"Blue"
8x10 giclee reproduction
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Friday, February 19, 2010
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Deanna Durbin portrait in watercolour
A rather decent-sized box of goodies came from Blicks a few days ago.
Oil paint, canvas, new brushes, metal paper, and some different brands of paper.
The first thing I had to do was try out "Lanaquarelle" 140lb cold press paper. I'd heard that it was a little smoother than Arches, but not completely lacking in texture like a hot-press surface.
I dug out an old public domain image of Deanna Durbin that I'd held onto for some time, and before long I'd sketched & painted her likeness on the new paper.
The blending was easy, the surface soft. It handled water and pigment well. I didn't do much "lifting out" so I can't report on it just yet in that department.
Overall though, I really like it for small detail work, and will likely be using it more often for future ACEO paintings. You can view and/or purchase Deanna Durbin ACEO at www.christydekoning.Etsy.com
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Girl Next Door, meet my paintbrush...
Custom Pin Up ~ 11x14 inches
Watercolour on Arches 140lb cold press paper
I had a fun commission last month - a custom '40s style pin up painting.
It started the same way any other commission does: the usual back and forth emails as we decide on placement, colours and size.
Then the fun began...
In order to transform my reference photo - a beautiful woman on the beach - into a '40s style pin up model, certain changes and allowances were necessary.
As always, I drew inspiration from the amazing art of Gil Elvgren, Pearl Frush and Alberto Vargas.
The legs needed to be elongated.
The bare feet swapped for platform sandals.
The leg opening of the bikini bottom needed to be lower across the thigh.
And the hair, which was wet in the photo, transformed into a soft mass of curls.
I'm very pleased with the finished work, and apparently the client's husband is, too *wink*
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
... the guessing game, revealed, and an ArtFire coupon code.
... and the winner is, Manon Doyle for her comment:
"I'm thinking painting with a bird in it!! Isn't that the lamest guess you've ever heard? lol"
Well now, not so lame-o after all, Manon!
I have a little collection of glass birds, and this one is my favourite. Manon will be receiving a 4"x6" giclee print of this watercolour as her reward for throwing caution to the wind and guessing with gusto.
As a consolation prize to those that either didn't win, didn't bother guessing, or didn't have internet access last week because their cat peed on the ethernet cables, I'd like to offer this coupon code for my ArtFire shop:
code: MONKEY
will get you a whopping $5.00 off any order over $10.00 (before shipping)
See you in a few days with a new, custom Pin Up painting.
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I was browsing old slides recently and came across a whole case dedicated to my early dancing days.
Think chubby-cheeked three-year-old blue fairy ballerina, or a tap-dancing five-year-old dressed as a white horse (I believe it was part of Cinderella's carriage).
So I've sent a bunch of slides off to ScanCafe to have them turned into digital files, and when I get them back I'll be sure to share some of the cuter ones with you *wink*
But in the meantime, the nostalgia had me painting ballerinas. Or their legs, anyway. I love the way light and shadows play in the folds of a tutu, and the grace and form of a dancer's legs.
There will be more, but this is a little idea of where I'm going. Enjoy!