I have moved this blog to a wordpress format. yeah. It's better.
NotAsPretty.com will direct to you it.
NotAsPretty.com
1/25/2010
1/22/2010
Friday Fan Art: Willy Wonka
Artist: Doug Forbes
Artist: Josh Van Heuveln
Artist: Charlie Forbes
The Friday Fan Art Project is a simple one; create your interpretation of the chosen Character and post it on the NotAsPretty Blog. We do it for the hell of it. We do it for fun. We do it because all good artists treat their craft like a crack habit.
Last Friday Fan Art: Mario
This weeks featured artists are:
Doug Forbes
DougForbes.com
Josh Van Heuveln
myspace.com/joshvanheuveln
Charlie Forbes
myspace.com/charliecharm
Be sure to visit their website to view more of their work.
1/18/2010
Show and Tell: Ink on illustration board
Client: Zombie Board Shop
Project: Shred 'Til You're Dead V
I have been working with Shawn Solem, owner of Zombie Board Shop and thought I would show you a sample of the latest work I did for his shop.
I started with a sketch and moved into ink. This same process I show in my Fan Art: Mario.
I scanned in the image, worked a little Photoshop magic, and finished with what you see here. I decided to keep the colors to a limited palette to allow the red to pop out more and also to convey a sense of lack of hope.
More of my illustrations can be seen at my website, DougForbes.com.
Project: Shred 'Til You're Dead V
I have been working with Shawn Solem, owner of Zombie Board Shop and thought I would show you a sample of the latest work I did for his shop.
I started with a sketch and moved into ink. This same process I show in my Fan Art: Mario.
I scanned in the image, worked a little Photoshop magic, and finished with what you see here. I decided to keep the colors to a limited palette to allow the red to pop out more and also to convey a sense of lack of hope.
More of my illustrations can be seen at my website, DougForbes.com.
1/13/2010
011310 Random sketch
Today's random sketch brought to you by my patience waiting for late friends at the bar.
1/11/2010
0110 The Demoniacal Project
Sending Pishachas from the Field
This is no seraph,
Dipping down,
To kiss the blessed—
This one has teeth.
Small child in the field,
Digging brown earth,
Pulls up a claw and spits
Blood over wheat stalks.
So we beat the grasses
To drive out all devas.
No help:
"You are possessed by demons."
The old men describe them as gods,
But they wail and devour flesh.
In their presence resides possession
By the undesirable hunger.
That night we encountered
Ancient flesh-eaters. Perceiving
The dripping claw, the gods wept
with ancient abhorrence.
We listen to our elders:
"The demoniac must speak
The language of a child, and
Feed the appropriate goddess."
"Each field possesses a goddess.
But this demon will devour
Before she may settle her soft foot
Upon the bosom of the growing earth."
"They feed on the weakened children in the field.
Where the Pitris reflect emaciation,
Your uncooked ancestors are devoured
By these horrible Pishachas."
So we enacted the rituals of our elders.
We departed the field as devas,
We struck the ground and beat the grasses
incessantly, threatened the demon.
And offered rotting meat
In seven baskets,
To send away the Pishachas,
The demons with awful fangs.
These rituals we performed,
These ablutions we conducted,
The prayers were made, for
The Pishacha will not leave the grave
Of our fathers, because of their nature—
Except that these words are spoken,
But for these good actions, enacted
By the pure-souled.
If satisfaction is offered in person
To the voracious demon,
Demand that it refuse flesh,
That it spare the child in its talons.
Then killing comes out, comes out
of the fields. Such action when threatened,
at last teaches the Pishacha
respect for the gods.
Written by Tom Lewis
---
Commentary
The ghoulish, flesh-eating Pishachas arise in ancient Hindu mythology. They are first described by the eleventh-century Kashmiri folklorist, Kshemendra Vyasadasa. His translation of an older chronicle of Indian history was described as based on "goblin language" (actually a derogatory term for "low" dialects spoken by North Indian common people). The origin of the name "Pishacha" is obscure, but we find Manvas, Nagas, Pishachas, among others, in the list of ancient Kashmiri tribes. These people were known for exorcising their fields before attempting to cultivate them.
Haunters of fields of the dead, these demons eat human flesh, can change shape or become invisible, and are acknowledged masters of possession and insanity among their human victims. Welcome neither in heaven nor in hell, Pishachas can only be killed with a blessed sword, but exorcism rites can dispel them from a given area, if performed correctly.
sources: Wikia Education: Pishacha, Early Kashmiri Society & The Challenge of Islam
A History of Sanskrit literature (1900).
Artist: Charlie Forbes
Artist: Doug Forbes
Demoniacal Project:
The idea behind the Demoniacal Project is a simple one; have the talented poet/writer Tom Lewis create a description and poem of an obscure demon and then collect a bunch of visual artists to find inspiration in the text to illustrate how the demon may look. Subscribe to NotAsPretty blog and look for the Demonical project every second Monday of the month.
And if you are a visual artist and feel talented enough to join the Demoniacal Project, please contact me at notaspretty@gmail.com to start the interviewing process.
This is no seraph,
Dipping down,
To kiss the blessed—
This one has teeth.
Small child in the field,
Digging brown earth,
Pulls up a claw and spits
Blood over wheat stalks.
So we beat the grasses
To drive out all devas.
No help:
"You are possessed by demons."
The old men describe them as gods,
But they wail and devour flesh.
In their presence resides possession
By the undesirable hunger.
That night we encountered
Ancient flesh-eaters. Perceiving
The dripping claw, the gods wept
with ancient abhorrence.
We listen to our elders:
"The demoniac must speak
The language of a child, and
Feed the appropriate goddess."
"Each field possesses a goddess.
But this demon will devour
Before she may settle her soft foot
Upon the bosom of the growing earth."
"They feed on the weakened children in the field.
Where the Pitris reflect emaciation,
Your uncooked ancestors are devoured
By these horrible Pishachas."
So we enacted the rituals of our elders.
We departed the field as devas,
We struck the ground and beat the grasses
incessantly, threatened the demon.
And offered rotting meat
In seven baskets,
To send away the Pishachas,
The demons with awful fangs.
These rituals we performed,
These ablutions we conducted,
The prayers were made, for
The Pishacha will not leave the grave
Of our fathers, because of their nature—
Except that these words are spoken,
But for these good actions, enacted
By the pure-souled.
If satisfaction is offered in person
To the voracious demon,
Demand that it refuse flesh,
That it spare the child in its talons.
Then killing comes out, comes out
of the fields. Such action when threatened,
at last teaches the Pishacha
respect for the gods.
Written by Tom Lewis
---
Commentary
The ghoulish, flesh-eating Pishachas arise in ancient Hindu mythology. They are first described by the eleventh-century Kashmiri folklorist, Kshemendra Vyasadasa. His translation of an older chronicle of Indian history was described as based on "goblin language" (actually a derogatory term for "low" dialects spoken by North Indian common people). The origin of the name "Pishacha" is obscure, but we find Manvas, Nagas, Pishachas, among others, in the list of ancient Kashmiri tribes. These people were known for exorcising their fields before attempting to cultivate them.
Haunters of fields of the dead, these demons eat human flesh, can change shape or become invisible, and are acknowledged masters of possession and insanity among their human victims. Welcome neither in heaven nor in hell, Pishachas can only be killed with a blessed sword, but exorcism rites can dispel them from a given area, if performed correctly.
sources: Wikia Education: Pishacha, Early Kashmiri Society & The Challenge of Islam
A History of Sanskrit literature (1900).
Artist: Charlie Forbes
Artist: Doug Forbes
Demoniacal Project:
The idea behind the Demoniacal Project is a simple one; have the talented poet/writer Tom Lewis create a description and poem of an obscure demon and then collect a bunch of visual artists to find inspiration in the text to illustrate how the demon may look. Subscribe to NotAsPretty blog and look for the Demonical project every second Monday of the month.
And if you are a visual artist and feel talented enough to join the Demoniacal Project, please contact me at notaspretty@gmail.com to start the interviewing process.
1/09/2010
My Pallette
A few of you have asked my what I use to paint. The simple answer is oil paint.
As for brands of paint, I typically go Utrecht Paint. You can't beat their prices and for the most part, they have good pigments. Grumbacher and Winsor & Newton are good paint as well, but using them frequently will assuredly break your bank.
Side note: Winsor & Newton makes a "student grade" paint called Winton. Student Grade means, we paid the easter bunny to shit colors in a tube to sell to you at low low prices. Although they are pretty colors, they paint like shit. The staff at Art Materials try to pedal this shit knowing very well what it is. Where is your damn integrity Art Materials staff?
I cut the paint several different ways, when applying it to the canvas. Cutting it with Turpenoid gives a watery look, almost like working with watercolor. I have two, a clean and a dirty, to avoid contaminating the lighter pigments with the darker ones when switching. Linseed oil is pretty much the binder for the pigments, so adding it tends to make the paint more translucent (and takes forever to dry). Sometimes, when covering large areas with paint, I combine both linseed oil, mineral spirits, and the paint) Stand oil is just like linseed oil, just thicker--like honey. I rarely use it to paint directly, but to cut the harder paint to a consistency I like to work with (burnt umber always seems to come rock hard).
Below is a shot of my palette and how a typically set up the paints. My palette is just a scrap slab of acrylic I got from a sign company's dumpster, and has been with me for 15 years now. Like most painters, I am quite proud of the paint build up on my palette over the years.
The way I paint, the oil takes about 24 hours to set-48 hours to dry. To avoid ruing my paintings by an itchy trigger finger when they are still wet, I tend to work on 4 or 5 paintings at a time, and switch them out, when they need time to dry.
So there you have it. Probably more information then you were asking for. But I'm a provider.
Also: a rant on art supply stores in Minneapolis area.
Utrecht Paint (Hennipen by MCTC) I shop mostly at Utrecht paint store. Good damn prices. The dudes there are very cool people (and totally willing to work with you to order anything you need for their next shipment to avoid shipping prices--A+ service in my book, for sure). They are a meat and potatoes art supply store. If you are looking for something more obscure, then you should go to Wet Paint.
Dick Blick (pick a suburb) They carry shitty amateur supplies. Unless you are looking for a starter kit. As a matter of fact, that's what I call them, "The Starter Kit Store--where grandma buys you your inspiration birthday gifts". But they are all you got out in the suburbs besides Micheals Craft.
Art Materials (Lyndale + 27th) They have a lot of stuff you don't need, little of what you do need, and their prices are stupid high. There are only a hand full of nice employees there; most of them are shit bags. They do have good sales on stretched canvas and illustration board.
Penco (Washington and something north of Hennipen) Simply, they have a shitty location. Artists moved out of the warehouse district 20 years ago. They should, too. Maybe head to North East Arts District--y' know, where all the artists moved to?
Wet Paint (Grand Ave in St. Paul) They have stupid-insulting high prices, but carry really good product. I go to buy stuff there that I can't find anywhere else. Their staff are really awesome people that care about what they sell.
Side note: I hate the outside signs on the Wet Paint store. They are cheesy. Even Dick Blick wouldn't stoop so low. They are a high end quality art product store, and they should look that way too. The signs are like forcing the Monopoly guy in a corn flower blue polyester leisure suit. *egch!
Class. Wet Paint, you symbolize class. Look the damn roll for Pete's sake. A humble opinion.
And a good rule of thumb, be sure to see if Home Depot (or other local hardware) carry what you are looking for. You would be surprised how much product they have in common and you will assuredly find it at a cheaper price at a hardware store.
As for brands of paint, I typically go Utrecht Paint. You can't beat their prices and for the most part, they have good pigments. Grumbacher and Winsor & Newton are good paint as well, but using them frequently will assuredly break your bank.
Side note: Winsor & Newton makes a "student grade" paint called Winton. Student Grade means, we paid the easter bunny to shit colors in a tube to sell to you at low low prices. Although they are pretty colors, they paint like shit. The staff at Art Materials try to pedal this shit knowing very well what it is. Where is your damn integrity Art Materials staff?
I cut the paint several different ways, when applying it to the canvas. Cutting it with Turpenoid gives a watery look, almost like working with watercolor. I have two, a clean and a dirty, to avoid contaminating the lighter pigments with the darker ones when switching. Linseed oil is pretty much the binder for the pigments, so adding it tends to make the paint more translucent (and takes forever to dry). Sometimes, when covering large areas with paint, I combine both linseed oil, mineral spirits, and the paint) Stand oil is just like linseed oil, just thicker--like honey. I rarely use it to paint directly, but to cut the harder paint to a consistency I like to work with (burnt umber always seems to come rock hard).
Below is a shot of my palette and how a typically set up the paints. My palette is just a scrap slab of acrylic I got from a sign company's dumpster, and has been with me for 15 years now. Like most painters, I am quite proud of the paint build up on my palette over the years.
The way I paint, the oil takes about 24 hours to set-48 hours to dry. To avoid ruing my paintings by an itchy trigger finger when they are still wet, I tend to work on 4 or 5 paintings at a time, and switch them out, when they need time to dry.
So there you have it. Probably more information then you were asking for. But I'm a provider.
Also: a rant on art supply stores in Minneapolis area.
Utrecht Paint (Hennipen by MCTC
Dick Blick (pick a suburb) They carry shitty amateur supplies. Unless you are looking for a starter kit. As a matter of fact, that's what I call them, "The Starter Kit Store--where grandma buys you your inspiration birthday gifts". But they are all you got out in the suburbs besides Micheals Craft.
Art Materials (Lyndale + 27th) They have a lot of stuff you don't need, little of what you do need, and their prices are stupid high. There are only a hand full of nice employees there; most of them are shit bags. They do have good sales on stretched canvas and illustration board.
Penco (Washington and something north of Hennipen
Wet Paint (Grand Ave in St. Paul) They have stupid-insulting high prices, but carry really good product. I go to buy stuff there that I can't find anywhere else. Their staff are really awesome people that care about what they sell.
Side note: I hate the outside signs on the Wet Paint store. They are cheesy. Even Dick Blick wouldn't stoop so low. They are a high end quality art product store, and they should look that way too. The signs are like forcing the Monopoly guy in a corn flower blue polyester leisure suit. *egch!
Class. Wet Paint, you symbolize class. Look the damn roll for Pete's sake. A humble opinion.
And a good rule of thumb, be sure to see if Home Depot (or other local hardware) carry what you are looking for. You would be surprised how much product they have in common and you will assuredly find it at a cheaper price at a hardware store.
1/06/2010
Lasting Providence End
Please rate, comment, and share my video. This painting took me close to a year to finish. And I changed significantly in the process, and the painting speaks to this path I have walked. Visit DougForbes.com and read my artist statement for more on my thoughts of my paintings and also to view the rest of my work.
Thank you Heidi for helping me find the end to this piece.
>>PRINT available
1/04/2010
12/30/2009
NotAsPretty Blog Update
Monthly Features:
For those that get excited with anticipation for my monthly features, I have new developing information for you. Fourth Friday Fan Art has two new artists that will be joining in the fun; Charlie Forbes and Josh Van Heuveln. So mark your calendars, posting January 22nd will be Charlie, Josh, and my fan art of Willie Wonka of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
www.myspace.com/joshvanheuveln
www.myspace.com/charliecharm
(Applause!)
Also coming: A new monthly feature has been added; Second Supernatural Monday. The idea is pretty simple, we get profiles and descriptions of obscure gods, saints, deamons, ghosts, etc. and draw them up real nice with the definition and history provided, so you all can get learned up as well.
Remember: If you are an artist and would like to be one of my featured artists in 4thFriFanArt, 2ndSuperNatMon, or any other monthly feature on the NotAsPretty Blog, just give me a holler. I will expect nothing less then your best work and total conviction. (and fresh baked cookies help too.)
For those that get excited with anticipation for my monthly features, I have new developing information for you. Fourth Friday Fan Art has two new artists that will be joining in the fun; Charlie Forbes and Josh Van Heuveln. So mark your calendars, posting January 22nd will be Charlie, Josh, and my fan art of Willie Wonka of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
www.myspace.com/joshvanheuveln
www.myspace.com/charliecharm
(Applause!)
Also coming: A new monthly feature has been added; Second Supernatural Monday. The idea is pretty simple, we get profiles and descriptions of obscure gods, saints, deamons, ghosts, etc. and draw them up real nice with the definition and history provided, so you all can get learned up as well.
Remember: If you are an artist and would like to be one of my featured artists in 4thFriFanArt, 2ndSuperNatMon, or any other monthly feature on the NotAsPretty Blog, just give me a holler. I will expect nothing less then your best work and total conviction. (and fresh baked cookies help too.)
Problem . Solution: Destroyed Brushes
Problem: When I paint with oil, my brushes are quickly destroyed. Boo!
For anyone that has used oil as a medium for a long period of time, you have most likely come across a most frustrating problem; your brushes are destroyed quickly and often. No matter how often and how thoroughly you clean your brushes, the paint always seems to permeate deep down into the bristles and dries—resulting in a once beautiful tip to a fluffed out and hardened mess.Grrr!
In the past, my solution was as they suggest at all art stores; buy expensive cleaners and spend hours and a lot of elbow grease trying to get all that tricky oil out. And when there is no more hope, buy more brushes.
I was spending more time cleaning the brushes then actually painting. And brushes are god damn expensive to treat them like one meal throwaway plastic sporks.
Solution: Motor Oil.
Yup, you read it right. I learned this from a retired sign painter/pin striper.Simply clean your brush with your mineral spirits or terp and dunk it in some motor oil (I gravitate to the 5W30, only because that is what I feed the gas guzzler that gets me from point A to point B). Motor oil doesn’t dry fast (or ever?) and it will keep whatever paint residue in the brush from killing the brush all together. Be sure to rinse the motor oil from the brush in your terp before using it again.
(trick can be used with enamel painting projects, also. Save those spendy pin striping brushes.)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
