All work and no play...

I do have a penchant for fantasy and science fiction as well as graphic novels and cartoons. My son and I made up this character named I-Blaster. He (has to be a boy my son says) is a robot who fights renegade robots and either brings them to justice or blows them to bits.
This is part of a poster that I gave him for Christmas.

This is a birthday card that I made for his 7th birthday. He liked it, but not as much as all the Legos that he got. What you gunna do?

The technique involves me sketching the scene in pencil, tracing in ink, scanning the image and adding color in Photoshop. The old-school cartoonists used to have to add the color by either painting it on or laying colored film over the black and white lines. Photo shop makes this kind of thing easy. I would love to do a graphic novel or childrens book some day. We will see.

Steel Bridge Part II

I just put the final touches on this painting last night. I had painted in a fella walking on the tracks, but he was too big (out of scale) and was more distracting than helpful, so I painted him out of the scene. I do think that something may have helped to bring more of a scale to the bridge, but I like the contrast of the structure and the background. I think that at 32" x 44", this is the largest painting that I have done to date.

Here is a little bit of detail. This is where I feel like I am starting to venture into the abstract. While the image is clearly of a bridge, the potential for further abstraction is clear. Oh, so many ideas are popping into my head now! I need to pursue the use of these vignettes to make other paintings.

Creative Times

Everyone has their creative energy highs and lows. For me, the mornings are the best time for ideas and for creating. My energy level is high in general and things seem a lot more clear. Once I have that first cup of coffee, I am ready for my mind to open.
I do feel like I waste this energy all too often on trivial things that could be accomplished with less creative energy. I also find that if I don't do something to release this energy, I become agitated and irritated and will end up feeling tired.
I do think that the act of making art and being creative releases important chemicals into my brain. During a painting session I feel lucid, calm and happy. After a long session, I am tired, but feel like I accomplished something and am content. Knowing that I have a project in progress can also make me feel good.
My least creative time is in the evening. I can get some grunt work done like stretching a canvas, adding one block of color, building a frame but it is not a good time for creative thought.
I do get that burst of thought that keeps me awake in the middle of the night. My dreams can give me ideas for different things.
I like to listen to other peoples ideas. Reviewing student work, architectural or other artistic things, can really stimulate my creative side.
If I had to give advice to anyone attempting to draw, paint or design it would be to figure out your creative energy schedule. I would also tell them that if they are stuck on something, to get away from it and come back after they have done something completely different.

Inspiration is the bridge

I snapped this photo of the Freemont bridge while I was on my bicycle commute to work this morning. The light was amazing and the water and sky are perfect. I am tempted to paint this scene.
It will have to wait as I have two larger paintings that I am trying to finish and another on deck of the river looking the other direction.
The more I paint, the more I see things everywhere that would make interesting art. The scene can be something as mundane as a trash can or as magnificent as a bridge. I am happy that there will be no shortage of influences in Portland.

Ugly phase

I have added color to this previously shown painting. The colors here are exaggerated and should make a nice base for the final glazed on color. The sky will be much lighter as well, which should help things pop.

Back to the Steel Bridge

This is a new painting of the Steel bridge. I was not sure about the composition, but I am very excited about the way it is roughing out. I like that the bridge dominates the canvas, and at 32" x 44" it is a big one.
I need to add more detail and block in the background. After this I will put in the sky and water.
The layout on this one did take many hours, but I think that I have things in the right proportion and perspective, which is a relief.
The image that I am working from has some tree leaves in the foreground, but I don't think it needs a foreground. Any thoughts?