GO HAWKEYES!

I did this painting as a commission for a friend from Iowa. He plans on framing it and giving it to his father.

18" x 24" on 140 lb. cold press paper

Indigo and Van Dyke Brown paint created the black.

Watercolor Sketchbook

I've decided to separate my finished paintings from my sketchings and have started a "Daily Sketchbook" blog. If you are interested in following the sketchbook blog, it is here:

Daily Sketchbook

Tim

ATTACK OF THE BLACK-EYED SUSANS

24" x 18" on 140 lb. cold press paper

JAN'S THUNDERBIRD

I did this painting as a commission for a friend who just bought this 2004 Ford Thunderbird. I took a lot of pictures for reference, but settled on this front-on composition because it best expressed the car's personality. Like the talking animated cars in the Chevron TV ads, this Thunderbird looks like it is smiling and wearing eye shadow. Perfect for the owner!

SKETCHBOOK: MUSIC BOX THEATER

The Music Box Theater is the largest venue of its type in Chicago.
5" x 7" in Moleskin book. Watercolor pencils, ink and water brushes.

SKETCHBOOK: TO MARKET

This is a sketch I did from a portion of one of the watercolor postcards I sent out. Watercolor pencils, ink and water brushes.

SKETCHBOOK: OUT BACK

This is an imaginary scene that I painted for the September Challenge on SkineArt.com.
Moleskine book, 8" x 5", watercolor crayon, watercolor pencil, ink and water brush.

EUGENE SKETCHBOOK: SHELTON-MCMURPHEY HOUSE

The Shelton-McMurphey-Johnson House was built in 1888 overlooking the town of Eugene, Oregon. The Queen Ann architecture has been preserved and the home is now owned by the city of Eugene.

SKETCHBOOK: I LIVE UNDER THE BILLBOARD

I wonder if the person who lives there tells that to friends who are trying to find her.

Watercolor pencils, ink and water brushes.

SKETCHBOOK: MIXED FRUIT

Staring at my morning cereal bowl with fresh fruit on top.

SKETCHBOOK: FARMERS' MARKET GIRL

I've had a trouble capturing the likeness in portraits and decided to try something different. I turned the reference photo upside down and drew the image upside down on the paper with a Micron pen (005). This kept me focused on just the shapes and lines and not being concerned about what the person looks like. I drew it in less than a minute and then added the watercolor.

Although this isn't perfect, it is an improvement.

MARCH MADNESS

Click image to enlarge(24" x 18" unframed on 140 lb. watercolor paper)

I painted this for a friend who is a fanatic college basketball fan with a special interest in the Bobby Knight era at Indiana University. Knight once tossed a chair across the floor in an angry tirade.

GLACIER SKETCHBOOK: PANIDA THEATER

The historic Panida Theater (Panhandle Idaho) is still being used for showing films and presenting live entertainment in Sandpoint, Idaho:

http://www.panida.org/history.html

GLACIER SKETCHBOOK: HIGH TEA

GLACIER SKETCHBOOK: PRINCE OF WALES

GLACIER SKETCHBOOK: SWIFT CURRENT LAKE

GLACIER SKETCHBOOK: 2 MEDICINE LAKE

GLACIER SKETCHBOOK: "JAMMER"

GLACIER SKETCHBOOK: KIOWA & BROWNING

GLACIER SKETCHBOOK: LAKE MCDONALD

GLACIER SKETCHBOOK: OREGON BARN

We just returned from a road trip to Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park. I took my sketchbook, ink pens, watercolor pencils and water brushes along to sketch along the way, at the park and on the way back. I'll post complete pages so, should you have nothing better to do, you can read the commentary.

San Francisco Sketchbook: Metro Theatre

The old Metro Theatre on Union Street is shuttered and surrounded by chic boutiques. The icon of a bygone era closed three years ago and condos were planned for the site. But the building is still there, although plywood covers the entrance and the neon lights no longer glow in the cool evening nights of San Francisco.

San Francisco Sketchbook: Play Ball!

My brother bought us tickets to the Giants vs. Pirates game on Wednesday afternooon. A baseball game at AT&T Park is especially nice when the weather is beautiful as it was for this game. That the Giants won in 10 innings 1-0 made it even better. The giant Coke bottle and glove are iconic parts of the nine-year-old park.

I did the sketch during the game (making sure to watch for foul balls - although the people sitting on either side of us brought their gloves) then colored it in that night while watching the Mariners play on TV. Baseball obsessed?

San Francisco Sketchbook: Cable Car

What would a visit to San Francisco be without at least one cable car ride? Even though I grew up near San Francisco and we've been to "The City" numerous times, this form of city transport is always a joy.

This sketch was done at the Powell and Hyde Cable Car turn-around at Fisherman's Wharf.

San Francisco Sketchbook: Maiden Lane

Maiden Lane is only two blocks long but probably represents some of the most exclusive stores and restaurants in the city. Just off Stockton at Union Square, Maiden Lane is open to traffic early in the morning for deliveries. After that the small gates are put up to allow for foot traffic only. Restaurants put tables and chairs in the lane to enlarge their patron capacity during the lunch hour.

San Francisco Sketchbook: Stockton Street

San Francisco's architecture is more interesting if you look at buildings above their 3rd or 4th floor. So many of the older buildings are adorned with all sorts of sculptures and fascinating detail that dates them back to a time when decoration was as important as structural integrity.

This is Stockton Street next to Union Square.

San Francisco Sketchbook: Oregon Rest Stop

We just returned from a 4 day visit to San Francisco. I'll post some watercolor sketches I did while we were on our way and in San Francisco. Some I did en plein air.

Drawing/painting in a moving car while my wife drives presents some interesting challenges. It does force you to draw quick and loose, something I need to do more of. You've got to love Oregon rest stops, too. They are ubiquitous and almost always nestled in a grove of trees. This one is about 2" x 3".

GARDEN ANGEL

Click to enlarge

18" x 24" on 140 lb. cold press paper

This is a scene from our backyard. We bought the ceramic angel last year to complete the flower island in our lawn. I've been trying to paint more florals since I don't have much experience with them and at times really struggle. I drew the statue freehand in one take which surprised me that the proportions looked accurate. I put in a lot of the background darks early to see how the contrast would look. I added more and more indigo on the statue to get the right 3-dimensional look. I'm not sure how I did with this. After a while it all starts to blur. I have to get away for a few days to retrieve a fresh perspective.

HONOLULU PLEIN AIR 2 SKETCHBOOK

HONOLULU PLEIN AIR 1 SKETCHBOOK

We're in Honolulu for a stay. I spent about 4 hours Tuesday and 2 hours yesterday doing some plein air sketching in my watercolor journal:









This wasn't plein air, but just a face I saw in a magazine.
I did this one waiting for your flight out of Portland Monday:

DAISY'S BICYCLE

(Click Image to Enlarge)

There was no reference photo for this painting. I had seen some renderings of wicker baskets and wanted to give it a try. A bike basket was an easy way to start. I masked off all the flowers. It took a long time, but the result was worth it as I was able to put the underpainting of green in with several washes using long strokes and a large brush. I kept going back in to make the underneath colors darker and darker.
After painting the fence and the background, I painted in the bike saving the basket for last. I decided to mask off the lightest of reflective color on the wicker and then, after putting a wash across the whole basket, added the darks and finally removed the masking to reveal the reserved whites. I eventually toned down the white on the wicker but left enough contrast to give the basket texture.
I do like the wicker basket, but I also like the way the background fades out into a misty, foggy distance. I'm also glad I let the foreground fade out as well.

GEISHA CAR WASH

I've had the idea for this painting for several months, but couldn't quite conceptualize the composition. I finally could see what things would look like and started two weeks ago. I sketched in the whole composition and then painted the car first. Layers of indigo and van dyke brown paint later I was satisfied with how it turned out and especially the front bumper and the headlight.

With the two geishas I wasn't quite as happy. I'm not sure why the figures and the car don't really mesh. Maybe the size is wrong on the geishas aren't quite three dimensional enough. But after working this over for two weeks I'm finished, or in this case, I've stopped painting.

ABUNDANCE OF HOPE

(Click on image to enlarge)

I envisioned this painting one evening when I was emptying my pockets. The next day I took some reference photos to see what the composition would look like. I added a few things to the painting that weren't in the reference photos including the faux crochet table cloth.

I put about 12 hours into the painting including a lot time making black squares. I like the 3 dimensional nature of the objects and am happy with how the foil gum wrappers turned out; but I think the keys get lost in the crochet.

WATERCOLOR PENCIL PORTRAIT SKETCHES

I'm taking a watercolor pencil class. Our first assignment was to draw, color and add water to a portrait. The portraits were imaginary and not from photos.

Click image to enlarge.

Tim

EMPTY JARS

(click image to enlarge)

I'm not real sure about this one. I tinkered with the composition and wonder if leaving the background blank would have made a better painting. I started with the front jar and didn't take into account that the larger jar would be blue/green. . .in fact the reference photo didn't show it as blue/green. But I liked the idea of blue/green glass reflecting light. I should have had more blue/green in the small jar. Live and learn.

I like how the top of the larger jar turned out. Maybe i can just cut this one up into a smaller painting :-).

RUST BUCKETS 2

(Click image to enlarge)

Several years ago I created a painting of these two trucks . The reference photo was taken by a friend. The trucks are in the back yard of the friend's father-in-law. This is a different angle on the trucks than the first painting.

I used just a bit of masking on this painting for the whites in the headlights and the reflections off of metal. I also masked off the weeds in front of the left truck's grill as well as the bullet hole in the windshield. What I was hoping to achieve was the effect of the sunlight coming from the right as in a later afternoon sun.

I like the way the painting turned out. My favorite part is the Chevrolet logo on the front of the red truck.

Postcard Art

After seeing a gallery show of Artists Trading Cards, Carolyn gave me a pad of watercolor postcards. These 4 x 6 cards are heavy weight watercolor paper and are marked on the back like regular postcards ready to write a message and an address and adhere a stamp.

I'm hoping to send out some art work to friends and family.

HERE COMES THE SUN

(Click on image to enlarge)

Last summer I took a series of sunflower pictures at the farmers' market in Eugene. I finally got around to creating a painting from these reference photos.

I started by layering in a bright yellow for the entire sunflower. I gradually darkened the shadow areas. I used a cut q-tip and masking fluid to cover the yellow that would be come the stems in the dark brown center. I painted the dark brown/burnt sienna centers then removed the masking fluid. I was surprised by how much dark brown and burnt sienna I needed to get the three dimensional look of the flower.

The leaves are a bit abstract. I used a lot of blue green colors.

I like the composition of this painting, but my favorite part is the yellow dots and the shadows across the center of the flowers.

WATERCOLOR SKETCHES WITH A WATERBRUSH

Retired University of Oregon art professor Ken O'Connell introduced me to a waterbrush. The brush holds water in the handle and, when squeezed, drips into the brush hairs. This is terrific for including in a travel watercolor kit. I took the waterbrush, a pencil, pen, 8-10 watercolor pencils and a Moleskin sketch pad with me on our trip to LA during Thanksgiving. I drew the image, inked it, losely added some color with the pencils then used the brush to soften the colors and move them around. Here are some small sketches I did with the waterbrush:

PORSCHE

(Click to see larger image)
24" x 18" on 140 lb. cold press paper

I created this painting as a commission for a colleague who will give it to her husband as a birthday present. I took about 20 pictures of the car in a shopping mall parking lot and then created the background separately. I wanted the background to add some color but not overwhelm the composition.

The challenge with this painting was how to create a painting when the subject was a silver/gray color. I mixed some indigo and van dyke brown with a bit of cerulean blue for the car color. It may not look like it, but I did about 6-8 layers of color on the darker parts of the car. Just when I thought I had enough color, I added some more. I added the yellow parking lines, and their reflection on the car, to include at least some color on the car. There is the Porsche hood ornament and logo on the wheels, but it still is a silver/gray car.

The other challenge were the headlights. There really isn't much content or contrast there with the exception of a few reflections.

My two favorite parts are the rear wheel area and the license plate.

LOS ANGELES SKETCHES

We flew to Los Angeles last week to watch Shannnon's ER episode being filmed and see Kelli and Dave's new apartment. I did these two watercolor sketches from photos I took.

This sketch is of a street on the Warner Bros. film lot. We had lunch just a block away at the Warner Bros. commissary.

Angel Flight is a tram once used by LA's wealth Bunker Hill residents to visit the market down below.

Botanicals

(click image to enlarge)

This painting is loosely based on a photo I took. The flowers below the irises in the photo were yellow freesia so I changed them to daises. I did the drawing for this painting in pencil then decided to add pen and ink. Once I got started with the painting process, I realized, because of the dark colors, that the pen and ink weren't really needed. I did about five or six layers for the blue of the irises. I initially intended to have the dark background fade to a lighter color as the eye moved to the upper-left; but the black background seemed to make all the flowers pop.

LEFT-HANDED FRUIT

(Click image to enlarge)

Size 24" x 18"

Paints: indigo, rose madder, vermillion, indian yellow, raw sienna, alizarin crimson, phalo blue, burnt sienna and van dyke brown

I'm entering this painting in the Eugene Mayor's Art Show today. It is a juried competition with an about 1 in 10 chance of getting selected. The good news is that all those who are rejected can enter their work in the Salon de Refuses, a show that runs unjuried through the entire month of September.

An hour into this painting I was ready to recycle the paper and start over. The colors weren't right and I wasn't sure of the composition. But I persevered and like the results. There are a lot of layering of all the primary colors to get the brightness I wanted. I kept putting in darker and darker shadows to create the contrast and give it depth. There are a few things I really like (the center raisin) and some things I wish I would have done better or differently. I don't think I'll ever be completely satisfied with a painting and maybe that is a good thing.

56 Chevy

(Click here to enlarge)

This painting came out of a work-in-progress I presented on Wet Canvas:

http://www.wetcanvas.com/forums/showthread.php?t=511278

I was asked to show how I painted chrome. I wasn't sure there was a real technique for painting chrome; but I explained what I did when painting chrome which was basically "paint what I see." You can see a video of the work in progress here:

http://www.timgosswatercolors.com/chrome.wmv

Step by step, I started with the bumper and painting the lightest values (blue and light green) leaving some areas white. After the lightest values were added, I went to the darks which are basically the black and dark brown colors. This really sets off the contrast and shows how things are going to look when finished. After the darks are painted, it is adding the middle values and some detail.

I read recently in a painting "how-to" book about perfect and imperfect reflections. Imperfect reflections, like on water, have a local color (the water) and are muted. Perfect reflections, like on chrome or a mirror, have no local color so reflect back the exact colors. In this painting the chrome reflects the ground, buildings and sky/clouds.

The part of this painting I like best is the grey metal engine parts above the chrome grill.

ODD MAN OUT

(Click here to enlarge)

The idea for this painting just popped into my head. I've done blueberries, crayons and Mason jars before, but I don't know where the idea for the lone cherry came from. I've had trouble with reds before, especially the darker reds, so I wanted to give this a try to see if I could create a shiny fruit. There are about 8-10 layers of red using a mixture of red madder, orange and scarlet. The blueberries are cobalt blue, indigo and red madder.
I masked off most of the reflection on the cherry and the jar then started layering in the reds and blues of the berries, the crayons and finally the cherry. I initially had about 12 berries but I didn't like the look of it so added the more distant blueberries.
I realize that with the juxtaposition of the crayons and fruit there is a bit of incongruity; but you have to paint what the muses direct you to I suppose and I'm happy with the results.

Vacation Sketches July 2008

Here are three quick sketches I did when we were on vacation in Portland and Seattle:

Portland's Japanese Garden:

St. James Cathedral, Seattle:

Fifth Avenue Court apartments, Seattle WA:

Rotunda Roaster

(Click image to enlarge) I started this piece with the intention of making it an op-art painting with high contrast and sharp edges. But as I got into working on the car itself, I fell back into my usual literal interpretation.

The idea was to have only light cascading from above creating a lot of shadows and dark colors contrasting against the bright areas in light. I did a lot of layering on the lights as well as the darks to make them shine. I didn't do as much detail on this car as the parts in shadown don't show as much detail.

I made a number of mistakes early on but was able to recover and I feel satisfied with the outcome.

Saturday Morning Coffee

(Click image to enlarge)

I composed this painting from three separate reference photos I took at the Eugene Saturday Market. The challenge, when painting the figures all in one painting, was to get the proportions and lighting correct. I struggled with that a bit.

As usual I did a lot of layering to get the brighter colors and darkened the shadows considerably to get the fuller 3 dimensional feel. I like how the newspaper turned out without using any real text or images. . .just lights and darks and abstract shapes.

CIRCUS RIDE

(Click to enlarge image)

I had been looking at a photo of this car for some time and didn't quite know how to put it into context. Then, for some reason, it just popped into my head that it should be in a circus. I initially had thought of painting it smaller so I could show some carnival rides in the background; but the reflections and light on the car are critical to the painting and moved it forward and painted the tent behind it. The poster to the left is a variation on a real antique circus poster I saw on the Internet. I really like that clown's face. It is something about his mouth and eyes, but I guess that's true with every face.

I started with masking out the true whites on the car and then did a light blue wash over the whole thing. As I've done in the past to get the deep shine on the car, I did 4-5 layers of indigo and some lighter blues.

I really like how the car turned out and especially pleased with the nose of the hood. There are other parts (the top of the tent and the ground at the left) that I would do very differently if I were to do this one again. All in all, I like this one, but need to step away from it as after 12-15 hours of painting, I'm too familiar with the flaws.

ZOOM! ZOOM!

I think I may have overdosed on painting chrome after this one. When I showed Carolyn the drawing for this painting she said, "What is it?" I should probably enter a 12 step program for chrome painters and be allowed to paint only flowers for a month.

Okay. So what it is? Well, the painting is based on a picture I took at a Harley Davidson dealership. This is the side of a Harley Dyna Low Rider. The light was coming from the showroom windows behind the bike and from a lot of spotlights in the showroom ceiling.

I masked off areas I wanted to remain white. I then started painting the light blue highlights including some areas that I would be adding black to (the black being a mix of indigo and van dyke brown). The blue would be higlights on the black rubber foot supports, for example. I then began adding all the dark highlights and mostly working from left to right across the composition. Finally I added some reflected red color.

Zoom! Zoom! Off to chrome painter's rehab!