Couple of new paintings I wanted to share. Enjoy! D

Homemade Impasto Oil Paint Medium

Homemade Impasto Oil Paint Medium If you paint with knives, a medium is almost a must. I got tired of buying it, so I hunted around and found this initial recipe on http://bamberos.wordpress.com/. A cool artists's site, you should check it out. An impasto wax medium for oil paint can be made by slowly melting 2 parts white beeswax into 1 parts linseed oil. A block of wax at Micheal’s will cost you about 20.00 bucks, and try not to get the fake wax that’s cheaper, no paraffin, no micro-crystalline – simply because usually synthetics don’t mix well with natural oils. I do this on a cheap hot plate outside or in the garage but it can be done indoors if you don't have any other place to do it. *premeasure your wax and oil at least approximately before you start I have a small old double boiler for doing this obtained at a yard sale, but if you don't then you can do it as outlined below. 1. Use a small pot, fill 3/4 with water-just fill it enough that you won't be boiling all the water away within 20-30 minutes. 2. Place a tin coffee can inside, or any small metal container, it wont spill if your pot is small. 3. Pour your linseed oil before the water begins to boil. Open up the windows for ventilation as the linseed oil smell will get really strong. When the oil starts to get hot enough to melt the wax, ***don’t try to get the oil to boil***, ad some wax. 4. Slowly place small pieces about what you think is double the amount of linseed oil, into the oil until all the wax is melted or about 20 minutes. The wax will seem to disappear into the oil. Stir thoroughly until the wax melts away, you will not see the linseed oil change color or get thicker. 5. Turn off stove. Carefully remove the pot from the stove with cooking gloves or a pair of pliers and place it outside, or in the fridge after it cools a bit. This way the mix can cool faster. It takes about 20 mins to cool the mix down. The final consistency should be similar to lard in thickness and look. If the mixture is too hard or too oily, reheat and add more wax or oil. This will keep longer in a tube. If I don't have any large blank tubes on hand to load, I store the oil mix in the same tin can with the plastic lid and scoop out globs as needed. I've found that by using a softer mix with more oil you get a bit more gloss out of using this than by making it hard with more wax. You can vary the matte to gloss result by adding slightly more oil for gloss, or wax for matte. Be subtle with you variances too much wax won't work well, and too much oil doesn't work well either. I hope this is helpful to anyone who is having a hard time finding a good affordable impasto medium for oil painting. I've also used yellow beeswax for this and found the result to impart a very nice rich result that is almost unifying while using it in a painting. The small bit of yellow gives a little extra warmth and richness to the colors of your painting. Try the different bees-waxes and find out what works for you. I get my wax from ebay and it's quite cheap so no harm at all to play with. I mix this on my palette about 1/3 medium to 2/3 mixed oil color but you can add more to give translucency to certain colors for cool effects. Again you have to play with it. I keep a gob of the medium on my palette and then after mixing a color add the medium to the mixed color and proceed to lay it on. Have fun with this! D

I think Twitter is a passive aggressives' paradise.....

You are supposed to use it to participate in discussions, offer opinions, even to promote yourself right? I've noticed a nasty little trend as of late, people block you or unfollow you when you do these very things? Really? You can't take a little disagreement on your weak opinion? Seriously, you don't like it when ARTISTS post up art they want to share or sell? You don't want to be bothered with anyone else' opinions on anything? I've begun to feel like if you are dropping followers on twitter than you must be doing something right....Some people are only there just to hear themselves tweet, I swear it's true. Please don't intrude upon my Twitter kingdowm, I'm having my ego stroked here....I've been spending far less time there simply because the opinions I'm reading are are almost pointless and these folks have like a million followers. I mean you either get the sheep, if you are known for something on Twitter or the impossible people, if you are an everyday person? Take your pick. There is definitely a paradigm forming up over there and personally I think it's just becoming a lame place to spend time. I've found artist groups on facebook and other places where like minded people go to comment on and inspire each other with work, and they are really positive and great places to spend time. If your curious, email me and ask and I'll tell you where they are. Unless Twitter gets this whole negativity and narcissism thing turned around I bet a lot more folks than I will be spending less and less time there. Remember what happened to Myspace years ago? It went lame past the point of no return and everyone just abandoned it overnight. I guess we'll see. D

Values within your paintings and drawings...They are a tool...So use them.

When people start out painting or drawings they learn about values. It's like art class 101. Tenets like value change = form change and what not are spewed at budding artists and then basically applied or in a loose way and then almost put out of mind. While the rule of values is used, most artists out there jump into color and use values in a way that is very secondary. I've always been moved by pencil drawings which are entirely dependent on value for their brilliance. I draw in pencil and marker a lot and do most of my value studies that way. Gray scale artwork even in painting is beautiful to me and I paint in gray scale a lot, even when doing a color piece I start that way and work in gray scale until I have the values and light locked in pretty well. The foundation of my work is value. Now when applying value within artwork the new student or budding artist often says I know value change equals form change but how to I know what values go where. While this comes from experience and application, it is also made easier by adopting the mindset that values are not placed within artwork to be correct with nature. Obviously we use nature's example as a guideline but when applying values and light within your work, they are used as a tool to help you describe, form, lighting, distance, depth, and even atmosphere. You use value, you don't let it dictate to you. One simple thing I began to do years ago was to, after getting a sketch or drawing down as a guide, I would use a neutral gray wash to knock the white back so that my painting started at a neutral point from which it was easy to block in the shadows and then the gross lighting without approaching the hot white point-which should be one of the last things you put in. Don't put in whites and full blacks too early, start gray and describe you forms out from there with subtle values or gradations and then put your whites and blacks in as needed. After yous values are set it is easy to add a base color wash over the top and then starting to add the colors within. The values can perspectives can be reinforced with color choices here and the entire painting is strengthened by color usage over the values. If the values are correct before the color is added, the color 'pass' is a relatively easy and short step because the thought work has mostly been done. By painting in value we are focusing entirely on painting light which is the foundation of all good painting, hence it's easier and better not to confuse things and focus purely on painting light before making color choices. So start with the lights off or dimmed within a painting apply light where it needs to go to tel your story and describe objects within the painting, then turn the lights on gradually finally add color. Eventually you'll get to the point when you can sometimes paint in color and use value effectively at the same time, but getting a good foundation in value usage first cannot be skipped as it will impart those foundation skills in painting pure light through the use of luminosity that you need to be experienced with before consolidating your processes together. I sometimes start in color, but mostly I still paint exclusively in value and then apply color both when working digitally or traditionally. Same principles apply no matter the medium. So go grab your value scales and light up you paintings in an expressive way, tell stories with light, and most importantly leads the viewers' eye with light within your work. By taking the extra step you will find that you paint in a more effective and even refined manner. Best Wishes! D

Drift Speeder Concept

A new 'Drift' Speeder concept I've been playing with. This is definitely a WIP but I wanted to share. All the best you guys! D

Digital painting Vs. Traditional Mediums...Why Choose?

Ah the age old question, at least digital age old anyway....For me this question is one you hear a lot. My answer is simple. There are upsides and downsides to both, and the favoring of one or the other depends on what your goals are with you painting. For me I paint both ways. some things I simply paint better on a canvas with brushes than with a Wacom tablet and a Pc. Some subjects I treat in the digital realm for much the same reason. Digital painting is just a style and a means to an end as is any other style of painting. The same rules and principles apply no matter your medium. Is digital easier? Not really nor is it faster(if you're doing it right). Sure if you do sketchy work which many digital artists tend to do, it is, but I find that because I can zoom in and rework an area, sometimes I paint it many times over which costs me time. I largely don't think about time when I paint but traditional painting forces you to plan and be decisive and therefor efficient. This is a great reason why you should paint with a brush and canvas at least some of the time. Digital painting cannot do everything a brush to canvas method can and vice-versa. One is neither superior to the other, they really are just different ways of working with similar principles. Sometimes when I paint digitally I force myself not to erase or use undo, which actually gives the digital piece a more energetic and painterly feel when finished. I really think that the digital tools can end up being a crutch, never forcing us to be better painters. When working digitally try to think like a painter and paint as you would on a canvas. This helps you become better just as you would if you were painting on a board or canvas, and progress as an artist is important, if you ever want to get to a masters level. Digital can save you some time, but at what cost? Taking the long road with your painting has so many benefits. Throw that clock out the window and enjoy your painting. Don't try to rush through or be consumed by the need to 'get fast'. There is no reason to paint fast. Instead focus on simply painting well. Get into the nuances of your paintings and really jump in there and love the creation. Don't let it blur by or you'll end up not getting anything out of it. Hope this perspective is helpful to anyone who might be asking these questions or who wants to try out different ways to paint. Try them all, life is too short not to. Best Wishes. D

Why you should not use photos except to save time.

If you use photos for texturing, there is certainly nothing wrong with it, and using textures in a creative way is really an artform all its own. With that said, though, there is a real downside to using photographs within your work. Art is largely about identifying and translating shapes from nature or reference or wherever to the canvas be it digital or traditional. Learning to identify shapes, edge types, and the way light behaves is the foundation of good art. When you use photos you skip this vital learning process and just slap a texture in, and voila a few tweaks some clever blending and you're done. This does not help you the next time you want to paint something similar or add to your toolbox in terms of recognition and draftsmanship within your paintings or drawings. When doing concept art sometimes we simply don't have the time to paint everything and are even asked to use photos. So in that sense you don't have a choice but in the context of painting and getting better at painting, it is essential that you know how to paint a texture before using a photo to save time. Don't use a texture that you cannot paint. Also before you texture your values and forms should really be indicated. Relying on photos instead of learning to paint will only help you stay in the mediocre realm of painting. If you want to get truly great, you must learn to indicate and that is a heavily personal process, and almost can't be taught. You have to figure out how to transpose shapes and textures from one place to another. It is a mental process that is all your own. Digitally custom brushes can help, but you really should be able do most things with a regular round brush. We all have a tendency to use a lot of custom brushes, but in my experience looking at painters that I love, most of them use a small set of brushes based on the basics, whether in Photoshop or whatever software. They simply learned to paint, just as someone who paints on a canvas. The trick and the quickest way to mastery in painting is study and learning to indicate what you see. Tricks and shortcuts will hinder you and really force you to take the long way around. Use them to save time on a job if you need to, but really devote time and yourself to learning to actually paint. When you can paint anything you have no limits or crutches, and can be fearless and really get playful with your art. People will notice. Best Wishes and in the words of Bob Ross....Happy Painting..... D

An observation about contemporary art instruction and why you should paint instead of read books....

Just and observation but I find that way too maqny people that write about painting and make videos about painting can't paint? There are a lot of great artists out there making instructional material, and bless them! I'm just wondering how in the hell you get published with a how to paint book that looks like it was made by a 7 year old art class dropout? This brought to mind the usefulness of books and videos on painting. Personally I never read much on how to paint I just study paintings and photography that I like. Learning to break down good paintings and photography will teach you more than those step by steps for lames, by lames any day, all they teach you is to copy. Just learn to use your eyes and slow down and look around and you'll be way ahead of the game. You'll see the world in a different way and paint a lot better than anyone you know. It's actually quite simple, which is why people overlook it. Painting doesn't have to be complex. You just have to understand what moves you in order to find your direction. I'm a big fan of the Hudson river and Ashcan school painters. My personal taste runs to 19th century American painters more than European, and old masters to me are just f'n boring, sorry. Some impressionist work is okay, but to me most were sketches that were never realized to their full potential. Photography I just love and don't care who took the photos. Good in that respect is just good and well worth the time to study. You are studying light and the way it behaves in relation to material, distance, or atmosphere. I took painting classes when I was young and they gave me a good foundation, but I don't consider them necessary. Painting is an individual journey. You have to find your own way and solve your own problems, devise solutions to common ones and move forward in your own way toward your own goals. That's what it really is all about. The way someone else paints is often times clever but rarely do another's techniques work into your own style. A lot of what you end up learning is simply common sense or stuff you already know. Learn to see, and appreciate, then paint! Don't be afraid to fail, because you can't. You might waste a canvas or some time, etc, but you will learn and progress toward becoming the amazing painter you know you can be. Best Wishes! D

Happy 4th of July!

Please be safe and have a great holiday! Much Love from yours truly! D

Do you sketch a lot?

Good, bad, great, or ugly...Doesn't matter, if you aren't sketching you ass off, guess what, the next guy is! He's also painting while you sleep, but that's entirely another story! Sketching is important in so many ways. You really need to be exploring, trying new things, taking chances, getting outside of your comfort zone,etc, in a space that's all your own and just for you. A sketchbook is the perfect tool. Sketch on the phone, at the table, wherever you are, in the car, on a plane, etc. Just like a jazz musician who practices all the time and then can jump on stage and improv like he's got the mad gift, sketching helps you develop your 'riffs' and solve problems in your paintings and finished drawings before they ever come up. If you sketch a lot it works your visual memory, hand eye coordination, indication skills, etc. You have happy accidents that lead to revelations and every one of those just helps you build a really convincing style all your own. There is no substitute, so go get some cheap or expensive ones, make one, whatever and start burning through sketchbooks. One more point relevant to now, is some perspective employers both freelance and in studios will want to see sketches from your books or they won't even consider hiring you. I think the credibility factor that having a lot of sketches to show is also a plus in this way. Personally I sketch over coffee every morning and at night before going to sleep. It's a routine I've gotten into and it really is helpful in so many ways(I will not bore you by listing any more here than I have!) It's just fundamental to keeping sharp and getting better. Start now, today, don't put it off or discount it. Sketch! Thanks for tuning in! D If you want to sketch more and get critique from a great group of artists, join the Facebook 'Speedpainting' group hosted by one of my favorite artists Alex Ruiz. People are overwhelmingly positive over there and Alex is so cool and comments on the sketches and quick paintings all the time. It's also just plain fun and forces you to sketch and do color sketches more and more. I'm over there along with about 150 others. It's a blast, so please come, say hello, join up and share.