Chinook Studios Chatter

Friday Tip

2009-07-17T13:15:00.000-07:00

Dogs* love oil based clay. For some reason, they like to eat it. Maybe they like other clays too, I don't know. But I do know for sure that Chavant NSP is a delicacy best kept away from your canine companions. Maybe even your feline friends as well, though so far they have ignored it in my experience. I'm sure I don't need to tell you what prompted today's Friday Tip!

*Note the plural - oh yes, this has happened with more than one dog! My sweet little angel Shelby up there was only the first to savage a sculpture.

Return of the Friday Tip

2009-07-10T14:28:00.001-07:00

Why hello there! Sorry to leave you all hanging. I didn't realize it was going to take me quite so long to recuperate from my NAN vendor preparations and blogging was really the last thing on my mind. But now I am back and ready to go again! Speaking of working hard, this week's Friday Tip deals with being as efficient around your work area as possible and juggling projects during crunch-time. You will discover what works best for you, but here are my strategies you can try!

If I have a lot to do and one set deadline I work in batches. (Batching is very effective all of the time actually, but it is practically essential when working within time constraints.) I use a calendar to help with my workflow and to keep me on track. It's time consuming constantly thinking of what has to be done next! Why waste that time over and over again when it can just be written down? I usually schedule a bit of extra work for myself, but not so much that I get discouraged when I can't get it all done. That way, in case I get everything finished early I have an extra project all ready to grab. I also typically arrange my schedule so that I have two extra buffer days or so for whatever arises. That time always gets used finishing stuff up even if I think I've given myself plenty of time.

If there is customizing to do, that of course gets done first. I will work on as many horses as I possibly can in one day. If I have more horses than I can work on in a day, then I work on the ones that need the most and switch between the horses that need less work. That way they still all get done around the same time.

Next up is prepping. This part is great because once I'm done primering all the front halves, the first horse is usually ready to have its back half sprayed! Do make sure not to rush this part, since grabbing a drying horse or worse yet - sanding one that is still tacky - will only result in delays. Be patient here, and work on something that only needs markings in the meantime if possible.

In the case of having many different colors to paint, I will mix up all of my batches at once and label each one. That minimizes all the time spent shuffling paints around, and once it's done the paints can go away for good! Once the paints are mixed up and the horses are prepped, it's time to think about the order in which they are painted. I like to paint the lightest colors first and work darker. This is good for two reasons: a) lighter colors tend to take longer to dry, and b) I can re-use some of the brushes from one color to the next, extending the number of colors I can paint in one day with a limited brush supply. Just make sure that when continuing to use a brush that the tint of the first color isn't significantly different from the next. For example, this technique works best when transitioning a brush used on a chestnut to using it on the darker areas of a bay. It is also helpful to scrub the brush in a bit of the new color and then wipe it off before painting.

When I get close to the end of painting body colors and it is time to start putting in the really fine details, I don't schedule more than 2 or 3 horses a day. That is not only time consuming work, but very intensive and exhausting. Overdoing it will result in sloppy details and burnout. I suffered from quite enough burnout in the weeks leading up to NAN and I was trying to be careful!

When all of the horses' oil coats are done, I move on to markings and other acrylic details. It is so fabulous to have horses ready for markings while paint dries on others - no wasted time just sitting and waiting! It is also a wonderful way to not waste paint - it's drying on the palette when it's drying on the horse after all. I also batch specific detail projects (eyes, hooves, etc.) so that I can work from one set of colors and think about one job at a time.

Efficiency also means being careful around your horses so you don't wind up knocking anyone over in the clutter and causing more work for yourself. Keep your space organized to prevent accidents. As you can see in the top photo (click to enlarge) even though there is a lot going on, everything has a home. Horses are arranged from small to large going away from me so that I don't have to reach over any Trads to get to a SM. The paints and rinse cup (as well as the *ahem* ever present Starbucks) are all kept to the right. The colors I am using at the time are kept more in front of me and get put to the right again when I am done to prevent confusion. Any brushes that are not being used for the day get put back in their out of the way spots at the back of my desk.

When I am done working on a horse for the day, I set it somewhere that won't be disturbed. The back of the workspace will do in a pinch, but it's much better to just have the horse completely out of the way. The final clear spray, glossing of the eyes, etc. and photographing are also done in batches. And that's that!

The last bit of advice I can give for working under tight deadlines is the most important: plan for extra projects but don't finish what you need to rush through to complete. Rushed work is doing you and your customers a disservice. If it can't get done right and on time, elect to put it aside and get it done right later. Deadlines are great for encouraging work to get done, but should never be the cause of sub-par work.

Happy Birthday Neigh-Neigh!

2009-06-15T16:17:00.000-07:00

Chinook turned 33 today! I took some celebratory pictures over the weekend, so this seems like a good time to post photos I have been saving up to show his color changes. He is a sooty buckskin, and every year he gets darker during the summer. His winter coat stays light except for his cute raccoon head which has also started getting darker over the last few years. The photos are all from this year, so you can see how much he changes in just a few months. Hopefully he will lighten a bit and get his lovely dapples before his winter coat comes in, but it didn't happen last year.

Yes, that grass in indeed taller than he is. He is small, but that grass is just humongous.

And yes, if there's grass to be found, even brown gross stuff, his head will be down eating it. I've pretty much given up trying to get pictures of him with his head up during the summer. I need a handler for photo days!

Doing his best Cheveyo impression!

Waterford up for Auction

2009-06-13T14:25:00.001-07:00

Just listed is one of my favorite little horses. I have kept him back for a while, but it's time for him to move on to a new home.

This is Waterford, a large stablemate scale Hairy Dauntless sculpted by Donna Chaney of Animal Artistry. Waterford was one of my first powdered pigment and pencil pieces (done in 2005), but he remains one of my best dapple greys. Waterford has subtle hair texture all over which must be appreciated in person. Photographs cannot pick up the fine details in his coat or his mane and tail.

Waterford comes with 5 expired NAN cards, a NAN Top Ten, 2 Championships and 1 Reserve Championship. He has not been shown since his NAN outing, but he always did well for me. Now he is ready to go out and hit the show ring again for you!

For a complete gallery of large pictures including many detail shots, visit Waterford's gallery.

eBay auction link

NAN Vending Sneak Peek!

2009-06-13T13:25:00.000-07:00

I will have a vending table at NAN this year, but as I'm occupied on Saturday and Sunday, my table will be open on Friday only! The following horses are what I'm feverishly working on. I have colors picked out for most of them, but if there's something you'd like to see on any of them let me know and I may change my plans.

I'll also have unpainted resins, my new Fjord medallion, and there are some other finished and half painted items in almost every scale I've not taken pictures of yet. I may or may not get photos of all of the horses up before NAN, so make sure to stop by the table to see all the fun stuff I'll have!

Idocus with new mane, tail and ears, bay frame

Animal Artistry rearing arabian with new base (will have grasses and flowers), bay sabino

G3 drafter with new neck, mane, tail, stallion parts and shoes, dark chestnut

G1 stock horse with new mane, tail, ears and gelding parts, sooty buckskin

G3 warmblood with resculpted barrel and topline, new neck, mane, tail and mare parts, color undecided, maybe chestnut or grey

G2 thoroughbred with new neck, mane, tail and gelding parts, appaloosa, not sure on base color, but possibly buckskin

G1 Swaps with new braided mane and tail, and gelding parts, seal brown, possibly tobiano?

G2 drafter on a base with new mane, tail and feathers, black tobiano sabino

Friday Tip

2009-06-12T16:05:00.000-07:00

The last of the hoof painting tutorials is finally done! Today's Friday Tip covers painting shoes, nail clinches and dirt effects. To recap the video:

Completely paint the hoof (unless it will be blackened, in which case, only the heels and soles need to be done) before proceeding.
Paint the shoe in as many thin layers as it takes to get the color opaque. I like to use a mixture of metallic silver and my generic dark hoof mix to darken and tone down the metallic.
Use a darker wash to paint over the shoe (don't forget the bottom!) and wipe off the excess to instantly shade in all the crevices.
To really make the nail detail pop, you can shade in the holes where he clinches will come out of the hoof with a darker version of the hoof color. Paint the clinches on top when done. The nails are placed on the side of the hoof towards the front. Usually only first three are used though there are slots for four nails.
Use a spray sealant to protect your work. Do NOT paint sealer over the top, or the paint will melt away. :-(
If the model is meant as a fully groomed show horse research breed rules and grooming fads to determine whether the hoof needs clear gloss or oil, hoof black only on dark hooves or stripes, or all hooves black.
The hoof can be done at this point, or dirt or dust can be added. I like to use powdered pigment and scrub it on with a rough, stiff brush, but acrylic works as well. Use light pigment for sandy dust, and darker brown pigment for a dirt look. Don't forget to add the dirt or dust to the bottom on the hoof as well!

Tetawken Finished!

2009-06-04T23:05:00.000-07:00

I'm assuming I'm going to be at the Car Doctor's all day today (wish me luck!), so no Friday Tip. But the good news is Tetawken is done! Sarah Rose graciously donated one of her lovely Caldero resins, and I have customized his mane and tail and painted him in a roany chestnut frame sabino. You can see his full gallery here.

As a nod to the show's Portland location this year, Tetawken has been created as a Cayuse mustang. He has a notch in his ear - a scar from battle with the Snake or a scuffle in the herd? Either way, he has stories to tell. Tetawken's name means "we, the people" and is the tribal name for the Native Americans we know as the Cayuse. The Cayuse frequently visited with other tribes, especially the Nez Perce, and were amabassadors to the east, trekking yearly over the Rocky Mountains to hunt buffalo. What better breed to welcome everyone to the Pacific Northwest?

Proxy Bidding Information:

For interested parties who cannot attend the NAN Auction in person, NAMHSA is pleased to offer proxy bidding for the NAN Auction lots. Every year a substantial number of pieces are sold to proxy bidders! Proxy bids will be accepted by the Auction Coordinator beginning on Saturday, June 6, 2009. Proxy bidding will conclude on Saturday, June 20, 2009 at 10PM Eastern (7PM Pacific).

Auction lots and descriptions can be viewed at the 2009 NAN Auction Page. There are some major updates which will be taking place at this site in the next few days so please check back frequently:
http://www.horsesofthesun.com/Auction/

To place a proxy bid, please submit the following information to Barb Ness, the 2009 Auction Coordinator at barbness@comcast.net :

- Name of the Artist/Auction Lot you wish to place a bid on

- Amount of your bid in whole US dollars

- Your full name

- Your e-mail address

- Your full snail mail address

- Your telephone number

- Your eBay ID

All starting bid amounts and proxy bid updates will be posted on Model Horse Sales Pages. On June 6th, a link will be provided which leads to all of the MH$P ads for the NAN Auction lots. Outbid notices will be provided to engaged bidders by the Auction Coordinator throughout the proxy period.

The winning proxy bidder for each auction lot will be represented by NAMHSA's official proxy bidder at the live NAN Auction on Saturday, June 27th. Auction lots will not be sold for less than the winning proxy bid. Therefore, if a bidder at the live Auction does not match or top the winning proxy bid, the highest proxy bid will be considered the final sale amount. If you have questions about this or any other information regarding the auction, please contact the Auction Coordinator.

Tetawken - Still Chugging Along

2009-05-26T23:17:00.000-07:00

Just posting one more shot to show Tetawken's progress! This is after another couple of layers, mostly working on filling in the markings and working on his legs. He still needs one, maybe two more days on his legs and head, probably some more white flecking on his body, mane, tail and other details. We're getting down to the wire, yikes!

Tetawken Progressing

2009-05-22T14:13:00.000-07:00

Yet again, another Friday Tip delay. Sorry guys! Tetawken is the culprit; the deadline is coming up fast and I am working on him pretty much non-stop (and going cross eyed to boot). The next hoof tip is about halfway done, so as soon as I get a break from Tetawken, I'll be able to finish it up pretty quickly. Until then, here is a little sneak peek at his progress. His current state is the first picture above; he still needs roaning touchups, legs, markings finished and final details. You can click on his pictures to embiggen!

In this stage, two layers of roaning - one white, one colored - were painted over a blocked in basecoat.

Here, several more layers of roaning have been added as well as some filling in on the markings.

Also, Amy Widman was kind enough to send in a photo of her Simply CM mini stock horse with his winnings. Congrats Amy!

Friday Tip

2009-05-08T15:26:00.001-07:00

And we're back on schedule! This week's tip is about painting the bottoms of feet. Whether you choose to paint the bottoms of hooves that are flat on the ground or not is up to you. I always do because the work feels more finished to me, and owners like to admire their horses from all angles! But it does not matter for showing, so use your time how you best see fit. I would suggest however that if you elect not to detail the unseen parts, that you at least paint on a few coats of solid hoof color since most people do not like seeing exposed primer. And now for a quick recap:

The colors used are all the same as before, so keep your paint mixes for the bottoms of the hooves.
Begin by painting a solid medium to light shade basecoat.
Shade in the crevices (much easier on a 3D model than in Photoshop, ha!) and around the wall where it meets the sole.
Add in highlighting on the frog and other raised areas, and shade in some subtle striations around the frog.
When the hoof is completely shaded, use a very fine brush and a thinned medium-dark brown mix and squiggle in some small faint lines (make them less noticeable than in the video where the contrast is exaggerated)
Double check to make sure the outside of the hoof's shading matches with the bottom, and you are done!

Next week, I'll be covering special effects like dirt - stay tuned!

Friday Tip

2009-05-07T16:39:00.000-07:00

The long awaited Friday Tip has arrived! I'm working on the next one right now too, so there should be no delays tomorrow. Whew! This week covers painting hoof stripes. In the video, I do it over a finished shell hoof, but in reality, I always start painting hoof stripes beginning with the first wash of paint to go on the hoof. It makes blending much easier and more realistic for me, but if you find that the paint gets too muddied up, you might try painting the stripes on after the shell color is done. To recap the video:

Hoof stripes occur under dark spots on white legs or sometimes on their own, frequently on chestnuts, and especially on appaloosas where it is a color trait.
Paint in a basecoat of dark color (I use a mixture of black, burnt umber and white) straight down the hoof. Make sure the stripe follows the angle of the hoof down and does not veer off track!
As with the shell (tan) colored hoof, shade in the periople and match up the growth rings. Instead of using various browns for the rings, I use a dark mixture (metallic copper, burnt umber and black), the basecoat color, straight burnt umber, and a suitable periople color (from the shell hoof palette) muted a bit with the grey basecoat color when necessary.
When the base growth rings are in place, add in the vertical grain as before, and go back over with horizontal growth rings to set everything in place.
Stripes do not always go down all the way or match up perfectly with spots. Use references to paint from for variations.

Next up, painting the bottoms of hooves!

Final Color Vote

2009-05-06T18:09:00.000-07:00

I still haven't gotten to finishing up the Friday Tip from last week (I'm having some computer problems) but it is on my to-do list. I'll try to post two tips this friday though if it comes to that! Until then, the final color vote for Tetawken is up. His color is down to two choices and the poll ends Friday so I can get to painting him right away! These photos are all just general examples, and the finished paint job is not intended to be a portrait. The thumbnails are provided only as reminders for the choices, and none of these photos are mine - please click on the links to visit each photographers' gallery and to see the full sized photos.

**If you've voted in the final poll on Model Horse Blab already, please do not vote here - I will be tallying the two together.**

Appaloosa 2 Photo by Michelle J.

Features - extended blanket/almost leopard appaloosa, interesting leg and facial markings

Pinto 1 Photo by user sagetopaz

Features - Frame/sabino, interesting combo of roan on the back end and crisper forehand markings

Tetawken Color Vote

2009-05-02T13:53:00.000-07:00

Here is my NAN donation, Tetawken, almost ready for paint! Obviously I still have a lot of prep and cleanup to do, especially on his shoulder, but I wanted to get a quick shot of him up so you can see what's going on. I still can't decide on a color for him, so I have narrowed it down to some choices and created a poll! You can select as many options as you like until Wednesday afternoon, and the top picks will be put up after that for a favorites showdown. These photos are all just general examples, and the finished paint job is not intended to be a portrait. The base color can change on any of them too, but will likely be a bay or chestnut depending on what I think will look best in conjunction with the chosen pattern type. But enough chat, it's time to look at pretty horses and vote! The thumbnails are provided only as reminders for the choices, and none of these photos are mine - please click on the links to visit each photographers' gallery and to see the full sized photos.

Appaloosa 1 Photo by Sarah K. Andrew

Features - Leopard/varnish appaloosa, smallish spots, lots of roaning

Appaloosa 2 Photo by Michelle J.

Features - extended blanket/almost leopard appaloosa, interesting leg and facial markings

Appaloosa 3 Photo by Chris Snyder

Features - varnish appaloosa, lots of uneven roaning, small hip blanket, very few spots

Pinto 1 Photo by user sagetopaz

Features - Frame/sabino, interesting combo of roan on the back end and crisper forehand markings

Pinto 2 Photo by Martina Vannelli

Features - Sabino, irregular patches of roaning and spotting

Pinto 3 Photo by user Saveena

Features - Tobiano?/Sabino, soft roaning

Recent Winnings

2009-05-01T23:31:00.000-07:00

Well, I keep messing up on the Friday Tip today, so I am setting it aside until tomorrow. In the meantime, enjoy these pictures from Erin Corbett! She had fabulous outings at the last few shows and sent in some pictures. Her ears forward Jasmine (painted by Tracy Eilers, tack by Erin) swept up the Grand Champ in performance at Northwest Expo and is also now NAN qualified in halter.

Erin also owns four of my Simply CM horses, and here is proof that even though they're simple, they are great showers! The TWH actually had to show in the advanced custom division instead of simple because his feet were changed, and he still managed to hold his own. I also heard that the pinto stock horse got overall reserve champion under the dapple grey warmblood (below)! You can click on their pictures for full galleries (except for the foals whose aren't done yet...).

Friday Tip

2009-04-24T14:47:00.001-07:00

Continuing from last week, we're moving on to vertical grain. Take note that what I'm drawing is a little emphasized so you can see it better - it's best to keep details like this subtle! To recap the video:

Start with the simple hoof from last week as a basecoat. Using the same color palette, start painting very fine vertical lines. At this stage, I usually go around the whole hoof in one color before moving on to the next since immediate blending isn't required.
Make sure the lines are straight from top to bottom, not angled. The lines should all be about the same width, though they can randomly cram together a bit, making some fatter looking lines.
Try to avoid the periople as much as possible, but you will be painting back over it so extreme care is not necessary.
Once the vertical lines are in, go back over the hoof the other way, re-shading the growth rings to set the vertical grain into the hoof.
Repeat the vertical and horizontal lines as much as necessary until the desired look is achieved.

Stay tuned for more hoof details next week!

Friday Tip

2009-04-17T16:25:00.000-07:00

Here it is, the long awaited hoof painting tutorial! The hoof painting tips will go on for a few weeks, so get ready for lots of information! I'm not terribly good at drawing, but the videos are done in Photoshop so that you can see exactly what I'm doing without things getting in the way. The video is self-explanatory, but here is a recap, including some extra information on paint mixes:

Begin with a completely painted and shaded leg (in this vid I am doing a shell hoof on a white leg), and fill in the base hoof color in several thin layers. I typically start off with a basecoat of raw sienna and white, but depending on your horse you may wish to add more brown or yellow tones.
Next, shade in the lighter periople at the coronary band. Depending on the horse I will use either a white mix (gesso, titanium white, and pearlescent white) or a dirty white (unbleached titanium, soft white, a smidgen of burnt umber and irridescent gold, and the white mix to lighten as needed).
Continue shading light lines that run parallel to each other down the hoof to begin the highlights of the growth rings.
Add in shadows for the growth rings. Depending on how dark the hoof is, I like to use raw sienna or burnt umber to start and add in previous colors as necessary.
Go back over everything with the original basecoat color and shade the lighter color on top to help blend and set in the growth rings.
Continue going back and forth with all of the colors until the hoof rings are well blended and subtle.
I like to do one section of hoof at a time instead of trying to do the whole thing at once. This makes it easier to blend, and it is not difficult to line up each section of the hoof.
Keep going to perfect this look, or use it as a basecoat for the next step which we will cover next week, vertical grain!

See You Later!

2009-04-10T09:58:00.000-07:00

I'm hopping on a plane in a few hours for a much needed vacation! There won't be a Friday Tip today, but I will work extra hard on an awesome one for next week. See you next Friday!

Friday Tip

2009-04-03T13:40:00.000-07:00

Ok, we're back with a real tip today... ;-) I keep my paints in little plastic drawers to keep them organized and easy to grab and inventory. My particular set has four of these drawers (you can click on the picture to enlarge) with plastic dividers inside. I find I can keep two tubes of paint in each compartment. This is great for two reasons: 1)I always have a spare - I never run out of paint, and 2) When I'm getting ready to stop by Dan Smith, I can just pull out my drawers and easily note which colors I'm low on. Keeping two tubes is also nice just in case the store is out of paint. This seems to happen frequently with metallic gold in particular for me... So even if I need to move on to my spare tube, I always have enough until the next shopping trip.

I also labeled the sections which helped me to find my way around quickly when I started using this system. That tape is probably 15 years old now! After a while you'll find you just know where to go, but the tape still comes in handy for rarely used colors. These kinds of organizers can usually be found at the hardware store or the storage section of any large craft or general store.

Friday (Wednesday) Tip!

2009-04-01T14:01:00.001-07:00

It's a busy busy week here, so I thought I'd get the Friday Tip done before it starts to get really hectic. It's pretty well known that grapes have some significant health benefits, but did you know they can actually help with your artwork too? According to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, grape skin contains perconphil which aids in one's ability to focus. I like to keep a little bowl of grapes (frozen is my preference, but they don't have to be) on my table and munch on them while I paint. Plus they make a great snack!

And one more thing - April Fools! But no seriously, grapes are great. And there really will be an actual Friday Tip! No foolsies.

Zoom!

2009-03-27T09:43:00.000-07:00

I'm headed out the door right now to go judge a show down in Portland tomorrow, so no Friday Tip today. Have a great weekend!

Friday Tip

2009-03-20T15:03:00.000-07:00

When sanding a lot off of a hollow cast horse, whether it's resin or plastic, the resulting holes need to be filled in. Now, you could fill them in with epoxy, but that's expensive and heavy. Try foil instead! I think it's easier to fill the entire horse with foil, but if it is secure inside without completely filling the horse that's fine. With the foil in place, you are ready to put a layer of epoxy on to completely seal up the hole.

Since the epoxy has something to sit on, this process is much easier than trying to fill a hole with epoxy only. Do not smooth it out; just stick it on and flatten it so that the epoxy does not stick out beyond where you intend to sculpt the muscling or hair. If the epoxy sticks out too far you can sand it later, before the final sculpting. Leaving the epoxy rough like this helps the other layers to adhere and prevents lifting later. When this first layer is cured, you're left with a great new base to work off of for sculpting the finished product!

Oh my!

2009-03-18T19:31:00.000-07:00

So, just a little scary thing for you to look at! This is Tetawken, my NAN donation. Sarah Rose donated the Caldero resin and I'll be turning him into a Cayuse as a nod to the show's Oregon location. You can expect more updates on his progress and a little more about his story soon. As you can see, he has just had his mane and tail removed - a daunting task considering how much of it there was! My poor wrist is in a brace right now, but at least I'm not the one with huge new holes in me. I'm waffling on his color; a roany chestnut frame sabino? a vanish appy? Who knows! If you have any opinion on the matter, feel free to comment!

Friday Tip

2009-03-13T15:48:00.000-07:00

In the comments for the tail sculpting video, these very good questions were posed: "Do you like Epoxy Sculpt or Gapoxio better? And what do you do to make sure its kneaded evenly and thoroughly? Thank you!" Thanks Jane! I prefer Aves Apoxy Sculpt but others prefer Gapoxio or Milliput. It's all a matter of taste. I also sometimes use the FIXIT Sculpt (also from Aves) which holds detail remarkably well - sometimes TOO well! The video shows exactly how I mix, but to recap:

Remove two similarly sized pieces of epoxy. (Mine was cold so it took a bit of digging!)
Squish them together and then roll into a snake. Fold the snake over on itself and repeat several times. Roll the snake in between your hands, and not on the table. This way anything that might be wobbly on the table won't tip over, water won't slosh out of your cups, and the epoxy won't pick up anything that might be hanging around.
There will still be visible lines running through the epoxy from the two different colors, so begin kneading and rolling snakes until it is thoroughly mixed. It takes from 2-3 minutes (depending on temperature and freshness) to completely mix a batch approximately the size of a ping pong ball.

Apollo

2009-03-12T13:00:00.000-07:00

So, here's a little spring surprise for you all! I just listed this adorable Imp resin on eBay. Imp was sculpted by Sarah Minkiewicz-Breunig and painted by myself in oil and acrylic as a light buckskin pinto. His markings are a mixture of tobiano, sabino and frame. Apollo's auction starts today and ends on Tuesday March 17, and of course I welcome time payments! If you're just lookin', you can see Apollo's fresh new gallery here.

Friday Tip

2009-03-06T14:06:00.000-08:00

Lighting is so important to creating an effective workspace, and a lot of tip requests had to do with this. There aren't any hard and fast rules about what kinds of lights to use, but one key is to use indirect lighting. By aiming your lights at the ceiling or a wall they will bounce back onto your workspace with nice even light that wraps around the model and does not cause any harsh glare.

As you can see in my setup, I use several different kinds of lights, not by design, but it's what I picked up and they work. The halogen lamp on the left is great at throwing out a lot of diffused light (and I wish I could find another). The lamp with the three bulbs can be aimed if necessary (and this is handy when it's time for prepping) but I almost always keep them in the position you see here. The lovely (gack) chandelier holds another 5 bulbs which bounce down a lot of light from the ceiling. Notice also that I paint in a white room. Bouncing lights off of colored walls will affect the color of the light; try to paint only in a white room unless there is no other way. So, in all, it's a pretty simple setup! Just find yourself a bunch of lights and point them up! You'll be enjoying glare free well lit painting in no time.