Nude of the week – ipad concept sketch
I was hoping to have a render finished, but it was taking way too long! So here is a quick iPad sketch created in my current favorite program Asketch. I love this program, not just for the easy procedural drawing, but the lovely feeling and simple, non distracting interface. I love working in it!
Friday nude quotes
Pylons, those pillars Bare like nude, giant girls that have no secret.
-Sir Stephen Harold Spender ‘Pylons’.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Nude of the week- iPad painting
I still don’t have a studio, but that’s ok, because i’m consuming myself with learning to use my iPad as a serious medium. I’ve been drawing and painting on it every day, in multiple apps. It’s very interesting, they all have something to offer in different ways. This is painted in sketchbook pro and often feels like pastels to work with.
I really miss having a studio though! Soon, it’s progressing more and more every day.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
ditch the nagging b**** and reclaim the most important thing
bewitched – 36×24 Oils on Canvas
I’ve had a hard time getting started this year, the weight of so many things to do has left me running around in circles wondering what to start first. in my usual style I start things in dribs and drabs then get caught up in something else, then something else, then I get lost and end up adding more to my list than I took away!
which is why, when I saw this post topic from wordpress’ post a day and post a week challenges I decided I needed to write about it.
What’s the most important thing you’re putting off? And why haven’t you done it yet? What do you need to make it happen?
[From Topic: What’s the most important thing? | The Daily Post at WordPress.com]
The most important thing I’m putting off has to be painting. I always put it off. I don’t know why, painting is one of my greatest joys. I haven’t done any real painting since moving as my studio is still very much under construction. it will soon be in a useable state and then a huge pressure will be relieved. because I’ll tell you a little truth about being an artist- the less you paint the less you want to paint- the reverse of my statement in my post 8 reasons why making art is like making love
but that leads me back to my goals for 2011 and what I want to do about #5 on my list: I want to paint. I want to be disciplined and work effectively to create the paintings that are inside me. I don’t have a shortage of inspiration, I have a shortage of oomph. And that is something I want to correct!
it’s easy to say that I will paint when I have a perfect studio, but we all know there is no such thing, and I won’t even know what will make it a perfect studio until I get in there and paint in it! ah-ha! a catch 22!
but here is another truth about being an artist: suck it up princess, you just have to get in there and create! inspiration will come from creating, getting better will come from creating, feeling that wonderful sense of achievement and drive will come from creating
everything I want in my career can only be had if I paint. that’s the most important thing.
I will achieve my goals and paint more than ever by ditching that nagging bitching in my mind that tells me I can’t be perfect so why start.
how about you? what’s your most important thing?
Nude of the week – iPad painting
I still don’t have my studio in a useable state at the present so I have been taking the time to refine my skills on sketchbook pro on my iPad. This is my first real painting on it that i’ve liked. I feel I am beginning to get a handle on using the different features such as layers and zoom to create good works. It’s not as awesome as the work the real digital pros are doing, but I’m feeling better and better about it as a tool. It still feels like finger painting though. It’s always Fun to learn a new medium!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Renoir Nude on the line for superbowl wager
Bathers with a Crab – Renoir
In a friendly but also serious wager, the Milwaukee Art Museum and the Carnegie Museum of Art are each putting an Impressionist work of art on the line for their favored Super Bowl team.
How lovely would it be not only to see the Packers win but also to have a nice little Renoir to gloat over, sent by the losing Pittsburgh-based museum to MAM.
“I’m confident that we will be enjoying the Renoir from the Carnegie Museum of Art very soon,” said MAM director Daniel T. Keegan in a statement that barely concealed his ardor for the dappled painting of lounging, fleshy females. “I look forward to displaying it where the public can enjoy it and be reminded of the superiority of the Green Bay Packers.”
Keegan, incidentally, is a Green Bay native.
Of course, should the Packers lose to the Steelers, MAM will have to pack up one of its very best artworks, “Boating on the Yerres” by Gustav Caillebotte, and send it off to the Carnegie. It is one of the finest examples of Impressionism in the permanent collection at MAM, a museum that is not rich on Impressionists in the first place.
[From Museums wager Impressionist art on their Super Bowl teams - JSOnline]
It’s that time of year, the frenzy, the colors, the joy …of the superbowl. this year it’s particularly exciting with two historical enemies sharing the field of battle. the Greenbay Packers and the Pittsburgh Steelers. the excitement has been running high since the championship doubleheader last week and has just been sweetened, in my opinion, by this latest public wager.
The museums have agreed to loan the paintings to the winning museum as a treat for the curators and the public. It isn’t the first bet of it’s kind, Last year New Orleans Art Museum and Indianapolis Art Museum had a similar bet and a Turner was regretfully handed over.
I love the fact that this is bringing the permanent collections of these museums into the minds of the public, it’s raising awareness for the arts and bringing it into the now and into an area where it doesn’t necessarily receive much coverage.
These comments in Press releases don’t count as trash talking apparently…
MAM and CMOA were quick to express interest in the bet once MAN suggested it on Sunday night. MAM director Daniel Keegan is a Green Bay native and I’m told he was particularly eager to fly the Packers flag. “I’m confident that we will be enjoying the Renoir from Carnegie Museum of Art very soon. I look forward to displaying it where the public can enjoy it and be reminded of the superiority of the Green Bay Packers,” Keegan said in a press release.
CMOA director Lynn Zelevansky shot back at Keegan, also in the kind of press release that art museums only issue when they’re having fun. “In Pittsburgh, we believe trash talk is bad form,” she said. “We let the excellence of our football team, and our collection, speak for itself. It will be my great pleasure to see the Caillebotte from the Milwaukee Art Museum hang in our galleries.”
[From We have a Super Bowl bet! | Tyler Green: Modern Art Notes | ARTINFO.com]
but we shall see as the countdown begins to game time next week.
So Remember, Go Renoir! I mean.. Go Packers! 
Su Zizi – artistic purity through nudity
Nude modeling is a controversial career in China. Some think it is shameful, while others think it is brave. But for Su Zizi, a 19-year-old student from Beijing-based Renmin University of China, nude modeling offers her the chance to pursue pure art.
“In my eyes, nude modeling is a career that needs to be respected, and it is a kind of art I will explore in my whole life,”Su told the Global Times.
“Being a nude model doesn’t just mean wearing nothing for me, it also helps me to know my body better and express my attitude toward the world.”
Su has worked as a part-time nude model for nearly nine months. As a student from a poor family, Su decided to be a nude model to earn money. However, she gradually fell in love with the career and took it as a path to deeply examine herself and society.
there has been some heated debate online about the career and recent exhibition of Su Zizi. the original article on the Beijing News sparked a great deal of backlash online and off throughout China. Sadly, I cannot find the original article, it appears to have been pulled from the site due to the sheer volume of vitriol. this excerpt describes the original article, it’s the closest I could get.
A female college student is at the center of a heated debate over whether it is morally right for her to pose nude for artists or art classes to earn money for her tuition.
A recent commentary in “The Beijing News” suggests that people respect the fact that the student is trying to support herself through a legal job, which is more responsible than relying on money from her parents.
The commentary points out that there are still those who believe nude modeling is an unacceptable business and tend to criticize everything related to it.
But the commentary argues that because nude modeling for artists is just one particular type of modeling, there is no reason to single it out by questioning the morality of those who do it to earn to help themselves.
Moreover, the commentary says if people could change their way of thinking and view the issue from a “healthier” prospective, they would appreciate the student’s courage to be self-reliant through hard work.
The commentary concludes by pointing out that people should be more open-minded and tolerant, because the student did not do anything wrong by trying to be a responsible adult. If the public viewed the situation in this way, it would send a positive message to other young people and encourage everyone to learn more about nude modeling without making any snap judgments about it.
You all know my views on the nude, and on posing nude. what I think is interesting about this story is the way that Su is handling everything. her exhibition was quite successful and she has appeared live in an interview to discuss her views. she’s not shrinking away from the controversy, or the hype. I recommend her interview in the GlobalTimes above, it’s refreshing to hear such a love and appreciation for the nude and it’s power. Su Zizi appears to be a gal after my own heart!
Beijing is gathering steam as an art capital recently and Interestingly, nude photography is quite a hot topic at the moment in China with a trend towards nude photographs to celebrate weddings also making headlines and controversies. I wonder if the growing cultural center is bringing these things to the fore more, if it is the pressure valve for the community.
being and artist and a mother need not be impossible
This is a followup from my post last week. This is what I commented on the original post, tidied up a bit and expanded for this.
Being the obsessive sort that I am I started considering these issues when I decided that I wanted a family. Liam and I discussed them from the beginning and we planned out how to ensure that I had enough time in the studio and how to make it a safe environment.
The thing to bear in mind is that this is your career and if you are serious about it, then it needs to be treated with all the seriousness of any other career. I work from my home studio and fit my work, both studio time and the business side, around her naps and feeds- I actually use them to structure my day! I find that since having a baby my career has become more structured and disciplined. I have to set aside time to achieve my tasks, so I don’t waste it as much as I used to. my goals have coalesced more as well, I’m more inspired to create and more inspired to succeed because I want the best for my little girl!
a few notes.
- I don’t know what paint you are using, but I find that the water miscible oils are wonderful and fume free, I took to using them before I started trying to get pregnant and find them a great way to keep a safe environment at home- they work just as well. they also clean up very fast- great when time is an issue! I don’t use heavy metal pigments either, I don’t want to risk transferring anything through my breastmilk.
- pick techniques that you can fit around his schedule – small, bite sized chunks of work you can easily digest. that goes for your to-do list too! if you keep tasks to 15 minute blocks you can get so much done in very little time! (this works for cleaning too
- have a list of goals for your art, your marketing and keep them in mind. make sure they are achievable and excite you. set particular goals for each year. this year I am focussing on creating works and marketing online, I have stepped back on exhibiting, but I am getting my gallery list together and starting to plan my calendar for next year.
- keep a sketchbook with you for quick ideas and sketches. no matter what you are doing there is always time for thinking about art!
- I find it’s sometimes hard to get myself into the studio, I talk myself out of it, there is so much more I feel I should be doing. the 15 minute rule works well here too.
- getting up one hour earlier can work wonders.
- expressed breastmilk can help for long studio jags or when you are out at openings. knowing you don’t *have* to stop painting to go feed really helps.
- My husband is very supportive of my career, he knows it is my passion and makes sure I have time. enlist help to ensure you get the time you need!
New Representation @Artboy Gallery!
Greville St was always one of my favorite shopping streets. I love Chapel St, but Greville St and it’s Sunday market was a wonderful place full of unusual clothes, wonderful jewellery and artisan treats of all types. My dad and I would visit at least once a month and spend hours browsing stores and the market.
So when I heard that there was a really cool new gallery on Greville St I had to check it out! I poured over their website, facebook and google. and I really liked what I saw, interesting pieces all with a strong aesthetic in common. I read their submission details and, armed with my new ‘suck it and see’ attitude I sent my details in.
Before I knew it I was meeting with Marc and signing a consignment agreement! Go check it out, it’s a fascinating space with some wonderful artists. the artworks are largely urban and fresh – I found myself tempted by so many pieces. this is a hallamark of an interesting gallery to me, if I don’t want to buy the works they have why would I want to exhibit there?
03 9939 8993
99 Greville St
Prahran 3181 Victoria
Australia
Nude of the week – Peace
Peace - A4 Watercolors and Pencil on Paper
The title of this piece is at odds with how I feel at the moment, I wanted to create an image of serenity to try and help myself feel more at peace. it worked while I was painting anyway!
I’ve been so busy. we’ve moved house so many times it’s not funny but this time it’s with a baby. once you have a baby everything seems to take three times as long. this time we are ‘doing it easy’ too. we’re getting all new furniture and having it delivered to the new home, only the most precious bits are coming with, and of course all our books, dvds, clothes, books, baby things, art, art supplies, oh everything! but not our old crappy furniture.
easy right?
except that of course there have been months of furniture shopping, planning our aesthetic, purchasing the furniture and arranging delivery, sorting out painting and colors, realizing the quoted delivery dates are going to be longer than expected. the usual packing, planning my studio, trying to get everything organized in time for a family celebration just before christmas – aarrrghh!
I thought everything was organized, then the closing arrived early and it all went to hell in a handbasket. but the first of the furniture has been delivered, and utilities are organized, netspace are trying to do our reconnection with a minimum of disruption and if only our old place would stop looking quite so much like a bomb hit it I would be much happier!
I don’t know how much I will be able to keep things updated over the next couple of weeks, bear with me and hopefully I won’t have to go to the looney bin!
now go buy some art so I don’t have to move it!
Art, motherhood and religion – oh my!
Expecting
Again, Robert Genn has given me much to think about in one of his twice-weekly letters. this one strikes very close to home for me as well and I followed the links with interest. The letter is in response to an artist asking for advice on how to balance her art career and motherhood. Imagine how saddened I was to read so many of the comments. so many women saying that it was just impossible to be bth a mother and an artist, that it can’t be done, that it’s selfish to try and that it’s wrong to deprive your child. all the things, in fact, that Robert seemed to be concerned about in his letter.
Also, I want to mention the extreme expectations that current parents have for their children. Children have taken on a god-like role and have become the focus for everything from prepping for stellar futures to daily parental companionship. Parents sacrifice their own lives for the potential brilliance of kids. For better or for worse, raising kids well is the new religion.
Further, I wanted to say that letters like Cedar’s come in here like leaves from a shaken maple. I’m conscious that many artists, both male and female, use the advent of parenthood as a scapegoat for failing careers. Artists in this predicament need to examine their true motivation for this popular complaint.
It’s been my experience that dedicated artists will always find a way. I’m also happy to report that selfishness need not prevail, nor need the baby lie unchanged in its crib. The creative mind is always working, even during the application of nappies. Household workstations can be set up and work can continue between feedings and other downtimes. The intermittent business may actually benefit the art–for many of us, contemplation is a much needed ingredient to our progress.
[From Art and motherhood]
I worked throughout my pregnancy (despite many complications) and continue to work with my 5 month old baby. Part of it is luck, I have a wonderful baby and husband that helps me out enormously, but part of it is also sheer determination.
I am also worried about this new religion, it seems to be leading to a sense of entitlement and selfishness amongst children. I worry about women who lose their identities to their children and submerge themselves trying to be the perfect parent. Post Natal Depression is also up, I just can’t help but believe these numbers are linked. There is no such thing as the perfect parent and what works for one family may not work for yours. the best advice I’ve received is to do whatever works for you.
all of these subjects make me think about relative roles in the home and workplace. there is still an expectation that women will stay at home to raise their children, that their careers are temporary (as evidenced by the very large gap still in pay rates) and that we have a duty to surrender to our children. a few artist dads spoke out in the comments of this post, they find it just as challenging to balance their careers with their children. all working parents have this dilemma. the problem is that because so many artists are passionate about their jobs (and enjoy them!) it doesn’t always feel like work. this leads to a sense of guilt – I’m having fun so it can’t be real work! I’m not saying that women should all run back to the workplace, or that there is anything wrong with staying at home to be a full time parent. I’m not saying that any one option is the right way to go, I’m saying that it shouldn’t be assumed that the women are the ones to stay home and we certainly should not be penalized for it
Edit: in a rather amusing twist, this was supposed to be scheduled for later. as I was scheduling it Erica hit post.. apparently part of being a mother and businessperson is submitting a blog post even when you aren’t ready! I tried to stop it, but once it’s in the feeds there’s really nothing that can be done so oh well!
Rubbing Botero the wrong way
Adam by Botero – Photo by Dan Brinzac“I had a customer here who was laughing, saying, ‘You can see his peepee is a different color because people are always touching it,’ ” recalled a store manager who requested not to be identified.
A building worker, who also asked that his name not be used, said, “Legend would have it that when they put him in here, he wasn’t smiling.”
Justin Kugel, 28, a student who was shopping last night, said, “I’ve seen people rubbing it and having their picture taken. That’s kind of gross.”
There’s a Botero statue of Eve nearby — and some people pat her bountiful booty, another shop owner said.
David Benrimon, who owns a Manhattan art gallery with “one of the largest collections of Botero in the world,” said the artist was not aware of the personal attention “Adam” was getting.
“I was with him. I didn’t mention it,” Benrimon said. “It’s interaction in art. People like to touch.”
[From Shoppers at the Time Warner Center rub Botero statue's genitalia - NYPOST.com]
The sculptures of Adam and Eve by Botero are receiving some close attention at the Time Warner center, so much so that the repeated rubbing has changed the color of the bronze patina on Adam’s penis to a gold that helps it really stand out.
I can’t decide if I’m thrilled or horrified by all this.. on one hand people are interacting with art, they’re enjoying it and it’s making an impact in a positive way – so that’s all good. but on the other, they’re all seeing everything in the most puerile light! I guess it’s to be expected that the lowest common denominator will prevail, but must it always be so low? or should we be glad that nudes are being celebrated, that nobody seems to care that they’re nudes and in the public eye (and hands)?
What do you think? is this ultimately a victory or a setback? what would Botero think?
Nude of the Week – Standpoint Daz Render
Daz|Studio and Reality render
This was my last Reality render before I had to give it back, I’m looking forward to using it when I have a more powerful computer! the results are nothing short of spectacular! this image is back to basics, based on the purity of the female form and composition. I may repaint Wavelength, I’m not sure it says all i want it to say.. it’s funny how that works!
sadly it also requires a pretty powerful machine – my computer just wasn’t up for anything more complex than this!
Daz|Studio products used
Figure: Victoria 4 *free*
Character: Eve
Render Engine: Reality
Morphs: Morphs++ NGM for V4
David Miliband’s nude art under critical and political attack
David and Louise Miliband with the painting in their living room. Award winning photograph by Naomi GogginA bit like finding a severed head in the linen basket, a gun in the bathroom cabinet, a whip in the downstairs loo.’
Mr Bayley goes on to describe the painting as ‘middle-brow junk’, ‘bad bad art’ and ‘one of those decisions possibly made after lunch’.
‘It exists to confer sophistication – there are nudes! There is vigorous brushwork! We are worldly bohemians! – but in fact confers the very opposite.’
His final judgment: ‘Politicians shouldn’t mess with art.’
[From DAVID MILIBAND: My naked dancing women fill me with joy and damn snooty art critics! | Mail Online]
These words have set off a massive debate on art and nudity and politics in the best British tradition. An emerging photographer took a portrait of David Miliband and his wife in their living room for a competition. she got the idea from a frend and ran down, narrowly missing the scrum of reporters after Miliband announced that he was not standing for the Shadow Cabinet. the photograph was entered into a competition and won. wonderful news for the photographer Naomi Goggin, but unfortunately the focus has not been on her exciting win, but on the cavorting nudes behind her subjects.
On Thursday I got a text from a friend saying that the photo wasn’t the story. Instead, it was the painting that Louise bought for me (and a patterned cushion that I bought for her in Jordan) that are visible in the shot.
They were being used to prove how vulgar and lower-middle-class we were. Pathetic, really.
On Friday I read the article by Stephen Bayley in The Daily Telegraph. Bayley compared the painting to the revelation of a severed head in the laundry basket or a whip in the loo!
In other words, it was the equivalent of being found out as a murderer (Mr Miliband with the axe in the bathroom, in Cluedo speak) or a secret S&M practitioner. What is this guy on?
OK. The painting is not exactly a conventional still life of a bowl of fruit. It has a dozen nude women. They are dancing. The women look happy and free. They certainly don’t look as if they are worried about the prying eyes of Stephen Bayley.
They make us laugh. They make sure Louise and I look on the bright side of life. And when people say where did you get it, we tell them. Not Christie’s. Not the trendy Camden Market. Not any market at all, in fact.
Louise and I bought the painting for my 40th birthday five years ago. Mr Bay ley says that politicians shouldn’t mess with art. But what a give away! Sorry, Mr Bayley, I didn’t buy the painting as a politician.
[From DAVID MILIBAND: My naked dancing women fill me with joy and damn snooty art critics! | Mail Online]
This is a very eloquent response to the venomous comments of Stephen Bayley. click on the link to read more. I feel very sorry for the two artists caught in this political war, as they are the ones who truly suffer. Unlike politicians they don’t have the same armor and protection, they don’t expect this sort of attack. Naomi Goggin and the painter Michelle Dovey have been caught in the political crossfire. while they say all publicity is good publicity I’m sorry that their works are fodder in this political mashup. I particularly can’t believe this attitude of a country that still publishes centerfolds in their newspapers! I feel glad that Miliband has spoken out in defense of his purchases and on behalf of both artists. the line that makes me smile the most, however, is this friday’s nude quote…
Kaisa Two censored by city council
Kaisa Two by Malcolm Edwards
One entry — a photograph of a woman’s nude back and buttocks — raised the eyebrows of an unidentified city councilman, and Mayor Chuck Hunter removed the piece from the show.
The photograph, entitled “Kaisa Two,” is by Seattle artist Malcolm Edwards.
According to Anne Knapp, PAL president, art league members “are very concerned that the city, which does not have a written art policy in place, has made a decision to ban the piece from the show.”
[From City of Gig Harbor Removes Photograph from Art Show » Kitsap Sun]
Another example of the government intervening in the arts to the detriment of all. this is yet another ridiculous censorship with no basis other than the perennial ‘won’t somebody please think of the children?’
“This is a public building, and we get young kids coming through here and we don’t want to have anything that could be offensive,” Hunter said.
The issue is that the exhibition is in City Hall. oh big deal. the fact is that there is no policy addressing the arts, what may be shown or may not. the city apparently uses the Washington State regulations, but there is nothing addressing “obscenity standards” in art in those guidelines. a policy will be made up, but I am betting that it will err on the prudish side as usual.
As usual, I say if they were concerned they should have said something during the jurying process as the works were chosen. rather than letting the artist go to all the additional expense and excitement of exhibiting only to have their artwork pulled by a council member. there is nothing disturbing or sexual in this piece, it’s rather lovely (I enjoy chiaroscuro so I love the lighting in this one!). But there is good news, the work is now on display at For Art Sake Gallery in the Finholm District.
Nude of the Week – Wavelength
Oils on Canvas
8×10 Oils on Canvas
$150
The concept behind these pieces is purely about composition and is inspired by accomplished photographer and good friend Furious Ennui.
After all the rough and loose figures I’ve been doing I wanted to focus purely on form, composition and smoothness. keep it tight and let the shapes speak for themselves.
This piece, and others both new and old will be exhibited on Saturday at Original Mould – I hope to see you there!
Runtimes – your Daz content and you
apex
A recent crash ruined my careful Daz|Studio content library sorting. after the dust (and language) cleared I found out about a lovely free backup script for your content library – entirely too late of course!
This however, provides me with the ideal chance to re-install everything properly from scratch, clear out things I don’t like any more and to tidy it all up. you don’t have to of course, but when you get a runtime as big as mine it makes sense to do a periodic tidy at times.
in fact, as I went through everything I found I had three iterations of the entire program on my computer! so.. I’ve done a complete re-install, I’ve cleared my content and will completely re-install that as well (sigh). all this is just in time to install my brand new content from the sales! (soo much content…)
I thought I might also take this opportunity to write about sorting your daz content for ease of use.
your Runtime is where your 3d content is stored on your computer. it has it’s own sorting system which, mostly, goes according to plan. some people have several runtimes to keep their content separate. or keep them on separate hard drives for portability and protection. I used to have one large one, with this new install I will be running one for my paid content, one for my free content and a special one for the content I beta test (as a ninja – shhhh!). but I don’t recommend you have anything so complicated to start out with.
if you are using the Daz installers they will give you nice prompts and install where you tell them, or to their default location in applications/dazStudio/content. if you buy from Renderosity, or download freebies, you will get a .zip file with your content. the .zip files will have all the directories and everything laid out, but you will need to merge them together (or you will overwrite your existing content!!). in winzip I believe it’s automatic, however with a mac it’s actually not the default. I recommend you use stuffit to extract your .zip files on a mac. if you enter into the preferences and go to destination you can select the merge option there. I found this out the hard way which is why I’m telling you now! after that it’s just a simple matter of dropping the file onto stuffit and telling it to decompress the files in your content library. (you are fine if you just select content – I created a shortcut to make it faster – sometimes it will expand with a different structure, but, if you use the content manager then it won’t matter, it will still work.
to put it all together, and sort it in the content manager I highly recommend this guide I created a quick video to show how I do it but it’s being pretty buggy on me and I’ve got a lot on my plate atm – I’ll see about getting it together soon!
Some of you may be asking, what does this have to do with creating art? I know all about expanding archives and sorting.. well, as I have very recently found out, if you don’t have a well sorted runtime or content library then you spend more time trying to find your content than you do making art- and by the time you do find it, the inspiration is gone… if you have it at your fingertips, like a well organized studio, you have more time for creating art!
Nude of the Week – Wavelength Daz Render
Daz|Studio and Reality render
Reality is a new bridge for Daz|Studio and Lux Render. it’s a physically based render engine, which means that it calculates the actual physics behind the lights, reflections and the way that light actually works. it produces outstanding effects but means that you have to re-learn everything you knew about how Daz lighting works and go back to original photographic lighting concepts. this is pretty cool, and I can see so many applications for artists who work mostly in still life. it creates volumetric glass, proper metallic reflections, and wonderful realistic water effects.
sadly it also requires a pretty powerful machine – my computer just wasn’t up for anything more complex than this!
Daz|Studio products used
Figure: Victoria 4 *free*
Character: Eve
Render Engine: Reality
Morphs: Morphs++ NGM for V4
Nude Jerry Hall by Freud sells for 600,000
Jerry Hall met Lucian Freud at a dinner in 1997 when she was eight months pregnant with her fourth child. He asked if he could paint her portrait, and she started posing the next day, three times/week, until she went into labor.
[From Eight Months Gone, Jerry Hall By Lucian Freud - Daddy Types]
I found myself wondering why this was such a big deal – £600,000 isn’t actually that much for a Lucian Freud, let alone one of a celebrity – but then I found out the size, 4x6in – a postcard size oil painting sketch. considering the size of Benefits Supervisor Sleeping and the price it set, this is consistent, even quite high.
I haven’t been following the sale of Jerry Hall’s art collection, but I wonder, along with the quoted author above, what else may have come out of all those sessions. this looks like a wet on wet sketch and probably quite fast. I wonder if there are any others lurking around. this sketch, even with it’s looseness show’s Freud’s wonderful treatment of skintones, gravity and luminosity.
Nude of the Week – Peace
Watercolor and Pencil on Paper
21×16
$100
A quick upload because I forgot to do one yesterday! I’ve been working on a lot of watercolors recently, they help me relax and refresh. they also fit well into my hectic schedule! I am happy with this one, but I am also thinking of re-doing it, purely because it’s fun! I’m learning a lot with each piece. this is a time of experimentation in my pieces in many ways..
Nude of the Week – help me think of a title for this one!
Oils on Canvas
24×36 in
$1300
While painting this one I was struck by the lyrics in Passing Strange from the song Must Have Been High
and every song sounds like an angel’s choir
my edges were rounded i had wings of fire
soaring through the sky i must’ve been high
Passing Strange is still a golden album for me to paint to in many ways, but this just really caught my brain during this piece. which is a mercy because Human Equation (my other current golden album) was taking me back to a very bad place while painting this. it’s one of the reasons i’m having difficulty coming up with a title (there are many obvious ones that I shy away from because of those associations).
Please help me find a title! I was originally (back during the render) going to call it plunge, but I think that will suit the upcoming watercolor better… I just can’t think of anything right! everything I think of breaks my one word naming convention, and that will never do! what word does this conjure up to you?
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