Update from the Cave Pt. II

After I started looking at the canvas with the reference photos I took, the ideas started coming into focus for me. 

Ideas about the design and about the themes.  Also ideas about how to sculpt the reference model.

This was one of those moments where it all just came flooding in really fast. 

It was like weeks of just grinding my gears and going nowhere and then all at once I know what to do.

I got out the sketchbook and did a very rough sketch of what I was thinking, labeling what everything was and what goes where so that I wouldn't forget it as I started working.

First things first, to sculpt the reference model. 

I took a piece of paper and drew a 4x6 inch box on it. Then I traced a picture of the automatic drawing into the 4x6 box. 

The painting is 24x36 inches so the 4x6 inches is a 1:6 scaledversion. I think. I don't know exactly how math works. Whatever it is it's scaled down with the same proportions of the canvas.

I used this drawing as a template to sculpt the forms. to keep them roughly the same size as the shapes I drew on the canvas.

I just put the clay on the paper and then molded it until it fit inside the lines. then I started giving it form and dimension.

I knew that a good amount of these forms would be covered in the fabric. so I didn't bother with sculpting details or texture on them. 

But the ones that weren't going to be covered, I did create a little texture and detail on. 

Here's the drawing on the canvas again so you can compare.

So after I sculpted what I needed, I draped some facial tissue dipped in water over the areas that I want to be covered in fabric. Dipping the facial tissue in water helps to create and hold the wrinkles and folds to emulate the fabric better. dry tissue paper just kind of sits flat.

Then I added som other little "props" or details, including some twigs and leaves, hair, and some hardened glue from a glue gun to help me emulate larvae, and cocoons. 

I put the whole thing in a box in front of the plaster cave I made and created a little lighting set up for it. 

Then I took some photos which will be super useful for painting this scene. 

It's not exact to scale of the painting. and the color will be of little or no use. But it certainly helps me see the light and form a whole lot better. 

Now to paint.

To Be Continued...

Happy January 4th Everybody

It’s 1:30 am on January 4th so I don’t know how today has been by the time this gets posted.

So far so good on my end. I like 1:30 am vibes. It’s so peaceful. Sometimes I worry that I might lose my 1:30 am vibes if I have to take a job that starts early in the morning or have a kid or something.

When I have to get up early in the morning for something I end up getting so much anxiety about not waking up on time or that I’ll be tired the next day that I end up staying up even later and being tired the next day.

I don’t have to wake up early though. But I’m writing this at 1:30 am and scheduling this post because I have to teach in the afternoon and then I’m going to meet a friend for dinner.

Before all that I have to come up with a lesson plan and I’d like to get an hour or two in on the cave too.

The lesson plans are just step by step simple paintings that kids can follow.

I just watch YouTube videos. Sometimes I just copy the video if it’s made for kids and I like it. Usually I’ll change it up a little. Add my own tweaks to the design or process or whatever. sometimes I’ll find a video for adults and try to simplify it for the kids. If there’s no video for what I want to paint, I’ll either find something that there’s already a video for, or I’ll find some simple drawing of the subject and figure out the easiest way to draw it with simple shapes.

We’re painting gnomes tomorrow. One girl requested gnomes.

Basically whenever one of the kids asks if we can paint something I do it.

Not necessarily because I’m a cool teacher. It just gives me less that I have to think about and I know at least one kid will like it.

I hope there’s a video for kids about how to paint a gnome.

Well. By the time this is posted I’m either leaving school or eating dinner barring some act of fate and the gnome lesson will be long since planned.

Hope we all had a good January 4th

Have fun

Goodnight sweeties