Keeping velvet tiki art alive...? TWO PIECES ARE WRAPPED! YEAH!

Coming along nice

Robb I don't know anything about classic art but I know you're a class act. Keep up the great work

Beautiful Robb!
It certainly pays to move away from our comfort zones once in a while! With the encouragement of a couple of painter friends of mine, and even Brad Parker here on TC I left the digital work for a while and began painting and am now on my 3rd acrylic and am so happy with the results! I'm sure this current path of yours will be most beneficial to you and you art!

you done good boy! :)

liberating isn't it?

this is looking soooo beautiful Robb!
like an old book cover...
yet,despite not being on a black ground
it still has your spark!
Can't wait to see this one finished!
fun aplenty!

Let it rip, dear boy!

Looking good to me Robb. Don't think about it too much - its fine :wink: G

THANKS EVERYONE FOR SUPPORTING MY NON-VELVET WORK!

This is where I left off the last time.

This area on the left is going to be a sunlit patch in the final piece.

The far mountain range is starting to shape up just fine.

I not a fan of the pinnacle yet.

I'm working on this outcropping along the water...

It turns out lousy...

So I wipe it out down to the canvas and start again.

This is where I finish on the second day.

I'm changing the name of this from "Classical Art" to "Old Master Style" to hopefully be more clear about the style I'm going for.

NOW the pinnacle looks just fine!

The shadow side of this mountain is meant to gently give a sense of scale without a lot of detail making it distracting.

This area will need a lot more work.

The outcropping looks okay now, but will need to be more sunlit.

http://www.robbhamel.com

Looking forward with hope.

[ Edited by: ROBB HAMEL 2010-08-23 13:09 ]

I've finally gotten to work on the surf. It kinda looks better here than in real life.

This is the first time I've worked on the Moai since about February.

I'm slowly building up the contrast so he stands out from the scenery.

I think he's looking decent, but there's still a ways to go before I'm happy.

This is the 2nd of my "Tiki Vignette 3" series I started at DaddyKatz last week. It was commissioned by an art collector with an unbelievable floor-to-ceiling one-room collection and a good sense of humor - what a combination!

This is layer one for the foreground Tiki.

Back to my moai canvas, which is dragging on and on...

I'm still trying to get the moai texture to look right...

...and have to resort to using broccoli!!

This edge is the most important single element in the painting to me: if I get it right, the moai will have an actual dimensional look.

Looking great!

Yay! Robb!!

Great to see you painting on velvet again - and the moai painting looking superb. Thanks for sharing. G

TikiG and zerostreet - thanks for looking, guys. I can always count on both of you to let me know somebody is watching!

Here's some new pics I just noticed on my camera:

This guy is hard to do because he wants to look like just a collection of parts and not one whole sculture.

Painting with broccoli?! That's one inspired way of getting out of eating your veggies, Robb. The paintings are looking great, by the way.

Here's your problem, you're painting with the wrong hand.

Lovin' the moai painting!

GROG

THE MOAI IS COMING OUT TERRIFIC.BROCCOLI BOY!
Glad to see you starting up on this one again!

Robb said "I'm changing the name of this from "Classical Art" to "Old Master Style"

The "Master" part I'll buy but who said anything about you being old!!!??? :lol:

I know that clay artists use all kinds of crazy stuff to get textures, but painting with brocolli is a new one for me! Keep up the good work Robb, It's always good to see new stuff from you.

That looks to real!

On 2010-09-14 08:38, Robb Hamel wrote:

...and have to resort to using broccoli!!

BROCCOLI BABY...YES!! Lovin' the depth in this one...you the man Robb!!

Hey Robb,

Great meeting you at Bill's last night, hope to comission a piece soon!

Paul and Kristina

[ Edited by: blacklagoon 2010-09-17 16:51 ]

Yea the texture is looking sweet on the Moai! (with a New Jersey accent) Looking Good!

Look at the back of my head - only Germans can produce that kind of cranium!!

Here's the finished item:

"Tiki Vignette 3" - 36"x18" - 2 of 4

Thanks!

http://www.robbhamel.com

Looking forward with hope.

[ Edited by: Robb Hamel 2010-09-27 16:10 ]

And that kind of talent, Wendy

PS they invented most of dentistry too

Thanks again, everyone, for the feedback. Blacklagoon, it was a blast meeting you and your wife. Bill was thrilled with your purchases!

Back to the "Old Master-style" Moai painting:

I used retouching varnish about 10 days ago, which is obvious from the glare.

Believe it or not, the front mountain has been subtley glazed blue.

I'm still trying to build the stone texture and keep missing the mark.

The topknot gets some attention.

The topknot looks fine, maybe I could transfer the style I used on it to the moai to get it working?

Moai-gnificent! Great work Robb. I admire people who can work on a project for months and until they get it right. I think I have ADD, I have to finish a project in a week or so or else I lose interest. That seems to lead to quantity instead of quality.

Looking great Robb! Now try that Broccoli technique on velvet! :)

My Tiki God !! That moai is so beautiful, Robb. Wow. Really, wow.

oh, and that Hawaiian Vignette is Beautiful too ! But, well, we all knew that before you'd even start it.

AWESOME work Robb!

Mike, your guality is PLENTY high enough. I have the same problem, it really helps if I do big projects in bite-size pieces with gaps in between so's I can come back fresh after not peeking for awhile.

Iokona Ki'i - I think I just might do that!

Virani - Thank you! Wait till you see it in the frame I painted it to match.

Tiki Shark - I've really been digging the hotrod piece you're in the middle of.

Here's a little improv sketch I did for an upcoming painting:

"Marqcolorsketch1" - 5.5"x8.5" - oil on watercolor paper.

This is a test to determine the setting for a canvas piece. I thought I'd try a little improv before doing pencil sketches.

Wow! That little "test" looks awesome!

Great Googly Moogly!!! That's a "sketch"?....
I've got soooo much to learn!
I bow to the master.

Frickin WOW!

I'm sooooOOOoo happy you are sharing prosess pics. I too have a lot to learn.
I want my mountian-y/ volcano's to look that good .

Gorgeous! Mysterious! What's behind that mountain? Probably cannibal... Love it.

Robb, you make it looks so easy!

I can get to here OK

But it seems like a giant step to here :lol:

Bob Ross would be proud of your"happy little mountains"!

Dang!
Effortlessly Beautiful!

zerostreet - Thanks for liking it, but the final one is gonna be VERY different.

Tiki Shark - Very kind words from the REAL master here. Thanks Brad, I wish I could get the real images in my head on paper... maybe the next sketch?

Sophista-tiki - Your mountains look just the way they should: like Sophista-tiki's terrific mountains!

Zeta - SECRETS are behind that mountain!

MadDogMike - I got too involved and forgot to take pics showing the leap from those two steps!

AlohaStation - Bob Ross makes excellent USA-made brushes! And the mountains are happy ones!

L.L.T. - Every artist here seems to wish they could paint something that someone else can paint! I'm glad I can't do what you do, cuz it'd ruin the experience of having my mind expanded every time I check out your thread. That's flattery beyond imitation!!

THANKS ALL.

I've got a more Marquesan sketch cooking that I'll put on soon.

Love the "MOOD" of your sketch.

I did another 5 1/2x 8 1/2" sketch based on this thumbnail and it BOMBED!

This is the halfway point, I'm not gonna show any further. I wasted a WEEK on this monster.

I was frustrated and even had problems sleeping.

My response to this failure? DO FOUR PAINTINGS LIKE IT IN A ROW!!

here's the four pieces of paper taped down and sketched in.

I'm actually using acrylic - not my favorite but FAST. I'm not wasting another week on one of these.

These two are finished enough - they ARE just sketches, playing with ideas and such.

"Marqcolorsketch 2" - 5.5x8.5" - acrylic on watercolor paper. This pic is a little weak.

"Marqcolorsketch 3" - 5.5x8.5" = acrylic on watercolor paper.

I'm trying to create my own version of the landscapes of the Marquesas since I don't have any of my own pictures of them, is wish I did!! These are not quite what I'm going to do with my future large paintings... I'm just feeling things out and trying to get a feel for volcanic landscapes. I've lived my life around sedimentary rocks and don't quite have the feel for these otherworldly places yet.

Dang! Looks like you MORE than made up for that lil speedbump!
I bet half the kids here wish their "speedbumps" looked as good as yours!
mine certainly don't!

these are breathtaking!
Like an illustration out of a naturalist's sketchbook
as he sails the waves of Oceania!
Clap! Clap!

Come on down to the Opening Reception of my solo exhibition
"All over the Map"on November 6th!
All the info including links to directions is HERE!
http://www.kenruzic.com

[ Edited by: little lost tiki 2010-10-25 20:51 ]

Those are just thrown together tests? Daaaamn! The depth of field, colour and atmosphere in them is great - period - let alone something 'thrown together'

LLT - you are SO perceptive... they ARE meant to be like a naturalists' sketchpad! I'm taking a slightly Hudson River School approach to Polynesia... Maybe I'll call it the Sepik River School!

hewey - thanks for the photographic description using terms like "depth of field" 'cause I used to be a photographer and I think in those terms.

BILL WINGER, owner of DADDYKATZ retro/hotrod/tiki shop in Dayton, Ohio had his 50th birthday recently and a handful of local artists were asked to paint a custom made bust of him. Here's my approach:

For some insane reason I chose to use watercolors for this.

I felt sticking with a black velvet approach would be best.

The idea is: BILL WITH A FLASHLIGHT. I'm sure he always does this whenever he's in a dark room with someone.

These are the other busts. The ideas range from Bill as local horror show hosts to classic hotrod characters to completely original ideas.

On 2010-10-25 19:34, Robb Hamel wrote:

"Marqcolorsketch 3" - 5.5x8.5" = acrylic on watercolor paper.

I'm trying to create my own version of the landscapes of the Marquesas since I don't have any of my own pictures of them, is wish I did!! These are not quite what I'm going to do with my future large paintings... I'm just feeling things out and trying to get a feel for volcanic landscapes. I've lived my life around sedimentary rocks and don't quite have the feel for these otherworldly places yet.

Kinny nailed it...this one reminds me of the sort of work William Hodges painted from Cook's second voyage (this one is in Tahiti, pretty much the same kind of landscape as the Marquesas):

full size here

Far better to discard a sketch than get most of the way through a significant piece and discover you haven't nailed down the style you were after...it has happened to all of us! I have a pile of pieces that will never get finished because I didn't think them through properly at the start. I'm digging the different directions you are pushing in Robb...don't stop now!

On 2010-10-31 11:25, Robb Hamel wrote:

BILL WINGER, owner of DADDYKATZ retro/hotrod/tiki shop in Dayton, Ohio had his 50th birthday recently and a handful of local artists were asked to paint a custom made bust of him. Here's my approach:

The idea is: BILL WITH A FLASHLIGHT. I'm sure he always does this whenever he's in a dark room with someone.

These are the other busts. The ideas range from Bill as local horror show hosts to classic hotrod characters to completely original ideas.

That's so great, what a cool idea. Nice job Robb and everyone else involved.

Sweet landscape studies there fellow lefty (me too!).
I was thinking of Hodges when I first saw them also.
Love his work! Look forward to seeing what comes next sir Robb.

Paipo - thanks for the feedback, and the link.

Bora Boris - thank you, the various artists did give it hell.

Iokona Ki'i - I've gotta tell you that I like your avatar-pic better than anything I've seen by Leeteg!

These are the next two sketches on the left:

They've been giving me such a hard time I decided to take a break from them!

That blue one is gorgeous,Robb!
you're too hard on yourself!
these are perfect!
let that devil-may-care attitude seep thru
whenever you're in doubt
and you may be surprised with the results!

Robb and Kinny are BOTH back - life is good!

Robb, I like the one on the upper right - rough and forbidding. Kind of a PRIVATE paradise to keep the lookie-loos out!