Girl In Hood Painting - Week 2
Current mood: irritated
Category: Art and Photography

This is a painting of a Girl in a Hood. That’s all I know about her so if anyone out there even reads this, and knows this artist, I’d appreciate a heads up about it so I can credit them!

My friend Betty from my painting class came to me last week and said "I saw this girl in a magazine and I thought you’d like her!" I decided that was all the direction I needed for my next portrait studies.

So, here is the Girl in Hood reference photo and 2 weeks of class painting. The 1st week I only had time (about 15 minutes) to sketch out her basic features.



Week 2





Week 1

Currently watching : Notting Hill [HD DVD] Release date: 28 August, 2007

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Juliette of Juliette & The Licks - Week 6
Current mood: calm
Category: Art and Photography

Oh My God!!!
I have had it with this painting. I am so over it. At this point I am almost hating it!!
I worked on it a bit in class....
Worked on the nose, eyes, hand, necklace, background and making the hair look less stiff, adding loose tendrils.

I am putting it away for now.

I realized that most of my paintings, with the exception of my monoprints are about 98% done, then I can’t work on them anymore, I get sick of them!

Here’s results for this week’s class:

Week 6




Week 5


Week 4


Week 3


Week 2


Week 1


Certainly, if anyone even sees this blog.... I’d love any feedback!
Dana :)

Currently listening : Achtung Baby By U2 Release date: 19 November, 1991

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Juliette of Juliette & The Licks - Week 5
Current mood: uncomfortable
Category: Art and Photography

I was almost dreading class today because I didn’t want to face this painting again!
My instructor said to me... "Dana, have you noticed the hand on the right is too large, too jammed into the side of the head???" I knew something was wrong but I just couldn’t figure out what it was! So I worked a little on softening the chin and neck, worked on the hair and now, restructured the top hand in the image. The feathers are another issue. I have no idea what to do to make them and the hair more realistic.

Feedback is always welcome!
Thanks!
Dana

Week 5


Week 4


Week 3

Currently watching : Grey's Anatomy - The Complete Third Season Release date: 11 September, 2007

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Juliette of Juliette & The Licks - Week 4
Current mood: tired
Category: Art and Photography

Here is this week's work. It is painful for me at this point. I want to improve upon areas, chin, neck, arms, hands, and I am afraid to touch it! I don't want to screw it up!

I opted to take out some of the background elements I had and go for large blocks of color.

Currently watching : Friends - The Complete Tenth Season Release date: 15 November, 2005

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Juliette of Juliette & The Licks - Week 3
Current mood: tired
Category: Art and Photography

Here's this week painting. I think its coming a long, albeit slowly.















Here's the progression!

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Books and Vid from a Friend
Current mood: okay
Category: Art and Photography

My new artist friend, Joan L., lent me her fab books and a collage vid that I want to record and put out there for other artists.

DVD:

Carrie Burns Brown - Water Media Collage Workshop



BOOKS:

Design & Composition Secrets of Professional Artists: 16 Successful Painters Show How They Create Prize-Winning Work (Paperback)



Celebrate Your Creative Self: Over 25 Exercises to Unleash the Artist Within (Spiral-bound)



Collage Techniques: A Guide for Artists and Illustrators (Paperback)



Creative Discoveries in Watermedia (Hardcover)



Creative Composition & Design: [The Painters Workshop] (Hardcover)



Thank You Joan!

Currently watching : Rumor Has It [HD DVD] Release date: 02 October, 2007

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Juliette of Juliette & The Licks - Week 2
Current mood: hungry
Category: Art and Photography

Here's the update for the day!

I think I made some minor headway. Its slow going with my broken finger, but I am enjoying my painting class!

Here's today's work:

Reference Photo:

Currently reading : Celebrate Your Creative Self: Over 25 Exercises to Unleash the Artist Within By Mary Todd Beam Release date: October, 2001

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Juliette of Juliette & The Licks - Week 1
Current mood: uncomfortable
Category: Art and Photography

Well, I had painting class today.
I had to do something while I was there with my broken SuFi (See below or prior Blog Post).

I have been eyeing this super image of Juliette Lewis I saw on the internet and wanted to paint a study of this fantastic, strong female artist.

For those of you not up on current pop culture, Juliette Lewis is a fantastic actress with a great resume behind her who has gone awesome punk.

My study painting is of this image:


I grabbed a baby blue toned canvas and put a few layers of paint on it. Its just a start so its really rough.

Currently listening : Four on the Floor By Juliette and the Licks Release date: 24 July, 2007

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SuFi
Current mood: aggravated
Category: Life

Well, it happened. I now have an involuntary SuFi.

Here's what I mean:



The SuFi is short for "The SUper FInger", made famous by the comedian Dane Cook. This is his trademark symbol or Logo.

How this happened:

There I was, making my last print of the day in my Monotype class, turning the press wheel at a high rate of speed when I was distracted for a split second and heard "S-N-A-P!"

My middle finger on my right (dominant) hand was caught for a second between the press bed and the turning wheel and I knew immediately it was broken. I knew this because I might just as well be a professional KLUTZ.

To be accurate I was diagnosed with a fracture to the right index distal phalynx. This is the top bone in the "finger" of "THEE Finger".

For now, its got to stay buddy taped to my ring finger and splinted so it keeps my knuckles immobile.

Thank god for Percocet is all I have to say. Better Living Through Chemistry!

Well, enough typing for now. Its not easy to do this with your non-dominant hand.

Stay Safe while making your art!
Who knew printmaking was a dangerous activity...
Stay tuned...

Currently watching : Scrubs - The Complete Sixth Season Release date: 30 October, 2007

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Crow Girl Progression
Current mood: uncomfortable

This is a progression and comparison of the Crow Girl Project I've been working on.


Reference Photo (art by Sasha Kinens)


Week 1 - Week 2 - Week 3

Currently watching : Sex and the City: The Complete Third Season Release date: 21 May, 2002

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New Art - Crow Girl, week 3, 2/5/08
Current mood: uncomfortable
Category: Art and Photography

Here's an update after painting class on this painting:

This week I softened the chin more, changed the proportions of the nose and tried to make the figure stand out further by adding bright light from behind with color washes.

Thanks for watching,
Stay Tuned!
Dana :)

Reference Photo (believed to be a Sasha Kinens painting):

Currently watching : Will & Grace - Season Six Release date: 01 May, 2007

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New Art - Crow Girl, week 2, 2/1/08
Current mood: tired
Category: Art and Photography

Here's an update after painting class on this painting:

This week I worked on the Eyes, Hairline and making the chin more feminine.

Thanks for watching,
Stay Tuned!
Dana :)

Reference Photo (believed to be a Sasha Kinens painting):

Currently watching : Will and Grace: Season Seven Release date: 04 December, 2007

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Sarah Jessica Parker Producing Artist Competition Show
Current mood: uncomfortable
Category: Art and Photography

Sarah Jessica Parker's Pretty Matches production company is working with Magical Elves on a new art-world competition show, similar to the Elves-produced Bravo hit Project Runway. (one of my favorite shows!)

The new show would feature a dozen aspiring artists competing against one another in various art challenges, from painting and photography to sculpting and industrial design.

Parker will stay behind the scenes as the show's executive producer, though Elves' Dan Cutforth says she could pop up on camera if it makes sense creatively. Parker once appeared as a guest judge on Runway. - Variety

Currently watching : Project Runway - The Complete Third Season Release date: 06 November, 2007

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New Monoprint Project in Progress - "after Fukuko Harris"
Current mood: tired
Category: Art and Photography

Hello!
I have finished printing a series in my "Painterly Approaches to Monotype" class!

I am learning about color in this series. I usually lean towards a palate of greens and blues, so the idea in this project is to use complimentary colors. These are the colors opposite each other on the color wheel.

Here is the reference piece I used to create my "plate" (this is a painting on plexiglass). The reference piece is by artist Fukuko Harris. You can see more of Harris' work at: www.fukukoharris.com.



My First Images trying to imitate the Reference:

Here is the image flipped by my software, its easier to see the similarities this way...


Here is the original 1st print and its "Ghost" or secondary. This image looks "flipped" because it is a relief of what you paint on your plexiglass plate...



The Ghost...



Now I repainted the same plate, but used complimentary colors and a wilder color palate. These are definitely NOT my favorites! I plan to use more Akua ink and some Caran D'ache Water Soluble Crayons to drastically change these prints!



Ghost...



Here is what my project looked like today: I begin with using my palate I've used for the last few weeks and over-paint my plexiglass plate that still has a remaining image left on it. This is the ink that was not lifted off after the last press.



Here are today's prints! I am pleased with how these turned out! I varied my colors and really let loose. The result was a super funky print!

Here is the 3rd Print and its 2 "Ghost" prints...



1st Ghost...



2nd Ghost (split on 2 pieces of white watercolor paper)...



Thanks for viewing!
Please feel free to leave any feedback,
Dana

Currently watching : Lost - The Complete Third Season Release date: 11 December, 2007

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New Art - Crow Girl, week 1, 1/25/08
Current mood: uncomfortable
Category: Art and Photography

Hello!

I had my painting class today and when I got there, I forgot my canvases that I had been working on in the last 2 weeks!

Luckily, I had a canvas that was given to me by my instructor when I first started this class several weeks ago. I started by painting over the canvas that had been painted by another student (and left behind) with black paint. Then, I tried out an abstract expressionist painting with blues and greens. Eventually, I painted this canvas about 3 times over and over with different paintings until I finally put it away and decided to wait to continue it. It was going nowhere. That is when I started painting the female portraits as exercises in color.

So, since I forgot my smaller canvases, I picked up this mess of an abstract piece and decided to put a figure of some sort on it.

I am in NO WAY done this painting, but its a start.... I am learning with each stroke and really enjoying this type of painting!

I have to soften the jaw, add more hair, define the eyes and lips.

As a reference, I used a photograph of a beautiful painting I saw in an American Artist magazine. I bleive the name of the artist may be Sasha Kinens.

As usual, if you'd like to send me feedback, I would love that!
Hope you are well,
All the best,
Dana :)

Here is my Reference:


Here is my work, Crow Girl .... NEEDS WORK!!!

Currently listening : Corinne Bailey Rae By Corinne Bailey Rae Release date: 20 June, 2006

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