There’s a feeling I get when I’ve been at a task for too long. It’s like I’m pulling a cart along a dirt road and the wheels have worn grooves into the earth so deep that there’s no deviating from the journey. And no matter how happily I pull that little cart, I end up yearning for the wilder trail the path used to be. Overgrown with vegetation, tiny rocks catching against the spokes and wild animals cutting across my path.
Times like that, I have to take a little mental break. The trail has to go fallow. But I can’t afford to let it rest for long. That cart must get down the road. But on occasion, I pause to toss some water on the weeds.
Purchased an ABR set from Nomax, an artist who's digital style I greatly admire. His brush pack is spectacular for achieving believeable oil effects, particularly in how it creates subtle variation that mimics the mild noise present in real life paint.
More nomax brush experimenting. While I was waiting on a render to finish, I painted the dresser to my left. At night I turn on a pair of lamps that project green and blue light across the room. The eery look is very calming.
An experiment with a set of Beam Paints (beampaints.com) I received from Tracy Butler for my birthday. I love these paints, used my animal-shepherding time to paint a little background with them
I've also been messing with pencil lately. The softer shifts in value that favor a low contrast, subtle approach.
Beam Paints and graphite sketches
Inevitable Lackadaisy art, which you can watch a vod of the making of here
And if you feel like trolling me, do drop a question on my Tumblr.