The Artful Nerd

🎨 🅰🆁🆃🅸🆂🆃 || 𝓒𝓪𝓽 🐈 𝓜𝓸𝓶 || 𝙂𝙚𝙣 ❌ || 🆁🅴🅱🅴🅻 ​ 🆂🅲🆄🅼 ✨ I draw, paint and make things. I’m a lifelong artist, I believe the work itself – the act of showing up, exploring, and remaining curious – is where the art begins. I’ve come to the realization that making art is not about the finished piece, I’ve been stuck trying to define what it is that I do, it seems that it’s more about the journey of making art, than the subject matter. Subjects can change, styles change, mediums change, it’s my love of doing the work that keeps me creating.

[artisticnerdery]

I heard it's Godzilla day today

[artisticnerdery]

191 Days and the end of Vacation…

I originally started this group of paintings at the end of April for May the 4th. (preface: I have no work life balance, I have to take vacation to work on art or finish projects.) These little paintings were meant as a way for me keep up with my skills, and not languish into doldrums, and to get me in the cycle of making small art so I can list them on a monthly pop up shop at etsy. But, the day job and other things get in the way of arting. I just can’t take these long stretches between drawing and painting, i feel rusty, and frustrated.

I really struggled with this paper, As I started painting (Jyn Erso was the first one) I realized why I don’t like painting on canson multi media paper. Any wash layering lifted the previous paint layer, I ended up doing a lot of light layers trying to not disturb the layer under, I finish with colored pencils and acrylic highlights.

Ashoka was especially difficult, cad orange, and cad yellow hate this paper, layering was absolutely out of the question, so were colored pencils, I had to break out the gouache. Next batch will be on Arches hot press.

Here are all of the progress shots:

I wanted to get so much more done this vacation, but it seems it wasn’t in the cards for me this time. At least this group of paintings are done, I have frames, but I need to cut some small mats.

I have more days off the middle of this month, I will definitely spend it painting and making art.

In the mean time if you feel like chipping in a little to Dominic’s medical bill fund – I take donations at Kofi: https://ko-fi.com/conniefaye

Thank you for reading.

[artisticnerdery]

Now I remember why I don't like painting on canson multi media paper. Any layering lifts the paint under it, I think I'll just do base layers on the rest and finish with colored pencils.

[artisticnerdery]

As much as I love Moleskine sketchbooks, I find the larger sketchbooks cumbersome when you have limited space to draw. Friday I chopped off the stitched spine, finished the raw edges of the cover, and wire-bound it today.

[artisticnerdery]

Ready to start painting.

[artisticnerdery]

[artisticnerdery]

Today's (07082024) lunch sketch is brought to you by the letter S.

[artisticnerdery]

This weekend was super productive. Almost ready to start painting "Siren", need to print "Simon " and "Bad Fish" to size tomorrow and get them onto watercolor paper.

I'm giving myself till July 31 to finish 3 (maybe 4) paintings, then the two weeks before FanExpo I'll do some sketch cards and comicbook sketch covers.

[artisticnerdery]

Inspiration comes from strange places sometimes. Yesterday a friend of mine posted the bottom picture of Robert & Bruce, then I did a quick sketch and another friend added a caption. definitely going to paint this.

[artisticnerdery]

[artisticnerdery]

The Red Stapler

[artisticnerdery]

Working on this tonight. (kinda dreading drawing all of those beads)

[artisticnerdery]

A long time ago I drew this, it ended up being used by Half Yard Productions to introduce Vernon Wells for a TV show. Then much later I had the privilege of being his booth neighbor.

[artisticnerdery]

[artisticnerdery]

[artisticnerdery]

Tuscan red on gray toned paper