Mermaid still a work-in-progress
And here I am still painting my mermaid. It is taking forever because I only have small amounts of time to attend to it. I ended up setting it up inside and working by my desk lamp. Not the best, but at least I can pick it up and leave it when I have to. I much prefer painting outside on a sunny day, but alas, winter is coming here and the days are getting cold and windy.
But! I have made some progress. Still a way to go, but getting there slowly.
Lousy lighting at night with my desk lamp, but at least you can get an idea of the shine on the iridescent paint.
At the moment I’m glazing the background ocean trying to give it some depth. I’m an impatient little rat and have interrupted the drying time of several layers wanting to put the next one down. I have to keep telling myself it will be worth the wait.
Both the crab and the starfish are missing their eyes, the mermaid is missing some of her hair and there are a ton of touch ups and extra paint layers I have to do yet – not to mention the jewellery I’m planning to add to this. So still a fair way to go.
Don’t forget to drop by Paint Party Friday (when this week’s post is up, I’m running a little early) and visit all the great work over there.
To see this painting in all its progress shots, click here!
Oh, and I’ve added a couple more ways for interested peeps to follow this blog – all in the right sidebar – choose from email, Facebook, Networked Blogs, Linky followers, Twitter, or a good old RSS feed. I’d love you to follow me and I promise to try and keep this blog useful and relevant. In fact, if there is anything you might possibly be interested in that I could supply on this blog, please let me know.
Best wishes,
Liz
What a fun painting!! The textures (especially on your mermaid) are fabulous!! And the pearly look to the oyster is so eye-catching! Love it!!
Thank you 😀 I am having fun with this.
Thanks for dropping by.
Best wishes,
Liz
What eyes she has…Such color and excitement in this painting!!!!
Thank you 😀
And thanks for dropping by.
Best wishes,
Liz
It is great seeing it progress, and I get it with the weather change… it is even cold up here but at least we are finally getting some sun… I am liking the background and how it is developing… looking great…xx
I really have to get to your corner of the country one day. Ive been north of you and south of you, but never to your corner. So many things to see up there 😀 Though I do have rellies up there.
Thanks for your wonderful support on this project. I really appreciate your opinion since you are able to do such wonderful stuff yourself 😀
Thanks for dropping by.
Best wishes,
Liz
Your mermaid tail is so fascinating. How did you get it to look like scales? Really neat project. I love the glimmer.
Thank you 😀 If you check back at this post – http://inspired.gumnut.net/2012/04/mermaid-in-progress/ you can see the scales in progress. Basically Islathered on some heavy gel/modelling paste and then sculpted into it with some silicone tipped shaper ‘brushes’ (like a paint brush handle with a rubbery bit on the end where the brush normally is).
Did the same thing with the hair. New technique for me so I was experimenting as I went. Seemed to work okay. Then I painted over the top with acrylic paint mixed with iridescent medium.
Hope this helps 😀 And thanks for dropping by.
Best wishes,
Liz
Loving your beautiful WIP, she positively glows. Happy PPF, Annette x
Thank you 😀 Hopefully one day she will finally be completed. She is taking longer than I expected.
Thanks for dropping by.
Best wishes,
Liz
Sometimes these things just take time and love – which you are obviously devoting to it! It is going to be amazing!
Thanks heaps 😀 It is definitely taking longer than expected. I think the client and her partner in crime are providing too many interuptions 😀
Thanks for dropping by.
Best wishes,
Liz
Love the shine! She is adorable!:)
Thanks 😀 And thanks for dropping by.
Best wishes,
Liz
The texture is really great in this painting. It’s fun watching it progress. I didn’t do much artwork for a very long time because I felt like I needed big chunks of time to do it right. But I finally realized that doing little bits here and there is better than not at all.
Yes, the whole ‘need a chunk of time’ thing was something I suffered from for a long time. Then I had kids 😀 Before I had children, I used to write fiction, a very brain absorbing pastime, and something that definitely needs the block of time to get into the zone. I didn’t have time to do that anymore, so I switched to my visual art which I can mostly put down and pick up with ease (crochet is even better for that). Nowadays with two kids running around tiny bits of time are all I have 🙁 Oh, to have the time I had before I had children…:D
Thanks for your kind comments and for dropping by 😀
Best wishes,
Liz
I love mermaids! This one is sooo cute. Her eyes just draw you in. Love the colors too. Wonderful work. Happy PPF.
Thanks 😀 My daughter loves mremaids as well and I’m doing this under commission for her (she is 4 years old 😀 and an interesting art director).
Thanks you for your kind comments and for dropping by.
Best wishes,
Liz
She’s beautiful! I love the colors and textures, and am looking forward to seeing her completed. Happy PPF!
I’m looking forward to her being finished too 😀 She is taking too long 😀
Thank you for your kind comments and for dropping by.
best wishes,
Liz
Love this! She is just adorable, so fun and whimsical. Her eyes are especially fantastic.
Thank you 😀 I love drawing eyes they add so much to a painting.
Thanks for dropping by.
Best wishes,
Liz
I love everything about her! Those eyes are amazing.
Thank you 😀 And thankyou for dropping by.
Best wishes,
Liz
I love your mermaid and coveting her happy smile and luminescence (sp?); I am following you now and am going to click on the link to see how you have made her.
Nancy
Hi, Nancy.
Thanks so much for following me 😀 I hope you find my blog interesting. is there anything you would like to see on here? Any techniques I have played with that you might be interested in seeing in more detail? Let me know and I’ll see what I can do.
Thankyou for your kind comments and for dropping by.
Best wishes,
Liz
She is magical and delightful ~ coming along amazingly ~ thanks, namaste, ^_^
Thank you for continuing to visit and encourage me with this project.
Best wishes,
Liz
Those eyes!!!! WOW! love the textures in her hair and tail so much.
Thankyou 😀 I had fun making those textures – they’re done with modelling paste/extra heavy gel. Bit of an experiment for me.
Thanks for dropping by 😀
Best wishes,
Liz
She is really coming along beautifully. I love all her Sea friends. The textures are beautiful. Happy PPF
Thank you 😀 This is fun to paint and I’m hoping to finish it soon.
Best wishes,
Liz
She’s just fabulous! Happy PPF…
Renee
xoxo
http://www.fussitup.blogspot.com
Thank you 😀 And happy PPF to you too (though I’m several days late)
Thanks for dropping by.
Best wishes,
Liz
I love her! I love the colors you used. I liked your facebook page. yay! Happy PPF!
Thank you for the Like!
And your kind comments!
And for dropping by 😀
Best wishes,
Liz
ok, her hair rocks my socks off!
::grin:: Hopefully in a good way. The texture was created using modelling paste/extra heavy gel and then I painted over it with paint and iridescent gel medium.
Thanks for dropping by 😀
Best wishes,
Liz
Oh she is so very beautiful. I just love the look of the iridescent paint. Cant wait to see her finished
Thankyou. She is taking ages. I think mainly due to interference from the client and her partner in crime. But little by little it is getting done.
Thanks for dropping by and supporting me repeatedly in this painting adventure. I like seeing your name in my inbox 😀
best wishes,
Liz
amazing…love the sheen on the hair and the body…gorgeous work…xxx
Thankyou 😀 This is my first experience with iridescent medium and I’m happy how it is working for me.
Thanks for dropping by.
Best wishes,
Liz
Love her face, it’s adorable! The texture is amazing…what an interesting piece of work! Love watching this piece evolve…great job…can’t wait to see the other bits added!!
Hugs Giggles
Thanks 😀 She is slowly coming together.
Thanks for dropping by.
best wishes,
Liz
Love all the iridescence on this very charming little mermaid! Looking forward to seeing more!
Thankyou 😀 Hopefully I will finish her soon 😀
Thanks for dropping by.
best wishes,
Liz
It is such a sweet piece, but we our own worst critics.
I looked at your excellent photo of the mermaid and appreciated the luminescent quality of the inner shell of the oyster. Perhaps you could layer just a few green touches and silver touches of that paint to the top of the blue fishes?
Your technique of painting the mermaids scales is excellent. I would personally like to see how you accomplished that technique …perhaps in a blog post?
Love your work, Liz, and appreciate your comments on mother’s hand. She is probably more of an influence on my after her death than she was when I dealt with her on a daily basis, if that makes sense.
Looking forward to seeing more of your good work.
Nancy
Parents are confusing creatures aren’t they. They are as much a source and focus of love as they can be brain boggling 😀 I often look at my parents and try to work out how I managed to be me. It is baffling sometimes 😀
I’m planning to do a second mermaid painting using the same technique (I have two daughters and I try to be fair to them both, so my youngest gets a mermaid painting as well :D) So what I’ll do is try to get a video of the technique and knock up an exploration post for you. It may take me a while to get to it, but the sketch is done (mostly) I hopefully will be prepping the canvas sometime in the next few weeks, so hopefully you won’t have to wait too long.
The inner shell of the oyster is a little influenced by the sheen of the gloss paint and the photography, but I can see what you mean. The fish are already iridescent, but adding those colours might give them some good texture. I’ll poke it and see if it will work 😀 Thanks for the suggestion 😀
And thanks again for your kind comments 😀 They mean a lot.
best wishes,
Liz