Jasper Watercolors

Watercolored

I finished the watercolors for this Jasper streetscape.  The storefronts in this rural Indiana town are to die for.  You don’t see architecture like this being built anymore and I love to find it thriving here.

I enjoyed all of the patterned brickwork on the second story, although it was not the easiest thing in the world to paint.  It’s amazing how my eye (and hand) kept jumping around when all I wanted to do was alternate the colors in a small area.  I made a couple of mistakes, but fortunately I could easily fix them as I progressed.  All of the layers helped too.  This is the last interesting shop front in this town square, so I will have to be looking around for a new one.  I need some inspiration.

Almost inked storefront

Inked shop front

The inking has almost been finished on the Jasper store front.  I just have the signage and the left background to do.  I am looking forward to using the watercolors on this one.  It has red brick with white brick patterned in across the top and under the windows.  Once again, the trim will be a light green and yellow but a band of painted brick also carries across the top.  I wonder if the shops here got together and coordinated the color schemes.

All of these details will be harder to paint, but it will make this shop streetscape unique.  Once it’s done, it will go into my etsy store.  Two of my Jasper drawings have been sold, so it appears that some townspeople appreciate their lovely town square as much as I do.

The last one done

watercolored

The triplex finished and off to its new home.  Since this was pretty monochromatic, I added color in the landscaping with the flowers, echoing the yellow doors.  I added some reds and mauves in the shrubs and trees as well as the shadows.  For a simple structure, it came put pretty well.

I think I am going to use my acrylics next and paint some small fruit pieces.  After seven weeks of architectural commission work, I need a change of pace.  I’ll put them into my etsy store when I’m finished.  I haven’t added anything new since well before Christmas due to the portrait work (not that I am complaining) and I need to.

Triplex is inked in

Inked in

After the last 5 drawings, I can’t believe how quickly the inking went on this one.  No curves, no offsets, and no complicated shadowing or landscaping meant it went pretty fast.  Since the two main colors are gray and a rich yellow, I’ll have to add some reds and purples to the landscaping and parking area to enhance its appeal.  I enlarged the shrubs and added some flower baskets to soften the porches, too.  The building has some special meanings to the former owners and I would like to evoke fond memories for them.

The wedding commissions are finished

Finally finished

The last of the wedding portraits is finished and all are in the mail.  After over a month of steady work, the entire commission is done.  With so many portraits scheduled in a row, I found that working about 2 hours a day kept the creative juices flowing but not staled, especially towards the end.  All four proved to have their own set of challenges,

For this one, because the house was so long and linear, I decided to curve the lawn in front to add some softness.  I rather like the effect now that it’s done.

Final of four

Final of four

On to the last one.  I thought it would be pretty quick work, but it seems it will take almost as long as the two harder ones. There are a lot of windows and chimneys in there.  It is too bad that the entryway is obscured by the landscaping.  I bet the porte cochere is really nice and the doorway is extravagant.  I guess I’ll never know as there are no more pictures to be had.  I’m glad the one I got was large enough that I could make my own closeups.  Rather than make a mass of grass down in the front, I also am going to just curve it.  I will balance the date with the shrub on the lower right.

All done

All done

After nine days of work, a short cut to the final inking on this one.  It was pretty complicated, but fairly straight forward.   No arched, pointed windows and openings to slow me down like that first one.  Just squares, rectangles and plain old siding.  Can you imagine having your wedding here?  It seems like it would be an elegant place inside, with southern hospitality, airy rooms, and cool drinks.