Motorcycle madness nearing the finish line...

Yes....the end is in sight!! It looks like this painting WILL be completed before the snow falls! *sigh of relief*

I left the tire and the black glossy floor until the painting was nearly done. I knew those areas were going to be difficult, but I needed to get the chrome of the bike firmly established with the correct perspective first. The painting wouldn't work if those areas were done incorrectly. The deep black of the tire and the black glossy floor had to look a different "black" than the black reflections in the chrome. I wanted the tire to read like it was made of rubber.....to be made of a different material than the other black surfaces. Not an easy task, for sure!

So I mixed a deep black, took a deep breath.....and laid down the color. I did wet the surface first to help the paint flow....and worked quickly to prevent backruns. I wanted to include the reflected gold color in the tire...I loved how it looked and it helped prevent the tire from looking like a dead solid block of color. Then I used a similiar mix of deep black and laid down the glossy floor. After painting those sections....I set the painting aside to dry....and to give me time to just look and see what to do next.

Now that those sections are done....I can see that I need to deepen other sections of the bike to balance out the values. For one....I want to deepen the red flames. They looked so bold earlier....before the deep blacks were painted. Now they look pale in comparison.

So I am not done yet........but I will be done very soon!! And no snow!!!

The madness continues....

The madness continues, yes....but Oooooo so slowly!! The differences between the last post and this one are slight, but they do exist....promise!! The detail work on the gorgeous chrome wheel spokes, if that's what they're called here, is quite time consuming. Each one has a different reflection....and I wanted to take the time to get each one just right. I also take the time to adjust the values on the already "done" sections.....the done in quotes, because a painting like this is constantly needing value adjustment. You can think that a section is done, but then once the paint settles in and you complete another section near it, it can suddenly look not quite right. So with a painting like this, it's important to set it aside, and take the time to really look at it. Then what needs to be done.....shows.

For the flame work on the bike, I'm certainly not matching that line for line. The bike artist did free form flames, and I will do that also. When it comes time to do the tire and the black glossy floor.... the whole entire look of the painting will change. And I will need to adjust the values on the entire bike.....most definitely. You want the whole piece to jell.

I'm hoping to complete this within the next few weeks......hoping?? Fingers are crossed!

Motorcycle madness continues.....

Like they say on American Chopper, the bike is coming together!
The detail work on a piece like this is amazing....sometimes I will work on it for hours, and swear that it almost looks the same as when I began that day! But that's all part of the process.
I've been putting a lot more darks in, which always helps to pull ths shape together. The cloth underneath is various washes of vermillion, alizarin crimson, and dragon's blood....with a bit of lemon yellow underneath to shine through. The black on the bike will take layers and layers of Payne's grey, sometimes with some Indigo added. I really like how the handlebars came out....when I saw the bike in person I kept thinking about how difficult a bike like this would be to ride! The most unusual handlebars I've ever seen!
The work I have left to do will be quite challenging! The tire is a deep black blending up to a deep grey, and the platform it is sitting on is a very shiny deep black. Oh boy. I think it'll be best to tackle all that in the morning when I have all day to spend in the studio.....'cause I think it will take many hours to get it all looking like I want it to! This will end up being quite a dark painting, and won't look much like a watercolor at all, I imagine. And I hope to finish it, like I said, before the snow flies!! So I'd better get busy!

Motorcycle "madness......"

Does it only seem like forever that I've been working on this bike? I do like seeing the progress I've made, especially comparing how the painting looks now to how it looked a month ago! I knew this painting would call for a deep background. In the photos I took of the bike at the Convention Center, the surrounding colors of the Center were reflected in the chrome of the bike, so I had to stay true to the photo to accurately do justice to the painting.
Once I had laid down more color on the bike, I knew it was time to tackle the background. I put frisket on the outer edges of the bike, even on the already painted areas. Then I gritted my teeth, and laid down the wash. Boy, I was not happy when it dried! I recall one of my teachers saying that all paintings go through an ugly stage. Man, she wasn't kidding! After a few days of staring and it and debating about tossing the whole thing out, I grabbed a brush and added another deeper wash on the background. That saved the day. The deep background was what was needed to pop the bike and really intensify the areas I have already completed.
Major crisis averted.....now I just need to finish the bike itself. Many challenges await...the tires....the tiny details on the engine...refining the handlebars....!
Will it be snowing when I'm done????

Some progress.....

After working on other paintings, I'm back "on" my motorcycle!

This painting is going to definitely challenge me!! Most of my motorcycle paintings are not filled with so many different colors as this one will be. From the bright vermillion cloth underneath to the various golds and glowing blues, this will for sure be a departure from the others!

One thing I have decided is the background will be dark. I'm not sure yet when I will lay in the dark background colors, but I do want to get more of the bike done before I tackle the deep background. Once I lay the background in, I'll have to adjust the values of the colors throughout the piece. It is unusual for me to be working in reflections with lighter colors, and not the normal deep grays and blacks that I've used for most of the other motorcycles.

Man........I must have felt like I needed a challenge! Well, I've got one now!!

Pink hollyhocks....

With all the summertime busyness....I was so thrilled to be able to finish another painting. Not a biggie, but one that is a favorite of mine. I have done a couple paintings from these beautiful hollyhocks that were growing in my friend's yard. So gorgeous! I can picture these growing in many an English cottage garden, along rustic stone walls, or bordering white picket fences in the countryside.
I began by laying down a very light wash of Windsor Lemon, then I used layer upon layer of Rose Madder Genuine. I know that many artists prefer Permanent Rose or Opera, but I adore the specific texture and hue of Rose Madder. One of my favorites, and one the captures the color of these beauties to a tee!
The stem and leaves are Sap Green, along with some Windsor Blue and Lemon Yellow. I also like to throw some Dragon's Blood in the stem and leaves for some interest and contrast.
Now if only I could grow one like this in my garden!! Veggies I can do.....flowers I seem to have more trouble with!

A new hollyhock.....

With the summer art festivals in full swing, I haven't had as much studio time as I would like! With the outside temperature reading 92 degrees right now....I'm happy to be ensconced in my air-conditioned home studio!

The painting in progress on the left here is a commission. A few years ago a client purchased my "Hollyhocks II" to hang in her townhouse in Las Vegas.

She came to my recent show in East Aurora and wanted a smaller companion piece to hang along side the original. SO happy to oblige! I love to paint hollyhocks, and it is so wonderful to know that she loves the original painting so much that she wants another to hang right along side it.

It is about 3/4 done here. Washes of rose madder genuine make up the petals, while my favorite sap green -Maimerblu- is the "go to" green for most of my the stem and leaves. I used some dragon's blood and some burnt sienna as well, in the leaves, stems, and for some of the deeper shading on the petals. I will be finishing the stem and leaves, then adjusting the values to make sure the flower looks as 3 dimensional as possible.

It's wonderful to know that soon this will be going to a new home!