Part one of making an intuitive painting with absolutely no plan. Will it be good? It doesn't matter! I needed this right now.
I used my texture paste recipe for the base (modeling paste, spackling, gesso, and white paint). Colors: Golden Black Mica Flakes, Titan Buff, and Transparent Burnt Umber. I also mixed some sand with a grey gesso.
Inspired by the combination of one of the recipient's own photos and a technique I had seen using alcohol inks and tissue paper, I created this translucent stained glass window card.
I made this card for my brother’s girlfriend’s birthday (there really ought to be a better word than girlfriend when a couple have been together for more than thirty years). I never get any feedback on my cards for her so I make something that I believe she will like and use the opportunity to try out something I want to do.
I used one of her own photos on Facebook as inspiration and combined…
spotify | john marston's revenge quest, set to music from 1960s spaghetti westerns.
Fun detail: the opening cutscene for Red Dead Revolver (2004) features an instrumental version of "His Name Is King". The lyrical version is oddly fitting for John, given that it's a song about seeking vengeance for a dead brother.
ring ring ring it's dr darling, babey! between working on commissions and trying not 2 overexert my mortal hand/wrist, i'll have 2 feed y'all with some scans of relatively old work for now ;u;
Making the forbidden frosting. Still playing with the ratios of these ingredients but you should really try it and see what you like. The mixing part seems very important and you should probably use a container to get a super smooth paste... but I didn't have any so I just used the canvas. I'm new to the world of texture art but I am getting so much joy out of it. I can't believe I didn't try it sooner. I am in love! 💕 I don't know where I'm going with it but I hope you enjoy the journey with me.
Materials: Lightweight Spackling (I used Dap brand Fast N' Final but it dries somewhat quickly)
Genuinely hating the fact that people have to look really closely at art to see whether it's AI or not and like, zooming in and pointing out the little bits that don't match.
Because like, it's really fucking hard for me to calm down on obsessive details and trying to make everything perfect and make sense, to make sure that every lock of hair has an invisible follow line.
I get so bogged down in details that I ruin my art and the only thing that's been able to save me so far is to repeat to myself that no one fucking cares if this doesn't match up perfectly. But they do now. Everyone cares. We are zooming in on artworks and pointing out things that could have just been overlooked as human error.
Machine generated art means I feel like I'm not allowed to have human error any more. I have to be pixel perfect. I can't just vibe. I can't even imply.
And I think about that and become too exhausted to even start.
I kind of wish I had taken this thing to the next level and used a picture with a clone in it for March and November as well (I looked it up now, I very much could have added my Fives portrait or that first pinup-y illustration of Rex for March, and a very cute drawing of a clone OC and his dog (of whom I am promised to get partial custody, and how cool is that really?? and I am so very excited to show him off next year!!)) but it was also the year of Din in big hats as well, so I let those pieces stay :) You'll just have to take my word that there is a Rex in the July picture too.
I feel ike I have learned so much, and also have grown a lot more confident in my skills as an artist; I've learned that I love drawing backgrounds to make a "full" illustration, that intricate little details fascinate me to no end, that I can do fun things with lineart and my version of cell shading but I also miss dedicating the time to a full painting; and that harsh/stronger light reflecting off of darker skin is still something I'll have to study further next year.
Thank you everyone for your continued support in 2023! I have so many kind and enthusiastic tags screenshotted and saved for the days when I inevitably doubt what I do, it means so so much to me! I'm very grateful for the old and new friends I'd made or reconnected with this year ❤️❤️❤️ - and hello to new followers too, I hope you'll keep enjoying what I do here ❤️