Sketchbook Library OTT – Chair Sketch Two
Watercolor and Pencil on Paper
Nude of the Week – Pensive
Watercolor and Pencil on Paper
16.5×11.7in
$200
I’m having a lot of fun layering colors to create different effects in these watercolors. no doubt I’m breaking a million color rules, I never had much patience for the science of color theory. usually my system is to know the rules so that I know how and when to break them. to know them so well that usually obeying is second nature and breaking is a conscious decision. this is a good plan but lately I find I’ve been having so much more fun working on relaxing that old rulebook completely! I’m really happy with the combination of colors that have come about in this piece. I used a limited palette, but the blending has created some wonderful effects of warm and cool hues mixing together.
Nude of the Week – Ennui
Watercolor and Pencil on Watercolor board
16.6×11.7 in
$200
Watercolors are suiting me very well at the moment, I can fit them in with my schedule easily allowing me to enjoy studio time more often- even if it is only for 10 minutes! the drying time tends to take about one breastfeed’s worth.
it’s often said that people either work best in tones or colors. I am (surprise surprise) very tonal! watercolors give me a chance to stretch my color legs and have a play. they are also great for loosening up my technique and getting into the flow of things. it’s very relaxing!
Nude of the Week – Pop Daz Render
Daz|Studio render
Not quite sure about the lighting in this one, I really like the shadows on the thigh, but not so much the ones on the chest. the pose came really fast, but the lighting was a trick as usual – still, that’s where painting can come in! a chance to fix up the discrepancies and play with the elements I like while downplaying the ones I don’t. I love not having to paint exactly what I see, imagine how boring the world would be then!
Link to the original sketch here
Daz|Studio products used
Figure: Victoria 4 *free*
Character: Eve
Hair and Hat: Sienna Hair
Lighting: Studiolight Pro
Shoes: Stylish Shoes
Morphs: Morphs++ NGM for V4
Nude of the Week – Apex
Oils on Canvas
10×12 in
$200
a random inspiration leading to a random painting! this was one of those occasions where it all just clicked together, I knew the exact pose, it was easy to model, the lighting just fell into place and the shadows created such an interesting effect! I am thinking of revisiting this pose in a couple of other angles just to play around. I especially like how the pose continues off the edge and is echoed by the shadow of her hips on the background – all accidental, all very kewl.
Nude of the Week – Pop Sketchbook library sketch.
Watercolor and Pencil on Paper
Sketchbook Library Burlesque Sketch.
I’ve been thinking a lot about this series lately, I’m looking forward to painting it so much and a number of people are very interested in the works so I’ve been thinking of approaching this series a bit differently. rather than painting the entire series in one hit and doing an exhibition I am thinking of doing them commission style where collectors can pre-order the painting they like. This will allow for you to have some say as well- what do you think of that idea?
I’ll write more about it later with more details. oh and fair warning, I’m getting a new sketchbook library sketchbook soon.. the theme is ‘In Flight’.. ooooh…
Nude of the Week – Dejected
Oils on Canvas
10×12 in
$300
Dejected is an artwork I started over 6 months ago. it was towards the beginning of my 2nd trimester and I was entering a very long block. my artistic drives are frequently tied into my hormones. I HATED this. I loathed it so much I was ready to throw it out. I turned it to the wall, unfinished. and there it languished.
I took it out a month ago to test a varnish and took another look at it. suddenly, it had potential, it was a piece in potentia- instead of in the trash. last week I figured it out, grabbed my brush and started painting. this is the result. I don’t know if I will ever love it- but it is complete- and it has… something. the title in this work not only reflects the pose, but how I felt when I felt like I couldn’t complete it and how I imagine the painting felt sitting in a dark corner waiting to be.. (that’s normal btw, most of my paintings feel something- it’s when they talk that I get worried 
)
Nude of the Week – Chair 1 Daz Render
Daz|Studio render
I should say that all of these are working titles, I never know what a title will be until the painting is finished (and sometimes not even then!)
This was another piece I was thrilled with when the final render was complete. everything came together. setting these up is tricky and time consuming, it can be frustrating but so rewarding when the render completes
Link to the original sketch here
Daz|Studio products used
Figure: Victoria 4 *free*
Character: Eve
Hair and Hat: Sienna Hair
Lighting: Studiolight Pro
Shoes: Stylish Shoes
Morphs: Morphs++ and NGM for V4
Bustle: from Infamous
Nude of the Week – Chair 1
Watercolor and Pencil on Paper
These aren’t my final titles, they are working titles at this stage.. I like the dynamism in this pose, it’s fun and sexy.
Nude of the Week – Peek Daz Render
Daz|Studio render
Back to my burlesque Over the Top renders,
A number of people search this blog for Daz 3D nudes and information so I am going to start listing the products I use in these renders. I apologize to the people who aren’t interested. I can’t wait to start painting these works, after my self imposed maternity leave (which will be coming to an end very soon, I need studio time!) I will do a couple of easy things to get back into the swing then it’s all about these works, they are in my mind and driving me mad!
One unfortunate thing about the volume lighting is that if a figure uses transparencies (a transmap) to create a realistic look (like the strands in hair) the basic mesh shows as blocks. this is where postworking comes in, or the creativity in painting. the good thing about painting it up is that I can make up for the discrepancies in the 3d. it’s the best of both worlds!
Link to the original sketch here
Daz|Studio products used
Figure: Victoria 4 *free*
Character: Eve
Hair and Hat: Sienna Hair
Lighting: Studiolight Pro
Shoes: Stylish Shoes
Morphs: Morphs++ NGM for V4
Nude of the Week – Peek
Watercolor and Pencil on Paper
I know quite a few of these are stereotypical poses, but I am hoping to breathe some new life into them. I’m getting very excited by this series (still!) and I am enjoying showing my process to you all. I may even show a wip of one of these paintings in the works- if it isn’t too boring for you all!
Nude of the Week – Rapsody, Final Work
Oils on canvas and 12″ vinyl record
My piece for Medium:Vinyl at Hardware Gallery in Sydney is finally completed and shipped off ready for the exhibition in May. this was a piece that I had very strongly in my mind. sometimes, however, that isn’t enough. it took days of posing, lighting and rendering to get this piece right. sometimes, it’s really hard to realize the concept that is stuck in your mind. once I got to the painting stage, however, it was a breeze. sometimes taking the extra planning time really makes the final piece flow perfectly. I zoned into the painting of this piece perfectly each time.
Medium:Vinyl is on from 21st of May 2010 – 12th of Jun 2010 at Hardware Gallery 263 Enmore Road, Enmore NSW. more details soon.
Nude of the Week – Rhapsody Render 2
Daz Studio Render
What a difference a couple of days make! sometimes you have to go back to the beginning. I also revisited the concept by using a record as a backdrop for my render from the beginning. it was completely different, but somehow just perfect. sometimes inspiration comes like a half remembered dream, and it needs a lot of coaxing to get it just right.
Nude of the Week – Rhapsody render 1
Daz Studio Render
this was my first attempt at trying to realize my sketch. it took hours of posing, lighting and rendering and postwork in Photoshop and I just wasn’t inspired. the pose wasn’t right, she wasn’t seated in the circle, she looked like she was floating, and I just couldn’t get the look on the record to work. so I took it back to square one again and tried a different pose.
Nude of the Week – Rhapsody, initial sketch
Rhapsody, initial sketch
Watercolor and Pencil on Paper
The concept for my submission to Medium:Vinyl came to me while I was working on my Sketchbook Library Sketches. I knew I wanted to continue in the same theme, and I could see the concept very clearly, I just couldn’t realize the pose. this sketch is even rougher than usual as it was more a chance for me to get the idea down, rather than the actual pose. I knew I wanted the figure seated in the record label and a round shape to the pose with volume lighting stretching down on an angle and an extended leg. I knew I wanted parts of the raw record showing and a cone spotlight effect. it was a very strong concept in my mind, but without the key pose.
Enter Daz, and many hours of rendering to the rescue!
Nude of the Week
Mixed Media on Canvas
30×24 in
$800
Featuring an older piece today to celebrate starting to list my impasto series on Discovered Artists
Nude of the Week
Daz Studio
Still not quite satisfied with the lighting in this piece. the pose is perfect and the hair works very well but the lighting just still seems not right to me. I may return to this one
Nude of the Week – Flaunt
My painting Flaunt is today’s calendar nude at barebrush.com! Drop by and take a look at it and the other outstanding nudes of the month. (your vote wouldn’t hurt either 
) thankyou to the Curator Beth DeTal of Rogue Space|Chelsea and to Barebrush.
oh and Flaunt is available for sale on DIscovered Artists /blatant plug
Understanding the Nude in Art
To understand the significance of nudity in art, we need to travel back in time when sculptures were the most prominent art form. Sculptures were created to depict various important aspects of social life, especially religion and government. These sculptures formed an integral part of society and adorned temples, court houses, palaces, gardens and other public places of importance. Sculptors therefore needed to have high levels of skill and imagination to make the sculptures seem more life-like. Sculptors experimented with the pose, the symmetry, placement and angle of body parts and various other details to bring out a perfect life statue. This meant the viewer needed to perceive emotions from the sculpture, leading artists to use more than just facial expressions to convey emotions. Sculptors began to use the whole expanse of the body for this purpose, which also meant they could not dress up their subjects, as clothing cannot convey the person’s emotions, but portray them nude.
a wonderful article for beginning collectors and enthusiasts wanting to know more about the significance of the nude in art. This is a wonderful introduction to classic nude art.
Nude of the Week
I wish I was as happy with this as I was with the sketch. that happens sometimes. I may continue working on the lighting for this piece
Boundless Gallery to close it’s Virtual Doors
Spirit – 36×21 Oils on Canvas – SOLD
Apparently the recession isn’t only hitting the bricks and mortar galleries. Boundless Gallery, one of my most successful online galleries is closing on March 1. I am saddened by this as I have made the most sales through them online, including one just this week. the announcement came a couple of days ago and has thrown the community of artists into shock as we fear losing our payments due.
The official announcement has assured artists that they will continue to be paid for all sales up to March 1. there is no information regarding renewal payments at this stage.
While I am sad to see Boundless go, I have watched the market expand exponentially with many new online galleries coming into fruition. some with more marketing plans, stronger designs and art buying tools. I believe online art galleries are the way forward, especially for people like myself, to tap into international markets and make continual sales despite physical limitations.
I don’t understand how their business model could be losing money, the overhead costs should be covered by artist payments and commissions. the paypal fees are passed onto the artists and maintenance should be minimal. however, I feel that in the last year or so Boundless has let it’s marketing slide, not tapping into social media enough or keeping their design modern and up to date. the mixed colors, fonts and styles have led to it looking sloppier, less high end. This has not been helped by the artists who have been lowering their prices in the current recession. all of this leads to less buyer confidence. some artists have been reporting slow payments and layoffs of staff that we know speak to this coming for a little while.
My other online gallery, Discovered Artists, has changed it’s business model drastically moving to a more traditional commercial gallery system. they represent artists, curate the works displayed and market aggressively. I believe that this model will be ultimately quite successful and their design and pricing is very high end. They are the first to use this system and while they are still emerging I do believe they will come out ahead.
For BG artists looking for a way forward, I recommend reading Empty Easel’s advice on selling online. they have excellent reviews of most online galleries.
Nude of the Week
the sketch was sluggish but the render was very easy to pull out, especially with the help of my favorite lights! the painting is complete, check it out next week!
Nude of the Week
Watercolor and Pencil on Paper
this was one of those concepts I had a really hard time envisioning on paper. I knew what was in my head.. but I just couldn’t seem to draw it! still, once I rendered it I found it a most inspiring piece and painted it almost straight away.. stay tuned…
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