Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Rhinos on Clayboard

This is a piece of the first Claybord ink painting I have tried. I hope to give you an idea of the process I used. The photos vary somewhat in the color and amount of light. I tried to correct what I could, but there is still some variation and for that I apologize.

Here is a rhino calf. I used sepia ink and painted blocks of light and shadow areas.
Next I used a sandpaper sponge (purchased at the hardware store) to smooth out the ink.
Next, I added some detail with more sepia ink. I used the sandpaper sponge to keep things smooth and not too dark.
Here, I used a black pen to darken the eye and inside the nostril and ear. I used a small fiberglass brush to add detail highlights, such as around the eye, nose, ear, horn, and wrinkles.
More painting and sanding. I decided I didn't like the ear twisted back like in my photo, so I repainted it.
I used a diluted black ink wash to enhance some of the shadows. Here is the finished rhino.

Thursday, November 14, 2013

Black Cows

Moo! I was driving through the Valles Caldera (NM) trying to find some elk, but only found deer and cows. These black cows were right up next to the fence that late evening. The light was just right.