Creating Art...Behind the Scenes

Sometimes when creating a commission, the client requests very specific things in the artwork, elements in which I need to find the proper reference photo to make the illustration work.

This was an illustration for an erotic e-book, and the author/client was very specific as to the 'look' of the protagonist--red hair, fair skin, beautiful and innocent. I actually modeled the character's face on the author, but I needed a beautiful, curvy body as reference.

I found a gorgeous photo of Playboy's Miss November 2001, Lindsey Vuolo.....this lovely woman fit perfectly for what I needed. It took very little manipulation, just adding some thongs, covering her nipples and, of course, changing the face. 

 

While the book never got published, I had a lot of fun with this project, as it was one of my very first color pinups. I hope you enjoy. Feedback is welcome.

 

vincent-wolff.fineartamerica.com

This is...(Part of) Pandora

This is the latest commission, of my returning client "Pandora." This wonderful lady wanted another, more 'explicit," piece of art for her significant other, and she chose one that really tested my skills as an artist.



As you can see, I cropped the drawing here because it is really NSFW. I'm not even uploading it on my website, for privacy reasons. However, Pandora has agreed to let me show it on my Tumblr page. Click here to see the full, unedited art.

I want to send special thanks to my wife, who pointed out a number of major things to improve the artwork. Pandora loved them!

GOING TO THE SHOW!
I'll be displaying some of my artwork at a local Pinup show on July 8. Called Cheesecake, Seconds Please, this show celebrates the classic American Pinup. I'll be there, along with one or two guests. You can find more information about it here. Hope to see you there!

 

vincent-wolff.fineartamerica.com

 

This is....Misty Dawn

Misty Dawn is a former Playboy CyberGirl, whose excellent photos by Sam T’ang were published in August 2004 (Sam’s photos are the reference for her art).

Click here to see a full size image of her art and a new lower price on the original.

Misty was born and raised in Michigan. After some years of modeling there,she moved to the Dallas area in the summer of 2005. She has since gotten married and is the mother to a very photogenic little boy. She agreed to a little Q & A:



How did you get your start in modeling?
By chance. I went with a friend to have boudoir pictures taken for her boyfriend. That photog asked if I was a model, or ever considered it. He ended up taking a lot of photos of ME that day. I looked up known local photog's and Sam's name was #1 so for the hell of it I emailed him some of those pictures. He did a test shoot of me that week and the following month I was on a poster for a local radio station.

How were you discovered by Playboy?
When Sam was at the mansion the following week he showed Hef all of the recent models he'd shot and Hef wanted me out there the following week.


How long did you continue modeling afterwards?
I modeled on and off for about 6 years. I started late in the game so by the last year of glamour modeling I was in my late 20's and decided to do fitness modeling. Now that's some hard work!

What are your thoughts on Playboy discontinuing nudity in the magazine?
I think Playboy should stick with what's been working for them for the last 50+ years.

What kinds of things are you doing today?
Nowadays I'm a mom to a 6 year old boy (signed with an agency, of course!) ha
I'm hoping to escape Dallas in the next few years and move to Colorado.

Would you consider going back to modeling?
Again, I go on and off with my fitness and toy with the idea of just one more shoot.

 

vincent-wolff.fineartamerica.com

Brand New Nude Artwork

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

The Art of the (Color) Nude

It's obvious that I love illustrating nude women.  I feel I am very proficient in graphite.  But I've decided that this is the year for me to stretch myself, and work in different media.

The below images are 2 of the 3 commissioned by a client of his (now ex-) wife.  Each was based on nude illustrations that he found, & I added her head to them.  Although I did have some nudes of the lady herself, they were only for facial reference.

I really liked this project, as I had only done a few colored pencil nudes before. This forced me to look at the female nude in color, rather than breaking down the reference photos into black & white tones.

I am really happy with these illustrations; I thought I did well establishing her skin tones, her curves, etc.  Almost the quintessential 'Naked Wife' in my portfolio. 

Contact me with any comments or questions.

Wolff Illustrations: Save 50% on Art Prints

Save 50% on my artwork through the end of December!  Buy any print on my site and save 50% on quality art of Playboy Playmates, models and more. Nude or non-nude, pinups and more. This is a great holiday gift for yourself or a loved one.

Just enter code JEZPRV in the applicable box in the checkout page. Gt to my website to see all of the art. Ends December 31!

The Naked Wives

Over the past few years, it seems that I have received more and more commissions for "The Naked Wives;" i.e, women who very happily want nude or semi-nude art of themselves for their spouses, or husbands looking to give their wives the same. 

I recall how I got started drawing nude wives.  The first commission was a depiction of a husband's wife for tattoo art; she didn't pose nude, we took a number of reference photos and 'pieced' them together to create the artwork.  Since then I have received numerous requests to create this type of nude art.

Personally, I love working with women over the age of say 30 or 35.  I find that it takes a lot of confidence for them to pose or be depicted in the nude, and they are always so pleasant to work with.  Some of my most challenging, yet rewarding, artwork has come from these commissions.  I hope you enjoy them

Why Draw Nudes?

I recently had someone come up to me and ask me, why do you only draw nude women?  The tone of the question threw me off quite a bit, as if I was being judged because of my choice of art.

I have been a figure artist since I was a youngster, drawing my own versions of Spider-Man, The Hulk, and other Marvel heroes.  When I got to college, I naturally gravitated to figure art. I excelled at life drawing class, and found that drawing female curves and muscle tone was challenging, yet rewarding. 

I cannot tell people enough how much I love my choice of subject matter.  I consider the female form God's most beautiful creation, and I am not alone.  Artists throughout history have constantly depicted the female nude in many different media and forms.

I especially love creating art of nude women, especially commissions of wives for their husbands.  I've had the pleasure to work with so many couples, and I realize what a special gift a nude portrait is for a loved one. 

So, to answer the original question, I draw nude portraits because I like it, I'm good at it, and it gives enjoyment to people.  It celebrates one of nature's most beautiful forms.  I hope you enjoy it too.

Updated Nude Art

I always like to post new artwork here, and in this case I get to post 3 that, to me, are like new.

I was very happy that my good friend, Master Photographer Thom Rouse, agreed to shoot some of my artwork once again, including reshooting some of my older work of Playboy Cyber Girl Carlotta Champagne and Playmate Lindsey Vuolo, as well as the final, professional quality shot of the most recent art of my friend Misty Dawn.  

In order to show my art as close as it really looks, and to sell prints on my Fine Art America site, I have to get them shot by a professional like Thom--a small digital camera just won't work.  And, in the case of the art of Carlotta, I made significant changes to it after I had it shot in 2007, for showing at Glamourcon.  For 7 years the images I posted just never looked as it does hanging in our house, and it bothered me.  So I'm happy to present it as it really looks here.

As for the art of the voluptuous Lindsey Vuolo, I always thought the original was a bit fuzzy, and not very sharp.  Now, I used a lot of tissue to create a very soft shading technique that I used when I redrew it (see how it first looked here).  But I told Thom that something seemed off, and needed it redone.

Of course, the primary reason for Thom's shoot was for the drawing of Misty Dawn, the project that took me nearly 10 years to complete.  At the time I started, it was the largest drawing I ever attempted. I really tried to use a lot of shading on this piece of art, as it creates more interest, and more eroticism.

I hope you enjoy these updated images.  Please, please, please, leave any comments you wish.

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.

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?

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.

Glamourcon Special-50% Off

Glamourcon 2012 will be in Chicago the weekend of August 4 and 5, and even though I can't be there this year (previous engagement), I want to offer you Show Specials as if I was. 

From August 1 through August 17, anyone who orders any art from mypage at Fine Art America. gets 50% off my markup price. That's right, I'm giving up half my profit. This can really save you big on bulk purchases, or larger pieces (sorry, the discount does not apply to materials and shipping--FAA won't let me!). 

Say you want to order an 11" x 14" art print. You would save about $7 off the regular price, after processing and shipping. And the larger sizes will save you even more. The quality of the prints is unbelievable; I've seen them. 

The discount code is NGKHUP, but any purchase in the shopping cart during this time period is eligible for this great offer. This is an excellent way to get quality prints of my work at a much lower price than usual. 


Besides the prints, I also have some original pieces of art for sale at special rates too. Contact me directly at Fine Art America, and I'll send you some information. 

I'm also offering some special rates on custom commissions. 
11" x 14" ...........reg $300 .........now $250! 
14" x 17" .......... reg $350..........now $300! 

Requires 30% down to start, between August 1-August 17. Contact me for details, offer coincides with the print special. 

From Photo to Art--Carlotta Champagne Nude, Part Three

If you regularly follow this blog space, you'll know that I like to write about how I transformed a photo reference into artwork.  This is the third drawing that I created from a photoshoot my friend Rob Domaschuk conducted in my home a few years ago of Playboy model Carlotta Champagne.  I have blogged about previous drawings of Carlotta before, and it's always fun to visit the "before and after" of the art.

As stated in my prior posts, Rob and I booked Carlotta to pose at my house, so I could have some reference shots for future artwork.  Carlotta was a true professional, happily posing nude on my pool table and next to my bar, wearing a tie, a fedora, and nothing else.  We got several great shots, and the first drawing I did was of Carlotta in a power pose next to the bar, removing the tie and giving her a whip for an Indiana Jones style drawing.  I chose a more whimsical photo from this set for the second drawing, which I started at Glamourcon 2007.

The following year, I wanted to do something different, and challenge myself.  I liked the photos with the hat and tie, but I wanted to take one of the images and capture Carlotta's unique beauty, and nothing else.  So I chose a head shot and decided the hat and tie would go.  This proved to be a bit problematic--not only did I have to draw her head with no hat, but also her left breast, which got cropped in the reference photo.   I also couldn't decide on a hairstyle; Carlotta's hair fit nicely with the fedora, but it wasn't to my liking for my drawing.

Truth be told, I have struggled with this drawing for over 3 years (off and on); it was almost abandoned at least 2 times, and as recently as a couple of months ago.  But I got excited about it again,  after finishing a commission, and forced myself to go darker in shaded areas, particularly the hair.  I tend to draw too lightly, and I tried some tricks to go darker, so I'd have more contrasts.  Considering where this drawing was at not too long ago, I'm happy with it.  You can see this and more art at Fine Art America.

WIshing I Had That One Back

Often, when you create art, you look back at a piece and realize that you could have done something a lot different to it to make it better.  Regret is always a part of the game in artwork; you look at a drawing or painting later on, and think, I should have done this.

I first joined Model Mayhem back in 2006, and met some great models immediately  One of them was a curvaceous lady known on MM as Iday.  I was drawn to her portfolio, not only because of her near-nude images and great figure, but her exotic Middle Eastern looks as well.  We messaged back and forth about me using one of her images as a reference, finally deciding on the photo to the right.

My challenge in this drawing was the rope skirt.  I frankly didn't know how I was going to pull it off, so, after thinking it over for a few days, I decided that I was going to ditch it and draw her wearing something sexy (she didn't want to be depicted nude at all).  I decided to leave it until after I completed most of the top portion.

I printed up my reference and got to work, and have to say, I was really happy with the direction that this drawing was taking.  When you are a pinup artist, you don't want to screw up something that God created so beautifully, and Iday's gorgeous form was emerging from the background nicely (see WIP below).

As I got to her hips and legs, I discovered that my original plan just wasn't going to be as simple as I thought.  I had enough of a sense of Iday's hips and legs through the macrame skirt to draw them, but I just wasn't happy with something about it.   I wound up putting a little thong thing on her, but I was disappointed in myself.  I had the drawing professionally shot when I finished, and sent Iday a print as a thank you.


I've had several years to review what I did on this drawing, and I concluded that I should have left the rope skirt on Iday, as they accentuated her hips quite nicely.  I realize now they would not have proved to be as troublesome as I originally thought, and I could have used a design element to make them look kind of cool.  As I said, Iday has a gorgeous, curvy figure, and great camera presence.  I know I could do this over, and perhaps one day I will.  See the full size version at me Fine Art America website.

From Photo to Art--Marilyn Monroe

While watching television on Sunday, I noticed that Turner Classic Movies was featuring screen goddess Marilyn Monroe, in some of her best roles, like "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes," How To Marry a Millionaire," "Bus Stop," and others.

I wrote a blog about her in June,  in recognition of what would have been Marilyn's 85th birthday.  I included images of the two drawings I've done of her.  However, I have never featured her in a "From Photo to Art" entry, and since that blog was posted, I have updated the jpeg of the original drawing.

This artwork is based on a photo taken by photographer Bert Stern in 1962, from a series now known as "The Last Sitting."  Shot 6 weeks before her untimely death, Mr. Stern shot her over 3 days in LA, capturing a flirty, sexy, playful sex goddess (Bert Stern recreated the Last Sitting with actress Lindsey Lohan for New York Magazine a few years ago).  The results

I was greatly inspired by this photograph, as I believe it one of the sexiest, most erotic I've seen of Marilyn.   Who couldn't gaze upon a beautiful screen icon, laying nude on her bed, with just the sheets to partially cover her, and a 'come-hither' look on her face, which is almost post-coital.

Of my two Marilyn Monroe portraits, this was actually the first image chosen, although it was the second one drawn (they were both gifts for family members).  I opted to create this on a buff colored illustration board, instead of my customary white board, and, along with graphite pencil, I also added some colored pencil in a few places to highlight it.

There are some differences between the original reference photo and my art---I added dark tones behind her head because the back light Mr. Stern wonderfully incorporated into the shot, unfortunately took away some of the definition of Marilyn's hair.  I also changed the sheets to make them more rumpled, as if they were "well-used."  I also showed more of the side of her right breast, as a bit of a glamour tease.

I am hoping to create another Marilyn Monroe illustration in the near future. She is the epitome of the Hollywood sex symbol, and her untimely death only made her legend grow.

To see more of my artwork, please visit Fine Art America.

On A Nude Wife Sale....

I decided to run a sale....

or, perhaps the proper term would be a 'promotion.'  It seems that many of the great folks who find this blog have used the search term 'naked wives,' or a variation of those words.  As there is obviously a lot of interest in the subject, and I somewhat specialize in drawing 'naked wives,' I thought that maybe it is the time to promote some special pricing for Naked Wife drawings.

I am offering 10% off the published commission rates for any Naked Wife (or Almost Naked Wife) art commission until July 10, 2011.  This is a great opportunity to immortalize your better half (or ladies, yourself) as the Pinup Goddess that you are.  And 10% off my already reasonable rates can save you up to $65.

I've included examples of Naked Wives in this blog--one commissioned by the husband, the other by the wife herself.  These projects were fun and very rewarding, and I believe the clients were happy with the outcome.

Contact me at vincewolff2004@yahoo.com if you are interested in learning more about this promotion.  I'll send you prices and terms immediately.