Watercolor demo

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I'm posting early this week because I'm heading off to the World Science Fiction Convention! Hope you enjoy this demo.




















Watercolor and gouache on Arches paper. 15"x 20"

This is transparent watercolor except for 3 or 4 opaque gouache strokes needed in the highlights. Keep in mind that transparent does not mean it has to be applied that way, I do like luminous pastel feeling watercolors but I don't want to always be limited to that. I've laid the darks on pretty thick so that they are in fact no longer transparent. I only buy watercolor in tubes because the hard cakes just don't release enough pigment to paint in a full value range. My favorite brands are Winsor and Newton and Holbein.

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These are color roughs from "The Return" sequence of "The Prince of Egypt" 1998. The cool temperatures were an important color statement for this part of the story. Acrylic on illustration board.
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Photoshop sketch.
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Comicon demo

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Here's the demo I did at Comicon. Thanks to everyone at LAAFA and to all of you who stopped by.
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COMICON!!

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I'll be doing a charcoal portrait demo at Comicon. It will be Saturday, 2:30 at the LAAFA booth #5567, come on by!
Here are a few examples from previous years:












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Portrait Drawing Workshop Saturday Aug 6!

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My annual portrait drawing workshop will be Saturday Aug 6, 12pm to 8pm. It's designed to be an instructive overview of the materials, techniques, and concepts for successful portrait drawing. To enroll contact LAAFA.org, phone (877) MY-LAAFA

Here's what you'll get for your hard earned money and time:

12 to 2pm Slideshow and lecture with numerous step by step examples. We'll discuss:
• The fundamentals of constructing the head with the values of light and shadow.
• Principles for creating the illusion of space and volume on a 2 dimensional drawing surface.
• Ideas for portrait composition and creating a likeness.
• Techniques and tips on materials and the drawing process.
2-5pm: Full length Instructor demonstration from a live model.
5-6pm: Dinner break.
6-8pm: Student drawing time from a live model with instructor feedback.

Hope to see you there!
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Coast town.
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Acrylic sketch.
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Charcoal on Rives paper.
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Rooster, watercolor on Arches paper, 15"x20".
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Sketching from Life 10 week course!

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If you're in the LA area and want to have some fun refining your drawing and painting skills, come join me for my 10 week sketching from life course. It will be held Tuesday nights from 7 to 10 pm starting on July 12th. For this class we'll study the head, figure, drapery, colorful costume, animals and nature as well as a bonus weekend field trip to study landscape painting. I'll demonstrate techniques in charcoal, watercolor and gouache; students will be welcome to use the medium of their choice.

To enroll contact LAAFA.org, phone (877) MY-LAAFA

Hope to see you soon.

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Mountain scape, photoshop.
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Renaissance Faire Folk.
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A painting from my "Painting in Gouache" class.
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Composition Workshop! Saturday May 14

The skills of drawing and color are critically important and yet they don't find their full expression until they're teamed with a strong composition. If you're going to make a great picture you have to have a great composition.
That will be our topic of study for this years composition workshop on Saturday, May 14, 12-8pm. So whether you're a landscape painter, figurative or entertainment artist, if you're in the LA area I'd love to see you there. To enroll contact the Los Angeles Academy of Figurative Art at 877-695-2232. Their site is www.laafa.org. Read on for an overview:


Composition: design for dynamic picture making:

• Slideshow presentation and lecture, 12-3pm: Lectures on the fundamentals of effective picture making. Discussions on the creation of mood and environment. Principles for organizing complex scenes into pleasing arrangements. Strategies for solving compositional problems quickly and effectively. Studies of Composition in history and the modern day
  

• Painting demonstration, 3:30-5
• Compositional exercises, 6-7pm
• Student painting time with instructor feedback, 7-8pm

To enroll contact the Los Angeles Academy of Figurative Art at 877-695-2232. Their site is www.laafa.org.

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Coastal City, photoshop.
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Watercolor Sunflowers 15"x 20" and ink rough 3"x5".
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Roughs for How to Train Your Dragon.
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Compressed charcoal and nupastel on strathmore charcoal paper, 15"x20".
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Compressed charcoal on paper.
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Photoshop sketch.
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A scene painted for "Sinbad, Legend of the Seas", photoshop, 2002.
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Watercolor on Arches paper, 15"x 20".
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An oil study from way back when (1999 I think).
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Photoshop sketch.
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Watercolor study.
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We've been doing color roughs in my class.
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His chin really was that big.
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Color Workshop February 12

The use of color is critically important for the working artist; well designed color can make your work powerfully compelling and will reach your audience at an emotional level that moves them. That will be our topic of study for this year's Color Workshop on Saturday, February 12, 12-8pm. So whether you're a landscape painter, figurative or entertainment artist, if you're in the LA area I'd love to see you there.

Here's what we'll cover:

• The fundamentals of color theory for painters (traditional and digital).
  
• The emotional impact of color and lighting to create mood and environment.
• Principles for organizing the complexities of color into pleasing harmonies.
• Strategies for solving color problems quickly and effectively.
• Color exploration exercises.
• Painting from a costumed model in a theatrical, colored light environment.

To enroll contact the Los Angeles Academy of Figurative Art at 877-695-2232. Their site is www.laafa.org.

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Quicksketch class demo in watercolor and gouache.
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Charcoal and pastel on Strathmore charcoal paper.
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One resolution I have always kept...

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A few a day, every day no matter what.



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