First try with a photo reference, advice please.

Matwes

The Analog Kid
I will try to spray my first painting with a photo as a reference. Before I start I would like to have some simple advice on where to begin. I will do it in black and white.

Gear Iwata Eclipse HP-CS, Wicked Detail Black on a 11" x 16" regular sketch paper.
I will try to use a scalpel on this one, if I get that far will say...

Reference:

cilla_reference_1.1_bw.jpg
 
If i wer doing this i would cut out the dog and use that as a stencil then do the backround. When you say use the scalpel do you mean for scratching in hairs? If so im actually doing this at the min and am having difficulty scratching, im using medium craft card and its cutting it up so might b something to think about
 
Thanks Matty!

Started to paint. Panting is not as dark as photo shows.

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Many, many, many light passes later..
Once again, actual painting is not as dark as photo shows.
That'll be it for today. :)

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WoW! you are fast and good =)
I agree Matty171, It is almost impossible to scratch/erase wicked details off the paper.
Next time when using the erasing technique, you can paint white primer first (even paper) latex (soft) or matte white spray can (harder). Cheap and a valid for practicing.
 
Thank you! :thumbsup:

The advice on getting closer to the object with the ab was the major key to my improvement on this one. I've also used the cut out stencils +/- a bit here and there, and I used my left hand as a stencil as well. I've also reduced the black to a ratio of 1:6, keeping the pressure at 20PSI to maintain a good atomization.

Next step is to start add some texture.. honestly I don't have a clue on what to do in the next step, or how to do it. So I believe I have to think it over during the day and start spraying later in the evening. Maybe I'll give the nose, eye and mouth a light layer of detail.. that's bit nerve wrecking though since my trigger control isn't that stable at close distance. Gotta take the bull by the horns....
 
Get a eraser close to you, it can be a good friend;) if nobody had invented it, i would not erver finished one work (my triggercontrol does not exist)
 
I would now add some textures even if lightly at first with a pencil eraser to get the direction of hair established as a guide. Then I would use an electric eraser for the detail , if you keep the eraser very sharp you can get very fine erased lines without scratching, I dudnt use the sratching method anywhere on the hedgehog and managed to get some fine detail on an a4 painting. Practice on a piece of scrap paper you will need to sharpen the eraser ,( I use sandpaper), every 2 or 3 strokes.

Great start..
 
Tried to add texture with a white drawing pencil but did not like the result. Have to buy an eraser promptly!

Did some details on the eye and started on the nose instead.

a8unaza3.jpg
ugapedem.jpg
 
Coming along nicely, search the forum for threads about erasers, theres lots of differnt types, infact i didnt know there was so many, youll need an electric one and a pencil one but as i said search the threads
 
Thanks Matty!

I have a common eraser and tried that on the scrap paper, but The Wicked Detail is sitting where it is sprayed on this soft sketch pad paper.. Tried to scratch with scalpel and sand paper, but it tore the paper apart. Alright, this painting will be a training painting, getting me ready for the next step.

Reduced the Wicked Detail to 1:8 for the details, pressure ~5 PSI. The HP-CS can do really fine lines when handled correctly!
Getting to know the color now, feeling pretty confident in how it behaves in certain given conditions.

Will order erasers and better paper tomorrow.
 
Hi Mats

This is a cool reference and to be honest I thought at first it was maybe a bit too ambitious for you at the stage you are at, however from what I see from your progress so far, my first thoughts were wrong.

I would love to see you succeed with this, and I believe you can, but I'm afraid it just isn't going to happen on your "regular sketch paper", please understand that what I say now is to save you some bitter disappointment but please stop right there, your experience is not far enough along yet for you to be able to rectify any mess you make on that paper, and despite all the good advice you get here scratching and erasing have little chance of success on this medium.

So here is what I would like you to do, and believe me you will thank me for it (eventually), as I said STOP, then get yourself some appropriate airbrush paper or poster board which can take the trauma of scratching and erasing, you will find that even with little experience the task will be a lot easier as well as good for your soul, you owe it to yourself to use the proper stuff.

I just recently bought some Schoelershammer paper (there are other brands) and I can't believe how easy it is to work on, you can get it in paper form or in board from, I have the paper and the only problem I noticed was that just like your sketch paper, it starts to warp immediately you start to spray on it, however, I have found a solution to that, I bought some cheap spray adhesive and got some compressed cardboard which is normally used under carpets and flooring, cut this to the same size as the paper and sprayed it with the glue, then paced the paper onto that tuned it face down on a glass table and rolled it out with a wooden roller, a normal kitchen rolling pin is ideal for this, and lo and behold you have airbrush board at a fraction of the cost.

I would not have bothered with any of this if I didn't already see you do have some skills, so please do start again on proper paper and just repeat everything you've done until now, you will amaze yourself;):)
 
Thanks Madbrush, I really appreciate your concern and good advice! :thumbsup:
I kept going a bit further, practicing on light passes and tones. But, I've stopped now!

I've been talking to Marissa Osterlee for a couple of days, I'm about to order a new airbrush from their webshop. I will at the same time order some colors, erasers and Schoellershammer paper.

This as far as I got on this painting when I stopped.

airbrush_cilla_7.JPG

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Complete! contrast of the brightness fit together perfectly, the AB and the colors work, painting is wonderful!
Small Whiskers the exception of (a matter of taste), the picture is ready. Congrulations!
 
Thanks a lot!

Although the painting is not completely finished it is representable.
I will put some whiskers on with a charcoal pencil.

This is way beyond what I expected when I first started airbrushing. I feel I might be able to achieve my goal to paint photo realism in a couple of years time. Lots of hard work will eventually get me there.
 
Thanks Madbrush, I really appreciate your concern and good advice! :thumbsup:
I kept going a bit further, practicing on light passes and tones. But, I've stopped now!

I've been talking to Marissa Osterlee for a couple of days, I'm about to order a new airbrush from their webshop. I will at the same time order some colors, erasers and Schoellershammer paper.

This as far as I got on this painting when I stopped.

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As I see this now, you can be damn proud of it, it's only the texture that let you down here, and what's beautiful about that is it's not your fault but the stuff you've had to work with, you managed to get the geography spot on and that is also a great achievement.

You certainly can't go wrong with Marissa, and I'm pleased you've ordered new stuff, although I don't think your present airbrush is a problem, another will certainly do no harm and a back up is always handy.

When you get your paper you will find it a lot easier to work on but you do still have to be patient with it, some say you can't scratch the same area twice, but you can as long your not too aggressive, I recommend working with all of your blades off the handle, since the scalpel blades are extremely sharp I generally apply a little masking tape to the part between my fingers, this makes it safer and there less chance of it slipping, this stops you being too heavy handed, something I'm very guilty of, lol.

I hope you are going to do this one again, like I said repeat everything you did since your methods are perfectly acceptable, and carry on doing what you have been doing and post your progress and ask questions, that way you are sure to beat this dog, although not in the literal sense, lol
 
Thanks Madbrush, I really appreciate your concern and good advice! :thumbsup:
I kept going a bit further, practicing on light passes and tones. But, I've stopped now!

I've been talking to Marissa Osterlee for a couple of days, I'm about to order a new airbrush from their webshop. I will at the same time order some colors, erasers and Schoellershammer paper.

This as far as I got on this painting when I stopped.

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Hi Mats
@Madbrush is spot on with what hes said, if you have the correct surface you will nail this no probs, its looks really good as it is but as the Mad man said if you have the correct tools and surface youll get so much more detail, this is what i was trying to say when you started it, im working on medium card and it's tearing up badly so i can imagine that the paper would be worse. Dont get disheartened by it, learn from it. I need to get some proper AB paper myself.
 
As I see this now, you can be damn proud of it, it's only the texture that let you down here, and what's beautiful about that is it's not your fault but the stuff you've had to work with, you managed to get the geography spot on and that is also a great achievement.

I hope you are going to do this one again, like I said repeat everything you did since your methods are perfectly acceptable, and carry on doing what you have been doing and post your progress and ask questions, that way you are sure to beat this dog, although not in the literal sense, lol

Thank you very much, I stand humbled. :thumbsup:

I will do it again as soon as I get my proper ab-paper. I will try to perfect it and I have learnt a lot from trying.

Painting this portrait has a lot om emotions involved. The beautiful dog in the photo is my late Rottweiler, named Cilla. I had to put her to sleep two days before her tenth birthday last october. She was suffering from bone cancer and was in a lot of pain, there was nothing the vet could do to help. I miss her so..
 
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