365/2013 - Day 55

awwwww, nuts

I had a feeling I wouldn't be using all seven of the plaster cloth guys.  Some just aren't far enough along.  Some aren't turning out as I'd hoped.  A couple are beyond painting in the amount of time I have left.  But I am still hoping for a few.

You wouldn't think so, but tearing paper takes a LOT of time.  And then adhering the little pieces to curvy surfaces takes time.  Man.

I am really falling in love with this guy now.  I want to do a really good job on him...and that means he will not be going into the upcoming show...just not enough time.

Another plaster cloth guy that will not make it into the show is the marsupial.  One of the several reasons why I am having trouble with his painting is the complicated task I set for myself.  Another is that I have never tried to do this before.  And yet one more reason is the uneven surface of the plaster cloth.  This painting design/style is hard enough but the bumpy surface(s) make it very hard to:

• get the edges on the layered circles sharp
• the gazillion tiny dots that go in between the larger layered circles are becoming textured when I try to put them on with the other end of the brush or with an eraser on a pencil -- I found a tiny sponge brush that will probably work but I need more time

I discovered last night that the millions of small dots I want to add (to represent Australian aboriginal-type art) are going to be painstakingly difficult due to the nature of the plaster cloth surface -- I don't mind putting in a lot of time, I just don't have that kind of time for the upcoming show.

More tearing of paper for the manikin guy.

I can't add any more paper bits right now -- he is too wet -- needs to dry a bit so I don't tear the pieces I already applied.

And another thing I learned tonight about painting/using colors...if you have a carbon black snake and you try to add phthalocyanine blue to the dry surface to make it look blue, it actually goes waaaaaay dark purple.  WTF?  

It LOOKS like a beautiful dark blue when it is wet on top of the very dry black paint, but it goes purple as it dries.  Even a second and third coat stay purple.

So -- another stab at going blue taught me that turquoise deep will stay blue...at least on top of the other blue (now dry as well).

They are both very appealing blues...it's just taking longer than I anticipated to get to the next step!  Gah!

I will finish all of these guys...but at a more reasonable pace.

Ah well -- live and learn.