Wacky Reference Wednesdays, No. 138

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Hellboy. 2010. Acrylic, gouache, and watercolor on bristol board, 11 x 17".

I had recently purchased a Droid Incredible smart phone, complete with 8-megapixel camera, when I finally got around to painting this commission. I quickly realized that I could speed up the reference-taking process by shooting photos with my phone and emailing them to myself. Gone are the days of printing out tons of photo reference; I now store it all on my iPad and paint directly from it. Since I can navigate albums and scale photos with just one finger, it frees up precious desk space while reducing paper and ink consumption (not to mention clutter). Technology doesn't really change what I'm doing, but it can certainly make it easier.



As for the pics, I set up some simple props on my light box to get the appropriate under-lighting. As I often mention, I'm looking for ideas about lighting to inspire the finished product. The most loyal translation is probably in the left hand, which bore the closest resemblance to what I had wanted. Everything else was used as a loose foundation. You can see the entire painting process in my previous post.

5 comments :

  1. Okay, now lets see your art-mc guyver Ipad easel-stand thingie, seeing your gadgets in the past makes me think that you don't just have it laying on the desk next to you ;)
    Also, doesn't having the pad on for the hours it takes to do a painting drain the battery?

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  2. Ha! You know me too well. I've got it hanging off of a dry erase board that is propped up on my bookstand that I used to use for "old-fashioned" reference. It's right behind my palette which now rests on my spinning sculpture stand. Been meaning to do a post on my easel/setup for a while now. Someday...

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  3. Great piece! And I love the process shots!!

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  4. good job!!
    is terribly amazing!!
    :)

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  5. Thanks, guys!

    Oh, and Michael, I forgot to mention that I keep the iPad plugged in most of the time.

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