Talking throgh the Terp

 

I don't know how perfect the interpretation can be but when you the interpretor is well trained and understands the intentions of what needs to be said it makes a difference.

 

I liked the different view points and varying sizes of the people in this compositon. I am excited to put some color on it, I will need to crop this one down a little but it needs to see some progress!

 



Photo Op!

 

These guys loved to get their photo taken, it never failed, they saw the camera and would group themselves together as though they thought they would get a copy of the photo right there and then. While I would walk around with my camera out, trying to take pictures of everything, most civilians did not want their photo taken, but the soldiers would without a doubt pose themselves, group themselves and ask for pictures to be taken. I don't know if there was some preconcived notions from other soldiers that inspired this but they ate it up.

 

I would like to add though that as I was working on this compsition, I used a few different photo references to get just the right grouping and mixture of what was going on. I think color would look great on this on and can't wait to block out some time and get busy!

Calling in the Bomb

 

I had the esteem pleasure of working with and hanging out with the FST'ers for a time before the deployment. I wonder if I would have had a better... I know my experience in the army would have been completely different had I worked more with the this group of individual.

 

I have had this sketch hanging at the battalion area for quite some time and just the other day the individual that 'posed' for the reference shot asked me if he was really hanging up at the battalion conference room. I guess not everyone understood what could happen when you get a photo taken of you during a deployment.

 

I am getting excited for great and wonderful things to happen as I more forward with my carreer. What a wonderful adventure the army has been and no one knows if this roller coaster will ever end or how the ride comes to a complete stop. Just remember to keep all arms and hands inside the ride at all times and hold on tight and scream through the drops!

Key Leaders

 

I am finally finished with the Battalion art project. I will admit that it did not have the grand ending I was hoping for with actual paintings happening. The framed artwork consisted of the preliminary value sketches for the paintings. I guess the 'Army' decided that the supplies needed to actually paint the project were not needed for training and are a hazard to the health of the soldiers so the funding for the project was not provided as agreed upon. I was not really surprised that the funding was pulled, even after good hearted XO tried all he could to make it happen. 

It is a little frustrating as this occurs in a long string of not so happy incidences that have befallen me at the hand of the Army. I will be continuing to pursue the completion of this project. It will not have the backing or support of my chain of command and will have to happen on a much tighter budget. I am have already purchased the backing upon which the paintings will be painted and with some gesso purchased for some personal projects I would like to begin preparing the boards for paint soon.

I like doing the full value drawings and paintings as they give me another idea of how things will look as a finished product and I can make needed changes to the project before it is too late. I don't always do this step so it has been a blessing in disguise to have been asked by the Battalion XO to put the full value on the sketches. I don't know if he realized that the full project would never be fully completed as he has a lot to do with the funding but he gets some credit for this step actually happening. 

I am afraid some of the detail that I enjoyed from the drawings were lost in adding the value. I tried to keep some by adding the line work on top as the value sketch came from a completed drawing yet it was a value sketch that was wanted to be framed. I have the other twelve sketches that will be coming on the blog throughout the month. It will be a great month for blog updates, now I just have to keep moving on the art work. There is a ton to do and so little time to do it. 

I think I see how easy it is for me to get distracted and not get projects completed. A new thing comes up and switch gears. The past few paintings I have completed, I had the capability to sit at a desk and paint in a way that the chance to get distracted couldn't come up. It was great. This project will require some effort to stay focused and see it through to completion. Due to the limited time available to dedicate to the project I will have to show some serious determination! Onward we go!

This was a fun little project. I had recieved a commision at just the wrong time. It was a fun little idea that I wanted to fancy up. The original sketch was fine for what it needed to do for its purpose but for the sketch here I wanted to do more. I had to change a couple of things and the coat of arms was an actual coat of arms from Italy. I don't remember where from and I am sure it would be easy to find on the internet. The individual that asked for the work has some lineage back in Italy if I remember.

The best part of this little project was that he asked me to draw it and I thought I was doing it as a commissioned work but he was leaving at the time and there may have been a few other gifts to him and I think he thought it was a gift due to the timing I was giving it to him. I never did get paid on the job but it was a donation with a frame that was not all there and I didn't like the surface I was working on as it didn't take real well to the wet media I used. It was a fun project, I am still learning new things and having a great time doing it.

I can't say I haven't done anything in the past month. I have finally finished with a request to draw a full leg sleeve tattoo. I will add again that drawing tattoos is not my favorite thing to draw in the world but as I make them more artistic and work at applying my own style in ways that make the drawings into works of art they become more to me than a prospective tattoo. I have asked for a few pictures from people that get the tattoos but I have yet to get any photos back.

This image was a midevil inspired one. The individual is from Puerto Rico as can be seen from the flag. He asked me for this one back when we were in Kuwait and I put it off till we returned to the states. I like the way it looks and he sounded super pleased. I was notified that he would be starting the line work to be done the following monday. I haven't received any photos back as I once again asked for some photos of the work in progress and of course the finished ink. I know I won't be getting any tattoos any time soon, but to each their own I suppose. 

 

For a fellow soldier

A rough draft for a friend, he wanted an image with his deployment flag patch and his dog tags. Something simple to remember the 'fun' times I guess.