cletus!

he's back!
Originally uploaded by nepalblue.

Well, he made it into New Mexico. I was beginning to wonder because I hadn't heard from him in a while. But, I guess it's that time of year, and he always seems to come by when the candy is out. He even showed up to class today. I think that everyone was as happy to see Cletus as I was. He critiqued and helped me out with my painting, which was good, because I was starting to get a bit frustrated with it. Tony was even fortunate enough to get a little advice from him. It's too bad he can't be around more often, because where ever he is, the smiles seem to follow. He's definitely one guy you can't fence in. Well, not as long as the NASCAR circuit exists.

say it ain't so joe

tramlines
Originally uploaded by nepalblue.

It has been waaaaaaaaay too long since I've posted. A lot has happened since last week. Luckily my poster study of Joe could be considered finished, because he bailed on us. After getting a nice drawing inked on a nicely stretched canvas, he just didn't show up. No call to the school or anything. After half a day of sitting around, Andreeva found us a new model, so we had to start over from square one with Hillary as our model. So I began with a new poster study (which I did the right way this time), and then after getting a new, smaller canvas, made way on the drawing (I brought it home this weekend to finish inking it in, since we're already a week behind schedule).

In the midst of all this, my buddy Tim arrived from Tucson. He came in and got to check out the class (he snapped off a few pictures throughout the weekend, unfortunately, I didn't have the right cable to load them onto my computer - so, you'll have to wait for those). I really think he enjoyed it (being an artist himself).

He wandered around the Santa Fe plaza for a while as well. After class, he took me over to see the Peaceful Wind gallery which is exhibiting contemporary Tibetan art (A little Timfo - Tim is very into buddhist practice and art). We got a tip from the guy running the gallery about a Stupa (basically a spiritual monument) not too far from the plaza. So, we checked it out, and it was not only beautiful, but it was enclosed by a cinder block wall right smack-dab in the middle of a trailer park. Total contrast. It was definitely fun to see, prayer flags and all. Unfortunately, it was closed for the evening, so all we could do was look.

Saturday morning, we got up around 9am and took the Sandia tram up to the summit. After hiking around the top for a while, we started our descent. It may have been a 5-6 hour, ten mile journey to the bottom, but every second was worth it. It is unbelievable how massive the mountain was (You just can't tell from the bottom).

Today, Tim and I just chilled. We walked around the UNM campus for a bit, I finally came across an ultimate frisbee game (I'll go check that out next week). It was a pretty cool campus. After dinner, I took Tim over to the airport and here I am. Now, here I go. I have to get that inking of Hillary done for tomorrow. Late.

tsk tsk

joester poster
Originally uploaded by nepalblue.

So, I should probably wear my running shoes tomorrow, because Tony is going to make me run laps for getting carried away with this poster study of Joe. I did have a lot of fun with it, although I kind of deviated from the purpose of the study, which is to focus on the color/value/intensity (which I did do... I just added in way (waaaaay) too much detail). So we'll see. Hopefully I'm not running in circles all day tomorrow and I'll get to work on the charcoal drawing. Now, I have to go stretch my canvas, otherwise I won't have anything to draw on. Late.

neeeeext

done, originally uploaded by nepalblue.

Okay, I took Lily as far as time would allow. I'm going to be starting again from scratch on Monday with a new pose. I guess the schedule for the next two weeks is as follows:

week 7 - poster study, charcoal drawing, wash-in
week 8 - form painting

Once those two weeks are up, there will be one more pose to tackle. I have no idea who the model is going to be, but there is a rumor floating around that it is going to be this dude named Joe. We'll see. I'm kind of hoping for a pose with a lot of shadow/light contrast and a dark background (something chiaroscuro-ish - think Rembrandt). Tony is all done with the demo, so we are going to have all day to paint. I would like to have a few more days painting Lily, but I am equally ready to start a new pose.

I have no idea what's going on over here in Albuquerque for the next few days. Tim is coming in from Zona on Thursday, and there will be plenty of cranaety, I'm sure, so I'll try not to get into too much trouble this weekend. Late.

dotting the eyes

dotting the eyes
Originally uploaded by nepalblue.

Quick post. Got to get back to class (and it's @&*^% cold out here!).

DA BEARS

forming
Originally uploaded by nepalblue.

Okay, so I am two days into the form painting now (I didn't post my progess yesterday because I was busy watching one of the craziest football games ever. The Bears' offense certainly was offensive. Luckily, the defense and special teams stepped it up and pried an amazing win out of the Cardinals' grasp). Back to the painting. I have been working around in the shadow areas, doing my best to build up the forms. It feels so much better putting on a nice buttery layer of paint as opposed to the wash in. I adjusted the contour of Lily's face a little bit as well, and am much happier with it. The process, in general, has me very excited. It matches my personality and style, so I am definitely in the right place.

catching the balloons

nice catch
Originally uploaded by nepalblue.

5:00 am - Snooze button

5:10 am - Drag myself out of bed, throw on something warm

5:30 am - (No, it didn't really take me 20 minutes to put on a sweatshirt) Tyler and I head out down Tramway towards the fiesta with no absolute plan.

6:00 am - Bypass all traffic and find some random place to park

6:01 am - Walk in the direction of the balloon park

6:02 - 7:59 am - Wander along in the dark, stumbling through patches of cacti and other desert flora until we find a decent spot. Then we wait (we kept ourselves warm, awake, and entertained by messing around with the different features on Tyler's new camera).

8:00 am - A balloon!

8:02 am - More balloons.. and they kept on coming as long as we were willing to take pictures. Tyler and I took so many (great) pictures, unfortunately, I can't upload all of them (well, I could). So, I grabbed a few, and maybe I'll add some others eventually.

9:30 am - We head back to the car and discover that we had tresspassed on Native American Territory (sorry guys). I wanted to bring home some of the balloons that we caught (see picture) and cook them up for dinner, but Tyler has a soft spot for balloons/ballooners, so we released them back into the atmosphere before driving home.

I found out about an ultimate frisbee group in the area, so I am going to check that out tomorrow (stay away rain). Late

under where?

lily underpainting detail 2, originally uploaded by nepalblue.

At last! The underpainting is done. Well, as done as It is going to get. I can finally start the form painting (Now I have all weekend to look at what I have, become unsatisfied with it, and make up my mind that I will spend Monday touching things up - it is already starting). So you ask why there is so much blank canvas, and I suggest that we continue to appreciate the underpainting layer as underwear; it is definitely sexier to leave something to the imagination (BS, cough).

I think it is going to be an early night tonight. Tyler and I are going to head over to the balloon fiesta in the am.. like, 5 am (that was my bedtime in college). Late.

so close..

so close..
Originally uploaded by nepalblue.

Okay.. this is going to have to be quick. I am on my 15 minute break from drawing. Late.

not done yet?

turtle's pace
Originally uploaded by nepalblue.

I didn't get the chance to post yesterday, so here is where I left off today. She is coming along pretty well. Tony seemed pretty happy with it. He gave me a little advice, and I worked that back into the painting - which kept me from getting as far as I had hoped to today. But no problem. Tomorrow, the first thing I am going to work on will be those areas around her mouth, followed by her forehead. Hopefully then, I will be able to finish the form along the side of her head. So definitely check back tomorrow night. Now that I think about it, I am going to dinner with a few classmates before drawing, so it will be 50/50 (I will or I won't) whether I post or not. I'll see if I can get a few minutes in.

The balloons are crazy! makes for a really enjoyable (well, even more so) ride down Tramway. I am definitely going to try and wake up for the ascension on Saturday. Late.

into the light

phase 3
Originally uploaded by nepalblue.

I'm still working on the underpainting. I'm sure I would have finished today if Tony didn't demo all morning (uh huh.. sure Toby. If you say so). I am just happy that I'm done with the shadow areas. I spent way too much time in there, but now, I'm out and very excited to be working the lit areas. I'm thrilled with the way her cheek looks. It will be nice to get to the other one done so it doesn't look like she got a black eye sparring with the other models during one of our fifteen minute breaks (Although, I might suggest that to Tony, see what he thinks - we might be able to get some good gesture drawings out of it. Hmmm.. she could get a nice shiner to match my painting, and I wouldn't have to adjust as much!).

Okay, so Tony finished his underpainting demo today and will reveal to us his secret (shhhh) techniques for form painting tomorrow. This is what I came for, so I'm very excited about it. It's very fun to watch him demo. He tells great stories and uses all kinds of metaphors to explain what he is doing. That, and he is quite fast (well.. compared to me). His work is absolutely amazing (check out the link to his site if you haven't), and it is even more breathtaking in person. There is a lot that a photograph just can't absorb.

If the weather is as nasty as it was here today, I may not stick around for the late drawing class tomorrow (I'm hearing Santa Fe might get snow tonight). Well see.

going up?

spiderman
Originally uploaded by nepalblue.

Found some activity this weekend. After enjoying a Bears' 40-7 victory over the Bills, Tyler and I climbed around in the foothills for a while. That's about it for now (tomorrow, I'll let you know how Lily turns out). Late.

memoirs of a geisha

memoirs of a geisha
Originally uploaded by nepalblue.

Here is Lily, phase two - still working on the underpainting. So far, I have only done the shadow areas of the form, which explains her geisha-like appearance.

The balloon festival has started. Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures yet. I had seen a total of 83 balloons on my drive to SF since school started, and there were at least that many floating around while i was driving yesterday. My cousin Tyler and I were going to check out the mass ascension this morning, but when 6 am rolled around, rolling over and going back to sleep seemed like more fun. The weather promises to be better next weekend, so I'll give her the benefit of the doubt for now.

So, for now, I am going to fill in some down time before I fill in the rest of my underpainting (lots of playoff baseball and hopefully a Bears game on Sunday - I really need to find some physical activity too).

a long way to go

she's coming along
Originally uploaded by nepalblue.

So, In class we all dove in to our underpaintings. Here is what I've got so far (I brought the camera cable with me today!). I cannot wait until I'm swimming along in the final paint layer.

Okay, let me explain the underpainting. Basically, it is just a wash-in (as one would paint a wash with watercolor) using a solvent to thin out the paint instead of adding an oil medium to the paint. It is a base for the actual painting layer to rest on. "Like underwear," as Tony described it in class. In that regard, I am trying to make my underpainting look as sexy as possible. I have tomorrow and Monday to finish it up; then it's on to the outerwear.

Alright, It is drawing time again. I must have left my draw-face at home with my camera cable on Tuesday because I sure wasn't feeling "it." I did end up with a great line drawing though, and I really enjoyed the model (would have been great to paint). I'll get a picture of it up soon. Late.

Okay..

ilc duolc
Originally uploaded by nepalblue.

So I forgot to bring along the cable so that I could upload and post images while killing time in Santa Fe. Luckily, I happened to have some stock photos of the Cloud Cliff cafe/bakery (again, where I am doing my killing) laying around my hard drive's floor. That will have to do until tomorrow when I can post Deidre's unfinished underpainting. Unfortunately, I won't be able to take it any further because we are starting the Lily underpainting next. I know, I know. "Toby, you never finish anything." It's okay this time because no one did (suckas!).

Alright. It's time that I put on my draw-face.