Chad Wallace Art

Serenity

2009-07-13T14:08:00.003-04:00

This painting was made into a puzzle by a company named Serendipity. 125 pieces, and I know where they all go.

Spring Daze

2009-07-08T13:45:00.003-04:00

Another from the archive. This one was a follow up to the Autumn Daze painting posted last week. I clearly like painting bears.

Caught In The Rain

2009-07-06T17:33:00.002-04:00

This post may have been more appropriate last week when it rained constantly.

Lone Wolf

2009-07-03T11:40:00.002-04:00

This was a holiday card, and self promotional piece when I was looking at a lot of wildlife art. I took a break from oil and used watercolor and gouache.

Macaw Tree

2009-06-30T21:34:00.003-04:00

As well as being very large and colorful, macaws are also highly intelligent and can live up to 100 years. Also, their facial feathers are unique, like fingerprints.

Republican Party

2009-06-23T13:22:00.002-04:00

Every once in a while I'll lay down my brushes and do a cartoon. Here's one from the archive.

Autumn Daze

2009-06-18T18:17:00.003-04:00

An oldie, but a goody. Not a very good scan. The painting itself is oil on canvas (28"x 32"). This I may want to play with digitally. I can bump up the color and fill in the gaps where the detail is getting lost. But first I will try re-shooting the original.

Cold Shoulder

2009-06-11T17:15:00.004-04:00

Not sure what I would have said to this girl, had she turned around and discovered me drawing her... "I like the way your hair contrasts with your black shirt, and how it falls about your shoulders?" It's the truth! And that's my excuse for drawing such a bad hand.

Mustang Sally's - New York, NY

Salamander

2009-06-10T11:37:00.008-04:00

The mural project I've been going back and forth with the Trailside Zoo - Bear Mt, NY is back on track.

Each animal will be printed on five-foot panels and mounted on a fence near the Bear Mt Bridge. Here's the latest comp for the salamander.

Grand Hall

2009-06-09T16:16:00.003-04:00

The Chuang Yen Monastery - Carmel, NY "Grand Hall". The monastery houses the largest indoor Buddha statue in the western hemisphere. It was not difficult to get excited about drawing there. Amazing energy.

Woodland Valley

2009-06-03T17:57:00.004-04:00

I went camping in Phoenicia, NY recently and found the time to do this sketch. I played with the values digitally after the fact, hopefully just enough to accent what was already there. I especially like the way the trees frame the point of interest.

Author's Day - Somers Intermediate School

2009-05-19T21:26:00.002-04:00

Here I am talking to a bunch of future artists. Author's Day at Somers is always very special because I was a student there. Much of the school has changed, but the art room hasn't. And my fifth grade teacher is still there.

Who is this man?

2009-05-18T20:06:00.002-04:00

What will this discredited celebrity reveal next? Which one of these is the best characterization?

Mars

2009-05-15T12:34:00.006-04:00

I was going through an old sketchbook and found this concept drawing. I thought it was worth revisiting... Mars that is. I think I did this after all those 3D Mars Rover pictures were published in National Geographic.

The original drawing spanned the gutter, so I had to piece them together in Photoshop. I imagined the Mars flood plains had crab-like creatures and slugs.

Mischka

2009-05-11T12:52:00.001-04:00

Tired after a long day of chewing water bottles.

Rabbit Hill

2009-05-09T14:20:00.002-04:00

Here's an oldie, by special request. This was during my, "I'm going to paint every detail equally" stage. I believe this was 1998.

Sad Clown

2009-05-08T13:08:00.003-04:00

Why does this clown look so sad? Maybe it's because it's been raining for two weeks.

Laurel Lake (color study)

2009-05-05T14:11:00.013-04:00

Working digitally allows for a care free working environment. You don't have to worry about messing up because anything can be reversed. So it keeps you loose, and maybe you try something new instead of playing it safe. With that in mind, I am revisiting this landscape drawing from Bear Mountain, NY.

I localized the color in a specific area to create a center of interest. I was careful not to make it directly in the center, rather, slightly to the left. We have a tendency to look at things left to right (like we're reading). When the viewer's eye drifts to the right, it is pulled back to where the color is most intense. If I render color everywhere the eye doesn't know where to look, and all the details cancel each other out.

I plan on painting this traditionally as well for comparison. Perhaps oil paint will provide for more intense color, although I kind of like the softness happening here.

At this stage I am only concerned with establishing values (light and shadow). The hierarchy of detail is key, especially in a landscape drawing. It's really easy to kill the spirit by over rendering, and not having a central focus. Hopefully that is not the case here.

I like leaving a little bit to the imagination of the viewer.

The original drawing is done on site with a burnt umber and sienna oil paint on panel. My biggest concern here is composition - foreground, middle ground, and background. I thin the paint out so I can work quickly. Once I have the big shapes, I move on to the smaller ones. I remove paint for the lighter areas with a paper towel. Then when I feel I have a good base, I take snapshots which will help me fill in the gaps later. I must be careful not to be overly influenced by what the photographs say, and concentrate more on the discoveries that were made while drawing.

Craggy Creek

2009-04-25T14:36:00.004-04:00

A little bit of color goes a long way... I'm tempted to do more, but I'm afraid of overdoing it.

There's something about sitting down in one of these creeks that appeals to me. Maybe it's the combination of still solid objects combined with the meandering water. Or maybe it's just nice being outdoors (minus the mosquitoes). I'd like to take these drawings beyond the sketch phase. We shall see...

Young Tigers

2009-04-23T14:42:00.004-04:00

I did this painting a long time ago, but I thought I'd share given the fact it was Earth Day yesterday.

Babbling Brook

2009-04-21T13:26:00.010-04:00

I am starting to revisit some older drawings as I continue to experiment with digital color. This was sketched around the same time last spring, when things were just starting to get green again. I thought I'd be sparing with color, but I may take it further.

The original sketch, pencil on paper 2008. When it comes to values, it's easier working in black and white. If the values are sound, it doesn't matter what colors you choose.

The Muscoot

2009-04-20T12:28:00.008-04:00

The Muscoot is considered by many to be the oldest restaurant in Westchester, NY. The roof sags, and it's been patched up many times, but this place has character. My brother and I are good friends with the owner. He's treated us well over the years, and we've had many good times here. This drawing is a gift to him.

The Bedford Oak

2009-04-19T22:10:00.009-04:00

This amazing tree is estimated to be over 500 years old. I especially like the brace set under the sagging limb. Like an old man with his cane. You can see me drawing the tree on Martha Stewart's Blog

Stewart's Farm

2009-04-18T20:36:00.007-04:00

This farm is right up the street from me. I thought I'd throw a little color into this one. Photoshop makes it quick and easy, and allows plenty of room for error.

Here's the original black and white ink drawing. If you sit on the right bench along the North County Trailway, Westchester NY, you'll see this.

Old Tree

2009-04-10T18:50:00.002-04:00

It was such a nice day yesterday I had to get out and draw. This is an old tree in the middle of the Vassar College quad.