a frazetta attempt

[fredflickstone]

This is something I am doing in a class callede painting from the masters, where we showcase 3 artists, and you do one works from each artist, copying the painting, attempting to replicate what they did. This is in hopes of finding solutions to solving your own paintings...I am furhter than this now, but I am still several hours from completion.http://www.rev-art.com/lemenimages/frzcloser.jpg

[samwell]

Ron,

I had the opportunity to visit your school booth at the Con, and I must say I was very impressed with all of your work. I didn't get to speak to you, but I overheard you reviewing someones portfolio. I just want to thank you for being a "true" teacher. You sat there and covered composition, the importance of value and draftsmanship with someone who you probably had never even met. I look forward to studying with the very talented bunch at your school in the future. Until then,

Sam

[Waylon]

Wow, Ron, that looks really good! I tried copying that same painting once, but I think yours is coming along a lot better than mine did. :) Frazetta does such amazing things with colors. He's a great painter to study.

[fredflickstone]

samwell-thank you. You should have bugged me, I was there to be bugged...heh, thank you for your kind words, and hope you can come and attend the school. Not for the sake of us having another student, but for the sake of someone else who really wants to learn and grow...that our school has an enormous amount of energy in those respects...

Waylon, how you been? Thanks, this painting beat me up. I am getting looser, and this thing got me heading back toward tighter again...its a mixed bag. i chalk it up to, I want to learn and grow, and this is the only way to do it. Find others you admire, and attempt their thinking for a stint, and try to assimilate it into your repetoire...hope to see ya around again...


Ron

[fredflickstone]

got the images back...success at last!!!!:chug:

[killing.people]

very impressive, wow. great study.

[I.was.ink]

This is an impressive piece. Sure you say you're not finished, but boy does it look great. :eek:

Just look at that sky.......

[strych9ine]

I've had this image hanging on my wall for the last 5 years, and I have to say that this is remarkable. Very impressive.

[AmadorL]

WOW this is amazing .Is this all oil? Frazetta is one of my favorites great work!

Amador

[Deth Jester]

Was this done all freehand? or did you use a projector to quicken the process for the class? It looks awesome.. when you get done can you post a few closeups.. :)

thanks Ron,

peace

-mike

[DragonGX]

man... when i see work this good I feel like im never going to get anywhere with my own!

how do you get the painting so smooth? everytime I paint I get brush strokes in my paint.. i cant get it that smooth..

[pconsidine]

how do you get the painting so smooth?

I'm curious about that myself. I know that the Old Masters used to use fan brushes or something like them to gently dust off the brush strokes when they were finished, but I've never had much luck with it myself. Of course, I kinda got over the "smooth painting" thing pretty quick after that. After all, how much frustration can a person be expected to deal with.

;)

[DragonGX]

I have a tiny fine fan brush, and I STILL get brush marks.. I i have no idea how they do it.. its really frustrating.. I wish I could find a decent place to take some painting classes..

[Elwell]

Paint thinly
Paint in layers
Use soft haired brushes, not bristles
Don't go overboard...brush strokes are your friend!

[fredflickstone]

http://www.rev-art.com/lemenimages/franknow.jpg

[Deth Jester]

WOW! that one dude falling backwards with the pointy helm.. He REALLY looks like he is falling out of the painting... The depth in it is amazing! I cant wait to see this finished..

[jwo]

i want it.

[Rohan]

wow, from what I can remember of this piece, your really on the money there, I wish I had the steel atm to even attempt such a study. Seeing this makes me re-think what is to really study and understand a master's work, and not just reproduce a mere copy. thank you very much

[Rohan]

oops

[Erik]

O_o

Great!

Could you show some close ups and/or some explanation of your technique?

[MindCandyMan]

dang fredflickstone...that is seriously good man...wow...that is one sweet masters copy...looks fantastic man. I have been loving all of your posts...you are an absolutely fantastic addition to this board!

[fredflickstone]

Wow, thank you everybody. I get lost in the junk in my head like, its just a copy, its someone elses work, etc. So I lose sight of the painting building up under that thought process. Thank you all for those words of support, it means the world to me, knowing I am doing this right, for the right reasons again.


The technique is:


1, there is a projection done. It is for silhouettes. I couldnt project this whole thing, that is way too much work. I started with a separation from teh sky the the figure mass, and then the figure mass at teh bottom to the ground plane. Then I went to the art table and drew 12 figures into the silhouette. This is the point where I learn what is in the image to paint so I know how to reproduct it, or what it will take to make that thing I am drawing from a reproduction, and make it look like the repro.

My friend Daren Bader helped me see some stuff in this I forgot to see. Like soft build ups in glazes, etc

so, the painting part of it is muchlike Frazetta's, which I am learning so I can be just like him....heh...j/k...I am learning it to study a master, walk in their shoes and do what they did. In hopes, that I can retain something I never knew before about making pictures.

Frank starts with a burnt umber lay in. the canvas is really dark. Then he draws his drawing even darker with the umber. Let this dry, and begin color glazing on top of the drawing.Since the drawing is sound, its basically like a coloring book, only in this part of the painting process, you have to know about consistency of the oils for the glazes to work right. Build up slowly, and the painting eventually is finished. Its a Dark to Light process.

Frank did this when he gave himself the time. If you can find Jack Feragassos old book on painting published in the 70's, you will see Franks process, since they both schooled together on this stuff...


Thanks again everyone...


Ron

[MindCandyMan]

Wow that's interesting...It's interesting how some start from dark to light...some start from a medium tone...etc...

how cool to have daren bader there to input as well! That's awesome! He's definitely one of my favorites when it comes to magic card designs.

[DragonGX]

So is most of the coloring just glazes over the umber underpainting? Im so used to painting in my colors rather than using glazes, so it makes it difficult for me to grasp taht technique, even though most of the old masters used it..

[Erik]

Hey thanx for the insight there on the technique. Amazing that all that depth and smoothness comes from glazing only - must be a lot of layers in there. But the result shows and i guess that's why it is so rich in light.

Could you show a detail too?

Hope to see more great painting!

[R_M]

Even if it isn't yours originally, it is a great pice of work!

how long does it take, with all the glazing?

[Blind]

Your process explanation is really interesting Fred, and the piece looks fantastic. I bet it's even more interesting up close. And I think I know what you mean when you say Frank did this when he gave himself the time. According to his son, he paints super fast! He's the type who starts something and won't stop until it's done, on through the night.

Ugh... seeing this makes me want to run over to Frazetta's house this weekend and look at the original. He lives about 20 miles from my place and even has a little museum setup on his property. I don't know why I've procrastinated in going to see him for so long. Supposedly, he's constantly there walking around talking to people and taking pictures (big camera buff). How about a CA Field Trip to Franks house! Hehe...