Cay Denise

Tonight's effort is based on a photograph of Majel Barrett dressed as her Nurse Chapel character from the original Star Trek series.  This was a fun departure from what I've typically used as source material. The piece was sketched with a Blackwing Matte pencil.  Color was added using Japanese Watercolors and some minor embellishments were made with a silver Sakura PenTouch and a black Pentel Brush Pen. The most challenging part of this effort was the hair color.  The source photo shows it in a red light shining on the crown of her blonde hair.  I decided not to incorporate the red because of a test I did with it on the blue clothing -- where it also was lit by that color --and I didn't like the outcome.  But her hair shadows and highlights were a mix of blonde, taupe, copper and white/silver.  So capturing them was a bit haphazard rather than the seamless look of it in the photo.  Overall, though, I'm pleased with the result.   

Last night's effort was based on Peter Paul Ruben's 'Portrait of a Woman' completed sometime during his lifetime (1577-1640).   This sketch was done with a Blackwing Matte pencil.  Color didn't seem necessary for the background, clothing or hair.  My goal was to achieve the viewer seeing the face from above and to draw the eyes so they are looking in the same direction.  I didn't get the full head tilt based on the original painting, but I did capture the appearance of looking at the face from above.   

Today's effort is based on John William Godward's painting titled "Head of a Girl" dated 1896.   This was the first time I've used a Blackwing Matte pencil for sketching and it worked nicely.  It is definitely darker than my mechanical pencil and provides the ability to blend more intense shaded areas with less work.  Japanese watercolors have been used for the addition of color.  If you look at the arm in the foreground, you can see that the top is intended to be a bit translucent.  The hint is the underarm shadow. Surprisingly this didn't take as long as expected, and I'm pleased with the result.  

This week's Let's Face It! (2022) Week 17 module was led by Tara Roskell.  Her process involves facial distortion and exaggeration (e.g. moving elements to the edge of the face, dropping ears to near-chin level, changing the size/ratio of the elements to one another, converting the neck to a stick/pole, etc. and using added stick figures to create a sense of place/story about the central image).  As a graphic designer, Tara has a particular flare for her distinctive process that results in a vey modern kind of distorted caricature. I used one of my own photos rather than her source photo, so that I wouldn't compare my results with hers.  That said, the first step was distorting the photographic image with an app.  Then I basically played with her process though didn't go as extreme (except for the color).  The result is a bit on the scary side...definitely overly dramatic.  The face is totally misshapen with one eye off to the side--making up a part of a mu...

This effort is based on Karl Joseph Stieler's "Augusts of Bavaria, Duchess of Leuchtenberg' dated 1820.  Interestingly, after finishing this and doing a Google search, I found the reference photo that I had used on Wikipedia.  However, there is another version of the painting on Getty Images.  So, I'm unsure which is the original work by Stieler or if both of them are.  That said, the Getty Images version looks like a more likely ensemble that would have been worn by the Duchess.   Friday, the sketch was done.  I painted the sketch in with Japanese watercolors yesterday and today.  To start, I specifically tested a watercolor brush pen to see how it would work.  The intention was to have it apply a light grey in the shadow areas.  That did not work!  The paint using this tool--went on too dark, and it color would not blend when another wet layer was added over it.   The curls in this piece are better than my first effort and a lot o...

This is such a good article about wealth expressed through art collecting and philanthropy that has resulted in the creation of the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art with a purpose of providing access for all.  The intention is to raise awareness of what art is/can be, and to provide cultural enrichment while creating a mecca for gathering, viewing, exploring, learning, and engaging with the range of its collections.  One in particular work that caught my eye including the founder's narrative about it was the painting of Andrew Jackson (see the video for this).  Meanwhile, with the museum's development, a small town with not much that was noteworthy is now booming to accommodate visitors to the museum and probably even new businesses.   I'm so impressed by this story.  My own interest in visiting the museum and community has been peaked.  An unknown-to-me place until today's story.  Bentonville, Arkansas, I look forward to seeing you! https://www....

This practice piece was started in early April and is based on a painting by Sir William Ross of 'Queen Louise Marie of Belgium' dated 1846.  After finishing the sketch earlier in the month, it was set aside.   That waiting was because I was unsure how to proceed.  The Queen is portrayed in a dark blue gown with a black lace shawl over the gown.  I didn't know how the shawl could be done while watercolors were planned for the base layers and I didn't want to activate them as part of adding the shawl. Yesterday, I decided to just go ahead and add color.  Two alternatives have been suggested to me on how to isolate the watercolor layer(s) and add the shawl on top.  Without having experimented using each option on a less precious piece, I decided to call this done for now absent the shawl.  You can still see a few of the lines for it that were drawn in as part of the sketch and haven't been erased.  I may come back to the piece later on -- to add it....

Today's effort is based on a photograph.  The image was sketched with mechanical pencil (HB core), pupils have some black Muji pen emphasis, and the balance of the piece, where there is color, was done with Japanese watercolors. The hand may be a bit oversized compared with the head, though overall I'm satisfied and calling this one done.

My practice over that last few days has been sketching with Muji pen.  In some cases, pencil has been added for shading.  Here are some of the finished efforts.

After distorting the photo of a face, I painted it with watercolor, Sharpies and some acrylics after sketching it with mechanical pencil (HB core).   The original distorted photo showed the face in yellow and the balance of the image in blues, tans, copper and maroon reds.  My focus was on capturing the yellow quality of the face -- which has come through, though admittedly it's not beautiful for skin tone.   This is primarily a play piece...of experimentation, troubleshooting, and using colors I wouldn't normally use in the same piece.

Earlier today, I finished sketching a practice piece inspired by a painting of Queen Louise Marie of Belgium by Sir William Ross dated 1846.  It still needs to be finished with some color and will be posted when done. In addition, I used Sharpie pens; a Muji Pen, white Signo Pen, and Gold Pen-Touch; and a few acrylic paint colors to come up with this Hundertwasser-inspired vase with flowers.  It's simply play for the day! P.S.  Because of the reflective paint used, the above photo makes the piece look darker than it is in person.

All 5 human senses are absolutely engaged in this new Disney adventure (at Walt Disney World) that opened March 1st!  It is brilliant and ingeniously-executed!!!  While pricey, it LOOKS SO FUN-- ESPECIALLY if you're a Star Wars fan!! I highly recommend viewing the video in the CNET article at the link below, because it shows what the adventure is like for a guest from beginning to end without giving away the story.  The other video below features representatives from Disney's Imagineers and LucasFilm talking about how it all came together.  For this post, though, my purpose is to cover how Disney is giving guests a full 5-sense experience (touch, sight, sound, smell and taste) over their two-day adventure.   Touch:  Guests first connect with their in-room information center (that includes a 24/7 bot), and separately use a special phone app designed for the adventure to send and receive communications with onboard characters as they may help characters/solve...