Massive Update: 3/3/2014

View halloo, all!!

I am so very sorry for the lack of update last week! I was experiencing some pretty severe Technical Difficulties with both Photoshop and my computer in general, which slowed down my update and posting schedule of both the Work-A-Week Projects and the Daily Doodle batch posts.

But, things seems to have been resolved... I say seemed, since with computers, you never really know! So, I'll just get started! This is a pretty image-heavy post, so I apologize for that, too!


Daily Doodle Batch #2:

This batch upload consists of the images from 2/15/14-2/28/14, next week's update should be back on schedule for the Daily Doodle batch uploads. *crosses fingers*

Work-A-Week 2014 Project

Work-A-Week 1 (Day 21)
Unfortunately, I forgot to take WIP pictures of the first of the Work-A-Week paintings... mostly because I actually started it three times before I was happy with how it was turning out. >.<

Original Painting: $300
11x17" Watercolor, ink, acrylic paint

The bulk of this piece is watercolor and liquid acrylics for the skin, hair, and nebula dress. The heavy body acrylic paint was used to add the bigger, bright white stars and clean up some of the liquid acrylic spatter that found it's way outside the lines of the dress. There's quite a bit of blank space above her, and I'm debating on including some text for the print version of this piece, added digitally... and maybe using this piece as a table banner for upcoming conventions!

Work-A-Week 2 (Day 28)
I do have a few WIP pics for this piece, and if people are interested, I'll post them, but I figured this update was going to be image-heavy as it was, so I'd leave them out.



Original Painting: $300
11x17" Watercolor

This piece was also enlarged to 11x17 and is completed entirely in watercolor, mostly Ultramarine blue, Payne's Gray, and a *tiny* bit of Burnt Umber. This is one of those concept images that keeps coming back to me, expanded and slightly different every time. While I do like this execution, I am sure I'll revisit it at least a few more times until I'm confident that I've gotten the concept behind the image to say what I want it to.

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If you have any questions or comments about any of the Daily Doodles, please leave them in the comments below, I'd be happy to answer any questions!! As the Daily Doodles Project is continuing throughout 2014, please feel free to leave prompts or suggestions, there are so many more days to go!! :)


I thank you for joining me again this week! Feedback is the food which fuels the creative discussion between Artist and Audience, please, feel free to comment or leave suggestions for new projects!


If you enjoy seeing posts of new or in-progress artwork, please consider a donation.

Become a patron of the arts!

Feel free to post links to this journal/community if you feel there might be interest in my artwork!

State of the Artist: 9/9/2013

View halloo, all!

Posting late, I know (but, it's still Monday!) It's been a rather busy day on Planet Kit. My great aunt celebrated her 101st birthday today, and as such, there was much food, much music, much crazy Cuban chatter and arm-waving... it was all good. :)

But, it's time now for the State of the Artist update, so let's get to it!



Weekly Words

Throw your dreams into space like a kite, and you do not know what it will bring back, a new life, a new friend, a new love, or a new country.
- Anaïs Nin, 1903 - 1977



Current Project

Yay! Today, I'm posting the WIP series of images for the book covers completed for author MCA Hogarth's Jokka trilogy completed during the month of August! This was another abstract acrylic project, and very exciting for me! Maggie and I have known each other a long time, and I was thrilled to be asked to produce new covers for her expansive Jokka universe trilogy.

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TOP LEFT: Stage 1 - freshly-primed canvases with heavy gel medium for texture. The concept behind the covers was to have a textured "keyhole" design on each cover (for a medallion to be placed in each cover's center) with a textured streak to indicate where in the series the book falls: book one has one streak, book two has two, etc.

TOP RIGHT: Stage 2- Adding depth and tone by applying a thick layer of flat black acrylic paint over the top 1/3rd of the canvas and the (now dry) texture medium and thinning with a light application of water from the very top of the canvas, letting it run down the length. This method thins the black paint unevenly, which is what I'm going for here.

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TOP LEFT: This is known as the "Royal Mess" stage... when the paintings are looking their most dubious. The first applications of color. Book One: yellows, oranges, reds. Book Two: blues, greens, yellow. Book Three: greens, yellows. I'm keeping my brush strokes broad and messy to preserve texture as I continue to apply thin layers of paint, both to build up color coverage and intensity.

TOP RIGHT: Building up the color. Most of the tonal variations under the bright colors are getting lost as I keep building the acrylic layers, except for where I've placed my textures. I'm building up layers to deepen out from the keyhole design elements.

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TOP LEFT: Adding brighter, deeper, more intense yellows to the center of each keyhole.

TOP RIGHT: I realized what I'd originally planned for these covers wasn't going to work unless the textured areas were the same bright yellows as the center of the keyholes. So, I obliterated my tonal tinting and covered the texture with the same bright, flat yellow... which I fine-tuned in the next stage. (This project actually went through a few "Royal Mess" stages... but, that's kind of the joy/frustration of traditional media!

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TOP LEFT: Yay! Tonal tinting restored to the textured areas, to provide depth, pulled the deeper colors from the lower corners of the paintings in closer to help set off the yellow poured element on each textured streak, elongating them through the body of the painting.

TOP RIGHT: To give the paintings a bit more expansion, I edged each canvas in the darkest shade used all the way around. There are least 6 different, independent, colors of paint in each painting, plus adding Dioxazine Purple or Payne's Grey (depending on the canvas) to deepen the darkest edges. (This picture was taken before increasing the yellows to the textured areas on the canvases.)

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TOP LEFT: The Jokka medallions for the keyhole element on the paintings. I did these independently of the paintings to allow Maggie to align the paintings whichever way she felt worked best for her covers, instead of restricting her to any specific layout in case the initial idea (keyhole on the front, streaks wrapping around to the back) didn't end up feeling right. Good thing, too, since that's not what ended up happening!

TOP RIGHT: (Photo courtesy of MCA Hogarth) the completed, printed, ready for purchase covers! Cover layout is 100% MCA Hogarth and she ended up flipping the paintings "upside down" (if abstracts ever really have a right side up,) which put the keyholes at the bottom! Given her text arrangement, this ended up working beautifully!

There is something viscerally satisfying about seeing your work on the cover of a book.... This project was a wonderful collaboration, and working with Maggie is never like work, it's always a fun exchange of ideas that feed off each other. I got terrific and enthusiastic feedback from Maggie as I set her the progress photos from my kitchen table at all hours of the night over the course of the project. I was very happy I managed to complete the paintings in time to deliver them in person when I saw her for a short visit after AFO.



Near Future

The Near Future sees me continuing work on the Comics Nouveau series I posted the line work for in last week's State of the Artist update. I've started scribbling out the lines for the second set of Marvel's Storm, Wolverine, and Gambit, but I hope to have the first four (Batman, Nightwing, Wonder Woman, and Superman) done in time for PalmCon on Sept. 21.

After PalmCon, I'll be sharing a table with MCA Hogarth at Necronomicon in Tampa, FL October 18-20.

Necro should be my last convention appearance for 2013... and while I'm already set for MegaCon (March 21-23) in Orlando, FL, I'm hoping to add Emerald City Comic Con in Seattle, WA (March 28-30) to my convention roster... and possibly Chicago Comicon and Entertainment Expo in Chicago, IL (April 25-27,) but I'm not 100% sold on C2E2 just yet.


Well, I think that's all for this week's State of the Artist update here on Planet Kit.

I thank you for joining me again this week! Feedback is the food which fuels the creative discussion between Artist and Audience, please, feel free to comment or leave suggestions for new projects!


If you enjoy seeing posts of new or in-progress artwork, please consider a donation.

Become a patron of the arts!

Feel free to post links to this journal/community if you feel there might be interest in my artwork!

State of the Artist 9/2/2013

View halloo, all!

It's a rather soggy Monday here on Planet Kit, and it's a bit late (but it's still Monday) so it's time for a State of the Artist update!



Weekly Words

Writing is a socially acceptable form of getting naked in public.

-Paulo Coelho (1947- )

This is true for all the creative endeavors, really. Regardless of the medium, as a creator, you infuse every project with a part of yourself. Some are titillating glimpses of what lies within, while others are gut-wrenching expositions that put it all out there. Either way, we expose ourselves to the world, accepted or rejected.



Current Project

A few weeks ago, I had posted a poll for all of you to chose which of the DC heroes poses would be turned into completed images for upcoming conventions. Thank you very much to everyone who took the time to vote, it is much appreciated!

Well, the winners were tallied and the lineart, complete with Art Nouveau frames, and are ready for posting! If people would like to see these as they progress, please let me know in the comments!

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TOP LEFT: Batman / TOP RIGHT: Nightwing
BOTTOM LEFT: Superman / BOTTOM RIGHT: Wonder Woman



Monthly Postcard Project

It's time to release July's Monthly Postcard Project original for purchase by the general public!



July's postcard original is 5x8" mixed media (ink, marker, white ink, white conte crayon) on toned drawing paper. It is $30USD (plus $6USD domestic US / $9USD international shipping.)

If interested, please reply in the comments!



Near Future

Coming up mid-month, I'll be appearing at PalmCon in West Palm Beach, FL on September 21, 2013.

In October, I'll be sharing a table with MCA Hogarth at Necronomicon in Tampa, FL from October 18-20, 2013.

Next week will see the start of the WIP postings of the latest batch of abstract acrylics completed for author MCA Hogarth to be used as covers for her Jokka trilogy. It's so very exciting to see these completed paintings as shiny, in-print book covers!

If there is interested expressed, there will also be forthcoming WIP pics of the Superhero Nouveau series as it progresses. Right now, the 4 pencils pictures above are the only ones in progress, but Marvel comics' Storm, Wolverine, and Gambit are next on the drawing board to be followed by Batwoman, Supergirl, and Jean Grey... with the likely additions of the 4 Robins together (Nightwing, Red Hood, Red Robin, Robin) and Captain Marvel [Carol Danvers] and Wiccan & Hulkling.)

I'm still taking suggestions for more heroes (to be done either as individuals or teams,) I might start doing villains if there is enough interest, too... if so, Joker and Harley Quinn are definitely on the list!



Well, I think that's all for this week's State of the Artist update here on Planet Kit.

I thank you for joining me again this week! Feedback is the food which fuels the creative discussion between Artist and Audience, please, feel free to comment or leave suggestions for new projects!


If you enjoy seeing posts of new or in-progress artwork, please consider a donation.

Become a patron of the arts!

Feel free to post links to this journal/community if you feel there might be interest in my artwork!

State of the Artist 8/26/2013

View halloo, all!

Sorry about not having a State of the Artist update last week on the 19th, but I spent most of my Monday driving back from Tampa in some pretty epic rain. What should have been a 4-hour drive was, in actuality, a 7-hour drive due to the horrendous weather. Oi!

But, it's a new Monday, and so it's time for a State of the Artist update!



Weekly Words

I must govern the clock, not be governed by it.

- Golda Meir, 1898 - 1978



Current Project

Well, not so much current, as a week overdue, but... last weekend I attended AFO in Orlando, FL where I had an Artist Alley table. I always enjoy that convention. It's a smaller convention where I usually end up being commissioned by repeat customers and get to see some great, fun artists I only see at AFO.

That said, this year's convention was extremely slow and disappointing. The convention changed venues this year due to the previous venue being under renovation and reconstruction. Perfectly understandable, and while the new location was a nice hotel (Renaissance Sea World) it had a few distinct downsides... mostly being the $20 parking fee for non-hotel guests. NOT, as generally understood, $20-a-day, either, but $20 Every Single Time you came and went. Ouch. Most attendees at AFO are locals, and the exorbitant parking fee kept many away.

So, it was a slow convention, but I did end up taking a few commissions (unfortunately, I forgot to take pictures of the two pencil sketch commissions I took!)

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LEFT: A grayscale commission of Uruha from the Japanese Visual Kei band Gazette
RIGHT: A full-color commission of a human paladin in full armor from World of Warcraft

While both of these were fun, World of Warcraft armor is FUSSY! Wow... also, difficult to work from 2x3" 72dpi printed reference photos, but I'm glad I had them, as this would have been impossible to do without references!



For giggles, I ended up drawing this cartoony octopus Sharpie tattoo on artist friend Dana Corrigan's friend Daniel on Saturday. On Sunday, I put him back (after he'd rubbed off) complete with top hat, monocle, and handlebar mustache.

I think the highlight of the weekend, however, goes to having dark chocolate fondue and alcoholic coffee with MCA Hogarth on Sunday night in Tampa after the convention was over. Her coffee, a Nutty Irishman, was the winner.)





Shop Silvertales

Zazzle is having a site-wide sale on back-to-school merchandise!

60% off notebooks & notepads, 50% off mugs, magnets, and mousepads, 40% off cases, sleeves, and skins, 30% off clothing and bags!

Use code BACK2URSTYLE at checkout (through August 28th 11:59pm Pacific) to take advantage of the sales across the entirety of the Zazzle website.

Today is also the last day to take advantage of the 20% off ALL ORDERS site-wide by using 20ZAZZLEDEAL at checkout. (Zazzle offers cannot be combined, so choose wisely!)

Shop Silvertales



Near Future

I'm currently at work on the series of Art Nouveau-inspired DC comic heroes I posted the poll for a few weeks ago, and I'll start posting WIP pics if anyone is interested. Please let me know in the comments if you'd like to see those!

(I'm also taking suggestions for more to add to the series [I've got Batman, Superman, Nightwing, and Wonder Woman so far from DC, and I'm planning to add Gambit, Wolverine, and Storm from Marvel... please don't suggest Rogue. I don't like Rogue, I haven't liked her since before the trial in Antarctica if you follow comics, and I've never liked movie!Rogue])

I'm hoping to start posting WIP pics of a series of painted book covers done for MCA Hogarth's epic Jokka trilogy. Those would be the series of abstract acrylics I mentioned on and off over the last few weeks. I've had a number of people express interest in the process of my abstract acrylics (all TWO of my previous paintings! :D,) so, if you're interested, they'll start showing up once I've spoken to the author about releasing the cover images.

I've got PalmCon coming up on September 21st. It's a one-day convention West Palm Beach, FL, so if you'll be in town, stop by and say hi!

After that comes Necronomicon in Tampa, FL (October 18-20) where I'll be sharing a table with MCA Hogarth for the weekend!



Well, I think that's all for this week's State of the Artist update here on Planet Kit.

I thank you for joining me again this week! Feedback is the food which fuels the creative discussion between Artist and Audience, please, feel free to comment or leave suggestions for new projects!


If you enjoy seeing posts of new or in-progress artwork, please consider a donation.

Become a patron of the arts!

Feel free to post links to this journal/community if you feel there might be interest in my artwork!

State of the Artist 8/5/2013

View halloo, all!

It's another soggy Monday here on Planet Kit, but it's time for another State of the Artist update, so let's get started! :)


Weekly Words

Friendship is one of the sweetest joys of life. Many might have failed beneath the bitterness of their trial had they not found a friend.

- Charles Haddon Spurgeon, 1834 - 1892



Current Project

I'm working on a series of three abstract acrylic paintings for an upcoming project that has me so ridiculously excited, it's kind of crazy. But, I've got a good momentum going and I'm making pretty good progress. My client has plans for this project, so there will be no WIP photos of the paintings until I get the release from them, but I thought I'd post my preliminary palettes.

I'm at the canvas "staining" stage right now, laying down color to get the preliminary tones in, if not the values.

One plate for each canvas (my tools are very high-tech, you know.):



But, I have been doodling a bit while waiting for paint to dry (which, like the saying goes, is NOT much fun to watch... go figure,) so I thought I'd include them here!



They're not related to any project or plan, just random doodles concepts.



Shop Silvertales

Zazzle is having a site-wide sale on bags and t-shirts now through Wednesday, August 7th!

If you'd like to have my art on bags or t-shirts, be sure to check out the store and use the coupon code BOGOSHIRTBAG during checkout!

Check out the store!



Near Future

The weekend of August 16-18th, I will be manning an AA table at AFO in Orlando, FL. If you'll be attending, come stop by and say hi!

Still waiting for news about an AA table at NYCC, but I will definitely post here if and when I hear, for anyone who might be attending!

Today is the last day to vote in the DC comics poll from last week's State of the Artist post. If you haven't cast your vote, I'd appreciate a moment of your time:

Please vote here!


Well, I think that's all for this week's State of the Artist update here on Planet Kit.

I thank you for joining me again this week! Feedback is the food which fuels the creative discussion between Artist and Audience, please, feel free to comment or leave suggestions for new projects!


If you enjoy seeing posts of new or in-progress artwork, please consider a donation.

Become a patron of the arts!

Feel free to post links to this journal/community if you feel there might be interest in my artwork!

State of the Artist 6/3/2013

View halloo, all!

It's yet another soggy Monday here on Planet Kit, and that means it's time for a State of the Artist update!


Weekly Words

That is happiness, to be dissolved into something complete and great.
- Willa Cather, 1873 - 1947


There is a freedom in completion. And yet, it is tempered by drive to start something new.



Current Project
Thanks to the people who answered my rather last-minute request on my Silvertales Studio Facebook page, I bring you the finished abstract acrylic I've been poking at over the last month or so, complete with progress photos!

This work is a commission for the lovely Murgy, who happily told me to just do whatever struck my fancy when it came to this piece.



The canvas measures 12x24" with a 1" cradle. Here's I've just over-primed with some standard gesso and added some texture with a little light molding paste applied with a palette knife for that slightly peaked roughness. I wanted texture, but nothing too rough or too tight on the surface. I've also tinted the canvas with a wash of dioxazine purple.

In retrospect, what I should have done was wash the canvas down with the diluted dioxazine purple, and *then* tinted the molding paste with the same color and applied it when the wash was dry.

But, I still got almost the desired effect, and it's mostly going to be covered up with layers of paint, anyway.

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Working up the first few layers of color below the textured semi-circle. There's roughly applied swathes of sunny yellows, cadmium orange, and bright grass greens for depth.

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Filled in more layers of oranges and yellows to push back the too-bright greens I'd added at the bottom, without obliterating them completely. Also, worked in some burning reds, along with a blend of cadmium red and a teeny-tiny drop of dioxazine purple at the very top. Seriously, a teeny-tiny drop. A little bit of this color goes a LONG way.

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Just a more direct shot from the previous picture.

I'm painting this on my kitchen table, so to get this WIP picture, I stood on a chair in order to shoot as close to straight down as possible.

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Deepening up that top center semi-circle with some more dioxazine purple and added the final touch, a few strokes of the bright, burning crimson in the center.

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DONE!

The final painting hanging with a directed spot light to highlight the textured areas at the top and running down the center.

Not shown in the photos is the painted cradle, which follows a similar gradient pattern as the painting: the top and first 1/4 of the cradle along the sides are the deep dioxazine purple/red blend, fading into the red/orange, to fade into a yellow/orange blend that sweeps along the bottom 1/4 and very bottom edge.

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If you have any comments or questions regarding my abstract works (or any of my creative projects) please, feel free to leave them in the comments section below!



Monthly Postcard Project

We are now in the month of June, which means we're halfway through the Monthly Postcard Project!

For all my lovely 6 month subscribers who started this journey with me back in January, this month's postcard will be the last you'll receive in the mail, unless you'd like to extend your subscription.

Please refer to the permanent info page, HERE to renew your subscription or learn more about the project!



Near Future

The Very Near Future sees me working on this month's aforementioned Monthly Postcard original so I can have them in my hands by the 15th in order to mail out.

I'm also tackling an independent book cover commission that I hope to be able to share soon.

Florida Supercon over 4th of July weekend in Miami, FL is also rapidly approaching and I definitely need to get some new art done in time for that, so, hopefully there will be plenty of new sketches and progress pics to share over the next few weeks!

Also, I should be hearing back from New York Comic Con regarding table space applications sometime soon. If I manage to secure a table it will be my first time attending this large, industry convention and I'm keeping my fingers crossed! I've heard very good things from other artists and industry pros who attend this con.



Well, I think that's all for this week's State of the Artist update here on Planet Kit.

I thank you for joining me again this week! Feedback is the food which fuels the creative discussion between Artist and Audience, please, feel free to comment or leave suggestions for new projects!


If you enjoy seeing posts of new or in-progress artwork, please consider a donation.

Become a patron of the arts!

Feel free to post links to this journal/community if you feel there might be interest in my artwork!