'Really, Shiela? Experimenting NOW? On a COVER? AGAIN?!'
Um ...
This time I'm conducting my experiment in an orderly fashion, I'll have you know.
*laughing*
I've got the horses and ponies sketched onto the 4x6 foot painting fabric, and instead of trying to remember what worked and how I did the ones for Perth and Tarnos, I've decided to not experiment directly with the big one.
So I've got myself a dish towel stretched onto my window frame easel (ironed this time, believe it or not) and am going to sketch the basic outlines onto that and go with the paint.
This might take a while.
Here's a photo of the blank 'canvas' for you to gaze at while I go sketch.
# time gap
Okay, this is how I do some of the paintings. My own 'style' being more on the abstract or impressionistic side, when I want the conformation and such to be more 'accurate' I cheat. Pulling up the photo I want to enlarge on my computer screen, I hook the computer up to my handy dandy projector.
I can make the image any size I want, from big enough to fill the 4x6 foot painting 'frame' that I like, to small, to in between like the following photo. This is the image projected onto the fabric stapled to the window screen easel (three window screens hinged together, but I'm only using the top of one of the screens for this). Whatever's on my computer screen is what shows up.
I've had to do things the hard way for so long that I automatically take that route first, no matter what. I know that trying to draw on low thread count fabric is not going to work well. I always try it anyhow.
Then I try to make it easier by trying to seal it, this time with a spray sealant.
While I was waiting for the sealant to dry, it dawned on me that I've got part of a roll of actual canvas, so out I rolled it in my sewing room and cut a hunk to fit the screen easel.
Having neither the time nor the patience to get the heavier canvas 'stretched' onto the screen easel, which isn't exactly designed for any such thing, I looked around for another alternative. In front of my eyes sat a stack of pre-stretched canvases. These are the ones I use for pencil sketches of actual people, but really ... there's no law that I know of that says I can't sketch book covers on them.
And so I did.
Hung one on the pegs I put onto one of the screens for exactly that purpose, adjusted the projected image, and it took a whole ten minutes or so to get the horses and ponies sketched in.
Not only can I sketch more easily on the pre-stretched canvas, I can paint on it, too.
That means this experiment can continue with the dawn's early light as I try to figure out how to get Merri's Percheron a fiery red chestnut, Diann's Arabian white, Corrbed's Arabian black, Dothann's Welsh Pony a sort of bay, Brann's Welsh a gold palomino, and Rua's Shetland dapple grey.
I have a plan, really I do. It's an experimental plan, but it MIGHT work!
Mm-hmmm.
I see those heads shaking and those brows raising.
Oh ye of little faith!
What is life but an adventure?
Yup.
And this one is only just beginning.
What I would like to know is how on God's green earth I'm going to get any details at all onto the faces of the Younglings who are destined to ride these steeds. They'll be about the size of a quarter ... thank goodness I have a very good pencil sharpener.
Ah well, I'll fret about it tomorrow.
'After all, tomorrow is another day.'
If I'm to be up by dawn's early light, I'd best find some rest.
*laughing*
I just thought to check the 'sealed' fabric - it actually seems to have maybe done some good, so I can use that one to test the colors on!
By the time I'm done experimenting this book cover is going to have half a dozen preliminary experimental versions!
