Post #612898 by little lost tiki on Sun, Nov 6, 2011 6:34 AM

Why thankyaverymuch tigertail!
Always fun to share the process with fellow travelers!
Usually when i do research /studies on a VISUAL subject
(as opposed to reading and note-taking style research)
i saunter over to the studio library
and just grab about 10 books that should provide that stimuli
(after poring over and reading most of em,I've come to recognize
mostly what's inside so it makes for fast choosins...
After that i grab sketchbook and pen with my right hand
and flip thru each book very fast,stopping and making a quick sketch
before turning to the next one..
The reason for doing it so fast is to allow instinct and personal likes/tastes
to dominate over the cerebral...
After a few hours of that,i return the books to the library
and move to the next phase....
Here's an invaluable book if you're into architecture,from simple huts to grand temples...
Pepin Press has one of these that covers costumes of all cultures and time periods as well.
they are THICK and worth every cent!

Here's the first shelf of my tropical/Tiki books
the two on the outside were a big help in these studies
as well as the "Art of the Pacific"and"the Voyages of Captain Cook"

For this shelf,i grabbed "the Hawaii Book" "Pacific Encounters" "arts of the Pacific Islands" "Voyage""Perilous Paradise" and "Voyages to Paradise"

and from this bottom shelf..."Tiki Modern" "the Book of Tiki" "Hawaiiana""Hula Dancers and Tiki Gods" "Yesterday in Hawaii" and "Leis,Luaus,and Alohas"

i also gleaned thru old sketchbooks and previous paintings and printed them out for reference.....

the trick is to sketch em fast and reflect upon them later....

Well, after one false start (that i may share sometime,but not today)
i finally hit on the right LUSHNESS i wanted... The first study turned out more like an amusement park...too open...i wanted a village that was brimming with life
RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE JUNGLE!!!!

so i quickly looked at the the sketches,grabbed a big ol' sheet of watercolor paper and
a brush pen...
and came up with this...

you have my permission to print this out and make your kids color it!
Keeps em BUSY for Hours! You can Thank me later!

This pic makes me want to do another Coloring Book! :)

Anyways,was in such a flurry,wanting to get this done,so i could get a few hours of sleep before helping bigToe hang the Krampus show,and a 40th b-day party Saturday evening.
So...no step-by-steps...Flurry-mode doesn't allow for that...
but i did shoot plenty of details and stuff.....

Well, here is the study for the painting,all finished..
tho the final piece could change dramatically...
one never knows...

Anyways,here it is....
"Hidden Village"
ink and cel-vinyl(watered-down) on watercolor paper

Managed to cram Seven huts in there

the color is a bit off....my apologies
in person it is POP!!!!in
the red/pinks and a bit more muted in the browns and greens....

Contemplating putting some real birds in the trees
and maybe....just maybe...some globe lamps hanging from the treetops.
if not this piece,maybe the next one.....

Kept the details and textural qualities simple on this one...
it is a study y'know....
the colors a little bit closer to the original on some of these close-ups....

Decided to throw a few skulls around to create an air of mystery...

Here's a closer view of the Tiki carved from the tree
and the hut built INTO the tree next to it...

Decide to have some carved Birds on the main beam of the huts in this one...

Threw this hut down here with an overhead view to denote a dip in the terrain...
the fun part of these pieces is that they don't have to correctly conform
to the laws of distance and plane and proportion too much
just enough to make sense to the viewer
so they can climb around and explore the world within...

Here's my favorite view of two of them perching carved birds..

a closer view of the background structure with torches on the right..
i may move that tree over just a tad to capitalize on the torch light
as this may become a night scene....

Here's a view of the treetops
and the background perching bird

May try to get a start on this piece early this Sunday morn.....
COFFEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!

Have a Great Day!
Aloha Ohana!