Welcome to the Tiki Central 2.0 Beta. Read the announcement
Tiki Central logo
Celebrating classic and modern Polynesian Pop

Tiki Central / Other Crafts

Little lost Tiki's Art Chronicles and Stuffs! Page 70!A brief Return,BUT! Some new pieces to Delight YOU!!!

Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 3,330 replies

C

How about 'a nap in the jungle' for a title :)
Beautiful painting!

Loving that 30% done piece.
It is 100% awesome!

RH

The new piece mesmerized me! The way interplay of shapes, textures, and colors is fantastic, and the way it seems like parts of it are reversed-out, but aren't, and the way it occasionally goes into rough brushwork makes me want to OWN THIS MUTHA!! I WANTS IT ON MY WALL.

Ack!
Thanks guys...
but you DON'T even want to know
how that piece ended up...
i shoulda left it....
but SUCH is the price of
taking that jump
i just wish it had happened to another piece....

i may repaint it
and won't reveal it to the end

so as not to jinx it....
:)

Thanks y'alls for the encouragement
now where's that noose?

Aloha Friends!
and Aloha Other crafts!
It's been awhile...
Well, here's a painting in progress
that I've been working on
here and there
every once in awhile..
two sessions
about 6 hours in..
Here was the challenge for this one...
How would a shrunken head turn out
if i painted it in pretty colors?
like Easter Colors!
pinks and purples and greens...
that kinda look..
Would it capture that old Monsters of Filmland feel?
Would it make it more appealing to the female viewers?
Would it turn off the male viewers?
Does any of this even matter to anyone but neurotic kenny?
probably not...but such is the path chosen for this one....

May i present to you......in progress....
"the Lonely Head"
16x20
cel vinyl and acrylic on masonite

I'm also attempting to mix
realism and slight abstraction
(for effect)
to blur the reality of the piece
to let it live in two worlds..
Here's a close-up
showing the beginnings of breaking up parts of the painting
and allowing for transparency

We'll see how that goes
and if it succeeds or not...

Here's a close up of the layering I've been doing on the face...

and here's a detail of the half-rendered forehead and hair
(there will be some branch/head transparency here as well...
We'll see how it goes....

That's all i got Tiki-wise for this week..
Hope your week is fantastic!
:)

Life is always fun when art is in the picture! I like him. Wendy

Looking good, my friend! Can't wait to see how you complete the 'two worlds' concept. Are you going to leave the background less defined as it is now? Like the camera lense is focused in on the head?

Great stuff, as always... Peace- Jason

I'm a sucker for bright colors and shiny objects :D

Very cool....totally love me a shrunken head!!

yup, gotta say you have a way with just about anything to put down, and even colorful studies of dark subjects seem to leap off the imagination with ease....
Thanks for all the sharing !

I dig it!

Purple and Green - my favorite color combo!

Most of the great comic book villians had green and purple costumes: The Green Goblin, Mysterio, the Joker...

Nope! I still don't like shrunken heads. Sorry!

Aw Kiki!
Someday.....
Maybe a cute little baby shrunken head...
or a puppyshrunken head!
Yipes!

Wendy-Glad you like him
and art is essential to life...

Jason-You'll have a chance to see where the landscape wandered to below

MDM-i figured you'd be attracted to the "lower and more baser" elements of the piece..Something for everybody! :)

Meheadhunter!Right on!
Scroll down and see!
Hope you like!

Tikiville-my pleasure!
Sharing is always better than
mumblimh to oneself....

Brad!
I think your proclivity for intense colors has rubbed off a bit!
They're so fun
and especially in the case of your pieces
they dazzle the eye!
MYSTERIO!
i like Mysterio's Smoke
rendered by both Steve Ditko and John Romita!

Well,Thank you all for the kindness and warmth and entusiasm and cheerleading and wonderful insights you bring to this post!

Not much step-by-step
more like a
one-more-step-and-then-like-magic-it's -done
kind of thing...
Sorry,i twas in thee groove
couldn't stop!

Here's the last in progress shot before the unveiling...

And here it is done..
The foreground started to become overgrown
as the poor lonely head
spent its humid days
and dark nights
in the abandoned village
I wanted to capture some of the dark lushness of the jungle
i even put a few plants inside the hut!

"the Lonely Head"
acrylic and cel vinyl on masonite

Also finished a piece for the "Beyond the Reef" exhibition
which y'all will have a chance to see if you're at Oasis this year
Anyways...
Here's the first step
1)Recieve an incredible wooden crab bowl from Squid
2) Let it sit on a shelf for about a year
3) Call Squid on occasion and apologize for the tardiness
4) Get the call for the "Beyond the Reef: Tiki Magazine Anniversary show
5)DING! the bulb goes off
6) PAint the inside of the bowl blue and stew on it...
sketching a few ideas in the sketchbook
but being too lazy to get a shot of it....

Note the insane Christmas Card of our very own MadDogMike...
What is wrong with him?
7) Finish painting it
and decide to woodburn the outer bowl
8) do some Maori-inspired studies and decide on some to go with....
9) Woodburn away and enjoy the campfire smell
until a slight headache develops

  1. Smile and ponder the next piece

"the Doomed Crew"
acrylic and cel vinyl on woodburned crab bowl from Squid

Anyways....
I really like the Comic-Tragedy Story and feel of this Piece
I could've given it a Happier title/story
but that would ruin the dark humorous sad but comical feeling i wanted..
I mean...they're really gonna get munched
and that poor orongo advisor that
reluctantly decided to accompany them...
Doomed!
Dooooooomed!
Plus the Crab Bowl...
kind of like the lil Maori Monkeys will be Crab food
on the Ocean Floor....
sad...
Maybe a Cautionary Tale to Foolhardy Voyagers...

Also finished a Battle of the Fish painting
but that'll be on my FaceBook
cause it ain'ts Tiki...

Well anywhoooo
Thanks for Visiting!
:)



http://www.kenruzic.com
http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=19904&forum=18&start=0&2449
http://www.facebook.com/ken.ruzic

[ Edited by: little lost tiki 2010-05-29 23:33 ]

B

I really like the found crab bowlie and the Doomed Crew painting on it boss...your getting to be quite the hand with that burner there. YAY LLT!!

T

Nice...! love where you ended up with the shrunken head...

and the crab bowl is awesome! I've been experimenting a bit with wood burning (the smell CAN get the head aching though)... great maori lines on the wood burning. love how this whole piece ties together.

Monica and I are looking into making it out for Tiki Oasis so maybe we will get to see it in person... (fingers-crossed)

peace, brother...
Jason <

OK Tough Guy...
First of all....I love The Lonely Head...message me with info on making this mine!!!
Second...The Doomed Crew is awesome....has a cool vibe to it!!
Third....you make me sick with your fancy talents!! :)
Have a great day!!!

Hello friends and Ohana!

Got some great step-by-steps a lil lower down a bit...
Decided to take a recent village piece and...
Expand upon it...
But you'll see....

first....
Sai-baba!
Woodburning is a blast!
But like jason mentioned...the headaches can bug!)
I liked the idea of the comic-tragedy
and hoped to capture that...Thanks again for the visit.
I am forever in awe of the creations coming out of your clayboy mansion!

Jason-Yeah... the Lost Head just kind of wandered in and out of different styles..
a dreamlike landscape and a stark more "real" kind of head...
Glad you like it!
Hopefully you and Monica can make it to Oasis and the "Beyond the Reef"
Tiki Magazine show at the Freaky Boutiki!

MeHeadhunter-Sorry about your nausea...I would prefer that my humble efforts
would elicit more positive results like inspiration and motivation and smiles..
Fancy talents,as you call them
are the result of YEARS of doing it
of remaining dedicated
of making sacrifice
of doing research
of reading,learning,and listening to
artists of the past
and peers and friends of the present..
If you want something
you gotta put in the time and earn it...

The Doomed Crew is pretty funny...You should see it in person!
Will PM you in a few days about the Lonely head
but right now i wanna post this step-by-step
then gets my bootio to the studio
y'unnerstand...
:)
Thanks to all y'alls that come by fer a spell...
It's fun and inspiring to hear your thoughts on these
i only gots one brain
and the more quality brains in the soup
the more delicious!

Remember this piece?
"the Mid-Day Hut"
cel vinyl and acrylic on masonite
private collection

Well, i had a great Bamboo Ben frame/wood construction that was leftover from
my "Paint for BooBen's Garage Sale" pile and deserved something special...

Well, i decided to create a WHOLE VILLAGE and give it a bit more atmosphere!
Ah! The joys of developing a theme/concept!

So.... first thing needing to get done
is to gesso the wood

let it dry

and give it a light sanding

and another coat
(this was to fill in any dings and dents on the wood...)

Have a babywipe/wet paper towel/old t-shirt at hand in case any gesso gets on the bamboo

After all that prep-work
just went for it!
sketching the huts out and seeing where it would lead....
Used a water-soluble pencil for the initial sketching
that way you can wipe off lines you don't like...

It helps to refer to some hut photographs
as well as previous successful hut paintings and studies...
but sometimes it's also a good thing to let them soak in
and then put them away
and let your inner-style translate it..

Would've photographed those stages
but the lines wouldn't of showed up in the photo
and a white gessoed piece of wood with a bamboo frame
ain't too exciting...
so we skip that step
and progress to the next...
Light washes of acrylic and cel-vinyl filling in the hut,palms,sky,etc..

the front of the big hut

the front of the meeting house

a lil basic background hut
(to establish this as a village

There had to be a community,common and ceremonial dwelling in this one...
to represent the social structure,kind of...

So concludes DAY ONE a 10-hour jam with an unnecessary painting
whilst neglecting a giant David and Goliath
and a few other commissions and stuff...
Gotta strike when the iron's hot,i guess....

DAY TWO....the 14-hour day!
After getting all that filled in
it was time to start some of the rough shading
to give the structures weight
and to start getting a topography around the village
put it INTO a world,so to speak...

also took some time with
the masks and carvings
and palms

Used the watered-down turquoise to make some shadows in the huts
on the ground/to create a sense of thatching being layered and whatnot

Also used washes of mustard and browns and ochres
to create the depth on the front of this..

and finally....the RAW UMBERRRRRRRRRRRRRR!
This is the step where the "blackline" of these pieces is done
as well as washes of said same color to achieve/reinforce the shadows...

Also, you may notice some mountains in the background...
This was starting to have that "Hey ken! You might need to really UUMPH this one.it's got that feel"
so, by creating more distance, the world became bigger,more encompassing
YAY.

Here's some of the front of the meeting house...

a close-up just for YOU!

the ceremonial house...again playing with the transparency/wonky feel of these pieces
almost like dreams are piercing thru into that world
like breaking down the physical and spirit worlds
who knows?

Here's a close-up of the landscape being developed
and part of the porch on the meeting house....

GET OFFA MAH HEAD!

:lol:
Here's a last and parting detail until next time!
Gotta go! It's almost 12:30 and i need to get to STUDIO!
BAYH NOW!

and thank you again for visiting and leaving notes and simply looking....

BUT WAIT! THERE's MORE!!!
After a good 10 hours today at the studio
Here is some more progress on the thatched roof and vegematation!

and some hours later...

lines/shadow/repeat....

Adding washes of Raw umber thickens up some shadows
Also note some of the progress in the background
very subtle
don't wanna steal emphasis on the huts,mind you...

and another close-up
just to show y'all how,despite the initial roughness
it's coming together to my surprise!

Now... this is IT until next time!
Ciaoloha!


http://www.kenruzic.com
http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=19904&forum=18&start=0&2449
http://www.facebook.com/ken.ruzic
I also got a myspace,but who goes there anymore?

[ Edited by: little lost tiki 2010-06-07 08:05 ]

M
mp posted on Sun, Jun 6, 2010 2:08 PM

I HEART HUTS! YER KILLING ME. LUV IT

B

i love your workkK!!! great huts picture :D and couldn't agree more, woodburning is the beeznizz! i try and integrate woodburning into most of my projects :) :) atm i just have a standard soldering iron, but might upgrade to a pyrography pen with some selection of diff tips. anyway yeah, great stuff, i will have to pop back and keep an eye on what your making :D

neato

Love the worlds you create..
Lookin great!

B
BigToe posted on Mon, Jun 7, 2010 8:53 AM

Looking awesome mr Ruznic! i am totally getting lost in the spacial play of palm forest and huts. It's a depth of field of which Mr Picasso would be proud.

S

awesome! im lurking in there! c me?

empee! Haunted HotRods Bro!
Coming up! Stoked i could stoke a fellow artist broseph!
:lol:

BigAndyB- a good friend sent me a Colwood burner with a temperature dial
and a bunch of different tips!
If the tip is hot enough,it's like drawing underwater
smooth deliberate,with just a little bit more resistance than paper or canvas!
Have you started a thread on TC to share your creations with the Ohana?
Always a pleasure to see all those creative creations from folks!
Thanks for the visit,glad it could make things interesting for a spell! :)

Dawn-bandito! :)
miss you gurl!

Wess! Big 300 posts!
Somedays i feel like Willy Wonka,
creating worlds for all my friends to play in!
Due to copyright and licensing
I will have to change the moniker to
Willy Wanker! :lol:

Toe! Picasso would probably spit on these amateurish attempts
but i someday hope to make him smile! In the meantime i have a large Ohana
and Art Brotherhood to egg on the painting production!
Thanks for the goad,Toe-d!
:)

Dave! So you're the guy who's been cleaning out the wet bar!:lol:

Monday Night progress...

Thatching Thatching!

look! Is that sleestak in there?

Tip of the hut to ya!

Close-up to see the thatching and the background vegetation
Reduced the landscape down to their bare bones!

Last night's progress
the finish line is in sight!
Been thinking more and more how this village seems to be on the edge of the land of the Spirits....The title may eventually reflect that!

Ceremonial Hut and Villager's hut starting to formulate and appear!

Walking thru the village...

still a lil bit more lighting here and there...
PALMS!

GET OFFA MAH HEAD!

That's it for now!
Pretty pleased with this so far! Hope y'alls like it!
not bad for less than a week's worth of work!
TONIGHT! AFTER WORK!
The Finish Line!

See y'alls then!
Mahalos for visiting!

Wow, your work is absolutely stunning!

Ken, "the Mid-Day hut" really tickles my "There's something super-cool going on here, but I can't describe it" spot.

More Maestro-pieces from the master. Hell yeah.

"Note the insane Christmas Card of our very own MadDogMike...
What is wrong with him?"

You will never fully understand :lol: BUT - I'm working on an idea for next year's card :D

Looks great Ken, sooooo much detail. The transparency issues give it a M.C. Escher "impossible construction" vibe, it plays with my little brain.

Looking really good...
But, the captions you have written...
Made me laugh out loud!! :lol:
I'm not so sure you really want to be branded as Willy Wanker,
but if you insist, I'm sure we can make the name stick!! :)
Another great world!!

[ Edited by: Meheadhunter 2010-06-11 22:19 ]

Hello Ohana!
What an exciting weekend!
Seeing dear friends Jason and Dannelle exchanging vows
and getin to schmooze at the Laguna beach Art museum
with Mr and Mrs BambooBen
and assorted art-tards!
And i started renovating the studio for maximum efficiency!

Final Step by Step of "Village of the Spirits"
But first.....

pennjones-Thanks sooo much!
Welcome to Tiki Central!
You'll find a bunch of geniusbrains
who carve,chip,bead,sculpt,assemble
paint,grind,pound
and construct things that'll blow your mind!
There's enough creativity on here
to fuel a Starship!
Welcome again
and happy Hunting!
:)

Robb-Mahalos art-brother!
It's always fun to get that
"There's something super-cool going on here, but I can't describe it"
feel when painting...
You know the deal..
it's a kind of magic feeling
when it all starts to come together
but it don't feel like your brain or hand
is doin it...
ArtoPilot!
:lol:

Mad Dog-i dread each Christmas now.....
I was getting the WOGGLYS
painting all that thatching and overlaps and shadows
sometimes you get so down in the detail
that ya get lost!
"impossible construction"
Piranesi had that goin on too!
Chegg im out!

Wess,
yeah, i try not to edit responses too much
and write like i talk
in an attempt to let the normals
peek into a crazyartistbrain for a spell...

I think I'd prefer Silly as opposed to Willy
for a first name!
Scroll down below to view the finished WORLD for this one!

And again.... Thank you ALL for visits
it is a pleasure to swerve you....

Now may i present....
"Village of the Spirits"
That's the title for now but i know i kin do better
so it may change...
(i got til November to give it a proper nomenclature)
acrylic and cel vinyl on wood with Bamboo Ben frame

i added more raw umber and did some washes
as well as adding highlights and such with a lightened Naples Yellow
and other colors
to POP certain elements...
the Ceremonial Hut

the background village hut
showing the full texture of the wood underneath...

also note the grass and rolling terrain...
:)

Here on the Community Hut facade
the highlighting and shading helped to bring the porch out
and flesh out the masks

This shows how the thatching pops off the surface a bit...

And here's the rolling hills and jungle in the distance
i tried to apply soft washes of umber to achieve this
Also did the same to the palms...
and,of course..
one last GET OFFA MAH HEAD!

This one was quite a fun adventure!
Until the next jag
i bid y'alls a fond Aloha!
:)

No art step-by-steps for a spell...
Been working on my art studio
getting it more organized,dialed,and spiffied!

Not totally Tiki,but there;s some Tikis here and there....

Won't hog space here
But if you're interested....
you can visit it at
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/photo.php?pid=1135244&id=1451540979&fbid=1453550746043

I'll start something amazing Tiki step-by-step piece soon
keep yer britches on!
:)

Wow! Amazing studio space! Gonna kick mine in the shins when I get home!

I sent you a FB friend request! Would love to see step by steps.

I have some as well on my FB in addition to TC.

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=1135244&id=1451540979&fbid=1453550746043#!/pages/Zerostreet-Illustration/173648555732

Village of the spirits rocks! Love the textures
in that piece special K!

C

Talking about magical people, here you are, to me, an endless fount of happiness, thanks, thanks, thanks for the bottom of my heart :)

B

Fun and fantastic as usual, but I was wondering if you make your own frames as well or do you have them made? Just curious.

yawn!
rip van llt here
arisen from a grave-like sleep
and ready to cater to your demands...

if you need a drink or a snack
or need to go doodles
please do so now
'cause you will be SPELLBOUND
by the Magical mysteries that await you!

!!!

but first...

zerostreet-Ah! yes, the step-by-steps are the best
it's a great way to help the terribly shy
or deformed
or deranged
or bed-ridden artist Ohana
and i fully support any endeavor to inspire and inform
our brethren.
'cause thas what it's all about
Mutual Inspiration Pact!
Keep on exploring and creating and sharing
myself and the ohana appreciate it!

Jason-special K...
do you sit around musing on these nicknames?
cause you sure have a lot of them...
i would rather you took that mental energy and
channeled it straight into a few more luscious velvets of yours!
i see you like the texture....
i imagine you do too
seeing as i want to caress them when i see them!
:)

Clarita-te amo art sister!
you are so sweet and full of inspiration and energy
all wrapped into a beautiful creative creature that you are!
Thank YOU for returning all those happys
with art and heartfelt postings like yours...
:)

hey beady!
Happy birthday agin!
That frame,and many others are
pure bona-fide authentic...
get this...
BAMBOO BEN frames!
if it's a good one!
(i DO sometimes use inferior shoddy ones
maybe shoddy is too harsh
sub-par might be a better word)
but this one was the gem out of the
last batch from him
so i had to do something that

  1. i would consider worthy of his handiwork
    2)transcended mere Tiki Art into a fine art realm
    3)captured that pure raw primitive nature of
    not only the jungle
    but of the man who built the frame...
    a manly man
    named Ben!
    but i digress....

Thanks for the visit
but i got a lot to type.....

The following step-by-step
is a record of
HOW THE COVER OF A CD RECORD ALBUM THINGY IS MADE!
I speak of this more conceptually
because this one was all about the narrative
and i loves me some narratives!
Don't you?

Well, here's the album
http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=37084&forum=11&start=0&15
or here!
http://www.tikijoesocean.com

Tiki Joe's Ocean
"Under the Midnight Sun"

So, if you want the story behind the album...go there
you're obviously more aural than visual
and that would clear up some space for the more visual folks...Thank you...
You're always welcome back later...
Oh! and buy something when you're there!

Anyways....
Andy wrote me a few chapters of things to ponder
as well as sent an example
of a painting he liked
(that was the style i was to emulate for this piece...)

"Night and the Village"

so i pondered all that
(i have a special thinkin log that i sit on and think about things and stuff...)

and made up some things on my own
and gelled em together with him
via telephone/talking wires
thru delightful conversation
calm and courteous duologue
and joyful banter....
sigh!

Andy sent me a few skeletal tunes
still in the works
to get a vibe...
After that it was
hit the sketchemebooks
and do some
SKETCHES
real quick-like
to get an impression of atmosphere
What would a Midnight Sun be doing?
How would it affect the surrounding environment?
Would everyone be asleep
or would someone be able to share in this miracle?
Will i be able to fit the 25 things he wants in here
and still
when shrunk down
not have it look
muddy
or too dark
or too busy....
Kenny, you got yourself into another PICKLE!

Check out the Pufferfish Moon!
How KOOKY is that!?!?!?

Sometimes i just slap colors down
and damn the consequences!
as shown below with this crazy sun!

Distance!
How to achieve distance
in a style that is
mercilessly flat?
PICKLE!
PICKLE!
PICKLE!

We need a temple/meeting house
an A-frame
some Tikis
a river with a bridge
Pineapple fields
it's gotta be lush
and also a village
and some catamarans
and a curly swirly sun
and stars
maybe a volcano if i can fit one in
(but not with smoke like the example painting)
and...
PICKLE!PICKLE!PICKLE!

oh yeah...
where to fit the band and title?
P-P-PICKLE!

before i forget
make it readable ken!

without a microscope,i ask?
but seriously folks..

and here's some sketches for a floating rowerboy
that got axed
he woulda cluttered the sky....
if you must pry...

doodles!

Well, after pitching the story of the single little Moai
while everyone was asleep
who happens to awake
and row out
to get closer to this celestial performance
it was agreed we were both on the same page
and ready to proceed to the....
final Sketchy phase!

this is where i use fancy inks and watercolors
and actually draw it in proportion
to the measurements given...
all professional-like
and such....

plus as an added bonus
you can sell em later!
:)

First sketch...

good start but
where's the type gonna go?
sheesh....
ha-rumph!

also it doesn't have those solid
almost pareau-ish Chinese papercut lookin shapes
that was a Hallmark of the piece
that Andy liked ...

So, in a way
that sketch had the right elements
but it was deceiving
those shapes needed to be represented
to get a true example
and confirm my suspicions
that it would be too dark and heavy
for such a widdle CD cover....

suspicions confirmed...
p-i-c-k-l-e

think Ruzic Think!
What are you gonna do!?!?
He ain't gonna budge
and then
in my lowest moment
as i wept in the streets
gnashed my teeth
and babbled incessantly
DING!
(insert timer sound here)
why not make that color lighter?
You see here...

all that indigo
looks good on a 3x3 footer
but 4.75 by 4.75?
Come ON!
So lighter it is....

Andy likes having the original art
of each of his albums
so i wanted to give him something
that him and Debbie and Joey and Sam Sam
would have in their home to enjoy and wonder at...

being to their home
and thinking of that style....
gave me another...
DING!
Why not do it on Wood?

this piece came to mind...
"the Lost Hut"

i had done some acrylic washes over the wood
and got some nice tinting
as well as allowing the beautiful texture of the wood to show thru....

Hmmmmmm?
(insert Yoda or Jar-jar voice here....)

Ladies and gentlemens
we have a winnah!

intermission

Okay!
Now it's time for the step-by-step!

off camera
i scanned the final art and gridded it out
so i could keep the elements in the right general areas
i also scootched the sun down
and lifted the hut and A-frame up a bit
to allow for type...

2x2 foot wood
$40
already cutting into my profits...

at least Toe was nice enough to spare me the Aggrocrowdophobia
of dealing with regular folks
at the Art Supply Warehouse
'cause he's cool like dat!

Buy BigToe art!
NOW!

or you'll get a....
PICK-UL!

Sketched it gingerly
in pencil
onto the wood...

i used a grid
usually don't
but this is professional-like!
not flight of fancy
seat-of-your-pants
kinny Art
mind you....

close-ups

color in the base "ground"
the grass under those shapey things..

by doing washes
I not only lost 6 precious hours of life in the HEAD-ZONE
but also succeeded in giving it a magical depth!
See?

Instead of the harsh indigo
(as shown in those above examples...if you've been PAYING ATTENTION)
i decided to use a kinda Hunter green/Dark Olive
which is a few shades lighter than the indigo

only a few shades,Ken?
ain't it still gonna be too dark and heavy and busy?
Huh PickleBoy?
Huh?

i just smile
knowing

  1. it was just a disembodied voice
    2)or one o them figments
    3)or that "divine discontent" that Miro speaks of
  2. i already done thought up a solution...
    but you'll have to wait....

More of them pareaublahblahblah shapey things
Note how distance is cleverly represented by scale
SCALE!
by making things smaller they look farther away!
it's a parlour trick we artists use
when painted into a corner
plus it makes sense
i mean look around you....

the clever tangled shapes seem almost to taunt me as well...

PickleBoy!?!?
Well, I'll show THEM!

now onto the PALMS...
initial coloring..

Okay... back to the heavy dark shape dilemna

as you see
i have added a lighter olive to the shapes
giving them more form
and lightening them a bit more...
until later....

started on the A-frame
gettin the shadows going

(note: the original intention was to do the huts and tikis and everything in that curly swirly style
which would require abstracting that object into suitable chunks....NAH! i just made a decision and went with it!
Andeebedarned! i was doing it for the greater good and
i felt good enough an arteesto to make a judgment call
and pray he likes it...well he did! YAY!)

Oh! I'm so rude!
Here's a picture of the cel-vinyl i use
the acrylic is hi-quality Winsor-Newton(not pictured)
there's the gridded printout and sketches i refer to....

color overload!
about 12 hours of coloring and shading later....

fleshing out stuff
establishing lighting and texture....

doing washes over the grain to give it a semi transparent look in places
especially nearer to shore..

after getting the thatching done
i began to concentrate on the pufferfish
and the light he'd be projecting..

a view from on top of the temple/meeting hut
smaller=farther away!

the notorious pillar boys start to take shape....

as you can see
the curly shapes
have been further subdued
by festooning it
with grass and flowers!
festoon!
betcha ain't heared that in a while!

the miraculous midnight Sun..
i kept the center raw to capture the furious roiling of a sun...even a midnight Sun!

if you've noticed
i had added a purple color to the cloud outlines
as well as filled in the sky
with a painstaking technique of wet washes
now remember, this is raw wood
that SOAKS up liquid...
or bleeds out
so it was a challenge to get the right amount on the brush
PICkLE!
but worth the effort...

added an orangey brown
to make it warmer
also started hi-lighting things with colors
tonally lighter
cause it just makes sense...

the village started coming to life...

pufferboy is gettin brighter...

here's a view of that pineapple field
Andy relinquished the river and bridge
but would not budge on the pineapple fields
they were a lil bit challenging
because i wanted to simplify them
but still have them make sense in this strange world....
also not e the catamarans!

Approaching the finish line!
more layering in washes
adding hi-lights and such...
like the clouds...
it helps pop them off the sky and become fluffier!
that's right
i said it..
fluffier!

got the expression
the reflection
the boat texture
pretty nailed
plus he's gonna be about .05 inches tall or so
so optical blending will be key..

you can't imagine the time
spent staring at this from a distance of about 7 feet
chain smoking and squinting at this thing
all in order to ensure proper optical blending...
you can't imagine...
:)

washes of yellow
washes of white
finally it's looking brighter!

the shore
the pineapples
the moon and burping volcano
all coming together...

gave the Midnight sun some shadowing and hi-lights to make it wiggle amongst the stars more....

the notorious pillar brothers
are almost....ALIVE!

This last step is top secret
where i light incense
say a silent prayer
punch a kid
smoke a cig
and work with a fine-toothed comb
scanning the horizon for defects...

and then...
another 9 hours later

(about 47 total)
it's DONE!
and ready for sending to Andy
to have his personal designer
prettify it for public consumption!

Pretty as a...
you guessed it!
a PICKLE!

"Under the Midnight Sun"
acrylic and cel-vinyl on wood
private collection

a worthy challenge from a true friend
and we are both pleased with the end result
we hope you are too!SIMPLY SMASHING!

in fact....
You should BE at Andy's CD Release Party
here at the Tonga Hut
August 13th
to help us celebrate TikiJoe'sPop's THIRD ALBUM!
http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=37299&forum=17&0

It's a little past my birthday
but you can bring me presents
i really won't mind you being late about it and all....
it's cool....

or purchase a 12x12 print of this lovely piece of art
they're signed and numbered by me
limited edition of 25
only 25 will be on this PLANET!

it should be on the endangered list,this print should be!

and i bet Andy would sign it too
and they'll only be $20

Thanks so much for wading thru all the babble
and learning the process
that goes on in the batcave...
1:00
time for a bath and bed....
Goodnight Ohana!
and mahalos for visiting
it's always a pleasure to hang out!

R

HOLY PICKLES BATMAN!!!

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Thank you for making the insomnia worth it, lmao very entertaining!
:D

YER TOPS!

JT

Hey Kenny,
As always, Loving your stuff!!
-Johnny B.

A

Those pillar bros are tops!

notorious pillar brothers,mind you!
NOTORIOUS!

Thank you all for visiting and takin a peek!
pickles!
:)

[ Edited by: little lost tiki 2010-07-27 08:03 ]

I'm sorry, I wasn't paying attention, could you repeat all that? :lol:

Lovely story, Kenny & a gorgeous piece. But that commissioner sounds like a demanding character! You won outright!!!

Thank you children!

and Andy ol' buddy
The commissioner wasn't half as bad as the inner-commissioner
those art filter police upstairs in me head!
What a Smashing Success!

Winner! Winner! Of course when ISN'T your work a winner?! I love the little pineapple field - too cute!

OH! And if you don't sell out the prints at the TikiJoe'sPop release party I would LOVE one.

[ Edited by: beadtiki 2010-07-27 11:41 ]

HOLY COW!!!! That looks very interesting but way to much for me to digest in one sitting. I love the rare chances like this when we get a glimse into your evil genius mind. The result is as FANTASTIC as the process is mind-boggling!

Smashing success! Could not ask for a better CD cover.
Congrats to you both!

On 2010-07-27 10:12, Tiki Joe's Pop wrote:
I'm sorry, I wasn't paying attention, could you repeat all that? :

hahahaha
I too wasnt paying attention but facebook prompted me with the "anal" comment
ooOOOooo really great. but whats new.
and my ne favorite word , cause i too suffer from agrocrowdophobia

OK, first of all I would have never been able to get an Alaska image out of my mind "There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold"
I don't have any art training so I was intrigued by the diagonals in your grid, is that better?
Great job of giving a night-time feel while the sun is shining brightly. BRAVO!

PS Can you tell Ravenne to PLEASE make those cats stop licking each other!!!! :o

EDIT - looks like you Pickled the Beast! I couldn't find that clip on YouTube so here is my favorite clip from that movie instead - Wendy Peffercorn

[ Edited by: MadDogMike 2010-07-28 08:51 ]

FRIG!

What a wonderful essperience watching your sketches/ideas develope!

Really, that was super-cool to see happen, Ken. I've never seen your concept sketches like this before (naturally they have the same messy-maestro genius as the rest of your output).

SHAZAM!

got a short step-by-step of a new piece "the Sunshower"

but first....
regan-thank you! The pineapple fields turned out nicely
and I'm glad you think so too!We'll have to have a picnic there sometime!
I will begin offering prints up next week at the TJO CD release party exclusively
They will be 12x12 on a nice hearty matte stock
and they will be signed and numbered in a limited edition of 25
and i think i'm gonna be offering them for $20 apiece...
After the CD Release i will begin to offer them to the "general public"
(ie: here and Facebook)
Remember kids.... I don't offer up prints too often
but if this small run does well
then i will contact Mr. Wickedly
about doing another small run of somethin...
I would like these to not only provide you all with years of enjoyment
but also would like you all to have the chance to get "in" on a small run of prints
and the potential value it may accrue...
You guys don't know how many artist friends of mine have told me

  1. to do more than 25 prints (50 they say!)
  2. to charge more for them....
    Fergit that!
    You have all been so wonderful and supportive and inspirational
    I couldn't see fleecing y'all like that!
    maybe those other guys want your money for the least amount of product
    but not me,LLT!
    I respect and love you all too much!
    :)

Mike-Thank you for reading and plodding thru my creative journey under the Midnight Sun!

Jason-YAY! i think it's about time you tackled a CD cover for someone,eh?

Dawn!AGGROCROWDOPHOBIA FOREVER!
you need to bust out some step-by-steps,my girl!

Robb-yeah,those concept sketches are fast and furious
more about ideas and feelings than actual content...
Sometimes they shoot thru my head so fast it's hard to jot them down!
Not even Kraken Rum can slow it down
(and i can attest to that,just finishing a drunken birthday weekend!)
Glad to see you're up to tackling another painting....
That Moai of yours has a real grand feeling to it so far!.SHAZAYAM!

alrightio!
Last weekend when we was all artjammin
Carolyn,Stacy,and Hinano "huggybear" Paul popped by the studio
with monkeypods,space needle ashtrays,and a Bamboo Ben piece
they wanted me to embellish....

it looked like this!

not wanting to obliterate ben's work completely
i grabbed some gesso and painted in Flowers,palms.and a Sun!

i kinda winged it,but when you wing these kind of pieces
they usually don't disappoint!
After the gesso was dry, i addded some blue shadows to begin developing some depth.

From there ,i began to lay in washes of other colors to their prospective objects
(ie: red for the Hibiscus,etc.)

Close-ups!

after all of that,i added some olive motifs to Ben's background
and after all those washes...began some black for the outlines....

And here it is..... Finished!

"Sunshower"
acrylic and cel vinyl on wooden Bamboo Ben framed creation

Thanks for the visit!

Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 3330 replies