WIP Frog No.2

crumbedbrains · #1 08-10-2002, 05:16 AM

G,day all,
Someone in one of my previous threads asked me to do a WIP. I really enjoy seeing others do them but the thought of a newbie doing one is quite daunting since I make so many errors when I paint

.

So here goes:
I'm doing another frog (for those of you that saw the last one) 'cause somone has given me a great photo to work from. The photo is just the frog on a boring branch so I'm going to have to make the rest up.

(BTW . . I've got another thread going with regard the frog colour so if someone can please help me there it will certainly help this thread!!)

I apologise up front for the quality of my photos as I've got a cheap camera and the black paper really doesn't help.

This first photo gives an idea of the layout I'm thinking of (don't hold me to this 'cause as an artist (

) I can change it any time I please

). The size you see here is about half the size of a Canson sheet (it's actually Stonehenge Black 245gsm). I got the frog (the focal point) a third the way down and a third the way from the right edge sitting on a diagonal branch. Weight will be given to the lower left by leaves from a vine. I've only blocked in a couple of sections here and there (You'll see I work haphazardly . . . is that how you spell happhazzerrdlie?))

crumbedbrains · #2 08-10-2002, 05:48 AM

I'm leaving the frog alone for a while (until someone answers my other thread!!

) and have decided to work on the lower leaves for now until I get bored and go work somewhere else.

This is basically one of the leaves nearly finished (get so wrapped up in the painting . .forgot to take the photos . .I'll get 'em next leaf!!)

I guess I'll paint the leaves first up before I paint the associated vine. You can see I've chosen a light source from top left and have some quite bright sections of reflected light off the leave. I do this with a mixture of light gey and purple (actually the purple is called Winsor Violet Dioxazine . . sounds like something you use to cure a nasty fungal disease!!). Most of the blocking in and shading is done with a tissue dippied into pastel powder I get by filing down my pastels (Yes, I know it's wasteful!). I clean up the edges with a pencil eraser. Some strokes directly with a pastel give the effect of leaf veins (I haven't yet put in the main central vein).

After the main blocking in and shading, I'll erase a small portion and touch up using lamp black (it's not a real black black but I use it a fair bit) to create some leaf damage hole and mark around it with various shades of orange and red brown (Sorry I'm not that good at rattling off the colours as I see many of you are . . but I'm learning . . maybe by the end of this thread I'll actually know what I use!

)

To finish off I'll use a very light green/white as highlights on the leaf edges.

Cheers
Crumbedbrains

crumbedbrains · #3 08-10-2002, 05:55 AM

Sorry That went in twice (I guess the moderators can erase one??

)
Anyway here's a closeup of the leaf . . sorry for the blurry photo.
Cheers
Crumbedbrains

crumbedbrains · #4 08-10-2002, 06:44 AM

Well here's the start of the next leaf. This one will partly be in shadow from the first leaf. At this stage I've only blocked it in using tissue dipped in pastel powder as before. Again I've used a purple (Winsor Violet Dioxazine) based shading in the shadow area. Note I already had the shadow on the branch which has also been blocked in using a tissue. Theres a lot of work yet to do on the branch yet as I plan it to have the vine connecting the leaves as well as some texture and lichen/fungi etc.

Just noticed I haven't put in the main central vein to the first leaf at this stage.

crumbedbrains · #5 08-10-2002, 06:54 AM

Alright, here's the next stage.

I've rendered the second leaf similarly to the first with the primary and secondary veins shown. (I've also done the main central vein in the first leaf in this one!). Again, a bit of leaf rot or insect damage adds to the realism. You'll note the piece taken out of the bottom half of this second leaf has a highlight where the one edge would catch the light.

I've also begun work on the branch. I've blocked in a little more between the frogs toes and then added texture to the branch by using random small marks (like a sponge effect if you were using a liquid medium) plus some further shading using a tissue to represent dappled light coming through the rainforest canopy. Some highlights also add to this effect.

Cheers
Crumbedbrains

crumbedbrains · #6 08-10-2002, 07:01 AM

BTW, the marks on the branch can be almost any colour you like as long as the tone is correct. I've used browns, re-browns, greens, mustard and lamp black.
Cheers
Crumbedbrains

Charles Perera · #7 08-10-2002, 12:46 PM

This is majestic. I like the rambling tale that you make, to go with it, like background music. It is almost mystic.

Is there a frog No.1 some where here ? And what do you do or how do you apply the powder with the tissue paper. It makes me curious.

Thanks.

Charles

KarenU · #8 08-10-2002, 01:29 PM

Amazing...your realism is just superb!!! Can't wait to watch the rest of the thread! Thanks for doing this.

crumbedbrains · #9 08-10-2002, 08:00 PM

Thanks Charles & Karen,
Was beginning to think no-one was out there!

Charles, Yes there is another frog I posted recently. Look for a thread called FROGGY!! (I also posted a Sugar Glider under a thread called Pastel Wildlife Art). No real secret with the tissue . . just fold it a few times, dip it in pastel powder and wipe it on. . . gives a smoother finish for an underpainting which is not so thick so you can do the detail over the top.
Will be posting more later today hopefully.
Please stick with me as I'm a bit nervous about doing a WIP

Cheers
Crumbedbrains

ceEllicott · #10 08-10-2002, 10:09 PM

this is great ---- looking forward to seeing the rest.

what post are you waiting for an answer on?

cheryl

crumbedbrains · #11 08-10-2002, 10:25 PM

Hi Cheryl,

Good to see you're here

"Permanent Green Light" it's about toning down the frog skin.
Hope you can help!!

Crumbedbrains

crumbedbrains · #12 08-11-2002, 12:38 AM

OK next stage.
I'm just putting some deeper texture into the bark. This is done by dragging a hard pastel stick down the branch and giving it a twist every now and then. Some cross-cutting lines also make up the texture. To give the branch a rounded feel and proper perspective (say that 10 times fast!), I make sure the lines come closer together as they get towards the left and right hand edges as the bark recedes away from me. (BTW This sort of technique I got from a book called "Painting the secret world of nature" by John Agnew . . he eats this stuff up but it's all done in acrylics with air-brushes and what-not but I've tried to adapt it to pastels)
Some more spots and microtexture with red-browns and greens also add to the texture.
Cheers
Crumbedbrains

crumbedbrains · #13 08-11-2002, 12:48 AM

Then I added some highlights to the bark next to the dark crevices I've made. This makes the bark crevices look deeper. It's funny what you intuitively think is not always correct . . .with the light basically coming from the left, the highlights go on the RIGHT of the cracks to catch the leading edge of the piece of bark to the right (if that makes sense

)

I made sure that while doing both the crevices and the highlights that the lightest ones were in areas I'd lightened before for the dappled light effect . . . those in darker areas get darkes lines and "highlights" to keep that effect going.

Sorry about the quality of the photos
Will post more soon
Cheers
Crumbedbrains

PS can somebody please tell me how to delete that second posting I doubled up on?? tried the delete button but the system wouldn't let me do it.

KarenU · #14 08-11-2002, 12:53 AM

I'm just loving this thread Crumbedbrains........can't wait to see more!!

Charles Perera · #15 08-11-2002, 05:22 AM

It is amazing to watch the bark coming into shape. You must have wonderful imagination to keep working from different angles. It tempts me to emulate you, but I am gone in age and feel too late to meddle in things so magically creative. We are there behind you watching you doing those things with color. If we do not post , that is merely watching not wanting to disturb you.

Sorry, I am not able to help you with those absorbing questions you ask aboout color mixing and all that. Please have a look at my modest contribution to paint at the site below. Have you a website, and if so could you give the URL.

Thanks,Cb,

Charles

http://www.artistnation.com/members/...17/index.html/

Salute to our Gold Partners