From Photo to Art: Sabrina

One of my most challenging, yet rewarding commissions, was a portrait pinup illustration I did for a wine label.  I was hired by the owners of Wein-Bauer Inc. , a wine distribution company in the Chicago area, to create a pinup style color illustration for one of their vintages, and the model was to be their daughter, Sabrina Bauer.

The clients hired my photographer friend, Rob Domaschuk (who also shot the reference shots for me of Playboy model Carlotta Champagne.  Rob rented a studio in Elmhurst, where met Sabrina, her mother and her MUA friend.  Although this was Sabrina's first professional photography shoot, she was a natural pinup--striking beauty, lovely curves, and she took direction very well.  The session went very well, and after a couple of hours, Rob shot some nice pics, and we eventually chose the top photo as reference.

 I drew an outline of the photo in pencil on Bristol board,  and then proceeded to start coloring Sabrina's hair.  I wanted to add a lot of detail and contrast there. (2nd Photo)  I moved down to her face and arms to get the proper blend of colors for her skin tones.  Colored pencil is different than my normal medium, graphite, which I mostly blend with my fingers.  Colored pencil won't blend that way, so I needed to layer different colors on top of each other, then use the colorless blender to smooth out the edges.  It takes more patience on my part to get the desired results

I really concentrated on the skin tones and hair first, as they were the more difficult parts to capture.  As you can see from photos #3 and #4, I gradually built up the colors on Sabrina's arms and legs.  I also made her dress much tighter and shorter.  As you can see from the reference photos, I started working on her shoes at this point, trying to get a more slender shoe style.


In Photo #5, you can see that I had a the dress almost completed, and began working on the stool on which she sat. While I was still working on the skin tones, Sabrina was for the most part complete.  The drawing is being to take shape, and some of the minor elements, like the wine glass, are being detailed.

  

Photo #6 shows the completed drawing as delivered to the client.  Per their suggestions, the stool was changed completely from what I originally laid out.  the dress was white with blue tones to create the folds and shading, as was the stool cover (slightly darker).  I emphasized the tones in Sabrina's legs, with some white highlighting, and made her lips ruby red, as befits the retro style pinup. And I made her shoes into pumps, so they would be more slender to accentuate her legs.


Overall, everyone was happy with the product; however, it didn't photograph well and was too wide proportionately for the wine label, and couldn't be used.  It was disappointing, but Sabrina was very happy with  the art, and she took it for her personal use.  This made the whole project extremely satisfying--while I didn't make the cut for the label, a young lady was very pleased with the artwork, which is a great thing.

Learning From the Master Leonardo

I recently saw a documentary on our local PBS station about one of my favorite artists of all time, Leonardo da Vinci. One of my favorite artists of all time, and especially of the Renaissance, da Vinci was the true Renaissance man---artist, inventor, mathematician, scientist.  He is credited with being the first person to study the biology of the human body by dissecting cadavers, his notebooks filled with detailed figure drawings from those dissections.  He also studied how water moved, he even drew designs for the first flying machines

One of Leonardo's painting trademarks was the use of sfumato, which is a style that eliminates the use of contour lines and creates outlines with the use of color only. It gives the art a 'smoky' effect, which can add drama and realism to the painting.  One of his most famous examples is the portrait he painted known as Mona Lisa.

I have always been a fan of the sfumato technique, and often incorporate a version of it in my drawings.  Below is an example of my "Renaissance" style, an art class project I did, in which I borrowed heavily from the master of both technique and subject matter.  This Madonna and Child was drawn with charcoal pencil on charcoal paper, it was the preliminary drawing for a painting.  I tried to use the 'smoky' technique in the folds of Our Lady's gown, the background, and the skin folds.

In this drawing of  Playboy's very first Cyber Girl of the Year, Alicia Burley, I tried to use the shading to distinguish the various body parts from each other.  Alicia has such lovely curves, and this art seemed to lend itself to using a variation of the sfumato technique.

In my progression as an artist, it's important not to stagnate.  After watching this special on da Vinci, I have decided to try to incorporate the <b>shading sfumato</b> again in my art.  I hope you'll like it.

Happy Holidays!

I know it seems early to offer up this type of greeting (unless you've walked into any retail store in the USA!), but I want to let you know of some exciting things we are promoting for holiday gift giving:

*From November 2, 2013 to December 31, 2013, we are offering 25% off the price of the print itself (not materials or shipping). Depending on the size, you can save a lot of money on a high-quality print of any one of my art pieces that is for sale. Use Discount Code EYSBRR in your shopping cart.

*Order a 13" x 19" print of any of my pieces for only $10 (plus shipping). These are printed on high quality presentation paper in a matte finish, and can be printed on demand. Buy 3 and pay only $25 (plus shipping). Contact me here for more information.



HOLIDAY COMMISSIONS
My schedule is filling up, but there MAY still be time to order your holiday commission! What away to say Merry Christmas. Contact me here for information and pricing.

A Playboy Model Tease

I have been working on a drawing of former Playboy Cyber Girl Misty Dawn for a long time--9 years, in fact! This has been an off-and-on project, and up until this year, the largest drawing I ever attempted at 30" by 20." It is a black and white graphite drawing based on several references, but mostly on her Cyber Girl of the Week photos from August 2004, taken by Sam T'ang. Below is a very recent Work In Progress shot of Misty's head.

 
I'm going to try to finish this in the next few weeks, before Holiday Commissions need to be started.  This is the last WIP that I'll post until it's completed.


FACEBOOK FAN PAGE
Come join my Facebook Fan Page! I upload updates, news, Works In Progress and more.  We have over 1800 fans already, and I'd like to include you.  Click here to 'Like.'

MODEL MAYHEM  PROFILE
Did you know I've had a profile at Model Mayhem since 2006? I have met numerous models, photographers, fellow artists, and other industry professionals there, and enjoy the networking capabilities that MM provides. Come take a look at my artwork.

Holiday Commissions (Already?)

Believe it or not, the holidays will be here before you know it, and if you have been thinking about surprising a loved one with some custom artwork, now is the time to book a commission. Below are all examples of commission orders from some very happy clients.


Sizes and Rates for black & white are as follows:*

Size................Reg. Rate
11" x 14" ............. $300!
14" x 17" ............. $350!
19" x 24".............. $425!
20" x 30".............. $650!

Depending on the size, I need about 2-4 weeks to do a custom commission in black & white, and slightly longer if its color.
Contact me right away for more information.

*Requires a 30% non-refundable deposit. Does not include shipping charges. Balance due prior to delivery.


FACEBOOK FAN PAGE
Come join my Facebook Fan Page! I upload updates, news, Works In Progress and more. We have over 1800 fans already, and I'd like to include you. Click here to 'Like.'

MODEL MAYHEM PROFILE
Did you know I've had a profile at Model Mayhem since 2006? I have met numerous models, photographers, fellow artists, and other industry professionals there, and enjoy the networking capabilities that MM provides.

The Angst of the Artist

For me, being an artist also means dealing with a ton of insecurities.  Creation of my artwork is fraught with highs and lows,  moments of grandeur that can suddenly turn into despair.  I've dealt with feelings like this as long as I can remember.

This illustration of Marilyn Monroe is the first artwork I've ever done that I can truly say did not cause me to not panic when I made a mistake.  I have to credit my wife, who guided me through her vision of how this piece should look.  She played art director, and assisted me through every step of the creation process, including some major, major changes in the hair, face and more.

Now, I don't want to make it seem like she doesn't help with my other work; she always gives some input when art is on the drawing board.  But since this was a birthday gift for our son, she was very invested in how it looked.  So she kept me on track, kept me focused for 4 months until we completed it. And not once did I feel like I wanted to give up on this piece (which would have been tough, since it's 30" x 40").

Come see the large version at my site at Fine Art America.

Meet the Fans!

I recently returned from a  trip to Indianapolis with the family, and while down there, I had the opportunity to meet a fan who asked me to personally sign a drawing he had purchased of Playboy model Carlotta Champagne. 

Richard McCullogh won a 13" x 19" print at the Chicago Glamourcon show in June, and he was very excited that the original art was available.  Richard asked me to sign it in person while I was in Indianapolis, and he also wanted a picture of me doing so. We enlisted the help of one of the hotel staff, and I happily personalized both for him.  

I love meeting fans of my art, and , while I do sign every illustration, I am more than happy to personalize any of them for the buyer.  Got a piece of art of mine you want signed?  Let me know, I'll be more than happy to make arrangements to do so.
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Do You Nude?

As I've said in previous posts, I love doing nude wife commissions.  I think that any woman who wants to pose in a glamourous nude or provocative piece of art for her spouse is very special, as it is a very personal kind of gift.

The lady to the left was a model who hired me to use a photo of herself that she supplied me to create some art for her husband as a gift.  She is incredibly beautiful, but has asked to remain anonymous since   she has a career.  But she was a pleasure to draw, lovely to work with.  And while she did model, this was a private, personal gift for her husband.

I pose this question to you--do you nude?  Ladies, do you pose nude for your spouse or significant other?  Guys, do you enjoy taking or viewing nude pictures of your wife or girlfriend?  I've been learning about many people who, while fairly conservative in public, are very willing to have this type of art in their home, if privately.  Let me know by messaging me here at my art website.

The Hair Down There......

Playboy's Miss June 1984 Liz Stewart

An interesting debate that I've run across on Model Mayhem and other sites is the definitions of fine art nude modeling and glamour nude modeling.  One of the many criteria is the presence of pubic hair on the model; some fine art purists (not all) insist that a fine art model must not complete shave her pubic hair.

Playboy Model Carlotta Champagne

Being a male of a certain age, I grew up admiring and loving pubic hair.  Playboy magazine set the trend for pubic hair fashion, and my favorite Playmates of the late 1970's and the 1980's all sported full bush.

As an artist, I've found that I rarely draw full frontal nudes anymore; however, I am still drawn to those women who prefer to grow some hair in their pubic area.  As noted by the examples  listed here, these are some favorite pieces of art that feature the models with some form of pubic hair.  Is it less than fine art?  Is it pornographic?  Our cultures definitions of beauty have changed immensely in the past generation, from the full hourglass figure personified by Marilyn Monroe to the slim, but full busted and shaved models of today.

Client Commission of "Amber"

However, I've received commissions such as this one of "Amber" who are full shaven (I was directed by her husband,; she wore a bikini in the original reference photo).  She is a very fit woman, and I see absolutely nothing wrong with her lack of pubic hair.  It would have made no difference to me if she did have hair, but what I've discovered over the years that, like breast enhancement, some women look good with pubes and some don't--it all depends on her shape, and a lot of times, how she wears it, which is confidence.

Pubic hair in art has been come and gone, according to this article in Wikipedia.   Perhaps the fact that it hasn't been shown in early Western art is like early animators creating only 4 fingers instead of five--it was just easier. 

What are your thoughts?  Do you like to see art of nude females with or without pubic hair?

Marilyn Monroe...A Work in Progress.

Selected images of the latest art of Marilyn Monroe, from the original Bert Stern reference photo, to the final image.  It really does change quite a bit in the face, as you'll see.

See my Marilyn Monroe prints at my page on Fine Art America.com 

Marilyn Monroe, Part 2

New Art

A brand new piece, a new version of my Marilyn Monroe Reclining Nude drawing.  Based on the  photo by Bert Stern, this art is completely updated.

This drawing is actually a very special birthday gift from my wife and me to our son.  He always like the original version, but circumstances prevented us from getting a good print.  So, we decided to just recreate it, only better.

My wife played creative director, and this is truly her vision of how she wanted it to look.  Using graphite pencil, colored pencil and acrylic pen, we varied greatly from Mr. Stern's original photo, and tried to create a more alluring and softer look than what he wonderfully captured on film. From changing the face to the vibrant folds and colors in the blanket, she directed me and pushed me to create a piece that we can say our son truly loves.

I would love to hear your comments on this piece, so please email me any comments. And see my Marilyn Monroe prints at my page on Fine Art America.com 

On An Art Client's ...Naughty Bits

Recently I was emailing my process of creating nude art for client's with a potential client, and he asked me, what do you do when you don't have a nude photo for reference?  I told him, I have to rely on the spouse for 'intimate' knowledge of her private parts.

This is actually a common occurrence for me in my job.  When I am commissioned to do a nude portrait for a private party, they normally have no nude photos that they can share with me.  So, I have to ask the client, what shape are her nipples?  how big are her aureola?  does she shave her pubic hair?

These all very delicate subjects, especially with complete strangers.  But I pride myself on my discretion and professionalism.  In the creative process of a nude wife commission, I have to know everything I can about her anatomy so that I can draw the most accurate image possible, one that they will enjoy for years to come.

Visit more samples of Nude Wives at my website.

Published in Flip Magazine Again!

Veronica Gonzalez

More good news! Yesterday my artwork of the beautiful Veronica Gonzalez was published in the online version of Flip Magazine, a publication dedicated  to pinups and the beautiful women who pose for them. 

This is my third feature in Flip Magazine, I was also included in the July 2011 Issue, as well as a previous issue.  It's a great honor to be included in Flip, as I got to explain the process of creating artwork of beautiful women in a bit more detail in the interview.  And Veronica was gracious enough to explain why she chose to work with me on this project.



This issue also includes  a feature on our good friend, model Jax Turyna.


I invite you to click through to see the new issue of Flip Magazine.  The print version is only $10.99, and I will more than happy to sign copies for free for anyone who purchases it.  Thank you.

My Art is Featured!

Recently, my art was featured on 2 modeling industry sites; in fact, both within the same week.

First, I received a Member Spotlight Feature on Model Insider. a newer site.  This had been in the works since June, and frankly, I thought I was passed over and forgotten, until I received an email from my contact there that I was in fact, featured on the home page, above the fold.

Later that week, I was featured on Model Mayhem on their EDU series of articles of pertinent industry information, featuring my latest art of the beautiful Veronika Leo, using my ubiquitous "From Photo to Art" features as the basis for the article.

It was a very nice week of unexpected notoriety, and I hope you all enjoy the articles.