Continuing the work…
After a solid week of work in the studio this is the result. It’s probably about halfway to completion now! (apologies for the terrible phone photo! It’s just easiest..)
I am undecided about including the straps across the torso from the original render. They are cute, but I don’t want to take away from the piece. There is a lot going on in this one and I like the planes of the torso, they add a stark relief from the darkness.
What do you think? To strap.. Or not to strap?
On my easel… New steampunk nude!
“We’ve only just begun…” The placement for this figure was an enormous challenge as there are large steampunk wings coming in later. I have less than a month to finish this piece so it’s going to be a hard slog to get it all done to the quality I want!
There are times I wish I could save it as it is. I really like the way it looks now, but I can’t wait to see it finished either! Ah well, that’s what photographs are for!
The finished work will be appearing in a very cool steampunk show during Loréal fashion week so stay tuned!
Render in progress
Well, that was a nice break! I’ve had a chance to relax and a chance to be sick as well. Yay. but now it’s time to get back to work. This year I want to try writing shorter posts and see how that goes. The plan is to actually publish more. We shall see!
A lot of my Daz time of late has been more technical in nature, a lot of tweaking and experimentation. I have some new toys that I have been practicing with! This is the result of some experimentation and I love the eerie light quality! I still want to tweak the head a little, but it’s coming along really well, I look forward to painting it up.
Suspension WIP – 24×30 Oils on Canvas (detail)
Suspension Work in Progress
Oils on Canvas
Filigree and Lace and Cogs oh my. I’m keeping the lace lighter and airier than last time, a contrast from the steel filigree goggles and the heavy cog above it all. This was last weeks work, blocking in the background, glazing details and starting the massive cog undertaking. the figure is almost complete, it’s really about the detailing now. I have yet to use any black, a complete change for me. deeper tones have been blended using umbres and paynes gray or ultramarine. they are creating some very alive warm and cool blacks. I’m paying a great deal of attention to temperature in this piece, even more than I usually do, as it seems that slightly different hues go a long way towards making metal look convincing.
I have a lot of projects coming up at the moment, so while I will be continuing this series (I do love it so!) I will be working on some other things as well.
Russet – Nude steampunk painting
An uneasiness has been plaguing me for a few weeks since I pronounced this painting complete, an unpleasant nagging. It wasn’t until I took a few days away from it that I worked it out.
So here it is revised. Same painting, but with some new improvements that just make it better overall.
Why being obsessive produces better art
The more I get absorbed in this complex steampunk series the more I wonder about my obsessive tendencies and artists in general.
Recently, I’ve been having a hard time painting, something was gnawing at the back of my mind. Like a face I couldn’t put a name to it was elusive and irritating.
Something was Not Quite Right in my last painting. The geometry of the gear was off. I didn’t like the model I chose to begin with and have since gotten some better gears, so I decided to redo from start. Or at least, redo the gear.
Just the act of making this decision was galvanizing. suddenly I wanted to be in the studio all the time again! On a roll, i also decided to revisit the gold embellishments on the bustle, to bring them into the shadows better and connect the shapes more. I painted furiously, and it has paid off. A little obsessive prod that was poking me has subsided. The itch stopping me from continuing to the next painting, that was thawing doubt up in the way has passed and I am fired up and ready to continue.
Sometimes obsessiveness can harm a piece, it can lead to overworking and losing a sense of motion, spontaneity and immediacy that draws people in.
Flip 3 – nude steampunk Daz studio render
Flip – Daz Studio 4 Render
I just can’t get enough of this pose style and set! I think I am going to have to do a triptych.
Lately I have been obsessed with viewing a pose from lots of different angles. translating the same thing into different images and differing moods. I think this is something I will explore further as I progress.. Sometimes we only focus on one side of things. It’s good to get the whole picture.
And one of the benefits of 3D is that you can!
Figure: Victoria 4 *free*
Character: Reby Sky
Morphs: Morphs++ NGM for V4
Wings, Helmet, Harness, Boots and Hair: Apteromata Flight
Textures: Acherontia Atropos Flight
Flip 2 – steampunk Daz render
Flip – Daz Studio 4 Render
I love this pose so much I just have to keep playing! It’s odd how something changes with the angle. At the moment I am doing some watercolors and exploring the same pose from different angles, it’s really fun to see how much mood can change.
I will probably start posting those next week.
Figure: Victoria 4 *free*
Character: Reby Sky
Morphs: Morphs++ NGM for V4
Wings, Helmet, Harness, Boots and Hair: Apteromata Flight
Textures: Acherontia Atropos Flight
Gears – 30×20 Oils on Canvas
Gears 30×20 Oils on Canvas
$1000
I’m not quite sure what I want to title this, it appears I will be doing more gears and cogs so Gears (the working title) may not be appropriate – other thoughts were Russet and Pedestal. what do you think?
I really am loving the Steampunk Burlesque series, I’m pushing everything to the hilt and improving with each piece, they are lots of fun and a huge challenge. I’m planning an exhibition of these pieces so stay tuned for further details!
Nude of the week – inverted
This is the last render created with my old iMac! My trusty iMac is no more, the hard drive has died. The good news is that I now have a very sexy new iMac on order, the bad is that I don’t know how much data was backed up in my time machine backups because I had been having problems. The broken hard drive is accessible and I should be able to get my most vital content off it. I’m looking at having to install all of my Daz 3D content all over again! I just did that! Ah well. As long as my photographs are safe i’m happy. A lot of my data is backed up somewhere, but I would prefer non compressed.
This render came to me in a flash, then the pose came together very easily. I discovered these goggles in my runtime and was just so excited! They are fantastic! Here you can see one of the problems of 3D though, her hair just isn’t sitting right.
I have at least a week before my new Mac arrives. Luckily I have a few works to be getting on with, and my iPad for keeping up to date. I should be able to last!
Nude of the week – lace
I am currently painting this. If I thought, for one moment, that copper pipes were bad, well, let me tell you, lace is no picnic to paint! It’s funny, this is such a simple pose, but getting the feel just right took weeks of painstaking work. The painting is practically flying by in comparison! Except for the lace. I am enjoying it though, this entire series is a huge challenge and delightful fun. It also looks like it will be extended into a full exhibition later this year!
Nude of the week – aviatrix
Aviatrix – 20×30″ oils on canvas
$1000
http://www.bit.ly/jraviatrix
Here she is! The completed Aviatrix. I have to admit i am thrilled with the way these pieces have come together. As usual, the more I paint the more inspired I get and this series is pushing me to improve and tackle new things. No sooner do I start on one than I get inspiration for another!
Time machine, the event I created these paintings for went very well. Sadly I couldn’t attend, even though I held out hope until the last minute! The photos are outstanding. I only had the two paintings but they received such a wonderful reaction that I am inspired to continue and put together a steampunk exhibition with some other artisans.
Nude of the week – pipes, steam punk burlesque nude render
Pipes – a steampunk nude Dazlstudio render
I have yet to photograph the finished aviatrix yet so here is the render of the painting I am currently working on. it’s working name is pipes, but I don’t have a title for it yet. Sorry I didn’t post this last week, I had a migraine and couldn’t move. I painted, because I paint every day, but even that was a struggle, it was painting and sleep for pretty much a week. Ah, the glamorous life of an artist!
I’ve been obsessed with inverted poses lately. This one kept ringing in my mind for ages, I have sketch after sketch as I tried to refine it and bring it to the surface. I may be doing more as I work out this latest itch! I get poses stuck in my mind like a song and the only way to fix it is to paint and paint and paint!
Products used
Figure: Victoria 4 *free*
Character: Reby Sky
Morphs: Morphs++ NGM for V4
Chair: Girl Play
Nude of the week – Aviatrix WIP
Aviatrix – Work in Progress
A quick posting with my current work in progress. These days i’m painting in the morning which sets up my day really well. I find I have more energy and I haven’t frittered away my day online. the most important thing is to paint and by putting it first I make sure it’s my priority – before marketing and web work, before email, even before facebook!
Nude of the Week – SteamPunk DazStudio Render
Daz|Studio render
I have an opportunity to show some pieces at a steampunk burlesque event coming up in a few weeks at a club in Melbourne. I’ve had a few steampunk works clicking in the back of my mind now for a while so I am enjoying the further opportunity to stretch my creative muscles – they will go very well with my burlesque pieces! these seem to be a little darker so far, but I’m really enjoying them. I’m returning to my love of cast shadows and combining them with my fascination with volumetrics and all things steampunk.
Products used
Figure: Victoria 4 *free*
Character: Reby Sky
Hair and Hat: B25 SteamPunk Aviator
Morphs: Morphs++ NGM for V4
Chair: Girl Play
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