Multi-artist?

While my main focus has been on painting with acrylics lately, I haven’t forgot my other creative interests. Painting digitally is seen in some posts, like the previous one about The Red Queen, I’ve shown my childhood drawings of dogs, but of course, I’ve mentioned my interest in trying out sculpting, I’m going to do some resin art, get back into 3D-modelling, and well – I like many creative things.

Multi-artist in the studio
Multi-artist in the studio

Now, while I’m not active in doing all this all the time, and I certainly don’t have a large studio, I can dream, can’t I? And I can make a song about it: I’m an Artist (played on Suno)

And you might want to read the lyrics, here and now:

I’m an Artist

[Verse 1]

I paint with colors that fill the sky
Acrylic strokes, where dreams can fly
Digital canvases, I explore and play
In every hue, I find my way

[pre-chorus]

From drawing lines to sculpting clay
There’s nothing that keeps the art away
Resin waiting, 3D calls
I’ll craft a world with no limits, no walls

[chorus]

I’m an artist, my hands won’t rest
From canvas to screen, I give my best
In every medium, I come alive
My creativity’s where I thrive
I shape the world in ways I dream
From paint to clay, it’s all supreme

[verse 2]

Watercolor whispers, soft and light
Though I touched it briefly, it felt just right
Sculpting waits, resin calls my name
Every craft’s a spark, every spark a flame

[pre-chorus]

The 3D world, I’ll dive back in
Shapes and textures, let’s begin
And writing too, it flows like art
Each word a sculpture of my heart

[chorus]

I’m an artist, my hands won’t rest
From canvas to screen, I give my best
In every medium, I come alive
My creativity’s where I thrive
I shape the world in ways I dream
From paint to clay, it’s all supreme

[bridge]

I’m building visions, layer by layer
Each brushstroke a step, taking me there
No limits, no end to what I can be
In this world of art, I’m forever free

[chorus]

I’m an artist, my hands won’t rest
From canvas to screen, I give my best
In every medium, I come alive
My creativity’s where I thrive
I shape the world in ways I dream
From paint to clay, it’s all supreme

[outro]

With every creation, I grow and find
Art is the rhythm that frees my mind

The Red Queen

Back in June there was another digital drawing challenge. I’ve draw a couple of portraits earlier here and here in this challenge – but this time things changed. We shouldn’t draw a portrait, as such – we should draw a monster. Or a “monster”.

I chose the latter one, and went for “The Red Queen” – human, but maybe not too kind …

As we should post our progress each day, let me show you the same progress drawings here.

The Red Queen, step by step

I didn’t manage to spend as much time on the challenge this time as last time, but … I made it!

As usual, I see a lot of things I could do better. And that’s good – if I couldn’t see that, I wouldn’t feel any need to get better and practise more, right? It’s the same when I compare myself to artists better than me: I get some goals to stretch after. It’s not like it’s impossible for me to get that good …

So then, that final version of the Red Queen is this:

The final version of the REd Queen, with a background

The Queen herself. Ancient, but youthful!

Deep Dive

Has anyone ever taken a deep dive into your art and your artistic journey?

A man and a woman discussing.

Well, I can’t say I have, but still, I do have a Deep Dive discussion about me and my art. And not by me. And I thought it was so fun to listen to, that I’m sharing it here!

Who are these two? Well – they’re two AI voices used by the Deep Dive function in Google’s NotebookLM. I added the pages which are about my art and artistic endeavours in this blog as sources – and let them have a go at it. Just for fun.

And I had fun! 😉

Little waterfall and water

It’s been some time since I started this painting – and some time since I finished it. I just haven’t managed to update this blog with it. Which, of course, is a shame. So now I’m going to rectify this!

When I was thinking of a painting, I knew that I wanted water and that the rocks on the bottom should be visible. And a somewhat interesting scene. I’m pretty sure there are some very nice pictures around that fulfil this, but I searched for a while to find some – without luck. My own taste probably has to take some of the blame, but still …

In the end, I made use of AI to make some suggestions, which I in turn used for some inspiration. I have no qualms about using AI that way. Sometimes having something to look at for painting is better than painting directly from imagination.

A calming nature scene

As you see from the painting I show above here, I wanted a little waterfall, too. And the nature hat to fit, of course. So, I had all I wanted: Water, a waterfall, and rocks underwater.

Sketching the broad objects went quickly. Some of the details, too. Or the illusion of details. And then it stopped up for various reasons. But in the end I managed to add the rocks under the water, various degrees of details, and … when I asked the art teacher, she said that yes, now it’s finished.

Personally, I wasn’t sure if it was finished, so I waited a long time before I did ask. I wasn’t sure, because there’s always more that can be done, but I’m not going for photorealism, just a simplified painting, so at some point I have to stop.

And this was the point where I stopped! 😀

Wonder Viggo

It is time again. Already, a new sketchbook had to be painted. Or well, technically it was just time for me to choose to paint another sketchbook, as a present to a friend of mine. He has some varied interests – like any healthy man should have – and my motive for his sketchbook was inspired by one of these.

My version of Wonder Woman

Yes, he likes comics and superheroes, and Wonder Woman is a soft spot. (My claim, not his.) I tried to prepare the cover a bit more than usual this time, hoping it wouldn’t be quite as coarse to paint on, and I did manage to get it a bit smoother. Yay for me! Not that it was much easier, especially as painting humans isn’t what I’m most comfortable with, but above you see the result on the front cover.

But I had to do something with the back cover, too, right? A quick little painting? I figured something along the Wonder Woman-logo could be fitting.

Almost Wonder Woman …

To be honest, I didn’t have too much of a plan when I started the back cover, but I thought WV could make a better logo for him than WW, to make it personal. Had I had a plan before I started, I would’ve done it a bit different, had some smoother transitions and areas. But hey – it’s at least handmade. That must count for something …

And most importantly: He appreciated it!

Electric Racing Car

I have painted the covers on some sketchbooks for family members, and last out was for one of my nephews, who has been involved in making an electric racing car. And is involved in making a second one. So – the motive I would choose for his sketchbook should be obvious, right?

Yup. A red racing car. Electric, of course. However, I didn’t paint one that looks like the ones he’s been involved with – I used my artistic freedom!

A red racing car
The front cover

While it’s not “his” car, it’s undoubtedly a racing car, and I had fun coming up with how it should look, which took some time, and then painting it. Still with the “problem” of a coarse surface to paint on, making small details hard to paint. (At least for me, currently.)

But – how can we know that’s an electric car? Luckily I painted the back cover, too. So let’s see how it appears when taken in all at once.

Electric car, powered by an extension cord plugged into a wall socket …
The source of the electric power revealed

Here, my humour should be revealed. The car is of course powered by an extension cord plugged into a wall socket. It limits the distance it can drive, but hey! It’s electric, right?

Towards the Lighthouse

It’s been an exciting start to the painting class this year, and I couldn’t resist the urge to embark on a personal artistic journey during our first session. While our teacher is always a valuable resource for guidance and does suggest themes to paint, I felt compelled to follow my own muse this time around.

My inspiration? A picturesque scene featuring a solitary lighthouse perched at the edge of a series of interconnected islets, linked by a quaint road and bridge. With a photo providing the needed inspiration, I dove into the world of acrylics, eager to bring this vision to life on canvas.

The initial stages of the painting involved blocking in the main colours, defining the vast expanse of the sky, the tranquil waters of the sea, and the main shapes of the islets and bridges. And the lighthouse, of course. However, as any artist knows, the creative process is never without its challenges. Sometimes a little break is needed to see the work in process from a little distance, both physically and time-wise.

Towards the lighthouse

Upon revisiting the painting after a brief hiatus, I realized the importance of refining the composition. The horizon demanded a straighter, more horizontal alignment, while the hues of the sea and the light in the sky needed to be subtly muted to evoke a sense of serene tranquillity. The rough outlines of the islets needed to be better defined, and I got some details in to make it easier to see the real shapes and figure out the placement of the lighthouse and bridge.

Ah, but the true heart of the painting emerged with the depiction of the lighthouse itself. Time was spent meticulously crafting its structure, ensuring that every colour and detail resonated authentically with the scene I envisioned. Or at least, making it look good. While not an exact replica of my reference, I aimed to capture the essence and spirit of this wonderful beacon.

With the lighthouse taking the main stage, attention turned to enhancing the surrounding landscape. Additional details were painstakingly added to the islets, bridges, and roads, imbuing them with a sense of rustic charm and character.

In the end, the road led the eyes from the bridge towards the lighthouse, where it rose towards the sky.

Death of the Death Star

While Christmas is the celebration of the birth of our Saviour, the painting I decided to paint and give away as a Christmas present to a friend has a theme revolving around the other end of life: Death. More specifically with a motive inspired by Star Wars: The fight to destroy the Death Star.

The fight in space to destroy the Death Star from Star Wars
“Use the Force, Luke”

It should be no surprise that my friend enjoys Star Wars and collects various Star Wars memorabilia, so I felt pretty good about the motive. And his reactions after unpacking and seeing it confirm that.

So, OK. I painted it. And? Where are the details?

Here are the details

I had some problems getting started on this painting, I must admit. Even if I had all the other presents ready, my mind just wasn’t cooperative. However, I did reach the conclusion it had to be a Star Wars motive.

Once that was decided, the idea and decision of the Death Star came quickly. Quick idea sketches were made, first from memory, but I had to find sources for the spaceships to get them correct. In the end, I had the perfect inspiration for the painting.

Black. Completely black. That was the start of the painting, a completely black background. And figuring out the size of the Death Star itself, outlining. Then start with the back, getting the galaxy and stars in place, and add the Death Star itself before adding the spaceships fighting. I wondered a bit if I should use something to make sure the straight lines were straight but opted for the more organic feel instead. Partly because it had to be finished the day after, I must admit …

So, for the actual painting, I used an evening. I’m happy with what I managed.

Dragon Notebook Cover

Christmas is over and all the presents are unpacked, so now I can show a couple of things I painted. ?

A flying dragon in the moonlight
A flying dragon under the moonlight

First off, the cover of a little sketchbook – or however the recipient wants to use it, as part of the Christmas present. I figured a dragon would be a fitting motive for him and after various attempts on the PC to figure out what kind of dragon, I settled for this.?

I wish it was easier to get nice details on that surface, but it was well received, which is the most important!

Girl with a pearl earring?

Sometimes I have fun with the Reface app on my phone, and one time I replaced the face in the painting “Girl With a Pearl Earring” with my own. Just for fun. A bit later I figured it could be fun to try painting it, but painting a portrait? That was a scary thought. Could I manage?

But I still started painting it, on a small canvas. Just, I waited with the face; that was the hard part, I figured. I managed to fill in the rough placement of the features in the face before I had to end that painting session. And – I never continued. It stayed unfinished.

Until now.

The last evening of the painting classes, and portraits was a challenge. I figured I could try to finish it.

My version of “Girl with a pearl earring”

So I attacked the task with my smallest brushes trying to get the details in place. And to mix sensible colours, of course. Maybe it would’ve been easier with a larger canvas. It would provide a bit more wiggle room to make the placement of details a bit easier, and they wouldn’t be that small …

As it is, I managed to make some things correct, while other things really should be adjusted. If I want to paint portraits, I should practise more. Much more. At least if I want to get the likeness I would like, but I must also admit that I was my own largest critic; the others apparently saw more likeness than me …

That said, I’m not unhappy with it. I do think it looks nice, so I’ve managed that, at least. I do have another portrait I need to finish, too. One day. But it will be done – I’ve got a little push now.