Sky background for Airship Refueling painting

This is the first color application for my Airship Refueling painting. I thought that painting the sky to achieve the effect I was looking for would take considerable time. It took about five minutes. You get kind of spoiled with Photoshop and the Wacom setup. You spray until you are satisfied. If you're not satisfied, there's always good ol' "control z".

Contrast that with the airbrush days. I did many illustrations using an airbrush. With this tool, you're working without a net. One false move and you may have to start the entire illustration over again. Been there, done that.

Next you'll see the airship refueling station rendered in color with the appropriate shading tones.

Have you seen my other blog, The Trowbridge Chronicles? 

Here's the final line art for my Airship Refueling painting. Because the line art always looks so flat, it's always a pleasure to start applying color. The depth and dimension of the color always brings the image to life. You can see that I added the buildings in the bottom center. It was still in pencil in the last version. But I'm still up in the air about what will go onto the fuel tank, center left. It seems like there needs to be an appropriate name or graphic there. I still feel like Sub-Standard Oil is a little too tacky. Let me know soon if you have any brilliant ideas. 

Airship Refueling Port

I'm finally on the home stretch with the ink line on my Airship Refueling painting. I'll be painting soon. It always amazes me what a huge leap there is between the ink line and the finished color because of the contrast and depth that the color brings. My first decision was whether to paint it without an ink line or leave out the line. I've gone both ways many times. Of course the ink line won't look so strong when the color is in.

The highest values and hues will be with the airship and the fueling port. The dwellings on the hillside will be rather monochromatic and muted. The sky will be obscured by a heavy industrial smoke, throwing the background airships into a low monochromatic value. The lights on the airships penetrating the smokey fog should provide a dramatic effect, as will as an unseen light out-of-frame on the left. There may be a hint of blue sky in the upper right portion of the frame. This is what's in my head...we'll see what lands on the "canvas".

 I'm still up in the air (pardon the pun) about what sort of building I will draw under the airship, in the bottom center of the frame. Also what to put on the refueling tank on the left side, a name or logo of some kind. I had originally lettered "Sub Standard Oil" in the pencil layout, but I think I've abandoned that idea. Any suggestions would be welcome.

Have you seen my other blog, The Trowbridge Chronicles? Check it out here.

Airship Refueling sketch 3

Here's the third stage of the pencil layout of my Airship Refueling painting. From the last sketch you can see that I've started the inking process. I usually pencil and ink my way through a color illustration. When I'm satisfied with the pencil layout in a section, I go ahead and ink it. I'll add a little more pencil detail to the dwellings on the lower right, then I'll ink that section. Then I will invent one or two more airships in the distance to increase the sense of perspective. Then I'll decide what buildings will go in the bottom center. 

The final phase will be taking it into color. That will be critical because I want to make the color as dramatic as possible. I plan on creating a heavy industrial smoke atmosphere, with perhaps a hint of blue sky showing through.

Have you seen my other blog, The Trowbridge Chronicles?

Airship Refueling, 2

Here's the latest version of my Airship Refueling painting. I tweaked the airship from the last sketch and added the refueling depot, along with background information. The background shanties and factory will be monochromatic and low value so that they don't get confused with the foreground. The sky will look smokey and polluted with a small patch of blue sky peeking through in the upper right. At least that's what I have in my head. We'll see how it translates to color. 

Have you seen my other blog, the Trowbridge Chronicles. Right now we're right in the middle of my graphic novel, The Legend of Shrew Khan. 

Airship Refueling

This is a detail from my next painting of an airship refueling at a docking station. In the next pencil layout you'll see the docking station, background, and more refinement in the rendering of the airship.

My new children's book, Monster Safari is now available. To order, click on the Monster Safari graphic in the right column. I'll sign the book on request.  

My Secret Forest Studio

Deep inside an ancient forest in the Pacific Northwest is my secret forest studio, where I go to get away from civilization and work on my projects. Above is a river in the Cascade Mountains of Washington State. Just off the river bank  is my forest studio. I have everything I need here, except Internet access. I'm off the grid while I'm here.

Today the conditions are perfect. It's about 80 degrees, and it's pleasant and cool in the rain forest. I'm sitting on my seat cushion on a thick floor of sphagnum moss. The big nurse log behind me has a thick layer of moss, which makes a perfect natural back rest. I prop my feet up on the log in front of me and bury myself in my work. Just to my left is my beverage of choice, which rests comfortably on a shelf fungus (Basidiomycoda). Behind me is a giant Western Red cedar tree.

I often look up and remind myself of where I'm at. I wonder why it doesn't seem to occur to other artists that they can escape the confines of their studios. I spend enough time in my studio as it is. It's always wonderful to get away and hide in the deep Northwest forest while I do my work.

My drawing board is a sheet of Plexiglas, so it doubles as a light table. Today I'm working on my Oakdale, California cartoon map. I need to trace images from my pencil layout onto my Strathmore Paper. So I simply tilt my Plexiglas board until it's vertical, and the rays of the sun come shining through to illuminate my pencil sketch.

I will return soon to my secret spot. I hope you find a secret spot of your own.