AmishCommy's SB - update: 05/22 (Progress Report on various paintings)

**Shylone_Breath** · September 4th, 2006, 02:49 PM

fantastic watercolor! what do you use as basic colors to find this marvelous color skin ?

**Bowlin** · September 5th, 2006, 08:26 AM

Oh yeah, you've been busy lately. The sketchbook on the previous page is awesome. More of your time on those landscapes looks like it's doing you good. It keeps looking like your wanting to concentrate on making more smaller shapes next to each other. It really feels like your pushing for the "broken color" technique.

Keep at it man! lovin it! You look like your on a roll lately.

**Zanconato** · September 5th, 2006, 09:28 AM

Love the updates, yet again

Thanks for your relpy, I think I might buy a set, its about time I bought some proper watercolours. Sorry for all the questions, but what kind of paper do you use? I find some papers soak up the water to quickley and im unable to blend the colours and get that bleed effect.

Btw, In your earlier pages it looks like you used to use a brush pen - you ever tried using one with the watercolours?

**Kliment** · September 5th, 2006, 10:39 AM

lovely tehnique

**incolorinred** · September 5th, 2006, 09:11 PM

Good updates. Sometimes you use just the right amount of blue in the hair of a brunette figure and it is brilliant.

**bumskee** · September 6th, 2006, 07:42 AM

hey amish...just thought I say I love your work man!!! If I ever get up to NYC I am going to pour shite load of beer and convince you to sell me some of your stuff. haha.. my master plan.. I think I will split it with scotty that way we can never fail!!! *evil laugh here* :| love you work man, cheers, Min

**AmishCommy** · September 6th, 2006, 09:59 PM

Rich - thanks buddy. Here in this post is the beginings of a finished piece.

Shylone_Breath - i'm a one trick pony. i mix Ultramarine Blue with Permanent Carmine to get variations of blues and purples. and add Venitian Red (Burnt Sienna replacement) for the warms. i really need to start evolving beyond this color scheme.

Bowlin - that's becasue i get too caught up in the details without thinking of the bigger picture.

Zanconato - i prefer the student grade Strathmore 300 140lb Cold press. The water flows well on it and doesn't absorb too fast allowing you to work into it. Plus it picks off rather easy (although there is still some staining from the pigments). I've tried the "Professional" grade Strathmore 400. it reacts the same way as the 300, but i prefer the texture of the 300 better. there is little difference between the two but i'm picky. Also tried 300lb Arches and Fabriano, but it's too absorbant for my tastes. you need a hell of a lot more water when you work with that weight of paper.
I've used brush pens with the mix of watercolor and other mediums, but i prefer the natural hair brushes for strait watercolor.

Kliment - thankee

incolorinred - it still stupifies me how well that works. it never looks good when i'm actually doing it. it really requires a day of rest and some fresh eyes to apreciate the effect.

Min - i've seen you post some traditional work in your sketchbook. I know you can do it. Bust out your usual goodness traditionally and you can save yourself some caish

ok so i came up with the idea for this illustration while working on Round 1 of the thunderdome. I was planning on doing it in between the rounds but never got around to it. So while working on Thunderdome LMS2 round 2 i sneaked this piece in. I was happy with the way it was going while i was working on it, but now i kinda hate it. it's a little too stiff and there are a lot of proportion issues. i'm gonna restart it and make it more expressive like i planned.
Kinda weird technique with it. Started with charcoal on vellum and then went in with guache. that white in the face and around the hands is the Crystal Clear reflecting the flash from my camera.

**Justin.** · September 6th, 2006, 10:01 PM

IMO you should twist the body a bit... It seems almost "Too" head on, if you know what I mean- at least, with her head like that. Maybe if you tilted it up, eyes looking down, but kept it facing forward it would be more interesting?

**zhuzhu** · September 6th, 2006, 11:22 PM

man. i love your watercolors~!!!

**AmishCommy** · September 6th, 2006, 11:29 PM

zhuzhu - thanks bud.

Justin - the main problem is i became to much of a slave to my reference, and when shooting it over 2 months ago i did not consult my inital sketches as close as i should have. the vellum was going to be glued to the illustration board giving the composition more room on the right and avoiding the strait on symetry to some extent. also, the position of the hands is very important as well (i just noticed) becasue in the sketch the hand is pointing toward the background and in the above it's pointing out of the composition. and, as always i spent too much time focusing on the face which is not as important in the final piece as the gesture and the hands.

by the way, the title of the piece is "This Gentle Heart's Like Shot Birds Fallen" after the same title of A Silver Mt. Zion song.

**LateNiteHype** · September 7th, 2006, 01:58 AM

Show them paints who's boss!!!

Nice goin' with the sketchbook. I admire how confident your watercolors look- you seem to know exactly where you want to drop down color and strokes. Very inspirational and helps me re-evaluate how I approach my sketchbook.

Do you work in any other medium?

**Tobin** · September 7th, 2006, 03:21 PM

that reflection thing is a bitch aint it. you water colours have improved as usual since i last posted, nice to see you doing more mediums also now.. i find that one medium teaches you about another... i just started painting traditionally again after months of just tablet nonsense and was quite suprised with what i could apply from the tablet back to the painting, considering it was the painting that thought my most for the tablet.

**AmishCommy** · September 9th, 2006, 05:50 PM

LateNiteHype - i work in all kinds of mediums, just not recently. Watercolor is the only one i can pass off like i know what i'm doing.

Tobin - it was the self crit that actually helped me see what was wrong with the piece and how to go about to fix it.

mini update - sorry i'm an attention

this is a SoI friend:

and some pics from last night's opening at Haven Arts:

**Tobin** · September 9th, 2006, 05:58 PM

i bet that woman dressed in black is why all the frames are crooked

or maybe my dads ocd is rubbing off.

**AmishCommy** · September 16th, 2006, 03:09 AM

Tobin - it may have been part of the performance

but i did want tot take the level to my piece.

so it's official. I'm having a solo show at the Ironworks Gallery, December 2nd. I'm making a huge deal about this becasue this is my first Solo show. and it happens to be in NYC which is a big deal in and of itself. I'm also gonna try to use the show as a way to get into other galleries here in the City and elsewhere. planning to go into serious debt putting this baby on. i'm even gonna print catalogs for the show.

Here is the basic Idea i had for the invitation. let me know which one you like.

and a larger version of the first one:

**Idiot Apathy** · September 16th, 2006, 04:25 AM

Congrats! I hate you

I like the bottom right most one the best, the font - not so much; same for the centering. I say you paint the lettering damnit, it would catch my eye and it's 10 words!

**Alexandr Pascenko** · September 16th, 2006, 04:55 AM

woot?? i don´t know if i´ve post here but your watercolours and life drawing sketches are supreme! i would prefer the last one on the right bottom. i´m just not sure about the font type
much success with the gallery

**sve** · September 16th, 2006, 10:22 AM

Hi. I like the first one with ragged edges, the fist in the second row and the second in the second row. This, the last one mentioned has the most energy in my opinion, the other two calmer. The first one very stylish.
The most energetic one ( second in second row) is closer to what your art feels like, juicy, bright, charismatic, spontaneous. It is more sincere too. I would choose this one, although the rest two are more conventional. IMHO.

**Eew** · September 16th, 2006, 10:51 AM

Man just saw your post for first time, amazing figures !
(i like the last one most)

eew

**Lee W** · September 16th, 2006, 01:50 PM

Really nice sketchbook... I like the last one on the first row

**Tobin** · September 16th, 2006, 04:14 PM

i would use the first or the bottom right, but take the shadow off, makes it look a little cheap, which does not reflect your work at all. the font is a good choice though..

oh and you misspelled water colours

**fedezz** · September 16th, 2006, 05:37 PM

Definitely the one at the bottom right. And the type is not working at all. Futura might be a good font, but its style is not getting along well with the image, and I think the slanted version not so nice. The shadow is a no-no, makes it look amateur. Idiot's suggestion could work, lettering it yourself. Or you could try a serif font, maybe good old Garamond. If you don't mind I could do a type paint over, just to show you visually what I mean.

**poise** · September 16th, 2006, 09:58 PM

hey pooter butt, That's great! Can't wait to see your collection.
I own a Arkady watercolor, anyone jealous, neener, neener, neener.

For your promos I agree with hand writtin words, or maybe different text. I like the last one on the second row, with out that extra watercolor line ontop of the wording.

Congrats Arkady, I will be seeing you soon.

**Justin.** · September 16th, 2006, 10:28 PM

Bottom left the best, the small clothing thing or whatever it is doesn't "end" at the bottom, which IMO is sort of distracting with the way you cropped it- and I also like the "running to the edges" thing.

**Gryphon** · September 17th, 2006, 01:03 AM

I like the bottom right best, personally.

**winjer** · September 18th, 2006, 07:26 AM

I like what the MrBlonde said. Start putting a background and itll look better. Start actually designing the page. Good luck on your show, I might go if school work allows.

**AmishCommy** · September 18th, 2006, 07:53 AM

Idiot Apathy - thanks bud, i tried the hand written text, my handwriting sucks. i have two sheets worth of "watercolors: writen down. i may still pick away at it for a bit more.

GOBLINSHARK - i tried a few others but they didn't do it for me. i'm open to suggestions though.

Sveta - thanks for the input. just wanted to give you a heads up to get your typing hands ready. i'm still all about you writing the intro to the catalogue.

OldNoobie - thankee

Tobin - a few people mentione the shadows to me. i was a bit hesitant. always looks wierd to me. but in this case it does not bother me too much. but i'll definetly try without one. oh and considering that i'm in the States "watercolors" is spelled right.

fedezz - yeah dude, try the paint over. not to keen on the serif fonts though.

Tiff - thankee, if you want a precursor to MA, come to the Park on Saturday September 23 for another painting party. I'm gonna try to rope Greg and Irene into coming again. Maybe even Dan.

Justin, Gryphon - thanks

Shiraj - i agree, but since you havent been coming out to kick my ass about it i've been slacking off.

you guys are great, thanks for all the responces. My boy Scott Altmann (loomer) busted out this folowing design. I'm not too keen on the font or the placement of it, but i really like the crop of the image. I'm gonna do a few more mock-ups later in the week and then try to get your opinions again.

**sve** · September 18th, 2006, 10:21 AM

Arcady, looking forward to work on your introduction

. We can do it in any style: strict, official, Las Vegas style, chic, luscious, baby talk, offensive, street talk, Arnold Schwarzenegger style. hahaha. Just kidding.
I will be happy to help you with anything. Wish I could see your art in real life and I wish I could attend your painting parties.
I like the crop of the image too, but text looks blind to me. It does have some style in my opinion, sort of rough style, or like printed on the old-fashioned type-writer. But placement is not that harmonic I think.

**vigostar** · September 18th, 2006, 10:27 AM

cool shit arkady.... i agree with painting your own letters... dew it...! rock on with those darn watercolors man... good luck

**Alday.J** · September 18th, 2006, 10:30 AM

I like first one and second one of your first bunch. What Loomer did is cool too, even if I think the information could be a little more big. The place of the font doesn't disturb me, again I just wonder if the font can be a bit more big. Just a idea, feel free to forget it.
[please Loomer, don't hate me- runs away]
Congrats for the show, Arkady. You deserve it, talented bastard !