Hello I'm Mike Manley, welcome to my studio Blog. I am veteran comic and animation artist and I created and edit Draw! Magazine. This blog is a chronicle of what's happening in my studio. Follow my process and path as an painter, cartoonist and teacher and find out how they inform and enrich each other!
Tuesday, January 05, 2010
Still Life Progress
This is a little still life I am currently working on in my living room, 11 x 14 oil.
I've been reading your blog for a while and I don't think I've ever left a comment, but this piece really called my attention (even though all the work you post is great).
I feel like there's a story going on in the image. For some reason it reminds me of those book covers for Agatha Christie's novels. There's a certain ambiance going on that makes it more than just a still life. Then again, it could be just my impression.
Still, I love how you worked with the balance of cool and warm colors. You've blended them so well it's hard to tell where the cools end and the warms begin, and yet you create a beautiful contrast of colors. The reflections on the surface also feel just right: more than just a silhouette, with no more detail than should be reflected on barnished wood. I could keep going on, but I'd rather wait until you post the finished product, which I can't wait to see. Right now it looks great, and I agree with MilkManX about the lighting.
Also, these days I'm forcing myself to practice drawing and painting more realistically than I'm used to, and your blog has been a great inspiration. I always learn something new just from looking at your work. Thank you for sharing it. Sorry for making the comment so long but I got all excited when I saw this work in progress.
Nazario, thaks for that kind post. My new thinking is to always have something on the easel that can cook a little longer. many of the painting I do, like the current commuter series happen pretty fast, a day or two, and I like working hat way, but I also want to try my hand at doing a painting that I can go back and re-evaluate over a longer stretch of time, and the still life is that way. I suppose there might be a bit of a narrative happening, not sure what it is yet myself.
This is a little still life I am currently working on in my living room, 11 x 14 oil.
I am diggin the lighting so far! Nice.
ReplyDeleteThanks MM, I try and pick at it a bit every evening this week, I'm still adjusting those shadows...
ReplyDeleteI've been reading your blog for a while and I don't think I've ever left a comment, but this piece really called my attention (even though all the work you post is great).
ReplyDeleteI feel like there's a story going on in the image. For some reason it reminds me of those book covers for Agatha Christie's novels. There's a certain ambiance going on that makes it more than just a still life. Then again, it could be just my impression.
Still, I love how you worked with the balance of cool and warm colors. You've blended them so well it's hard to tell where the cools end and the warms begin, and yet you create a beautiful contrast of colors. The reflections on the surface also feel just right: more than just a silhouette, with no more detail than should be reflected on barnished wood. I could keep going on, but I'd rather wait until you post the finished product, which I can't wait to see. Right now it looks great, and I agree with MilkManX about the lighting.
Also, these days I'm forcing myself to practice drawing and painting more realistically than I'm used to, and your blog has been a great inspiration. I always learn something new just from looking at your work. Thank you for sharing it. Sorry for making the comment so long but I got all excited when I saw this work in progress.
Nazario, thaks for that kind post. My new thinking is to always have something on the easel that can cook a little longer. many of the painting I do, like the current commuter series happen pretty fast, a day or two, and I like working hat way, but I also want to try my hand at doing a painting that I can go back and re-evaluate over a longer stretch of time, and the still life is that way. I suppose there might be a bit of a narrative happening, not sure what it is yet myself.
ReplyDelete