Some of the exercises I do to keep my work fresh are to simply copy images out of books and magazines I might have laying about. I went to the library and raided the children’s section to give me a stack of fresh material to work from. Simply using the internet for reference tends to give you small, stale images that are overused. While I don’t intend to use this for professional work, it’s nice to have something I can quickly reference, rather than trekking out to nature to find a tree frog. (which I am not likely to find).
I also recently visited the Palm Beach Zoo with my mother and brother. We captured hundreds of pictures, some of which I’ve taken the time to illustrate. My favorite is an image of a monkey looking like he’s lost in an inspirational moment.
I completed this image in gouache, a medium that is fairly new to me, that is proving to be my “missing link.” It’s a step somewhere between watercolor and acrylic. It’s flatter than acrylic, yet remains brilliant enough for my liking. I’ve experimented a bit with it, trying to apply it more like watercolor, and then like acrylic. It really is a medium unto it’s own, however, and I may find that I favor it. I feel like it leans towards pastels when I finally step away from the completed piece. (compare my first image of the frog, with the monkey picture) I really admire the way Tony DiTerlizzi applies the medium, and I’d like to emulate that to a degree. Stay tuned for more~
