIY compact watercolor brush

2009-05-24T02:17:00.000-07:00

Compact brushes are often super expensive in the art store, and often very small in size. Being the cheap guy I am, I got some lipstick form dollar store and turned them into my compact watercolor brush.(those are number 12 brush in the photo.) It is not only compact, one would never have to worry about messing up the hair when the brush is retracted and capped. Total cost of the brush is about $15.(Brush is about $12, the lipstick was $2.25, plus the cost of glue and cleaning supplies.)

I think anyone who love to sketch on location should totally do this too!!!

Watercolor watercolor

2009-05-11T23:21:00.001-07:00

Still trying to be loose with watercolor. Strangely, the more I try to be loose, the tighter it looks. (I am sure something is going on in my head.) Anyway, here are the latest attempts in the local workshop. About 90 minutes to 2 hours each.

Kenneth Paul Block, passed away at age of 84

2009-04-25T22:06:00.000-07:00

Fashion illustrator Kenneth Paul Block, one of my hero in the field of fashion illustration, have just passed away, at age of 84. A very sad day indeed.

More water color stuff

2009-04-14T02:55:00.001-07:00

Finally completed the location/object sketchbook. A whole new sketchbook is waiting to be started now...

Hard not wanting to do one of the air plane interior after seeing Jame Jean's sketchbook.

Was having tea that day...

Sketch of the famous steam clock as I waited for the rest of the people to show up.

In a food court downtown Vancouver around lunch hour.

Near the entrance to the public library.

A quick one.

A slow one...

Watercolor stuff

2009-04-01T02:11:00.001-07:00

Still trying to use up all those tubes of watercolors that everyone gave me. It is seriously ridiculous how many tubes of paint I have. I am still very timid with watercolor compare to how I would use acrylic. Practice, practice, and practice!

Quick gestures

2009-02-19T19:20:00.001-08:00

Been extremely busy lately with the classes amongst other things. Haven't been able to update as often, but will after this big rush.(Keeping my fingers crossed)

Back to using my large pad again. Good to have my freedom back with the real estate of all that space to draw.(Besides my sharp charcoal pencils were dying to get out of the tin cases.) All of these were 2 minute poses on rough newsprint. No animal nor slave were harmed during the making of the drawing.

21st SketchCrawl - Vancouver

2009-01-10T21:52:00.000-08:00

Time flew since the last crawl. Went downtown Vancouver for the crawl today. A much smaller turn out compare to the last one.(Guess no one want to be out under the cold, rainy X-file weather.) Anticipating some delay(based on the experience last time), I picked a complicated scene to start with. Luckily, I end up having slightly under two hour of working time as we waited for any late comers at the meeting spot. Hopping from one in door location to another, my umbrella was stolen(or mistakenly taken) at the sushi restaurant. Fortunately, I have my rain jacket and hat with me.

Stuff from this week...

2009-01-06T22:48:00.000-08:00

Picked up my watercolor again. Not sure why. After using the cheap watercolor for so long, it is hard to get used to regular paint again. Avoided using pencil and went directly with the brush this time.

Done in the local workshop during the weekend.(If Monday counts as weekend...) We had a really nice model with a pink dress. She was nice enough to bring them through the difficult commute.

Just a warm up sketch today. Around 30 min or so.

Cold winter...

2008-12-31T00:51:00.001-08:00

Haven't been a good blogger lately. Thought I would post a quick update with some recent photo to get things rolling again. This winter has been especially cold for Vancouver. The snow hit us hard and is great for photographing snow scenes. These were taken on a trip to the near by lake last week. The lake were frozen but not safe enough to be walked on yet.(Some dude actually fell into it the day before we went.) My fingers were numb by the time we got back to the car, but it was totally worth it.

Happy Halloween!

2008-10-31T05:53:00.000-07:00

20th SketchCrawl - Vancouver

2008-10-26T22:38:00.000-07:00

Joined the 20th SketchCrawl in Vancouver on Beautiful Granville island. Thought no one is coming until someone showed up a hour pass the meeting time.(I totally forgot about the "artist time" thing. One hour later than any set time for any gathering...) Got to meet quite a few friendly local artists.

Beside the first time experience with the crawl, is it also the first trial run for my home made paint box.(Just finished it this week.) The box works surprisingly well. Beside having to hold on to it until the water bottle is clipped on,(as a counter weight to prevent it from tipping over.) it works perfectly. The box came with the light bulbs purchased at Costco, and the spare parts and screws comes from Home depot for about $12. Compare to the wooden paint box that costs about $50 and up, this is definitely a good way to save money. Besides, most of the boxes are designed for oil painting and doesn't work perfectly with the setup I have with Acrylics. Now I can finally go everywhere with my Acrylics.(Everyone should make one!!!.)

After freezing my butt for 2.5 hours, most people had found their way inside the market for some warmth. I drank a cup the hot tea in my backpack and head over to the boats.(No way I am going inside, especially with the Saturday crowd in the Market.) When I got back around 2:00pm, I can hardly find anyone around.(although I knew they are still around some where on the island.) Too bad I couldn't meet up with the group at the end of the day, as I had to take off early. Maybe next time.

Fashion stuff

2008-10-19T22:05:00.000-07:00

It is about time to start putting fashion stuff up. To the power of contour lines! Gouache with my new $8.00 watercolor brush. The new brush is a treat compare to my crappy 9 year old synthetic brush. However, the hair is starting to fall off as I push the brush around like a cheap labor with water bucket...(The nice Series 7 brush is still sealed in a air tight box somewhere in my brush box. Can't get myself to torture a brush that cost as much as 2 month worth of Walgreen cookie.)

Purpose of concept art

2008-10-02T17:48:00.000-07:00

The purpose of the concept art is to save money and plan out the production at low cost. So, what is the point of spending a few K on fancy computer equipments to do the same thing that can be done with less than a few bucks?(pencil and paper) Even including a decent scanner and a dozen cups of good coffee, it would not even come close in cost. It just does not makes sense to spend more to save money, not to me anyway.

Anyway, here is a quick sketch done in Photoshop.(As you can see, it would be much cheaper doing it with pencil on paper instead.)

More painting with dull colors.

2008-09-29T19:35:00.000-07:00

Hum... not sure what happened. It is not like they discontinue Cads or Manganese Blue. Some one just came by one day and took all the bright color away... Or maybe it's the Canadian food.(I am sure there are some that would agree to that. *smile*) Anyway, just figure studies from workshop.(acrylic on Sketchbook.) Nowadays, I get about 3~4 poses(20 minutes) tops. Most of the time, I would be running around the studio dealing with something. I am so glad that I hung out with the Craigzzz and his quick study while I had the chance. Definitely the best painting class ever.

Recent stuff

2008-08-27T02:32:00.000-07:00

Update from the location sketchbook. The last is from a life painting session.(obviously...)

Lucked out on the scene. The stormy clouds had just a nice opening allowing the light to come through right on the mountain.(Although it only lasted couple of minutes...)

Had 10% off at a buffet. Ate a whole loads of cakes and other sweets. Painted the view across the river while digesting all the food.(Never should anyone eat that much...)

Sketching with a friend from under the bridge while waiting for the life drawing session to start.

Sitting at Starbucks without ordering anything.(nothing new there...)

A visit to the blue berry farm. Due to the cold winter, the blue berry is very limited this year.

Just another figure study on found wood from construction sites.(And you wonder why they always lock the place... *smile*)

Back to brush and ink

2008-08-02T15:44:00.001-07:00

Still have the same ancient bottle of ink to use up. The bottle has lasted way longer than I have ever expected it to. It has been about 8~9 years now, and I am not even half way down the bottle yet. It either means I need to practice using ink more, or it lasts forever. Either way, it is about time I pick it up again. These were done in figure drawing workshop, between 15~20 minutes each. Of course, these were drawn on my trusty Costco acid free paper, the second best art supply store.(The first being ToysRus.)

Old digital sketches

2008-07-20T02:05:00.000-07:00

Some of the quick sketches done a while ago. Thought you might be tired of all the figurative stuff. 100% Photoshop with no preservatives. The first two took an hour, the rest took 20 minutes. Hope to make the CraigZ proud.

Studies from this week...

2008-07-19T22:27:00.000-07:00

Second session with the same model. Refines the face and adjusted the arm and hand a bit more. Probably fuzzing a bit too much.(Can't help it.) Now all it needs is expensive jewelry and some sort of room with fancy furniture in the background.(Assuming she got married to a rich husband who is always out on business trips. Maybe a hot pool boy if I got that far...)

Another 1.5 hour study.(The one with crazy lighting.) Started off with a strange couple trying to check out the workshop. Of course, the husband runs around the studio looking at works and the model while the model is posing nude. After chasing the crazy couple out, an old confused soul came in and was about to pull the same stunt.(Of course, was asked to leave. But he turned out to be a nice guy who just had no idea that it wasn't appropriate.) Anyway, the model was nice enough to stay put while all this madness is going on. I wish the old Lee is at this workshop...(For those of you who know what I am talking about...)

When is it going to end?

2008-07-11T15:22:00.000-07:00

Nude figure after another nude, when is it going to end? Well, I have no clue. Still enjoy doing it.(Although I am not sure if I am getting anywhere with it.) Here are two from last weeks workshops.

This is the first week of a 2 week portrait session. Got about 1.5 hours of working time on the 12x24 board.(Found in a dumpster of course.) Still a long way to go. Hopefully I will be a bit further along in the second session.

Another addition to the nude figure painting collection.

Multitasking

2008-07-05T01:32:00.000-07:00

Between answering phone call, changing music, keeping strange people from causing trouble and wiping the waters on the floor, some how I was able to keep painting. Only got this far for a little over an hour. Too bad I didn't get to finish those sexy legs. Gotto move faster I guess.

Recent drawing

2008-07-01T20:35:00.000-07:00

It is good to finally be drawing on regular drawing paper again. Have been drawing on the cheap printing paper from Costco for a few months now. Found a local supply of Acid Free drawing paper. Although not cheap, but it is affordable for practice.

Sketch this week

2008-06-25T14:22:00.001-07:00

Still swamped at the moment, although slowly getting out of the total panic. Just a quick sketch from the weekend workshop. He was a very nice and playful person. Haven't been doing a charcoal study like this in a while. Hopefully there will be more updates as I try to get the schedule under control.

Quick update

2008-06-18T23:05:00.000-07:00

Yes , Mr. Stanislavsky. I hear you. Time to move my lazy ass and post an update. Being swamped with the summer classes at the moment. This is just a quick update on the recent studies at the local workshop. All except the last one were done in about 1.5 hour with more than a dozen spot lights.(along with half a dozen florescent lights) The last one is a two session painting, about 3 hours in total.(As you can see, the mug was the reason why it took me so long to do the study... *smile*)

Man, I still can't escape from the muddy color palette. I just don't get it. When I use the ugly muddy color, most people seems to like it. When I get to use my favorite bright colors, I get "That's interesting..."(A nice way of saying that is not so hot.) I should also stay away from cardboard as well... Yeah, I know... cheap art supply is hard to resist... (I should stop raiding the Costco dumpster)*smile*

Nice lady at workshop...

2008-05-10T20:07:00.001-07:00

There has been increasing number of no-show models at the local workshop. Few weeks ago, we had another no show for a 2 week portrait session. One of the lady, a regular who also helps to do all sort of tasks at the workshop, posed for us so we will not go home empty handed.(and she agree to be back for the second session as well.) After showing the photo of the study to her husband, she came back the following week asking the price about the piece. After all of the help she had done to keep the place going, I decided to give her the study to thank her for all she had done.

Anyway, here is the last time anyone will see that piece.(I get to make another one in the second session for myself.)

Digital junk...

2008-04-26T02:10:00.000-07:00

Been doing these quick comp for a while now. Just looking for a comfortable way to work digitally. Basically trying to use as little "auto-pilot" as possible while taking advantage of the digital medium.(I know those are two contradicting idea...) It is basically an one hour quick study with Photoshop. Just another medium on the list of skills to keep up...

Recent studies

2008-04-01T00:11:00.000-07:00

I am almost through with the pack of ugly Strathmore colored paper. I have no clue why I bought it. Have to pay respect to those trees who donated their life for art. In any case here we go...(All of these were done in under 2 hours, with breaks in between.)

Finally back to my normal color palette. Feels good to be using familiar paints and just focus on painting.

This one was done using some cheap watercolor set I found on the floor, with the exception of my white gouache.

We had a no show and a friend of one of the regular agree to pose for us.(Yes, naked. What are the odds?) After a few minutes, her knee hurts and had to change th pose. This is the under drawing of the unfinished painting.

The painting was just an excuse to put the highlight on the hair.

Just decided to work on the face a little more for a change. It just happened to be lit by multiple lights, contrbuting to the headache...

The model has a really good muscle structure and kind of a Egyptian looking face. For some reason, I end up focusing on the deltoid.(No pun intended...)Yes, he is blue. This is the second last piece of bright yellow paper in the pack. One more to go.

Back in business

2008-03-30T00:32:00.000-07:00

Finally received a new tablet in an unnecessarily large box, the last component of my computer, and got it up and working properly. Although I am not a big fan of the slick surface of the Wacom, unlimited supply of paper and paint is very hard to resist. Did this sketch to get a feel of the pen and the new size.(about an hour) Just some flying object flying toward factory/lab type structure. The goal was to develop everything else, so I can put the glowing flame thing at the exhaust.

Dependancy on technology

2008-03-14T10:23:00.000-07:00

My computer have completely died off this week, taking tons of precious archives along with it. Another reminder of the reason for my insistence on minimal reliance on technology.
Here is a recent test for the handling quality of paint. Feels good when the material works. Digital medium is great, but it is no good once any of the complicated setup breaks. Why drive a car when it is close enough to walk?(Assuming one knows how to walk...)

Reference photo

2008-01-26T18:48:00.000-08:00

After many requests to see my reference photos, decided to post a few to share. These were all shot within the last few months.

Out sketching again...

2008-01-20T21:19:00.000-08:00

Went sketching at the Anthropologie museum yesterday. Of course, it just happened to be the day it started snowing...

A piece of the totem pole that broke off.
Not sure what it is for. Some sort of ceremonial mask.

Piece in progress 2

2008-01-18T03:58:00.000-08:00

Added some soldiers near the creature for scale. Hopefully the ground plane reads a little better. Still need to seperate the soilder on the left more from the dark fence behind him. Probably need to push distance between planes more ... Anyway, time to expose it to the sun and rip it apart.

Piece in progress

2008-01-05T02:03:00.000-08:00

Just another digital piece in progress. Thought I should post the progression for a change.

Work in progress

2007-12-27T01:47:00.000-08:00

Work in progress. Trying to establish the basic approach and the overall posture and lighting. Still a long way to go I guess.

Quick Sketch

2007-12-25T05:11:00.000-08:00

A quick story sketch. Just messing around with the color scheme.

Merry Christmas 2007

2007-12-24T00:59:00.000-08:00

A little better lighting...

2007-12-19T04:34:00.000-08:00

Well, the famous weed lady have not shown up in the workshop for 3 weeks in a row now. So, I don't have to worry about someone moving the whole model stand half way into the painting.(She had to do some thing to justify her job I guess.) Still have the challenge of painting under 20+ lights under an hour, but at least it is consistent.

What? why am I updating blog 5am in the morning? It is just common sense.

This is some mix media stuff I have been playing with lately. Doesn't really improve the quality, just made the process faster. Took about half of the time, and doubles my usual working size.

Same mix media stuff with a different brush.

This one took the same amount of time as well. No mix media, just limited palette.

Cheap fillers

2007-11-20T02:05:00.000-08:00

What the heck, I will just post something to fill the empty space...

Got to get with the program. Basic "Academy syle" sketches.

Just some dudes on the train.

A hot shot abstract expressionist expressing his big ideas to some young girls with low cut dress. He talked long enough for me to finish the sketch.

Just another brush and ink practice. Need to use up my old ink some how.

Color test

2007-11-20T01:40:00.000-08:00

Just a quick color test to decide on the palette.

Loose watercolor

2007-11-10T03:16:00.000-08:00

Just happened to notice my watercolor seems looser than I remembered. A quick sketch today on the side of the river before dark.

Going mad

2007-10-22T04:08:00.000-07:00

If I am going mad, might as well go all the way. Found some crazy set of paper with ugly colors, along with the usual 20+ light setting and cheap watercolor and chalk. Keep rubbing the chalk while the dude next to me splashed red acrylic on my paper. Man... I am really going mad...

Not so Feng

2007-10-19T02:20:00.001-07:00

Not so Feng attempt at Feng style. Still got a few mechanical issues to work out. Back to drawing my circles and lines...

Pencil test

2007-10-18T03:56:00.001-07:00

Just a sketch to try out the look of the main character's face and the visual qualities of the approach.

Fall

2007-10-13T03:22:00.000-07:00

It was just too pretty not to paint it.

Rejected designs

2007-10-10T20:08:00.000-07:00

Finally, one of the concepts has gone far enough for me to start working on presentation pieces. Still a lot more to go but finally getting close. To start off, here are some of the rejected sketches.(The one I haven't burned anyway. *smile*)

Recent studies...

2007-10-09T02:40:00.000-07:00

No sure what the hell I am painting these days . I am slowly convincing some of the seniors to read the Craig Nelson painting book while finding techniques to deal with the 20 light situation. To my amazement, there is no copy of Craig's book in town at the moment.(with the library on strike) Hopefully I will convince enough people to do something about the lighting before I ran out of interest in this challenge.

The model was a good looking muscular young guy. While the old ladies were busy getting high, I decided to give him some leather armor. No sure why I am attracted to the cheap watercolor. Guess that's the bi-product of hanging around Mr. Sanchez.

An attempt on painting a white women with plenty of hair.

With the high price of paper due to the strong Canadian dollar, I end up using the brown crappy paper from Office Depot. Amazingly, the price only break even with the Sketch paper from Utrecht, considering paper were made in Canada. Anyway, the big down side is the paper does not take dry mediums well. Time to bring out the brush and ink.

Quick horse study

2007-09-12T03:59:00.000-07:00

A racer riding his horse... not sure where they are going to. Hopefully some place where they can draw all day. *smile*

Another quick study

2007-09-07T05:03:00.000-07:00

Another quick study of a bird from photo. Not something I got to do a whole lot, since they usually have their wings tucked in when I visit the zoo. Still can't quite get it right though. Took a little longer since I haven't got much practice with it. 30~40 minutes with cheap black paint on cool grey cardboard.(I think it was a box for cotton balls or something like that.)

Quick studies

2007-09-06T01:47:00.000-07:00

Still not sure what to do with my colors. Thought I might as well ignore it just to see what happens. Did these two studies while listening to Ray Charles perform on an old interview. Part of the purpose is to see how I can reduce the cost of practice due to the high cost of art supplies locally. Done using some old cardboard box from Costco and my trusty paint from ToyRus, about 15~20 minutes each.

Torso study...

2007-09-05T00:28:00.000-07:00

Not sure what happened to the pure Cad and Manganese I used to use. I still use them, but... Hum... Maybe they faded away. *smile*

Yes, the concept stuff is coming... once I am free up a bit to finish the design.

Another afternoon at the workshop

2007-08-28T20:50:00.000-07:00

Been busy lately, but that's no excuse for not posting. Anyway, here is from this weeks painting workshop. Kind of lost with my approach for paintings at the moment.

Neighborhood

2007-08-16T01:57:00.000-07:00

Been out sketching the neighborhood after dinner lately. Mostly focusing on getting the essentials before the light is gone. It is not hard to see the family resemblance in the approach.

Doodles this week

2007-08-12T16:17:00.000-07:00

Did this sketch while waiting for my long lost father in front of the art museum. 30 minutes before the time to meet up, a familiar nasal voice with strong New York accent came from my left. As some of you may already guessed, I saw a short man with white mustache walking towards me. My highlight of the week.

With the overly relaxed workshop, we only get about 1~1.5 hours worth of actual painting time. Although I usually get most of the major element blocked out in the first 20 minutes, having to effectively show form, effect of lighting, while having random ambient light is a real challenge. Kind of force me to re-think my strategy and approach differently.

Granville Island

2007-08-07T18:40:00.000-07:00

Been out painting near the river. Although it was a place with high tourist traffic, they were nice enough to spare me from conversations about their artistic relatives. Tons of nice boats around. Even some that were lifted up from the water for repair.

Another study under 20 lights...

2007-07-30T21:55:00.001-07:00

Yeah, another one under the famous lighting condition. The workshop started off with the light not even on the model. Luckly, some of the other people also feel the need to have the spot light actually shining "on" the model. Wow... what a great discovery.

Local workshop

2007-07-23T23:51:00.000-07:00

Been attending the local workshop for three weeks now. The lighting situation is pretty chaotic but better than nothing. I am sure there is no need of more than 3 light on one model, let alone 20. Anyway, I some how manage to survive.

Day at Library

2007-07-10T10:58:00.000-07:00

Found some book by Pyle today. Nice to have access to books with pretty pictures. End up sketching this red thing... whatever the hell it is. I think it is supposed to be some sort of fire alarm.

Relocation...

2007-07-03T10:06:00.001-07:00

Pretty emotional time for me. Have been staying in SF for so long, it is hard to move when one has so many friends.

Did this sketch while waiting for my plane at San Francisco Airport.

Sidetracked...

2007-02-21T03:52:00.000-08:00

What started as an article about a phtographer, soon became an excecise in special effects. Fire, spark, smoke and splashing water...

Big guy

2007-01-28T02:23:00.000-08:00

Big guy. Almost felt he needed a cigar.

Random doodles

2007-01-26T00:48:00.000-08:00

Just doodels of some stuff on my desk. Not sure why, but the more I practice the less I am concerned about my materials. Always thought it would be the opposite.

Recent work

2007-01-25T03:12:00.000-08:00

Just finished this today. Been working much digital stuff lately.

Finished from color comp

2007-01-22T22:20:00.000-08:00

Good to have my good old tablet again. Some stuffs are just easier to do with it.

Here is the finished version of the color comp from earlier.

New studies

2007-01-04T18:22:00.000-08:00

Got a new bottle of white gouache. Just playing aorund with it.
Practicing different female types. Something I need to work on...