HOME | DD

Description
8.5 x 11, gouache on Strathmore Illustration Board.

*EDIT*

Good God, if I had known how many people were actually going to see this thing...

Well, that was certainly unexpected.
Thank you so much to everyone that's stopped by and shown their support, especially to ~Nina-the-Tiny and `petrova for suggesting this silliness for a Daily Deviation. My special thanks to `ginkgografix and to @dxd for defending my work against those zealous deviants that were so eager to report me! [link]

***

Question:
How does a quasi-realistic watercolorist tackle an impressionistic theme without compromising his own style and sense of taste?

Answer:

He paints himself painting an impressionist painting!

This is my entry for ~StrictlyComeDrawing 's third theme Reflection. Pretty self-explanatory, except for the requirement that we had to execute it in an impressionist style. I wasn't particularly thrilled with that, as my finished piece testifies, but I stand by my choices. When I decided to take part in this competition, I did so with the intention of bringing my personal style to each of the themes, rather than to cater my style to the monthly whims of the contest. I'm probably going to pay dearly for that in the rankings, but so be it.

I've already found a personal style that seems to be effective, so when it comes to breaking out of my comfort zone in order to experiment with new and wacky approaches, I'm all set! The style that I'm developing is challenging enough as it is! I'm not saying that I don't have a lot left to learn, I most certainly do, but I learned a while ago which methods seem to work best for me. I respect impressionism as an art form, and I even occasionally employ some of its principles in my work, but as a personal painting style, impressionism just isn't for me.

Anywhoo, this is a double homage to two very different painters:

Norman Rockwell:
[link]

... and Monet:
[link]

Oh, man, there is a lot going on in this picture! ... maybe too much. Every picture that I paint is essentially a reflection of who I am, and I felt that this was a fantastic opportunity to do a blatantly biographical piece. I've used myself as a subject in many of my paintings already, but I've never specifically painted a self portrait until now. This picture's teeming with little insights into my character, from the decorative props to the assembly of some of my biggest inspirations (... and Monet).

For those of you curious about the photos flanking the right side of the impressionist painting, from top to bottom we have:

[link]
modern comic book legend Alex Ross,

[link]
the absolutely mortified looking gentleman below him is a young Mr. Norman Rockwell,

[link]
followed by Monet,

[link]
and finally, grinning like the gun-wielding maniac he truly was, we have the late Dr. Hunter S. Thompson.

Toss those artists into a blender, take away a good portion of their talent, add a dash of New English road rage, and you pretty much have *artofmadness .

The beautiful photo hanging directly above the mirror is the subject of a painting that I haven't attempted yet, and one that I probably won't attempt until I pick up an airbrush. Watercolor's great for lighting effects, but airbrush can create a heavenly glow that can't be beat.

For those of you wondering about that unsightly stain upon the floor... well, I just can't seem to finish a painting without spilling at least two full glasses of Coke all over myself in the process, so I thought that it would lend even more authenticity to the piece.

Oh, and incidentally, that book lying open upon the chair is a copy of Leonardo da Vinci's sketchbooks (opened to the studies of female heads used in Leda and the Swan).

So, yeah, that's pretty much it.
Take it easy on me, judges!
This was a lot of work!!

And, now, the judges' marks:

Colour 2/2
Composition 3/3
Originality 4.5/6
Technical Skill 6/6
Research 3/3
Total: 18.5/20

Firstly, congratulations on the DD! I bet you’re not too upset with the theme and artist style now A spectacularly drawn and well-executed image, you’ve used a clever way to still portray yet not totally overwhelm the image with the impressionist style. A wonderful homage to Norman Rockwell

Colour...2/2
Composition....3/3
Originality....6/6
Technical Skill....6/6
Research...3/3
Total: 20/20

Well, I think this is the first DD we've had on SCD! Well done to you! A bit cheeky on the style, but I like artista that think outside to box, however, having said that remember that sometimes, doing art in a style you're not comfortable with can help you grow as an artist - even if it teaches you what not to do or what doesn't work - but I got the feeling by your comments that you already know that. The small detials on this that each speak about who you are as an artist really makes this piece. DD well deserved and well done.

1) Colour – 2/2 points
First of all, congrats on the DD! (And before any of the other contestants starts complaining, I did NOT write my review based on the fact that this got a DD. I only noticed that after I was done writing, haha. I’m slow. -_-
Now that this is out of the way… The colors are lovely in this one. I should probably complain about the amount of blacks and grays in the image, considering the impressionism, but since the actual part of the image which is supposed to be in impressionist style (the painting) is free of the two, showing you know what you’re doing, I will pretty much ignore the rest. XD
2) Composition – 3/3 points
Being a homage to one of my favorite pictures ever and following its composition pretty closely, I can hardly complain about anything. I do have to say that this was a lovely and original way to escape having to paint everything in impressionist style. Especially since it works so well with the theme of this round. One has to know how to avoid things, too, haha.
3) Originality – 5/6 points
I admit that I would love to give you the full points for the originality, considering how much you thought about this and how much deeper you analyzed the theme than some other contestants (especially since you both have a literal reflection in the image, as well as a metaphorical), but I do have to take away that one point since this is closely inspired by an already existing piece. There is nothing wrong with painting a homage, I like to draw/paint a few myself sometimes, but it does take a bit away from the originality.
4) Technical skill – 6/6 points
I really don’t know what to complain about. Some of the judges might not like that you only used impressionism for a part of this piece (we’ll see), but I find you really did well in incorporating the style you generally don’t like to use, and yet use your own style for the rest, while making it all credible and not senseless. Your concept is an alibi enough to do so, so I don’t mind the mixing of the styles. The part of the image which IS painted in impressionist style more or less shows most of the typical things about impressionism, so it is obvious that you did a decent amount of research on the style.
5) Research – 3/3 points
lol I’d give you 4/3, but that would make no sense, haha. You really did an insane amount of research, which is awesome.
Total: 19/20 points

1) Color 2/2
2) Composition 3/3
3) Originality 4/6
4) Technical skill 6/6
5) Research/ historical accuracy 3/3

Total: 18/20
I to love mr.rockwell, and I like that you have yourself looking in the mirror, they say that many artists draw themselves when drawing other people, and that's a very interesting interpretation. The technical skill is incredible and I like all the little bits of yourself strewn around the painting. Excellent.

color ~ 2 points
composition ~ 3 points
originality ~ 5 points
technical skill ~ 5 points
research ~ 3 points
Total: 18/20
Amazing piece and very well put to paper (or board in this case) You show a very strong attention to detail that I envy. From the signature on the painting to the detail in the "study" pictures and at cushion on the chair. You amaze me with the talent you have, I really hope you stick to it. All that said. I would have liked to have seen more detail to the man in the mirrors actual face and hand, I think it is a key element. I think that him being the one who has drawn and painted all the figures should be more pronounced himself to kind of pull away from the scene. I hope to see much more of you.

Overall Total: 93.5/100

Description
8.5 x 11, gouache on Strathmore Illustration Board.

*EDIT*

Good God, if I had known how many people were actually going to see this thing...

Well, that was certainly unexpected.
Thank you so much to everyone that's stopped by and shown their support, especially to ~Nina-the-Tiny and `petrova for suggesting this silliness for a Daily Deviation. My special thanks to `ginkgografix and to @dxd for defending my work against those zealous deviants that were so eager to report me! [link]

***

Question:
How does a quasi-realistic watercolorist tackle an impressionistic theme without compromising his own style and sense of taste?

Answer:

He paints himself painting an impressionist painting!

This is my entry for ~StrictlyComeDrawing 's third theme Reflection. Pretty self-explanatory, except for the requirement that we had to execute it in an impressionist style. I wasn't particularly thrilled with that, as my finished piece testifies, but I stand by my choices. When I decided to take part in this competition, I did so with the intention of bringing my personal style to each of the themes, rather than to cater my style to the monthly whims of the contest. I'm probably going to pay dearly for that in the rankings, but so be it.

I've already found a personal style that seems to be effective, so when it comes to breaking out of my comfort zone in order to experiment with new and wacky approaches, I'm all set! The style that I'm developing is challenging enough as it is! I'm not saying that I don't have a lot left to learn, I most certainly do, but I learned a while ago which methods seem to work best for me. I respect impressionism as an art form, and I even occasionally employ some of its principles in my work, but as a personal painting style, impressionism just isn't for me.

Anywhoo, this is a double homage to two very different painters:

Norman Rockwell:
[link]

... and Monet:
[link]

Oh, man, there is a lot going on in this picture! ... maybe too much. Every picture that I paint is essentially a reflection of who I am, and I felt that this was a fantastic opportunity to do a blatantly biographical piece. I've used myself as a subject in many of my paintings already, but I've never specifically painted a self portrait until now. This picture's teeming with little insights into my character, from the decorative props to the assembly of some of my biggest inspirations (... and Monet).

For those of you curious about the photos flanking the right side of the impressionist painting, from top to bottom we have:

[link]
modern comic book legend Alex Ross,

[link]
the absolutely mortified looking gentleman below him is a young Mr. Norman Rockwell,

[link]
followed by Monet,

[link]
and finally, grinning like the gun-wielding maniac he truly was, we have the late Dr. Hunter S. Thompson.

Toss those artists into a blender, take away a good portion of their talent, add a dash of New English road rage, and you pretty much have *artofmadness .

The beautiful photo hanging directly above the mirror is the subject of a painting that I haven't attempted yet, and one that I probably won't attempt until I pick up an airbrush. Watercolor's great for lighting effects, but airbrush can create a heavenly glow that can't be beat.

For those of you wondering about that unsightly stain upon the floor... well, I just can't seem to finish a painting without spilling at least two full glasses of Coke all over myself in the process, so I thought that it would lend even more authenticity to the piece.

Oh, and incidentally, that book lying open upon the chair is a copy of Leonardo da Vinci's sketchbooks (opened to the studies of female heads used in Leda and the Swan).

So, yeah, that's pretty much it.
Take it easy on me, judges!
This was a lot of work!!

And, now, the judges' marks:

Colour 2/2
Composition 3/3
Originality 4.5/6
Technical Skill 6/6
Research 3/3
Total: 18.5/20

Firstly, congratulations on the DD! I bet you’re not too upset with the theme and artist style now A spectacularly drawn and well-executed image, you’ve used a clever way to still portray yet not totally overwhelm the image with the impressionist style. A wonderful homage to Norman Rockwell

Colour...2/2
Composition....3/3
Originality....6/6
Technical Skill....6/6
Research...3/3
Total: 20/20

Well, I think this is the first DD we've had on SCD! Well done to you! A bit cheeky on the style, but I like artista that think outside to box, however, having said that remember that sometimes, doing art in a style you're not comfortable with can help you grow as an artist - even if it teaches you what not to do or what doesn't work - but I got the feeling by your comments that you already know that. The small detials on this that each speak about who you are as an artist really makes this piece. DD well deserved and well done.

1) Colour – 2/2 points
First of all, congrats on the DD! (And before any of the other contestants starts complaining, I did NOT write my review based on the fact that this got a DD. I only noticed that after I was done writing, haha. I’m slow. -_-
Now that this is out of the way… The colors are lovely in this one. I should probably complain about the amount of blacks and grays in the image, considering the impressionism, but since the actual part of the image which is supposed to be in impressionist style (the painting) is free of the two, showing you know what you’re doing, I will pretty much ignore the rest. XD
2) Composition – 3/3 points
Being a homage to one of my favorite pictures ever and following its composition pretty closely, I can hardly complain about anything. I do have to say that this was a lovely and original way to escape having to paint everything in impressionist style. Especially since it works so well with the theme of this round. One has to know how to avoid things, too, haha.
3) Originality – 5/6 points
I admit that I would love to give you the full points for the originality, considering how much you thought about this and how much deeper you analyzed the theme than some other contestants (especially since you both have a literal reflection in the image, as well as a metaphorical), but I do have to take away that one point since this is closely inspired by an already existing piece. There is nothing wrong with painting a homage, I like to draw/paint a few myself sometimes, but it does take a bit away from the originality.
4) Technical skill – 6/6 points
I really don’t know what to complain about. Some of the judges might not like that you only used impressionism for a part of this piece (we’ll see), but I find you really did well in incorporating the style you generally don’t like to use, and yet use your own style for the rest, while making it all credible and not senseless. Your concept is an alibi enough to do so, so I don’t mind the mixing of the styles. The part of the image which IS painted in impressionist style more or less shows most of the typical things about impressionism, so it is obvious that you did a decent amount of research on the style.
5) Research – 3/3 points
lol I’d give you 4/3, but that would make no sense, haha. You really did an insane amount of research, which is awesome.
Total: 19/20 points

1) Color 2/2
2) Composition 3/3
3) Originality 4/6
4) Technical skill 6/6
5) Research/ historical accuracy 3/3

Total: 18/20
I to love mr.rockwell, and I like that you have yourself looking in the mirror, they say that many artists draw themselves when drawing other people, and that's a very interesting interpretation. The technical skill is incredible and I like all the little bits of yourself strewn around the painting. Excellent.

color ~ 2 points
composition ~ 3 points
originality ~ 5 points
technical skill ~ 5 points
research ~ 3 points
Total: 18/20
Amazing piece and very well put to paper (or board in this case) You show a very strong attention to detail that I envy. From the signature on the painting to the detail in the "study" pictures and at cushion on the chair. You amaze me with the talent you have, I really hope you stick to it. All that said. I would have liked to have seen more detail to the man in the mirrors actual face and hand, I think it is a key element. I think that him being the one who has drawn and painted all the figures should be more pronounced himself to kind of pull away from the scene. I hope to see much more of you.

Overall Total: 93.5/100