Velour Paper study

[chookbrown]

Today I received my sample pack of the velour paper which I have never tried before. I have to tell you my first impressions are favourable. I quite like this stuff.

This is only a quick pic.. 9 x 12 so smaller than I usually work. Will also be trying to add some sort of blended background after the fact which will probably screw it right up. Any comments/suggestions most welcome!

First is line drawing on an aqua coloured velour paper. Then added some white in a hard pastel.
http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/03-Aug-2004/9218-giraffestart.jpg

Then added some orange rembrandt.
http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/03-Aug-2004/9218-giraffe2.jpg

Now some black to mark where I want the patches to appear for applying the later layers.
http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/03-Aug-2004/9218-giraffe3.jpg

This is Art Spectrum - Spectrum Orange - quite soft pastel.
http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/03-Aug-2004/9218-giraffe4.jpg

I will continue to add more rich brown/red brown to deepen the patches.

cheers and thanks for looking,

Colleen :D

[bogbeast]

Very nice start--thank you for sharing your process!

[Ruth Grinstead]

Hi Colleen

This is looking gorgeous so far, thank you for telling us how you are doing it :clap: .

Ruth

[K Taylor-Green]

Great job! I, too, like the velour. It is really nice to see how someone else works.

[judwal]

Great work. I've got to try that volour paper too.

[chookbrown]

Hey thanks bogbeast, Ruth, Kate and Judy. I'm going to try to add more colors to this today and see if I can give it more depth.

thanks for your comments and looking in!

Colleen :D

[rain24]

Wow. Great start! :clap:

Rain

[laudesan]

Very nice..:)

[Yorky]

Wonderful job! I would have called this finished!

[Little Old Lady]

Great results from your experiments.
JoAnn

[Artaholic]

Colleen;, beautiful, isn't the velour paper fun?

[meowmeow]

He's coming along well...it is fun watching him pop out here. I'm glad you are enjoying the velour. I haven't used it for a while but I do like it.

Sandy

[Squib]

I love animal studies, and this one is great. I'm looking forward to seeing the final painting. :clap:

[mhimeswc]

I love your giraffe. She is well done, and she makes me smile.

What is velour paper like? How is it different from sanded paper? Being a newbie, I've only worked on Canson a half dozen times, and one small piece of Wallis.

Michelle

[Mikki Petersen]

Great giraffe! He is coming to life right before our eyes. don't giraffe's have great eyes....and those long lashes! I have found velour paper quite fun to work on as it sort of grabs the pigment and holds it tight. On the other hand, I found it really tough to rub the pigment out if I made a mistake. Lovely work, but then, you do lovely work with whatever you pick up, it seems.

[Khadres]

Oh, those 'raffy eyes! Giraffes always make me smile...we have a bunch at our local zoo since they breed in this climate almost too well and they're the first specie I head for every time I go up there. They always seem to have this silly kinda "yeah? Whatcha bring me to eat???" sort of expression and those eyelashes are literally an inch long! You've nailed this one already, looks like! She's beautiful!

I haven't had the courage yet to try velour....glad to see how you go at it...very controlled which is probably the only way to work with the stuff.

[momof6]

Just my luck that you're posting this now - I was asking for velour paper advice in oil pastels (that's what I've been re-learning: oil pastels). A little intimidating but I like it so far.

What did you do your first outline with - is it a pastel pencil? Is it a freehand or did you use some kind of "tool" (grid, trace & transfer, projector, etc)?

I think I'm going to have to try the non-oil pastels. Thanks for sharing this!

[champagneharley]

Oh this is really lovely! Bravo!
Regards,
Jillian

[chookbrown]

Hey all!! Thanks for popping in on this giraffe!

Hey JJ, Doug, JoAnn, thanks for swinging by from watercolors!! :D

Rain, Artaholic, Sandy & Squib...I am liking the velour a lot so far. Seems very easy to work on. :D

Michelle....I work with colored pencil and pastel on the sanded paper. I loved the Kitty Wallis when I used it and I love Art Spectrums range of ground colors. This is quite different I feel. It feels a bit like velvet fabric though not quite as heavy. It is soft in texture and the underlying paper seems quite thin in comparison. Lesley Harrison (http://www.harrison-keller.com) has an article in the August issue of Pastel Journal (http://pasteljournal.com/index.asp) and she explains how she mounts her velour (which she uses almost exclusively) to an acid free board to give it more stability. I am guessing she means dry mount but I'm not sure. I have been able to lift some smudges with a kneadable eraser and I also use a sheet of black construction paper under my hand so I don't rest on what I might have already done. Harrison uses an air compressor to blow pastel out of the fibers but does say it is hard to remove it all. Hope this helps some. I'm definitely not an experienced user of this but learning all the time! :D

Hey Mikki... this is the first giraffe I think I've ever done and yes their eyes are definitely the best bit to work on!!! Closely followed by their spots!! :D

Khadres... do get some and try it. I ordered the sample pack from Dick Blick (http://www.dickblick.com/zz107/07/products.asp?param=0&ig_id=832) as it has several different colors and is only 9 x 12 inches so not too intimidating. I love visiting the giraffes and actually got some of my best pics from the Denver Zoo. This pic is from the RIL here I think, don't think it was one of mine. :D

momof6... I did the line drawing with a grey pastel pencil and just quickly put it in freehand as this was such a simple shape. I tried not to get hung up with all the little spots, choosing to just place the bigger shapes. I haven't yet tried it with my oil pastels... not sure how that will be. :D

Jillian... nice to see you again!! :D

Thanks again all, will be doing more on this one today and getting it finished hopefully. I want to enter it into our local State Fair just for fun. But I'll have to see how it comes out first.

Cheers, Colleen :D

[chookbrown]

Ok, think I'm sort of done with this guy but now the big question???? Do I try to put in some sort of blended background or not??? Would love to hear suggestions from you more experienced pastellists. I'm pretty happy with the giraffe but am not sure about how successful a background of sorts would be.

9 x 12" Pastel on Velour.
http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/05-Aug-2004/9218-giraffedonenobgSml.jpg

Have added much more darker browns to the spots, added more white to highlighted areas.

As usual, your comments and critiques are most welcome and appreciated.

Thanks for looking in,

Colleen :D:D

[Yorky]

He/she's delightful, Colleen.

I think it looks fine with a plain background.

[ayeceaeph]

Colleen,

I'm so impressed by the realism you've acheived. I can see your dilemma with the background. Personally (but I'm extreme newbie here :p) to me I'd like to see a background, maybe a complementary color to the spots on the giraffe (blue?). However, I, myself wouldn't have the faintest idea of where to start it....so don't listen to me lol.

Great work so far...can't wait to see what the others have to say about the background.

[chookbrown]

Hey Doug, Thank you!! :D

ayeceaeph, thank you also... never mind being a newbie, everyone has ideas and something to offer!! :D

I really have to stop messing.... I blended a small amount of blue around the face/head and I think it does in fact "pop" a bit more. That's it need to leave well enough alone!

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/05-Aug-2004/9218-giraffedoneblubg.jpg

thanks again,

Colleen :D

[ayeceaeph]

Colleen,

Love it...looks terrific, not a lot of background, but just enough -BRAVO!

I hope you're going to enter it in your State Fair...let us know how you do!

:clap:

[DGrau]

Tremendous job on this...wonderfull
David

[Dark_Shades]

Excellent Chooky, dont touch it anymore, its beautiful as is..... the colour background compliments the Giraffe :clap: ..... anything more would detract from it, and possible be too busy, especially with the pattern on the giraffe itself

Great job, wish you luck with the fair

[chookbrown]

Thanks ayeceaeph! Yes have this one in as an entry... have to get them framed before the 20th... and today I received a letter from our framer that he's going out of business.. drats! He was very cheap and did an excellent job.


Thank you David!! :D


Excellent Chooky, dont touch it anymore, its beautiful as is..... the colour background compliments the Giraffe :clap: ..... anything more would detract from it, and possible be too busy, especially with the pattern on the giraffe itself

Great job, wish you luck with the fair

Thanks DS!! :D I agree, the background on the ref pic was a mottly lot of trees but it was hard to tell spots on giraffe from the spots in the trees so that is why I opted for less...though I do wish I was brave enough to add a bit more greenery or something... No worries though, I do have to learn when to quit I just want to keep fiddling... :D

Thanks again,

Colleen :D:D

[ayeceaeph]

Dang...going out of business, what a bummer!

On the flip side...maybe he'll be selling off his supplies cheap?? Could be a good chance to get in there and maybe start doing your own framing?

[crumbedbrains]

Hey Chook!
Good job on this one . . like the reflections in the eyes. Nice to see it develop.
Cheers
Crumby :)

[dexonsbabe]

great job chook loved watching it come to life.......well done

[Mikki Petersen]

Colleen, this came out beautifully. The more I look at it the more I get the feeling he will begin chewing his cud any moment now. It's a winner for sure!

[chookbrown]

ayeceaeph:: I contacted the framer about his tools etc and apparently he will still put frames together for us and cut mats but we need to bring our own materials. So in a pinch I can gather the stuff and get him to frame them as he does such a wonderful job. :D

Crumby:: thank Tom, coming from the Master I'll take it!! ;):D

dexonsbabe:: Thanks, I enjoyed watching him/her come to life also!! :D

Mikki:: Thanks for your kind words!! :D

I am going to add a few colors to the white on the neck particularly closer to the head as a cast shadow, but that should be all. Just can't keep my fingers off it and got some feedback on that in animal forum also that was very useful.

Cheers and thanks all again,

Colleen :D:D

[ayeceaeph]

:clap: Well that's wonderful news!!!

[ElfeUra]

Colleen,
I just visited a Zoo - and giraffes :)
You painted it just wonderful - love it!
Thanks for sharing the progress.

Rita

[chookbrown]

Thank you Rita! I enjoyed it also and will be doing another Giraffe coming up soon just done a little differently.

:D:D