Atelier acrylic on wood board
Dear Diary, when I grow up I want to drive fast!
This painting was a recent commission that I very much enjoyed working on. I was told that this was to be a baby gift for a little girl whose nursery is pink and blue with a floral oriental rug, and that she likes sock monkeys and her dad likes to race cars.
As a base I started with a very watered down acrylic wash. I love this part! It's the only time I get to use the big brushes. The palette doesn't stay this clean for long. I'll share the after in the next post.
After the paint dried the boards needed just a bit of sanding. Yes, there's two because I had a second idea I wanted to complete. I'm finishing it now, so I can add it to my portfolio for the SCBWI LA conference that I'll be attending at the end of this month.
I transferred the drawing with brown colored pencil. I always keep references I collected close by.
Before I started the painting I worked up a loose color study in photoshop. I was still unsure of how to pattern the colors, but I realized I would need to work it through during the process, or I'd never get anywhere.
I sort of liked the all pink color scheme, but finally dove into the blue. The dark navy blue became the necessary contrast. You can see a slice of the other painting I was working on to the left.
If the paint became too thick, or an area wasn't working I sanded it back, which is something I enjoy about working on wood. It's like having an undo button! The smoke went through several evolutions.
When I was finished I sealed it, and attached a wire for hanging. I just heard today that this gift was given and well received!
As a base I started with a very watered down acrylic wash. I love this part! It's the only time I get to use the big brushes. The palette doesn't stay this clean for long. I'll share the after in the next post.
Before I started the painting I worked up a loose color study in photoshop. I was still unsure of how to pattern the colors, but I realized I would need to work it through during the process, or I'd never get anywhere.
I sort of liked the all pink color scheme, but finally dove into the blue. The dark navy blue became the necessary contrast. You can see a slice of the other painting I was working on to the left.
If the paint became too thick, or an area wasn't working I sanded it back, which is something I enjoy about working on wood. It's like having an undo button! The smoke went through several evolutions.
When I was finished I sealed it, and attached a wire for hanging. I just heard today that this gift was given and well received!
22 comments:
Hey Angela wwonderful work, thankyou for sharing the process it's very helpful and inspiring - nice to see you posting!!
andrew
thanks Andrew!
I know my postings have been sparse as I've been dedicating more time to each project.
AngelA!
Great piece! If I may ask, what do you do to transfer the image to the board?
This is so cool! I want one my little girl's room.
thanks Gerald & Sean!
I use the old school transfer method of making my own carbon paper by covering a piece of paper with graphite, 6B - 9B pencils work great for this. I tape this and the xeroxed sketch on top and trace over.
No school, like the old school...
Great work!
I like a lot the monkey herd on the terraces, happily enjoying the race.
:-)
I love this! Wonderful little character and composition, and the colors are perfect.
Angela - SO great to see your wonderful avatar at the blog..I've missed your work! She turned out beautifully and of course it was well-received. I'm sure they were blown away! : ) What a great piece! I hope you have a wonderful time at the LA conference. I can't wait to hear all about it!
Hi! It looks like you really put a lot of time and energy into making this. It's really good and I'm envious of your painting skills.
Angela, this is beautiful, I'm with Shirley on this one. Your avatar is awesome and I'm sure they were blown away!
thanks everyone!
I was told they loved it which totally made my day. I put a lot of hours in, and learned so much through the process making it a wonderful experience.
I've got a lot of conference prep to do, but hope to drive this little avatar girl around to do some blog visiting soon.
I love it, thanks for sharing the process and the beautiful result :D
awesome..! So sweet..!
This is so fun! Awesome awesome piece
Angela, it looks amazing!! Soooo cute!!! Plus she has my name (well almost) :)
This is fantastic. That is all.
Wowzers! Exceptionally terrific! I love the girly pinkiness of it, but it's not too girly, what with the awesome racecar. I LOVE those sock monkeys! Isabella is a very, very, VERY lucky girl. And thank you for sharing the process. It's good to know you can always undo wood paintings with a bit of sanding.
Hope you have a great time in LA. And I do hope you find some time to relax and enjoy the summer before it flies by.
xoxo
thanks all!
Bella, I sure hope I can enjoy some summer. Hopefully, there's some left in August!
Angela-
I am Isabella's mother. My husband and I absolutely loved the piece that Chuck was so gracious to commission for her. He informed me of your blog and forwarded a copy of your second piece. We love it! While she will not be doing any of her own racing, it brings a big part of our lives to our newest daughter. We also have another on the way!
I would very much like to purchase your second piece, if available. Otherwise, we can discuss a third piece.
Thank you for your creativeness and bringing the idea to life!
Johanna & Bobby Rahal
Thanks so much Johanna & Bobby!
I'm so glad you liked it! It was a ton of fun working on these pieces.
The 2nd painting is available.
You can email me through my website, and we can discuss details.
click this link: http://www.angelamatteson.com/contact.php
Thank you for sharing this process, it's really inspiring and the final painting is fantastic! I really like the pick of colors and all the cute flowers... :)
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