Saturday, August 14, 2010

Art Battle Part 2

Last evening's Art Battle was a good experience. Even though I was a nervous wreck, my planning process paid off with a piece of art that was completed within the competition's time limit.
For the competition artists were required to use their medium of choice to create a scene of Stockton's Waterfront area that included 2 characters from a preconceived list. I chose Michael Jackson and Ozzy Osbourne because drawing people is one of my strengths. Of course, since I was drawing Mike I couldn't resist including his pet chimp Bubbles! I read that Michael and Bubbles once had tea with a Japanese mayor (he must have been very hospitable). So I thought a scene of all three having Starbucks together would be humorous.
I used Bristol board paper, watercolors, red ink with brush, and Micron pens to create the piece.
This first pic is a simple color study that utilized the same materials that were used for the competition piece. Using the study for preparation, I drew it outside to make sure the watercolor would dry fast enough to go over it with ink afterwards. I usually create pictures in a bit of a backwards way compared to many artists. I lay down the paint first, and then apply crosshatching and line. I find this approach keeps things loose and more natural looking. Obviously, this study is not meant to be an accurate depiction of the final design.














Here are the tools that I used to create the final design. I had recently made an Altoid tin into a watercolor palette (an idea that I got from EDM members), and I have been dying to use it. It worked really well. I have had this particular paint box for over 20 years. I acquired it (and a bunch of other art supplies) from a fellow art student. I guess I rarely throw things away.













Here I am working hard to complete my piece. I think at this point of the competition I was feeling a lot of pressure to do well and wondering why I had even entered the competition. I had the hardest time getting the watercolor to do what I wanted. Bristol board doesn't accept watercolor like watercolor paper. Unfortunately I couldn't really afford to buy watercolor paper in the size that I was working so I had to scrounge around in the studio for supplies.












Me with the finished piece. I was told that I was one of the few artists who actually used the entire time to work on my picture. I guess it worked for me because the crowd of spectators voted for my picture and I won the competition. Wow! I was really surprised!













Here is a closer view of the finished piece. It is a little distorted because it was taken at Cold Stone where some friends took me and my family out after the event for ice cream. I am blessed to have such good friends and that we got to share this experience together.






5 comments:

Tim said...

This is totally cool. It's always nice to have your work appreciated. Well done!

Sandra said...

Nice going! You challenged yourself and you won.

Kate Burroughs said...

Congrats on winning first prize! I admire you for being able to bang that piece out, with spectators!

Anonymous said...

Congratulations...who would have thunk it...art battles? I like your planning and the challenge. Fun composition too!

Lynn said...

That sounds like fun. Congratulations on winning. The drawing is awesome!