Concepts for Hart Park. I did these pretty fast and I think went over the top a little. It was too energetic for a conservative bunch but I had a blast working them. Some day I will paint them digitally for my portfolio.

Last night at the Canyon Country Guild Theatre, 3 25 min sessions, 8 1/2 x 11 acrylic on canvas paper. Nailed the composition and values the first 7 minutes. I knew I did it right, because everything that followed was cake. We artists dream of nights like these before real models. I flew this night. Also really understanding how to command a story-another big, big lightbulb moment.

To take charge of this "story", I lit the figure on the right so that that is the part of the painting you should look at first, then her eyes direct you to the figure on the left. I wanted the blue tone of the canvas to peep out of the flesh tones on the right figure, some organized brushstrokes over the flesh tones to keep it fresh and seemingly haphazard but planned. I gave the figure on the right a questioning look, waiting for a response from her friend. All this was decided before painting a stroke.

Building...

Close up.

I did an archer a few years back and am now working on it again.

I actually did this (my first sculpt ever) a while back. I just never posted the baked sculpt. I suppose I should paint this, but I love the values in white as different lights hit it.

I am working on a Sabor Tooth Cat sculpt (there is no such thing as a Sabor Tooth Tiger), my second one and learning all about wire frames.

Furious!

For a parent, nothing is more scarier than a child being kidnapped. Rue-an wants her child back, but Wee-bit wants her freedom because soon she will grow old and die. Furious! could either be Rue-an or Wee-Bit. Who will win?

The final illustration. Big thanks for my husband, Greg, who believes in me like no other, Greg Manchess, who gave valuable critiques thru email and who put up with me at Comic Con, answering relentless questions about painting for nearly 2 hours, (I was amazed that he did not kick me out of his booth) and also Dwight Wanhala who is my go to guy when I have questions about props. Also big thanks to James Gurney, whose blog has inspired me to work this way. I just met him last weekend and his seminar was very informative and inspiring.

Check out his new book called Imaginative Realism.

I email the illio to my friend, the Big Fin, Dwight Wanhala. He makes a correction to the hawk's feet. Oh, that makes more sense.

I ad the striping to the dragon and like it. Then I begin to flesh out my illustration.

At this point, I start the tonals. And it is around here, I am in touch with Master Illustrator, Greg Manchess, whom I met at the Comic Con in San Diego a few months back. I have been emailing him my progress and he mentions that the face is too Disney. Oops. I redraw the head and make it more menacing.

I also do a quick sculpt so that the drawing will be solid.

I need reference. Reference ads authority and weight to a drawing. I was fascinated by some greyhound pics I found on the internet-I liked the foreshortening and the crazed look on the hound's face. I was also influenced by striping on the baby alligators-how sinister it made the animal. I found a pic of a snarling wolf-loved the intensity and then the foreshortening of the t-rex. Got really lucky and found a perfect reference for the hawk. I redrew it, and slightly changed the head direction. What does a hatching reptile actually look like? Found the hatching reptiles on the internet. I wanted a flavor of all these pics in the illio.

I tighten it up a little.

Fantasy concept. I finished this a few weeks ago, but it took my awhile to do. I started with a quick sketch.

Then there were the people in costume. This was taken after the Con closed, and they were so lovely to look at in the coastal light as the sun was dropping. Oh, if I only had my pallette and paints with me, I could have painted a real cool picture of them. The blue light on their pink skin was amazing. I hope they don't mind me posting them.

But it was Anthony Michael Hall who was absolutely the most gracious and friendliest star there. He enthusiastically stood up to shake my hand and was by far the easiest to talk to. He ended his series, The Dead Zone, and will be working on a new project in the Spring. I'm glad he is still getting work!

By contrast, sitting right next to him, was Lou Ferrigno, who did not look a day over 35. I believe they are the same age, 57, and I asked Lou, how did he stay so young? He told me just by eating a good diet. I got the feeling that it was against Lou's nature to be sitting at a table hawking his photos; he was somewhat aloof and not very friendly. You had to engage him. I got the feeling he was very shy. I told him I had just seen Pumping Iron last year, and could not believe how badly Arnold had been to him. He shook my hand and said, "His true colors are coming out."

I met Richard Hatch at the Long Beach Comic Con. He was a nice guy but he looked nothing like the handsome young man from the original Battlestar Galactica series. I'm not sure what happened, but all his facial features had completely changed-smaller eyes, bigger nose, smaller lips-it was hard to realize that this was the same man. And as an artist, it was fascinating to see how age progresses in certain individuals.

These were all done at Disney in Bob Kato's class on Fridays. I have never painted the model from life with acrylic before and I had not done a class in nearly 7 years. About 20-25 minutes each.

Color key exercises. The more purplish one was second (one on the right)and I used a better quality brush. It was a small bright that did everything. I've been told by a couple of really good illustrators that it did not matter if they used an expensive brush or a "throw away". But here's the difference; right painting is definitely more exciting than the other. A better quality brush does perform much better at least for me.

I just finished an on site freelance job for Disney Consumer Products and while I was there took advantage of Bob Kato's class on Fridays. These were 5 minute color sketches.

"Hey Kimmie, can you scratch my back?"
"Mama, Mama, where did you put those cookies?"

I'm convinced-the reason why John Singer Sargent was such a great painter was that he remained undistracted! I don't think he ever married. Or had kids. I did these paintings in Tahoe, one of my favorite spots on earth. I am not the best plein aire painter and still need a lot of practice, but I did have a hell of a great vacation. Everywhere you look there is a perfect composition with dramatic lighting. I could have stayed another week. We hiked, fished, biked and continually jumped into the icy Truckee River. Eagle Falls is one of my favorite places in the world.

Just back from Tahoe. Will post some okay plein aire studies soon. Here is a poem Sienna wrote the night we got into the condo at King's Beach:

Part 1
Here I'm in tahoe away from Home town way accross the city for the nights that pass over the tree tops.

Part 2
Here and there and everywhere cabbins are hidden all over the Home town.

Part 3
landcaster and utah everywhere we go joy fills us with lots and lots of love and careing.

Part 4
Sometimes we even stop to get more joy
it does'nt matter anywhere we go

July 15 2009
8 years old

Emma
Worked on this this weekend. Good painting, would have been nicer if it looked like Emma! I really struggled with this one-I am much more comfortable painting sharp shadows and sunlight. Tommorrow at work I will soften the eyebrow and the cheek rolling into the jaw.

Emma is Corinne's younger sister.

My favorites were the geisha, the gangsta, amelia dogheart. These are all property of MGA