Into the Woods

Eaton Canyon, 4" x 6", Gouache and Watercolor

I went for a hike with my buddy Vahe today to go plein air painting at Eaton Canyon. Spent a couple of hours painting this scene in the shade while gnats tried to nibble my face off.

Surf's Up

El Matador State Beach, Malibu, CA

El Matador State Beach, Malibu, CA

This past weekend I had the pleasure of attending a workshop with Dreamworks Animation artist Mike Hernandez. He lectured extensively on lighting and color theory. I hope some of what I've learned from his talk is manifesting in these studies. Both were done in under an hour and on site.

Be like water, my friend

Eaton Canyon Natural Area, Pasadena, CA

Two-and-a-half hours. I walked around Eaton Canyon for a half-hour until I found what I was looking for - a tree above a stream - as I wanted to take on the challenge of painting moving water and reflections. I'm still trying to understand why there's such a stark contrast between the warm part of the stream in front of me and the cooler section behind it. I know it has to do with the way the light is reaching my eye, but I can't figure it out exactly. Anyway, it looked really cool. I'll have to sit down and study Sargent and Zorn's watercolors for a better way to apply these colors - those guys are virtuosos in this medium.

Distant Storm

Eaton Canyon Natural Area, Pasadena, CA

Four hours, 6" x 9". I struggled with this one in the field, so I took a photograph of the scene as reference and tried to remedy my problems in the studio. I'm not sure if I was successful or not, but I definitely learned a lot in the process. That's more important than making pretty pictures anyhow.

Through the Forest

Eaton Canyon Natural Area, Pasadena, CA

2.5 hours, 6" x 9". As I was painting this, I kept imagining that wood sprites would pop up. Only squirrels did. What a disappointment.

Eaton Canyon

6" x 9", two hours, Eaton Canyon Natural Area. We moved to a larger size watercolor block this week, and the transition was what you would expect if you watched movies on your iPod touch all your life, and suddenly your dad wheels into the family room a shiny big 40" LCD TV.

I need bigger brushes.

Arroyo Seco Dog Park

4" x 6", two hours, Arroyo Seco Dog Park. There's a small stretch of park space along the 110 FWY that I drive by every time I head from work in Downtown to school in Pasadena which has these amazing trees that, for some reason or another, have decided to grow parallel to the ground. I spent my afternoon painting them while dogs and their owners ran circles around me. A Great Dane at one point shoved his face into mine out of curiosity. I had never seen one in person before so it was quite a treat to experience such an encounter.

It's kind of funny and serendipitous because I also got The Art of Bolt in the mail today and I was thinking it would have been so fun to work on this film. The great landscape and urban environment paintings in the book by Paul Felix, Bill Perkins and others are along the lines of what we've been doing all semester in class. Hopefully if I keep going, someday I can join a top-notch visual development team like the one who worked on that movie. I won't give up!

A Walk in the Park

4" x 6", two hours at Eaton Canyon Natural Area in Pasadena, CA.

Landscapes and Seascapes

More studies from my Gouache Landscape Painting class. All are 4" x 6" and were done with a limited palette on-site with some minor touch-ups back in the comfort of my own room. We open up to a full palette tomorrow. I can't wait.

Landscapes

I'm still alive. This quarter has kept me very busy - I've got four night and weekend classes on top of an already hectic workweek at the office. One of the courses I'm taking over at Concept Design Academy is a gouache landscape class that's being taught by Jackson Sze. The objectives of the course are to study light and develop a sense of color and design. We go out every weekend and paint small 4x6 studies en plein air (i.e. on site). The class started off doing black-and-white value studies and has now moved on to a limited palette of the three primaries plus white.

I really enjoy this class because I love to explore and be outdoors. A couple of weeks ago I found this amazing park trail just minutes from my house that offers incredible vistas of the San Bernardino mountains (the first several studies above were done there). It's funny, I've lived here all this time and had no idea this sort of treasure lay in my backyard. Makes you wonder what other kinds of secrets you might discover if you just took the time to look around...

Watercolors

Two hours each. These paintings were done two weeks ago at a watercolor workshop hosted by Bill Perkins. I wasn't particularly used to working in such a loose and transparent fashion. There were many times I felt like I was on the edge of losing control of the piece - having to deal with water retention and the rate of evaporation are challenges I never had to struggle with when I was painting more opaquely. Absorbed an incredible amount of practical information though. Bill is a treasure trove of knowledge.

Quick Sketch

Eight minutes. For the final day of our Sketching From Life class, we painted roughly ten to thirty minute studies off of photographs displayed on a widescreen LCD TV. This is the only painting I like enough to post. Having to make snap decisions is something I'm not used to, but I know with time and effort it'll get easier. And I sure hope it does - if I want to be a concept artist I have to get better and faster.

Thanks for everything Nathan - your class was immensely rewarding.

Eaton Canyon

One hour. My Sketching From Life class took a field trip to Eaton Canyon in Pasadena for a landscape painting demo and critique. After our teacher Nathan Fowkes finished up his plein air painting, we scattered to the winds to go try the technique out for ourselves.

As I was sitting down, painting off the beaten path, a little girl (Kate), along with her mother (Sarah) and grandmother (Kathryn), stopped their hike to see what I was doing. I don't think the study is all that spectacular, but Sarah and Kathryn were impressed enough to offer to buy it from me on the spot for twenty dollars. After some reservations, I eventually agreed to, but only if they'd let me finish the painting first. I would then send it off to them in the mail and they in return would mail the payment back.

I guess you can consider this my first sale. I'm just flattered that someone would actually want to buy my stuff.

KJ

Four hours. This is the last image in my watercolor sketchbook. I'll probably continue to do these studies every now and then, but I think it's time to move back into oils and digital to keep things fresh.

Dick

Five hours. Dick's probably my favorite of the older models here in the Los Angeles area, partly because as solid as a rock during long poses (making him very easy to draw and paint), but mostly because he's such a swell guy. I am immensely happy with how this one turned out. Aside from a few placement issues, it looks just like him. Man, I've come a long way from my first painting of him almost five months ago. I'm so glad to be making such progress!

Keith

Two-and-a-half hours.

Daniella

Four hours. During one of the breaks, Daniella said to me, "You sure have an awfully big smile for an Art Center student." I told her I only attend the school part-time at night. She grinned, as if to say, well that explains everything. This got me thinking - does everybody at art school really look so dour and serious? Hell, do I? Sometimes when I'm painting, and particularly when I'm in "the zone", I tend to have a goofy smirk on my face, because I'm having a good time creating the piece. I also generally try my best to stay in a good mood when I'm creating art, because your inner thoughts tend to have a way of externalizing themselves on the page. If I'm frustrated, it'll show up big time; however, if I'm having a blast, that'll manifest itself too. Best to shoot for the latter at all times if possible.

Angela

Three hours.

Noah

Charcoal, one hour. Watercolor with white gouache, two-and-a-half hours. The charcoal portrait's not too shabby considering the time frame. If I had another set I'd drive more darks in.

I'm very happy with the colors on the watercolor portrait but the eyes are starting to look a bit wonky. Lesson learned: never strive for accuracy when the model's dozing off.

Jasmine

Charcoal, two hours. Watercolor with white gouache, three hours. Today was the last day of my head drawing class with Meadow Gist. It may not seem apparent at first glance but I learned so much from her class; my confidence in drawing accurate heads has grown tremendously in such a short time. I think it's because she stresses simplicity and the fundamentals above all else. I am really grateful to have been able to study under her.