Show Us Your Artwork!

Gnomey · Jul 18, 2012

Nice work guys!

Wayne Little · Jul 18, 2012

some very fine work...

Vic Balshaw · Jul 18, 2012

You guys have got talent.

A4K · Jul 19, 2012

Cheers guys, much appreciated!

Matt, thanks!! Some more great work there too, especially the French rally, Ducati, and 'Chrissy' pieces (particularly the 3D effect of the Ducati though!)

Erich, thanks too mate! And I do hear ya...

Have posted a pic of current status of original, larger than the paper to show exactly what we're playing with (although the 'lost' effect isn't as obvious 'in the flesh' as it is here, even when using US watercolourist Philip Jamison's method of checking composition - mounting the picture on the easel and viewing in reverse from a distance by way of a mirror)

I think part of the problem is the stark whiteness of the paper itself, heightening the contrast between light and dark areas. The '34 Ford for example looks better as it's a little larger, and the paper has the more usual very faint hue to it, creating a warmer and more subtle effect.
I think this is the reason I've never liked the copies made from my work either, printed as they usually were on straight white paper.

But what to do with this one... still playing with ideas.

Pic attached of one lamp post idea as suggested by Erich and Terry. Curb should be lower (IMO), maybe in line with centre of smaller lamp (but not touching), composition moved down accordingly, and lamp head remaining at car top height.
Another idea is to carefully heighten the cobble effect a little at rear wheel, and make the signature a little larger and reposition it at number plate height, starting in line with (the car's) left indicator...
Or maybe I should just cut the bloody paper down to improve composition!

Your further thoughts/ ideas please!

A4K · Jul 19, 2012

Here's sorta what I meant re the lamp post... maybe better repositioned to the corner of the fence..?

Lucky13 · Jul 19, 2012

Simply outstanding Evan, superb!

A4K · Jul 19, 2012

Hey, thanks Jan! What do you prefer - background or not, and which?

N4521U · Jul 19, 2012

Looks kinda like a Will Eisner the Spirit layout with the lamp post, leaves you wondering what's around that corner. Ya know. Just IMO. Maybe something else besides a lamp post? Side of a bldg, a diner, something significant to the era. Even parked next to a DC-3 or other early airliner? Just throwin things out there. It's a cracker drawing.

A4K · Jul 19, 2012

Interesting point there, cheers Bill!

Erich · Jul 19, 2012

Evan your vehicle is the center piece I will emphasize again the subtleness of the lamp/curb appeal on the right what I did note on the last page was appearance of dark shadows possibly papaer curl in the pic but gave me the look of the cobbles possibly being increased in the front of the right rear tire and going outward to the left towards the edge of the paper page..................do you see what I mean ? again soft edges and that increases more depth and still not taking away from the car image.

A4K · Jul 19, 2012

Cheers Erich!

I do know what you mean! Though there are paper curl shadows in there, there is also some shading and extended cobbles heading left, as I had the same idea! (great minds think alike eh?

)

Just to clarify though... would a lighter and simplified version of the lamp post arrangement still be the go, or enough to anchor the rear with the extended cobble/ shadow arrangement?

Airframes · Jul 19, 2012

That's looking a lot better Evan. the lamp post being 'separated' from the fence works well, but I still think this should be moved slightly further to the left, and further back, showing space between the car and the kerb. This would then be the 'vanishing point' in the picture, providing depth, a sense of space, and perspective. The 'entry point' could be the cobbles, in the foreground, slightly to the rear area of the car, but not to the rear of the rear wheel, and again with space between cobble and car, which would then 'lead in' to the picture, across the car, to the vanishing point, and beyond, the senses create distance and spce. the car would then be emphasised, and almost 'jump' out of the frame.
Try making a mask cut-out, to place over the drawing. with the cut-out to the desired finished viewing area of the picture. This can be moved around to show the variations in the view, and will help to decide on final positions of any drawn additions. It will also dhow what the completed drawing will look like without the remaining area of paper as a distraction.

A4K · Jul 20, 2012

Cheers Terry! Earlier attempts in similar vein didn't work, but will try again taking new advice on board.

Interesting you use that cut out method - the watercolour artist I mentioned (Philip Jamison) also does that, especially for winter scapes.

Matt308 · Jul 20, 2012

I liked the bollards better and very feignt...

A4K · Jul 20, 2012

Thanks Matt! Sorta like that idea myself.

A little light relief from the sketch...

In my soldering days, me and a mate used to make small sculptures for our colleagues from solder and solder wick during the quieter spells.
Must have made atleast 50 or 60 different things, from religious symbols to appliance and car logos (including a Mercedes bonnet badge for a mate's Lada

), small entwined hearts, a detailed water buffalo crossing a ford, and dolphin leaping out of the sea, etc...
Most common were spiders which were fun and fairly easy to make, smallest I think 1.5 cm, largest bigger than your hand to ward off wasps from a mate's fruit tree.

Pics here are of a fairly quick 'sort of' Zero, this is typical of the more basic stuff I did. The next post will be of the one spider I kept for myself, based on the Australian Huntsman spider.

Enjoy