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THOR's Experiments in black velvet.. "Molten Moai" FINISHED! page 4 |
THOR's
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Apr 30, 2004
Posts: 481 |  Posted: 2008-10-25 8:58 pm Permalink
Aloha All!
I decided to just start farting around with this medium of darkness. I have done a few in the past...but I really want to get this down, eventually and have fun!! Thanks to some other artists like Heather Watts and Robb Hamel and their velvet passion. It is too much fun to not jump in to. Here are the first experiments I have done at the end of the day this week after painting the regular stuff for the Gallery.
I just painted stuff that was fun..intending them to be learning experiences so that I could really do some more "serious" paintings next. Subject matter is inspired by this time of year.... I am learning TONS by jumping in and experimenting!! I love thinking with light..and darkness is the perfect background for the magic of light to dance upon... Questions and suggestions welcome!!
Special thanks to Robb for encouraging all TC artists to add to the "blood" of velvet painting revival.
~~~~~~THOR
this was on "velveteen"...a little too much luster to the velvet....but those seeing this test in person said the swore there was light "inside' the painting! So contrast is starting to work! Test smudges above...in oil and acrylic tests.
I set plastic early 60's devil head that used to hold candy for kids. It was the same design that inspired the Twilight Zone episode with the fortune teller napkin dispenser in the diner. Anyways..just looked at it and free painted..making up the light. I am not thrilled with it... It needed better design of light and core shadows... Diamond eye was fairly effective as painted. This as on velveteen too... So...not the ideal surface.
Beginning of test on better velvet I got downtown. Upholstery grade velvet.
Lot's of dust specks. You can see my chalk sketch in some areas. this one will have a gecko that's tongue is stuck to a lunar moth orbiting the candle.
I am learning more..but feel this is over worked a bit. my goal is to get a fresh, effortless feel to the brushstrokes and surface. This will take doing more and getting the feel down more and more.
That's all...more to come in weeks to come....
[ This Message was edited by: THOR's 2008-11-09 21:29 ]
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MadDogMike
Grand Member (3 years) 
Joined: Mar 30, 2008
Posts: 6412
From: The Anvil of the Sun
| Posted: 2008-10-25 9:34 pm Permalink
Looks cool Thor, way to jump in with both feet!!! Wish I had some insightful constructive criticism to add but I'm clueless, they look great to me.
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MadDogMike
Grand Member (3 years)
Joined: Mar 30, 2008
Posts: 6412
From: The Anvil of the Sun
| Posted: 2008-10-25 9:34 pm Permalink
EDIT - Double post (how did that happen?)
[ This Message was edited by: MadDogMike 2008-10-26 10:38 ]
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RevBambooBen
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Nov 12, 2002
Posts: 7198
From: Huntikington Beach
| Posted: 2008-10-26 09:07 am Permalink
...any Shrunken Heads??
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TikiMango
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jun 17, 2008
Posts: 798
From: Satellite Beach, FL
| Posted: 2008-10-26 10:34 am Permalink
Great work Thor! If those are posted in succession, then you can already see the progress in your technique. A little masking tape will get rid of all that dust you are complaining about.
[ This Message was edited by: TikiMango 2008-10-26 13:44 ]
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Tiki Shark Art
Grand Member (6 years) 
Joined: Aug 31, 2006
Posts: 2771
From: The volcanic Big Island of Hawaii
| Posted: 2008-10-26 1:12 pm Permalink
Wow, for a test, the devil looks damn good! 
Your Fortune: I see black velvet masterpieces in stor for you.
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Brad (Tiki Shark) Parker
"Brad Parker creates lurid paintings that pull in influences from tiki, comics, and rock."
- Honolulu Magazine "The Best Of" 2012 Issue
www.tikishark.com
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THOR's
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Apr 30, 2004
Posts: 481 | Posted: 2008-10-26 2:23 pm Permalink
Thanks for the supportall!! No shrunken heads yet Ben! But I am gunna some that will curl your rafia soon! Just figuring out this medium here first!!
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BigToe
Grand Member (4 years) 
Joined: Nov 07, 2006
Posts: 715
From: Southern California
| Posted: 2008-10-26 5:43 pm Permalink
right on Thor!!!!
these are looking great...one could say...ahem...SCARY good!
alohas, t
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little lost tiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jun 12, 2006
Posts: 7460
From: Orange,CA-right near the Circle!
| Posted: 2008-10-26 9:00 pm Permalink
Dang THORs!
Looks like you're taking to velvet and velveteen quite splendidly so far!
If these are your firsts,then i can't even imagine what time will produce!!!!
Is that velveteen anything like velveeta cheese?
No wonder it gave you some trouble!
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Robb Hamel
Grand Member (first year) 
Joined: Mar 07, 2008
Posts: 1013
From: Ohio
| Posted: 2008-10-27 06:05 am Permalink
I like that you've kept your recognizable style rather than letting the velvet take the reigns. Fun stuff.
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www.robbhamel.com
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sirginn
Grand Member (8 years) 
Joined: Oct 20, 2003
Posts: 271
From: Sunset Cliffs , CA
| Posted: 2008-10-27 5:29 pm Permalink
Incredible, your talent never ceases to amaze, first your paintings, then your rum series, the shrunken heads, and now the velvets.
It already looks like you have been working with the velveteen for years.
Please keep painting in this medium, I can't wait to see what you come up with.
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THOR's
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Apr 30, 2004
Posts: 481 | Posted: 2008-10-27 6:09 pm Permalink
Thanks for the encouragement!
I definitely don't recommend the velveteen..only because it has too much luster for me. I studied a lot of realists when I was learning classic painting in school. Some of my first paying jobs in school were painting extremely tight still life paintings for a ladies home. She was an editor for Bon Appetit Magazine..excuse my French. Every oak cabinet had different foods and thngs based on what cookbooks she had inside them...intricate stuff..and she got it for a steal! Anyways, I read a lot about the effects of light and the science behind what makes a painting "glow" other than just contrast. There is a lot of science in it as much as skill or developing an eye. I can see Robb takes this approach as well. It gets really fun when you combine the intellectual with the artful!
Basically what we all are fascinated by when we see a velvet painting is one basic illusion. When light falls upon paint, it bounces back into our eye and reflects it's source. The more opaque a color is..the more light it bounces back at us. Velvet..especial quality black velvet absorbs it's light source. So..it REALLY exaggerates the surface that is covered in the paint, which is reflecting the source. It almost looks like the painting has light inside it if done well. Canvas, even if painted dark, still reflects more light that the velvet will. Anyways...enough science.
I have been asked for years to do more velvets and I think now is the time. I really love the fact that the others doing velvets all have their own styles and so we can all explore together and help this lost medium take on a new interest and appreciation. Ok..the sun is about down..I am going to go experiment!!
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TheBigT
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Feb 27, 2006
Posts: 1155
From: Fabulous Houston
| Posted: 2008-10-27 6:25 pm Permalink
Wow! I liked the science lesson. That was interesting. Thanks! And cool paintings too. Keep us posted.
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Babalu
Grand Member (5 years) 
Joined: Nov 19, 2006
Posts: 2498
From: Lemon Grove
| Posted: 2008-10-28 06:42 am Permalink
Thor, Its awesome to see you diving into velvet. I see big things coming about. My wife and I will be heading over to the island fairly soon, I've got a visit to your store towards the top of my list...Thanks for sharing your progress. Keep up the exceptional work!
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THOR's
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Apr 30, 2004
Posts: 481 | Posted: 2008-10-29 6:06 pm Permalink
I did this the other night... Getting the hang of this and really enjoying the medium. I paint in the dark with one light over my shoulder... I looked at an actual skull I have that I got when I was taking pre-med classes before I decided to make a career as an artist...lol. Most of the light was invented, but I did put a flashlight on the skull from the warm side. This is oil on velvet.
I sketched it roughly first with a piece of chalk. Lots of lint and stuff..I will clean the painting of all that when dry. Studies like these help me to understand the medium. Then , when things are totally invented, I can predict the outcome and know how to design the negative areas..etc. Like I mentioned before, I think with light immediately when I paint, so this medium comes very naturally to me. This is soo fun at this time of year!! I can feel Halloween around the corner!! I will get to the Tiki stuff soon....lol...just starting with this dark side stuff. I am going to tackle a shrunken head next.
closer detail...lots of velvet left unpainted..which makes painting go quickly!
Anyways...more to come soon! Ideas are really starting to fly!!
[ This Message was edited by: THOR's 2008-10-29 18:14 ]
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