Jason C-M: Sketchbook and Studies -- Oils

[nanyacura]

Your study works are fantastic. I'm rather happy to have recieved a comment from someone such as yourself :) Keep going!

[Jason C-M]

Bit of drapery this morning. Again with these studies I'm chafing against the time limit. I want to do two or three sessions to really work the rendering. Of course I couldn't do that with this one anyway -- the sheet was draped across my computer desk . . .

[Jason C-M]

Your study works are fantastic. I'm rather happy to have recieved a comment from someone such as yourself :)

Well thanks! You're quite an accomplished artist -- the only reason I don't say more in your thread is I don't feel I have anything to add. But I sure enjoy looking around!

Keep going!

Okay!

...

but where? I really don't know where to go?

[Jason C-M]

Two things here that aren't painting-a-days.

The first is a matte painting for a cg animation. I've got to go in and do some hi-res patches for where they've decided to add some zooms, but it's pretty much done.

The second is a painting for a halloween jam -- I'm posting it here in hopes I get some feedback on it. What's it missing that keeps it from being a "WOW" piece?

[DARAF]

Love your style man . keep it coming, your portraits are great.
http://www.conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?t=78305
www.woundedlamb.com
www.level5tattoo.com
http://www.renderosity.com/mod/forumpro/showthread.php?thread_id=2667075&page=1

[Jason C-M]

I've given up the daily paintings for the foreseeable future. Maybe I'll go into the reasons why soon, but for now . . . well, the gist was I was doing those instead of stuff I should have been doing, so they're stopped for now.

Instead I spent a couple-three hours working on a bigger painting yesterday, and got the main forms and tones roughed in (well, almost).

Excuse the bad photo, but I didn't want to break everything down to set up a good photo of it when this is just a little WIP.

[DanielC]

Hey Jason !
The paintings are looking good. The drapery you did looks like it's moving.
Now that i'm finally touching colors, i realise how long those paintings could take. Can't wait to see the last one finished...hope you'll post it.
Thanks for the nice comment in my sb.
[out of topic= And about the move to phx, well the lawyer said that in 4 or 5 months maximum, all the paper work should be ready.[/out of topic] =)
Keep it up sir !!

[chaosrocks]

hey these are good.. the Haloween on is just so statically frontal the Guy is not even remotely reacting to the monster an any way. perhaps i just needs a little oomph ( motion ..lean, reaction...something. the composition is very statically balanced)

the girl at the pump look slike a WPA regionalist... Tom Benton or something. not a bad thing it just struck me that way.

Keep up the great work!
Chaos

[Andy P]

This new large painting's comin along nicely, She's lookin pretty buff, I think it's the shoulders, but hey, that's OK. The face looks great, make sure it stands apart from the background, value wise.
The studies are payin off, good work!

[Jason C-M]

Dan, Andy, Chaos -- thanks for the feedback. I always take it to heart.

more work on the big painting.

And I'm working on evening and night-time versions of the hillside matte painting as well.

[j a k e]

The painting's coming along very nicely! I especially like the face studies you've done Jason. Very good stuff.

[sith]

great stuff since i last popped by Jason. this last one is looking very fine too. her face looks great, but you already know you rock the faces. she does kinda look like she could beat my ass though, but that doesn't really mean much considering im just a tiny asian man, hah. jk man. keep it up bro.

[Jason C-M]

Thought I'd share a photo of one of my models today.

[Horsefly]

Just been going through your SB. Really great stuff. Your sketch work looks fantastic... very strong line work. The large mural on the first page is just awesome, but my favorite is the samurai sword propped against the bamboo. Keep at it. :teeth:

[chaosrocks]

very sexy model
mind the lighting

keep it up
Chaos

[Jason C-M]

well, the photo's done with flash, and the painting isn't, so the lighting is way different.

I'll tell you what's a bitch, though. The facets of the rock are completely different colors, and reverse of how lighting should make them. The top face of the rock is genuinely black, and the bottom face, which you can see in the photo, is pretty much white.

I'm leaving the white bottom out of the painting -- just too much to get them to wrap into space that way.

[DoodleCath]

Brilliant SB! Your pencil studies and images are really a big strength of yours, Nice and loose. Also his pencil piece really catches my eye, because of the mood it puts across:
http://conceptart.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=26416&stc=1&d=1158935847

Also your oil paintings, your portraits work very well, but you need to work on objects more I think, because they don't seem as defined in some pieces. Possibly perfect texture. (however the piece of drapery is very good :D)

[Gilead]

You have lots of great looking stuff in here.
You guys have inspired me to resume my own daily paintings...tomorrow.

[glikster]

I had that same problem and I still don't know what to do, other than change it in my drawing... beautiful so far!

[DanielC]

Hey jason !
Nice model you got there. At least you can be sure it's not gonna move :P
Looking forward to see that painting finished

[Jason C-M]

I've finally got the "background" elements to the point where I can go back into working on the figure tomorrow. I'm excited for that.

I was really intimidated about doing the trees today, but I'm pretty happy with how they've turned out so far. Except for the fact that visually they come forward in space far more than the hill they're on or the rocks that are closer. I'll have to tone down their contrast before I'm done.

[Jason C-M]

After a bit of a step away from my comics work, I've had a look at it from a critical standpoint.

While I've invested a lot of time in structure and storytelling, anatomy and perspective, my surface polish isn't up to snuff.

So I'll be doing a few ink drawings when I can make the time. The pinup type stuff I never bothered to do before, taking a good look at polish.

Here's the first -- shows me I need to pay more attention to hair for starters.

I'm always open to suggestions.

[Jason C-M]

Much better focus during my painting time yesterday. Some hard going, but good progress. I laid in the eyes toward the end. They were quite good, but not perfect. A bit of tweaking here and there. Then I remembered what Sargeant said about dropping the perfect eye all at once into the place that had been prepared for it.

These weren't perfect eyes, so I rubbed them out. I had to do it quickly, because the regret set in hard and fast -- they were actually beautiful eyes, just not perfect. With luck the next set I paint will be better.

[Jason C-M]

Voila!

Two weeks plus of work. Was it worth it? Yeah, but I hope the next one goes MUCH more quickly.

Oil on Canvas 36" x 48"

[BlackBeret]

2 weeks was so worth it. My eyes shot wide open when I saw how much you had improved the one picture.

[Jason C-M]

Thanks, Black Beret.

I'm trying to find models for more paintings like this -- I have three or four more roughed out in my mind. I've put up an ad on craigslist (and offering money) and we'll have to see how I do on that.

[DanielC]

Very good painting Jason!
I didnt though it'd look like this, atcually it looks even better than i thought.
Keep up the good work!

[Seedling]

Wow, Jason, very nice! Especially the flames – by golly that’s good fire! Also the tree in the distance on the left looks so real I could grab it.

The thing that strikes me the most is that neither the figure nor the environment nor the clouds look lit by the sun. They’re all in shadow, receiving only a soft light. There are no hard shadows indicating sunlight.

You could possibly indicate that she is in the passing shadow of a cloud by having the clouds and perhaps the distant landscape be brightly lit. At a minimum, though, the clouds need to look like they are being directly illuminated, because there’s nothing above the clouds to block them from the sun.

[Jason C-M]

hmm,

thanks for the feedback Seed. I'm mulling over it. Though the clouds, rocks, trees, and figure were taken from different places, I really tried to get the same time of day/angle of sun in each one. The only diff being that the rocks and trees were shot early morning, and the clouds late evening -- but the sun angle being the same (as near as I could pull it off) for both.

To my mind, the pic puts the sun quite low and to the right -- the figure and the near rocks getting partial shade from the trees indicated just off to the right.

Though I see what you're saying, I guess it looks right to me right now. But I've got way too much respect for you to write your critique off as just difference of opinion -- and it's easily possible that my eye is clouded by the personal investment on the piece.

So I'd love to hear what you think to this statement, plus anyone else's input. That plus a few more days to seperate emotionally from this thing that's consumed my life for the past weeks, should let me see it a bit more clearly.

[oma]

oke, the two 2 weeks where defentatly worth the time. i love that peace.!!

i realy like the flames, they are just awesome!

[Jason C-M]

I've set aside the flamepump painting, but I think I'll come back to touch up a couple things in it. There are some WIP shots of the face that have a better expression than it has now, and I think once I'm further away, I'll realize the torso, arms, hands, and the pump itself need another layer of rendering.

BUT!! I'm not stopping to do that now. I'm working along (not actually cranking along, but working) on the japanese armor piece I started way back when. Should finish that up this week.

I've held up my from-photo paintings to my from-model paintings, and have decided my next couple paintings at least will be from live models. I bought the lumber to make a model stand last night. It should be pretty cool. On casters, two stackable levels to adjust height for standing/seated models, and flat file storage in each section. Just need to find my damn tape measure before I can start building.

Oh, and I should probably put up those two walls in the garage I've built before moving on to another building project.

[Jason C-M]

I'm trying to decide what color to make the scarf on her hat. Red or blue? I've got some mockups up here:
http://www.conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?p=1103693#post1103693

[Seedling]

(Silly me, I got lost and posted this in another thread of yours earlier.)

Jason – you did get a very consistent look to your painting. And everything in it is rendered beautifully. The problem is that even the hottest flame just isn’t very bright compared to blue sky and sun-lit clouds. Flame is nearly invisible in a full-sun situation. So in order to make it pop out, you’ve had to dull down everything else.

I hope you don’t mind, I sloshed some colors around.

Hey, I LOVE the Japanese painting! I have a similar reaction to it: the lighting in it is a bit dull. And it is hard to tell where one figure leaves off and the next begins. But everything else about it seriously rocks.

I wish I could have a model stand/flat file. :-)

[Niva.]

Wow, incredible paintings, I love this SB, you did very good on the flames int he last one even though I think you should add some smoke. Samurai painting is awesome! Keep them coming.

[Jason C-M]

Paintovers are ALWAYS appreciated, Seedling.

If my model stand/flat file turns out well, I can send you the plans if you'd like, including the cut list. I'll probably finish one tier (to functional, not to pretty) this weekend, maybe even both.

And thanks, Niva.

I should be starting on the next painting in the flamepump series tuesday. I'm having a model come over, and since she's never worked with me before, she's bringing her boyfriend to make sure I'm not a psycho stalker or anything. Which is understandable, I guess. As long as he stays out of the way, it's cool.

[DanielC]

Nice painting jason.
I like the composition, but as seedling mentionned, it's a bit confusing around the contact between the different figures.
Besides that, it's looking very good. Can't wait to see it finished !

[Jason C-M]

The model stands I've been working on in the half-built garage for the past week are now semi-finished -- they're functional and moved into my studio. I'm pretty happy with them.

They're only semi-finished because They're also going to be flat-files, and I haven't finished that inside bit, but they're fully functional as stands. I might also add a couple handles to them to make them easier to move around.

They're cool, but damn do they take up a lot of space.

[Jason C-M]

Buuuuut -- my model just called me to cancel, so guess these won't get used 'til sometime after thanksgiving.

dammit.

[Seedling]

Awwww, foo! Sorry your model chickened out. :-P But those are some NICE stands!

[Jason C-M]

I'll post the plans for the stands if anyone wants them . . .

The samurai painting is finished -- or at least it's coming off the easel to make way for the next piece.

[360.]

Your stuff is amazing. I love those large oil paintings. Keep it up!

If you've already got the plans on your computer I would like to see them please. Also how much do you pay your model per hour?

[Jason C-M]

The plans aren't on my computer, but they're on a sheet of paper sitting next to it. Next time I fire up the scanner I'll post them.

I pay models $10 an hour. That's often backed up by a per-session tip. Wish I could pay more, but I just can't. I used to work as a nude model, so I've got a certain amount of sympathy/empathy for the situation. Also, I sometimes throw in a print of the painting when it's done, and my guess is that's extra incentive for some people, and since I've got the equipment, only costs the $2 for the oversize glossy paper.

[Haxxxor]

one question, where do you get your photorefs for the studies on the first pages?

nice oils on this page and i love your sketches.

keep it up

[Jason C-M]

I went to the Dreamy Draw preserve with a model to take some photos for my next painting. I'll be painting the figure from life, but wanted photos of her in the environment to make sure lighting will agree, etc. It's also a good way to try out a series of poses and angles. And on a more intuitive level, just get a feel for how the person and the environment influence each other.

It was BEAUTIFUL. Four in the afternoon, with a cloudy overcast that gave nice low shadows, but a soft wrapping of the light rather than harsh direct sun, without being too soft and diffused. Mmmmboy. You couldn't beat it. I would willingly have spent a month of going out to find this lighting, and here I just stumbled upon it.

There was also a serendipitous side effect of the on-location. It took a short hike to get from car to spot, and so we were chatting on the walk up. Helped warm and relax the atmosphere. For a "study" I often work with a professional model who's completely silent, completely still, and I get no feeling for their personality and humanity. Which is just fine! Studies are for paint handling, draftsmanship fine-tuning, and experimentation.

But a painting, rather than a study, that's different. It's not about form, it's about human beings. I have a concept before I get going with a model, but it's open enough that the model's personality and aspect influences and colors it. It's not unlike acting, where the performance is always best when the actor can bring something of themselves into the role.

There's a great moment in the series of photos I took (which won't be posted, so you'll just have to trust me on this). The model is posing, some variance and movement within the concept, and it goes on, and then (because I'm not directing her enough) she turns and laughs, saying there's not very much I can do with this pose!. I said something to the effect of "that's fine, you don't have to do much." But after the laugh, there's a relaxation to the poses as she goes through them again that's simply perfect. Strong, poised, but habitual and relaxed, rather than posed-for-show.

Now I know exactly what I'm striving for in the painting.

http://www.cheeseman-meyer.com/art/sketchbook/New/20061129dreamydraw.jpg

[Jason C-M]

one question, where do you get your photorefs for the studies on the first pages?

nice oils on this page and i love your sketches.

keep it up

Thanks man. Those photos were from various places on the web, I don't even know where. Some from Hegre art, I'm sure.

[Jason C-M]

Had a really good painting day on Friday. Five hours (six if you count an hour off for lunch) w/ a really good model and some other painters to hang out with. It was cheaper than hiring my own model for five hours, fun, and I got some good feedback/encouragement in the midst of things that I wouldn't have had at home. Just got to sketch in the b/g, but managed to finish a full standing figure to my satisfaction in five hours, which feels good.

It was a semi-workshop that a friend was running at a local art school, and talking to her about what she wanted for the model (she had asked me if I knew any good models for the body type she was looking for) I realized it would work really well in the series I'm working on right now. So I went!

So, this isn't done, and the painting was glossy wet when I took the picture, so the darks on the figure wash out quite a bit, but I think you can get the gist. I'll post a better shot of it when it's finished.

[Niva.]

Good start on the last one, waiting to see it finished. You should try doing digital ones too, I can't believe you're this good with real paint :)

I hate painting irl because of the mess.

[Jason C-M]

thanks n1va,

I don't see myself doing more digitals for quite some time, really. (Except for projects where digital is just logistically superior like the multi-layer sliding matte paintings I'm doing for a cg short.) Actual physical media is just bringing me ten times the satisfaction that digital was.

I've attached some of my old digital paints here, just in case you're interested. (most of these haven't been in the sketchbook before)

[Jason C-M]

Finished (ish)

Tried to keep in mind seeds comments bout my value range, and another friends critique of my edges.

[Demon Allie]

I freaking love your oils, this last one is practically glowing.

[Jason C-M]

Have a couple paintings going right now -- one has finally turned the corner and started to look like it'll be a successful painting. The other . . . hasn't.

I'm probably not going to get real time to work on these until after New Years, but I'm hoping to make some time to start a couple more using my brother and my wife's sister as models. They'll both be great to paint if I can orchestrate it.

Other news -- I'm thinking of converting the unfinished laundry room in my house to a new studio that will north-facing windows. And I'm working on a new palette and an airtight(ish) box to keep it in.

[Jason C-M]

I've put a couple more days into the painting above, but it's not different enough to be worth re-posting. Hopefully Friday it'll be all but done.

I wanted to do some invented figure sketching, a friend wanted a Captain America pic, so -- two birds, one stone:

[Jason C-M]

I've started work on the cover for my perspective book. Any suggestions or compositional crits very welcome.

(To avoid scale confusion, and since it's not clear in this rough, it is a city scene, and the two b/g figures are giant robots -- you can see cars at the foot of the near one. When rendered I think it'll read fine.)

[designboot]

Nice works here!
Keep posting!

[Jason C-M]

So, I disappeared for a few months there. Not too much more work in oils to show for it, I'm afraid, but I did finish writing my perspective book, and it's due out in December.

"Vanishing Point: Perspective for Comics from the Ground Up" (http://www.amazon.com/Vanishing-Point-Perspective-Comics-Ground/dp/1581809549/)(Amazon listing)

And I'm finally making good progress on my graphic novel "Gina's World."

I've got another sketchbook activity going her on concept art, where another artist and I post assignments for each other: Dueling Sketchbooks (http://www.conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?p=1444236)

And I've been doing a lot of sketching at the local bagel shop!

I'm also posting a few shadow studies in ink. They're based on photos which are not mine -- so I can't really call the drawings mine, but good practice, nonetheless.

[Timsalcove]

Captain America! Hells-to the Yeah! I have to say I've really enjoyed your paintings and your sketchbook. Your oils are really strong and have a life of their own. Also your shadow ink studies rock. That's one of the best ways to really see the form without all the unnecessary detail. Keep up the great work.

[Jason C-M]

Thanks, man. I really appreciate you taking the time to say something.

I've been away from CA for a couple years now (I've been doing more with livejournal http://jasoncm.livejournal.com/ and my website), and I'm trying to move back in (like with the new contest http://conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?t=162931). The place has gotten so big I feel like I need a native guide to re-introduce me to stuff. But if anything CA has gotten even more awesome since I was a regular around here.

[Jason C-M]

I finally made it to Dr. Sketchy's. I went years back, but didn't like the vibe and the crowd. I only went one time, so I really didn't give it a fair shot. Part of that was scheduling problems, though. I had to pull strings to get that evening available to go, and it didn't seem worth it for a mediocre experience.

But that's not the case anymore. I went this week, and it ROCKED. The people drawing were great, I ran into friends there, there was an awesome band, I just loved it.

http://cheeseman-meyer.com/sketchbook/img/sk/drsketchyaug2009.jpg

[Jason C-M]

I posted these two perspective layouts in my entry for the "newborn" contest, but I really want them in my sketchbook, too. So here they are:

http://cheeseman-meyer.com/sketchbook/img/sk/6ptarch1.jpg

http://cheeseman-meyer.com/sketchbook/img/sk/6ptarch2.jpg

[Jason C-M]

Doing some perspective studies for a new piece.

Originally I'd planned to do the staircase in 2-pt perspective, and contrast those perfect, rigid verticals from the ironwork in the staircase with the sinuous and smoky forms that would be rising up from the bottom of the piece. But all of the sudden, I decided I wanted something a little less subtle than that, so I threw some twist into the lines to wind up with something vaguely unsettling. But it was still too subtle, especially once I cropped in tighter to the landing. So I tweaked with some photoshop filters, but couldn't get the effect I wanted.

I redrew the stairs and rail with more twist to them, scanned them in and photoshopped them on to the existing landing, railing and ceiling. I hope arrived at something that gives the feeling of space twisting on you. I need to do some paying work today, but hopefully will sneak some time in to play with the other elements of the piece. I'm really looking forward to it.

I'll either paint this at 12x24 or 18x36. The figure at the top of the landing is going to be sooo small, I wish I could do it at 3ft by 6ft or something and paint her nice and big.

[Jason C-M]

Need another layer of paint everywhere, and a couple more layers in a few places, but here's where that stairwell piece is at:

[Joystx_]

your technique of drawing is beautiful

[Jason C-M]

FINALLY finished the stairwell piece . . . man, I hate having to set work aside in the middle of things.

http://cheeseman-meyer.com/illustration/img/stairwell600px.jpg

[tuchten]

interesting perspective studies,
and the ink stuff is very neat.

[Jason C-M]

The topic for the This Week! (http://www.thirdraildesignlab.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=27) jam was "golden characters." It made me think of a top secret painting of threepio I got an eyes only sneak peak at last summer. Actually, I think it was good that I saw the piece, but don't have a photo of it. This way I could be inspired by my memory of the energy of the piece, but have a lot more latitude in painting it myself than if I had the inspiration looking over my shoulder.

For ref I scared up four photos of different reproduction suits and helmets (one for the head, two for the torso[neither of which had exactly the angle I wanted], one for the arms) and did my best to bring the lighting together.