Early mayhem.

The pencils for this Muppet painting were completed before I started Fozzie, but I didn't feel ready to jump into the painting stage until now.  I had to redraw it after applying the acrylic wash because most of my graphite washed away.  Usually, I clean up the pencils with a colored pencil finish since the wax keeps it from disappearing, but I wasn't thinking at the time.  Now, with the colored pencil layer over the acrylic, the pencil pigment blends into the oil paint.  I'm trying to make the most of that effect, but it involves additional layers of paint once the base dries a bit.

Tough Crowd

Here you go, the finished painting.  You may notice a bit of a color difference; chalk it up to natural lighting.  I took this picture outside on the driveway instead of indoors with the iPhone flash.  Big difference.

I call this:
"Tough Crowd," 2012, 16"x20", oil on canvas

More Fozzie

I'm excited to be close to finishing up Fozzie.  He needs to dry a little before I can go back in and do the finishing touches that will make it pop.  I also need to figure out where I can get a really good picture taken of it for my files.  You've been enjoying the photographic quality of my iPhone, but it would be nice to have some clean pictures that better match the actual color of the painting.

Wocka, wocka.

 

Hey, I'm back.  The urge to draw and paint finally overcame my exhaustion with work and I'm adding a couple of new Muppet portraits to my collection.  As always, I like to share the steps along the way, so here is my original drawing on the canvas, a 16"x20" piece I picked up at Michaels' a few years ago.  Next is my first step, just filling in the bricks on the wall.  I want it to look like Fozzie is at an open mike night at the Improv, with less than amused audience members.  A cream pie and a tomato are thrown on the wall behind him.  The last picture here is what I managed to do during the 45 minutes I had between my morning shower and my drive to work.  I'm getting a little better idea of how to recreate the texture of the fur.  More to come.