Stevie G's log .... started September 2013

S

Stevie G

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My main goal is to become an airbrush artist.

I'm going to spend more evenings painting with the aim of a minimum of 5 hours work per week.
My best picture (the one I'm most pleased with) will be posted each month.

This is my artwork for September 2013 ....

SJlogphoto_zpsc5cebca5.jpg


Onward and upward ......
 
Oh my !
Why is it that as soon as I stick out my neck and publicly commit to doing this I turn into someone who has never seen an airbrush before ?
I'm barely getting the five hours in and my latest portrait attempt was a disaster and I was planning to enter the biomech comp.
Add to that the frustration I'm having at the moment with getting my new Krome to work properly.
I don't think it's the AB at fault. I just can't get the paint consistency and air pressure to a happy place that works for me.
I spent two hours yesterday evening trying various combinations of paint and air while combating massive tip dry.
I actually used a magnifier and watched the spray come through the nozzle and end in a big black blob on the end of the needle after a couple of minutes blocking the flow completely.
This was with 20 drops of Createx illustration base and 2 drops of transparent black.
Going to try different paint next. I have Auto Air and Spectra Tex.
Ah well. I can't get much lower than this at the mo so onward and upwards .....
 
Hey Steve. .... why arnt you getting 5 hours in. .... not hating on you or anything but that seems likea reasonable amount of time in a week. I prob spend more than 5 hours a week on the toilet let alone painting hehe. ...I only paint in the evening as have an 8 year old and 1 year old and a Mrs that can't cook. .. so very in from work. .. Time with family. .. Kids to bed. ... cook me dinner. ... clean up. ... digest. ... out to paint around 10 or 10.30..... if I have a project on I'll do this each night for maybe 2 hours. ... I'd only be sleeping if I wasnt painting...
you can do this ad you say you just have to commit. .
I hadn't used illustration paint in my krome yet but I did used to use it in my velocity which is obviously very similar internally and u think I used to just reduce 1:1
Etac efx flows lovely through my krome though
 
With the CI I reduce at least 4:1 reducer to paint. If you are using a base its just clear paint. So no real reduction. I was using my krome the other day with CI white( opaque) and a 4:1 or so reduction at very low psi doing detail and it works fine. For some reason the CI likes low pressure to stay flowing.


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Hey Steve, we all "one of those" days from time to time. If it happens to me, I give my AB a complete strip down, clean it meticulously, even when I know it's fine, lube it up, tell it I love it, and then walk away. This way I know that next time I'll be starting afresh. It's daft I know because the gun was probably fine to start with, and I was more than likely the problem, but doing this just gives me faith that my gun is clean as a whistle, ready to go, and I'm confident in it again. I was going to say maybe I could paint better if I got stripped down and lubed, but I won't go there, it'll just open up a whole new can of worms.
 
Thank you all for your comments.

Ad Fez .... not quite making the 5 hours a week is definitely down to me not managing my time properly.
I'm working on it and have made some steps in the right direction today.
Your encouragement is much appreciated.

Wmlepage .... I'm going to give your idea a try.
I've been working under the misapprehension that more pressure is needed to get the paint through the Krome.

Squishy .... great minds think alike !
What you suggested is exactly what I made myself do at the end of my awful session.
When I checked the Krome's needle under a magnifier I found it had the tiniest "hook" on the point and realised that this was probably responsible for the significant paint build up.
So I carefully straightened the needle before a full lube and reassembly.
I've tried the Krome this evening with some Spectra Tex black paint and it sprayed like a dream with a much longer period of time before any sort of tip build up occurred.
Hallelujah !
Oh, and may I suggest not mentioning stripping down and lubing up to paint as I'm far too easily distracted as it is :redface-new:

I'm in a much better frame of mind today.
So onward and upward with hope in my heart !
Oh, and I think I've formulated an idea for the biomech comp although having the idea and producing the artwork are two entirely different things .....
 
You will get there buddy. ... I'm really looking guard to how this log works or for you mate.... Oh Ps Forgot to mention... living the sid James
 
Hello fellow AB'ers !
Another month passes and I get to look back at my progress.
The portrait painting has had mixed results. I've tried three subjects but not a single one has turned out satisfactorily.
To be honest my mind has been elsewhere as the wife and I have decided to move house.
I shouldn't use that as an excuse, though.
Following the third failed portrait attempt I thought I would try something different and searched the interweb for a subject.
As I committed to post up my most successful picture each month this is it.
I give you "Aurora Borealis" ....

northernlights_zps3e47e1f1.jpg


Yes, it's simple but at least I got some enjoyment out of a month's airbrushing struggles.
Apologies yet again for the rubbish photography.

Let's see what November brings.

Happy painting !
 
Hello fellow AB'ers !
Another month passes and I get to look back at my progress.
The portrait painting has had mixed results. I've tried three subjects but not a single one has turned out satisfactorily.
To be honest my mind has been elsewhere as the wife and I have decided to move house.
I shouldn't use that as an excuse, though.
Following the third failed portrait attempt I thought I would try something different and searched the interweb for a subject.
As I committed to post up my most successful picture each month this is it.
I give you "Aurora Borealis" ....

northernlights_zps3e47e1f1.jpg


Yes, it's simple but at least I got some enjoyment out of a month's airbrushing struggles.
Apologies yet again for the rubbish photography.

Let's see what November brings.

Happy painting !

I like it!! Sometimes all it takes is a "simple" painting to get us going or give us that little push to keep going, hell my best is probably "simple" to most here and that's fine because painting 50 simple things is better any day than nothing at all. For me I have to keep my mind in the game so to speak searching for that right inspiration, or when you see something you really like and say "I want to be able to do that" and the only way you can make that happen is to keep going and trying. I know sometimes it is easier said than done but the main thing is that we keep trying.
 
Hey, that's cool. I have spent hours on something complicated, and some have loved it, while others have politely said they like it, yet, another time spent half an hour on something extremely simple, and got rave reviews. It's all in the eye of the beholder I think, and personal tastes. But I have to say there are times when you just can't beat something simple, but perfectly executed. I really like it.
 
That's great mate, simple but really effective, and the main thing is you enjoyed painting it!
When ever I'm stuck or not happy with where a painting is going I just do a space pic which I always love doing and can just make if up.
It's important to always to keep doing the stuff you enjoy the most as well as pushing ourselves with new things out of our comfort zone. Keeping a good balance of the two will stop you getting frustrated if the hard things don't work out as planned and giving it all up for a bad job!
Your doing great mate, keep it up:)
 
Thank you all for the encouragement.
It's very much appreciated :love-struck:

Kev .... I've just noticed where in the UK you are.
I'm buying a house in Capel St Mary.
We will be almost neighbours :joyous:
 
Well, where did November go ?
On the painting front it was a complete reversal from my October fortunes and although the paintings didn't come out exactly as planned I really enjoyed doing them and was quietly pleased with the results.
I finally hit on an airbrush / paint combination that allowed me to spend more time on airbrushing technique and less time on finding out why the equipment wasn't working.
I continued with my black and white portraits and worked primarily on building up the dark very slowly and hair technique.
I actually completed three portraits and each was painted with highly reduced Spectra Tex opaque black blown through my Richpen 112B airbrush (0.35 nozzle, I think) at about 20psi.
The amazing thing I found with this combination was an almost total lack of tip dry.
Painting was an absolute joy and if this is what it's like finding the "sweet spot" then I found it !
My subjects were actresses that I have a bit of a soft spot for ......
My first was Kristana Loken who played the female terminator in Terminator 3.
She came out OK but there some areas of the painting I wasn't best pleased with. I have put her in my gallery if you wish to see the result.
My next was Sandra Bullock. Oh, my, how I loved this one :love-struck:
Lastly was Jane Fonda as she appeared in the film "Barbarella".
I was in my late teens when this film appeared and seeing Jane in varying states of undress (very mild and innocent compared to what's in the movies these days) had a profound effect on me.
Anyway, I had a picture of her on my bedroom wall back then so I decided to paint one for my hobby room wall now.
I really enjoyed doing this one, too, especially as there was significant hair painting practice involved !
So, this month I'm posting up two of my favourite paintings as I couldn't decide between Sandra and Jane.
Hope you like them.
Onward and upward ...... to December and beyond !

sandrabullock2_zps8a36781c.jpg


janefonda_zpsa9c17f5a.jpg
 
Yay, you found your sweet spot, and it shows. It's amazing when everything is just right and you can concentrate on actually painting, and not wondering why your gun isn't behaving etc. When that happens, your gun becomes an extension of you, and does everything you ask it. Add in the talent of the person holding he gun, and you get awesome work, like you have here!
 
Love both of them Stevie especially Sandra, i have fallen in love with her eyes..

Lee

Thank you, Lee.
Sandra is a lovely looking lady and I just hoped to do her justice in my painting.
I have an A4 print of this painting hanging on the wall by my desk at work.
Everyone who visits my desk and is familiar with Sandra instantly recognizes her and I take great delight in that :redface-new:

Yay, you found your sweet spot, and it shows. It's amazing when everything is just right and you can concentrate on actually painting, and not wondering why your gun isn't behaving etc. When that happens, your gun becomes an extension of you, and does everything you ask it. Add in the talent of the person holding he gun, and you get awesome work, like you have here!

Thank you Squishy ..... you are too kind :love-struck:
 
Thank you for your encouraging comments Cheryl and White Knight.
Much appreciated !

So December has gone and not only has a new month started but a new year too.
I am really enjoying painting the black & white portraits and have several references ready to do some more.
I'm going to have to branch out a bit this year and get some colour paintings done.
I've not exactly been putting it off but have been carried away with the B&W to the exclusion of everything else.
So, maybe January's favourite picture will be in colour ....
My favourite for December is my B&W portrait of Rachel Weisz.
I posted this in the "works in progress" thread and received some very constructive advice from Kev (Kordyk) regarding shading on noses.
His comment made me look at the portrait again and for once I decided to take the picture off the wall and see if I could improve it.
For me it was well worth doing and the finished portrait is here ...... happy painting all :joyous:

rachelweisz2_zpsd86bf994.jpg
 
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