Day 96 - 365/2014

Day Ninety-Six

Geez -- what a long day.  My sister and I were half-supposed to run a few errands but they were pushed over to Monday instead and that left me with several "extra" hours and I was determined not to squander them.  Me being me, I ended up overcompensating and I worked pretty much straight through from around 11 to 11:45 with only a couple of short breaks.

Main Project -- really long horns guy.  

I need to get this guy completed...one way or another...even if I end up not submitting him for anything. 

Before -- as he looked at the beginning of the day, ready for the next steps.

I have all of these little tester pots of paint that I would really like to use.  I think the problem is having too many choices, and I simply couldn't settle on a main color.

Another of today's projects:  Grammy needs to be worked on and then finished.

Grammy has a few structural problems...

This arms has a hairline fracture all the way around -- the other arm may also need attention. 

Grammy's tail has to be reattached, too.

And really, she could use a couple more layers of plaster cloth on her dress...plus I am not sure her face is done.  So that felt like waaaaay too much to do today.

More projects/distractions that need attention: 

This really tall rabbit guy -- but I need some preliminary help from someone with tools...shelved (again).

The croc-guy and the tiger-guy -- both too much for today...shelved.

The goat-guy and the working dog...yeah, well...shelved.

The hatchling-guy...this is a doable project but too much for today...shelved.

Another project (nearly finished but in avoidance mode):  the bear-like guy with the long claws.  Actually, this guy originally started out here and here as a sort of Universal Remonster.  That was all the way back in early 2012.  He progressed and at some point he got his long legs and base but I can't seem to locate those posts, and he makes it to here and then I got tired of looking for more.

Really, all this guy needs is to have his base finished off and then have his face area tweaked a bit...and maybe some sort of varnish overall to protect the surfaces.

What I have been stalled about -- the decorative metal strip with raised half circles.  Time to commit.  Choose a color and get to work!

One of the tester pots of paint ("blueberry") looked pretty good...but it will need several coats.

After the first coat...now to dry.

Another project:  the robot-y guy.

I made the fired ceramic head a long time ago...back when I was still living in Southfield and going to a ceramics "class" through Parks and Rec.  He was basically leftover clay that ended up in that shape -- I was practicing with underglazes and had no specific finished item in mind when I worked on the head.  (I made 3 or 4 heads during that session.)  The thing is, I like robots just fine but I don't really make robots myself...I prefer to buy ones that someone else creates.  (Juana is the robot person.)  I pulled out the drawer of little wooden shapes to find a way to finish this guy's look.

Again...too many choices...and I half-liked them all...

...same game pieces...

...or maybe these little wooden bowls...

...yeah...I like them...

...but hey...one could go on top of his head, too...but how to finish that off...

...with one of the sawed-off balls from his original hand/arm pieces...in the bowl...

...on top of the upside down bowl...

...oh, wait...how about stacked bowls for ears...hmmm...

Robot-y guy project, stage two.

Okay...add the stacked bowls as ears...oh man...he's not a robot after all...

...and cover up the robot face...he's a creature guy...

...maybe he needs a nose/muzzle...

...eh...nope...hey, this thing snaps right off...

...turned around with the old back being the new front...now he looks (in person) like he has more like "gonna get you" hands rather than "maybe I could fly" hands...

...and of course he needed a little tail (that had to be really really reinforced and solid)...now he is ready to dry for a while.

Back to the bear-like creature: committing to a finish for the metal strip on the base.

[Gasp] -- I actually found the original paper scraps and I think they will cover that metal strip much better than paint.

Done...but very wet with matte medium...I hope it dries well.

It dried great!  I am very happy with the base now...it will definitely need some sort of protective varnish, though.

Next up (but not today) tweak his face and claws and add the varnish and he's done!

Back to the really long horns guy.

Gah...choosing a color...too many paint choices/hate painting the main body...maybe cover him with paper that I have in abundance...but what color, dammit?  Too red...

...too yellow...

...I like this pale purple/pink that has gold inclusions...but no, it will make me think of plain skin...like his hair fell off and only pink skin remains...

...I have a lot of this paper...and I could paint on top of it for decorative stuff...

...just GO for it...tiny pieces...it takes forever to cover areas well...I was almost upside down in my chair to work on the underneath parts...

...this was a good break point...finished applying paper in tiny pieces all the way around up to his neck.

Back to work after cooking and eating dinner...I started around the eyes...

...and then filled in small sections...

Too bad this photo doesn't show how I was seeing his face...he looked like he really trusted me...LOL

DONE -- with the paper layer...(I think).  I wasn't sure I wanted to paper his ears and fingers or if I just want to paint them...better to get the paper on while he is in this stage...I can always paint over it.  I know I want to/will have to  paint his facial features and his horns (at least).

Ta-daaaa -- the three guys together.

Day 95 - 365/2014

Day Ninety-Five

Wow -- ninety-five days into 2014 already...it seems like time is really flashing by this year.

Tonight I put the third coat of white base coat on the really long horns guy...I think this will be enough.

before -- This is the second coat from last night (before I went to bed).

Right now I am not too concerned with the relative smoothness of the surface.

Trying to get every speck covered.

Painting a base coat (x3) is time consuming!

Today I also logged in the latest batch of submissions for West of Center -- the deadline is in one week!

Day 94 - 365/2014

Day Ninety-Four

Strange day...very cold and rainy and blowy...the kind of weather that is no way near the cold we've had this winter and yet it feels much colder...I think it is the dampness and the wind.

Anyway -- I changed my mind (again) about the really long horns guy.  He is getting base coated with white paint today...I hope to get one more coat on before I go to bed for the night.

And tonight was the First Friday of the month...time for another opening reception at the Northville Art House.  This month we have a solo show featuring the work of Tom Thewes called "Detritus".  You can read more about the show at the NAH's website at this link.  I was able to get a few shots of the show -- and the fabulous food provided by Edwards Cafe & Caterer and Bandoni Creative -- before guests started to arrive and I took up my post at the door.  And then before I left I was able to get a few very candid shots of Tom Thewes with Matt Eaton and Joanne Bandoni.  The show is outstanding...I will go back when it is less crowded and try to take some slightly more serious photos.

Day 93 - 365/2014

Day Ninety-Three

Man...I am so not a painter.   At times it almost becomes amusing, but mostly it is just frustrating.

The poking/suggestions I was getting today were to give the really long horns guy a "green wash".  Okay.  (I'm thinking now I may have intercepted suggestions meant for someone else...clearly they couldn't have meant me.)

Here are today/tonight's painting/wash/painting/washing off results.  This poor guy is so wet and sticky and a big ol' mess.  I think I have an idea of a totally different direction to go in.  It will be time consuming, but I think it will be better than this...because I sure don't know where this was going.

before

after -- the first green wash

after -- the first green wash

For the second application I mixed up a really odd color of green and painted him all over...

...then I went back right away and tried to take most of it back off again...

...what a mess...a sticky, wet mess...he will be fine I am sure...I have a different idea

Day 92 - 365/2014

Day Ninety-Two

Tonight I gritted my teeth and decided it was time to really get a little more serious about finishing some guys if I want to beat a deadline...so here comes the under-papering and painting.

First, the really long horns guy needed his eyes cleaned/scraped.

The robot-y guy needed a good face scrubbing...I am not sure the plaster cloth sloshes will stay gone...his face is pretty damp here.

I have found that if I cover the raw dry plaster cloth with layers of thin tissue paper the paint goes on smoother...and/or I can "color" with various papers if I decide to because they will adhere better to the tissue paper than to the plaster cloth.

First layer of tissue paper.

The toilet paper I use comes wrapped in tissue paper -- I have a never ending supply and using it this way keeps the tissue overwrap out of the trash.

Now on to the base of the really long horns guy...the paper will cover the sloshes of plaster cloth and the painted wood base.

That's better...I may add more, but for now -- it is much better.

And while I was at it, I put a thin dabbing of Payne's Gray around his eyes and down to his eye balls...I will do detail painting later.

I  know I will never ever get what I am seeing in my head onto the surface of these guys...quite often in the end I just paint them pretty flat.

But it is a start, anyway!

Day 91 - 365/2014

Day Ninety-One

Getting back to Biteyou's background...

I think I have narrowed the paper for the planet behind Biteyou to these three choices...I think.

These are still just mock-ups to find the paper, and I need a larger circle...this is the lid for the wok.

I like this stripey paper a lot.

It is dark enough and yet slightly detailed.

Another choice is this thinner, but busier paper...I like the colors.

Third contender is this heavy and very textured paper.

I like it, but it may be too bright/contrasty -- I'm not sure.

I think whatever paper I end up using, my method will be put it on with matte medium, let it dry.  Poke holes in the edges and either use stitching to attach it or use eyelets...I have tons of eyelets.  Maybe copper colored ones.  Juana gave me some good feedback while she was here today...a lot to think about.