Illustration: David dance o2

 This was different sort of challenge. The reference photo was a scan from a session I did almost 30 years ago of a print that had been damaged by water. The negative and the prints are long gone and the paper used was textured so while I loved the pose, it wasn't something I could use anywhere. So I thought turning it into an illustration wit Krita might be a good way to "resurrect it". 

Another challenge was that the reference was black and white and I wanted it to be colour. Luckily the dancer was a good friend and even rented my spare room for a time so I had other photos of him that showed off is skin tones to work from. 

The graphic element in the background seemed make him stand out more than just a solid colour would. 

illustration: pont pour Katherine & Julianna

 

My niece (and godchild) asks me to do illustrate the bridge she and her girlfriend see from their new apartment, so of course I did! It's an 11x17 inch piece and will be printed that size when/if she approves it. 

I have not done a landscape painting since... not sure when. I might have been a teenager the last time. Have one a couple pen and ink landscapes but only a few of them filled the canvas completely. Most were of a single subject with some scenery and most overall are of old barns. 

Painted in Krita and it was a challenge. I have been using very organic subjects  like people and the precise curves and straight lines for something this large were not working out. I ended up using Affinity Designer to sketch out the bridge part with vector art and then import it in sections as png files to paint over. 

To be honest, I have no idea what I think of this as it is so far out of my wheelhouse these days. I tried not to choke it with details and simplified the water and sky to keep the attention on the bridge itself. Hopefully, they wont hate it! I did respect their very odd request to NOT have giant tentacles coming up over the bridge. Kids today! 

illustration: Nathen & Pascal 02

 

I don't know why but this was a long one do paint, about 35 hours. I tried not to obsess over the fingers, toes and ears - things I often work on for hours and hours because they are complicated to get looking right - obviously I did not try all that hard and obsessed anyway. 

Lots of hidden details in this that are only visible close up or in a print. The upper tank top has ridges and I drew them all so the material wouldn't look shiny, as shiny as it would have looked without that texture added. I went for more contrast in the skin tones between the two guys and I think it was successful. Pale skin is harder for me to render than darker skin. I don't know why I picked that colour for the background but I'm glad I did, I think it's nice compliment to the 2 skin tones. 

It might not seem it but this is more "painting like" than many of my previous colour illustrations and the transition between tones is rougher so I might be getting away from my pen and ink level of detail and letting myself work a little looser with paint. I notice it anyway!