BYE BYE BREAK

RECENTLY TOUCHED UP PIECES PT. 3: "QUETZAL EN LOS POROS"

As promised, I have "finished" my first oil painting since 3 or 4 years! This one was originally for an oil painting class--everyone had to do a portrait of someone. We were strongly encouraged to stay true and devoted to our photo references. I'll walk you through...
The sketch. I pretty much knew where I wanted to go with it from the start. If every project were this way...*sigh*
I simplified my sketch and transferred it onto my board and started to block in colors.

Adding in some more colors to my palette. I wanted to make it a limited palette but I was working with restrictions from the professor to stay true to references--also was told to get rid of the "abstract background" (indigenous pattern, but that's a wholllllleee other story...) as it was competing with the subject. I didn't mind that one so much.
Professor also had a problem with the orange she said it was too much and to use a dark--not to happy about that one but I did what I had to do.
This is what I handed in at the end. Sadly couldn't finish it. What kept my spirits up was that I had the break to finish it and make the changes I wanted to make. Don't mind my headphones at the bottom... :/
Worked on it for over a day and voila! I added my orange, worked on the fingers, incorporated some oranges in the "hair" and face and a little sparkle in the Quetzal's eye. I'm satisfied with the way it turned out. It did take a while to finish and sometimes wished I could take some more liberties with it-- but it was good to do something different from the way I usually work. I like the concept a lot and I might revisit it and take another stab at it in a different style. Pray for me to have time to do so!

NEW OLD STUFF

Right now I'm repainting a project assigned last semester. My break cannot end until I feel I am satisfied/finished with it. I will post it up once I finish it this weekend-- if not tomorrow. Anyway, speaking of stuff I did last semester, the one you see above was done within an hour or two for a school newspaper (W27) article. Something about which red lipstick to choose for the winter...the editor apparently asked for a lady with red lipstick which kind of didn't make sense as the newspaper is printed in black/white only...hmm. Although I had a bunch of projects to finish and finals to study for, I happily worked on this as a favor for my friend Charlitos, president of the Illustration Club. :) It was good to procrastinate and not have to worry about end of semester stress for a good hour or two.
Anyway, it's back to work for me!

YEY OBAMA!

So I feel terrible that I haven't been updating my blog as often as I originally intended. I've let myself down. :( BUT! I am working on a couple of paintings so it will be a while until you see them...I figured I can stay dedicated to my blog by updating little sketches I do in my book here and there-- I was a couch potato all day yesterday watching the inauguration so my little sketch here was inspiration from that (not the whole being a couch potato thing but...). Hasta mañana!