Friday, March 25, 2016

Another 3-D Mermaid, Part 2

The Pencil Sketch 
The Loaves and the fishes 
I have been busy painting the background on this custom piece and am ready to start painting the mermaid.  I need a good solid pencil drawing before I proceed.  I want to make sure it is just the way I imagine it.   
Antique Field Book, 1929 
I have always adored this book.  I thought the fish on it were so pretty.  I used this for my inspiration when drawing in the fish.  The mermaid is carrying a shell filled with fish and a few loaves of bread.  



I spent a lot of time on the shape of her tail, too.  When you look at her tail, you can sort of see the legs within the shape.  This was what I was aiming for for the final pencil draft. 


I hope you are not distracted by the color of the paper on this, I left it the way it was because I felt it added some interest.  It will have no impact whatsoever on the final painting.  

The inside of this book is full of mostly pencil illustrations, which I really enjoyed looking at.  

Recognize her?  
This is from my favorite pasta box.  I snapped a picture of it a long time ago.  I think this girl's posture is so beautiful.  I LOVE IT.  I used this for my inspiration for my mermaid, although, my lady is much older and mature.  You can sort of get the idea from this exactly what I was trying to accomplish.  

This mermaid is going to have (at its final destination) a back drop that is a light grey.  The customer lives at the beach and this will go to the left of her kitchen.  Although, I don't have the exact color, I do have one room in my home that is a light grey.  To get a feeling of what that might look like, I have included a picture.  
This shell tray was painted long ago by me.  I have always liked it and have kept it over the years moving it from
room to room.  What do you think of that light?  That was a goodwill purchase.  It was an ugly brown with an even uglier shade.  I replaced the shade and sprayed it white, selecting some of my favorite shells to go inside.  

I have a big frame that just happens to be the exact size of the frame that this will go into when finished.  The final frame will not be gold leafed.  It will be a walnut color (no sienna) and will be hand grained.  

The little guy in the back ground will be there in the big piece, too, but he will be catching a very specific type
of fish.  Check back to see what it is!!

Just to keep it fresh in your head, this is the reference piece that the customer seen and loved.  Can you tell that she is 3-D?  Can you see the shadow on her tail?  

The painting that I am custom doing is larger than this one (below) but you can get the feel.  


Check back soon for more images as I progress!  

Enjoy. 







2 comments:

Pamela said...

Hello Kolene,
So funny what lead me to look you up today, and a bit of long story too, so I'll share that another time.

I did however want to comment on your Mermaid and Pasta Girl. I love how you look for the feeling you are trying to convey, and then use that for inspiration to create a totally unique image. I have always been a people watcher, since I was a little girl. I like putting personally types into categories, and reading peoples faces even in still shots, in case I want to use them as a character in a book one day.

You mention the posture of the the little Pasta Girl. I love her straightened back, look too. Her chin is level, neither up or down, full face straight forward. I see a little girl i would describe as naively confident, and yet relaxed with her bundle. The Mermaid with her straight back, body slightly turned, and with her chin just slightly lower seems to have a look of confidence and yet humility. Maybe because she is without legs she feels slightly inferior standing on man's dry land. Hmmmm just wondering out loud.

Anyway, you have engaged my creative juices this day. And I simply love your work.

Thank you, I will be in touch.
Pamela

Kolenespicher said...

Hi Pamela! Thank you for the nice input. I like watching people, too. Your observations are very thoughtful and appreciated. You are right, her posture looks confident yet sweet. I can't wait to work on the little pieces and applying them, it adds a fun dimension. Take care and thanks so much! Kolene