Glow Mask Progress

Glow Mask Progress
Originally uploaded by idoru45 (kitfisto).

Here's a pic of the commissioned glow in the dark stormtrooper kitty mask in progress.

Note the filthy canvas, mistakes, crossings outs and general shoddy-ness of the canvas at this stage.

Ah, the magical creative process.

Mr Stormtrooper Potato Head Shows The Art

Mr Stormtrooper Potato Head Shows The Art
Originally uploaded by idoru45 (kitfisto).

Here we see Mr Stormtrooper Potato Head showing off the completed background of the skunk painting.

He loves art.

Progress and commissions!

No new pics today.

I've spent the last couple of evenings painting the background for the skunk pic. It's had two layers, but I think it's gone a bit dark, so it will need a couple more of slightly lighter paint. It would have needed at least three anyway, so it's no biggy.

I've also had a commission for a glow in the dark trooper mask from the nice guy who bought the panda in the tree painting. He also wants the smaller panda, so I'll be concentrating on getting them done for the next few days.

A bird in the hand, and all that!

A colour sketch.

If I'm not sure of the colours I want to use (as in this piece), I'll do a quick PhotoShop 'sketch' to experiment.

These are the kind of colours I'm looking for for this painting. Nice and simple. It does mean I'll have to go and buy some new paints though, as I tried (and failed) to mix that nice background colour with what I've got and ended up miles from what you see here.

Doing this also lets me know if the end result will be worth going for. In this case, I think it is.

Off to the artshop...

This is the sketch waiting to be traced onto the canvas. I like to do the drawing separeately then trace it on, as it reduces the amount of pencil marks on the canvas, which can be a pain to paint over.

Preparing a canvas

Here you can see a canvas being prepared to receive the skunk. I use pre-stretched canvases, usually 12 x 16". I prefer the deep edged, 'box' canvas, as they can be hung straight on the wall without a frame and still look good.

I tape up the edges with masking tape, leaving a few mm of canvas uncovered. This allows the paint to go onto the edge a little, 'joining' the image to the actual shape of the canvas, rather than having it float on the picture plain completely unrelated to the physical dimensions of the canvas-as-object.

I'll give the canvas between 2 and 4 coats of gesso, depending on how smooth I want it. I usually like to leave some of the canvas grain visible.

Spotted Skunk

This little fella is going to be the star of my next painting.

He's a spotted skunk, and is standing on his front paws as he's about to spray stinky stuff all over the place.

Cute.

Dark Angel

Dark Angel
Originally uploaded by idoru45 (kitfisto).

This is a sketch. The finished painting will be in acrylic and glow in the dark paint. If anyone is interested in this piece, get in touch.

Cammo M-16

An interesting pic found whilst researching the rifle for the lemur.

Lemur Patrol

The painting after which this blog is named. My latest finished piece, and a continuation of my current 'animals' theme.

I like the idea of heavily-armed lemurs out there somewhere, watching our backs...

Acrylic on canvas, 12 x 16".

Tai Shan in a Tree

I used matt enamel paints for this (the type you use on model planes), after being advised they were great. I found them a bit awkward. The yellow background took about seven coats and is still a bit stripey. This painting took me ages.

Still, the nice guy who took the pic it was based on (see it here on Flickr) bought it off me, so it was worth it in the end.

Enamel on canvas, 12 x 16"

Panda

My first painting of Tai Shan.

Acrylic on canvas, 8 x 8".
Not the greatest of photos, but it needs another coat of paint anyway, so it's just to give you an idea of what it looks like.

Tai Shan - a very inspiring panda

Tai Shan, a panda cub from Washington zoo.

Everybody loves him and he has a massive web following.

He's also inspired a coupl of my paintings.

Ah.

A couple of rabbits.

Rabbits are essentially funny looking creatures. There is a bunny-painting fermenting in my brain at the moment.

Possibly based on one or both of these oddballs.

This is a genetically-modified mouse. It has the Downs Syndrome gene, I believe.

It is on my list of subjects to paint.

I find inspiration from a range of sources. This photo was originally on the front page of the Guardian newspaper some time ago. I've sketched the little fella. I'll scan it and post it here. I bet you can't wait.

Unhappy Birthday

Can't say I'm too happy with the way this one came out.

The outlines are too heavy and the left arm and 'hands' are rubbish. Maybe one day I'll do another version, 'cos I quite like the idea.

Oil on canvas, 12 x 16"

You Won't Get Away With This, Militario!

I liked his defiant expression (though some people think he looks sad), thus the stupid title.

Oil on canvas, 12 x 16. Still available, folks!

The Headmaster Ritual

Vader Kitty!

*breath*

This was commissioned from a very nice guy in America who already had a Sandtrooper.

I wonder if he'd like a Boba Fett...?

Acrylic on canvas, 12 x 16"

El Macho

Yup. It's a Mexican wrestling Chihuahua.

I painted this a lot more roughly than normal. I wanted a kind of home-made / graffiti type feel to it.

12 x 16", oil on canvas.

DefCon1

She brings our DOOM! This piece was sold to a very clever professor university department head type guy in America.

Archaeopteryx

An old piece, done a few years ago, before I stopped painting for ages and then began again.

It's about 3 x 4', and now hangs in my living room. It's a very dark piece and almost impossible to take a good photo of.

But you get the idea...

Biker Scout Kitty

A sketch for tracing and the finished piece. Based on a Bikerscout from Return of the Jedi, obviously.

This was bought by a friend as a Christmas present for her hubby. Hope he liked it...

Oil on canvas, 12 x 16"

The Three Rs

A rabbit, a robot, and a Rothko-inspired background...

Robot legs stolen from that 'you have 15 seconds to comply' cop-bot in Robocop.

14 x 16", oil on canvas. Still available!!

There Is A Light...

As a break from evil kitties, I decided to do some sad robots. This one is meant to be underwater, although I can't say I was particularly successful.

Oil on canvas, 12 x 16".

Still available!!

Lizard

I painted this for my girlfriend. She didn't like it, so it now lives under the bed. Ho hum.

It's oil on canvas, about 2' square.

Kitty Trooper Helmet Glowing!

This is what the below painting looks like when the lights go down.

Pretty scary, eh?

A glow in the dark version of the kitty trooper helmet.

Acrylic on canvas, 12 x 16"

Sweet and Tender Hooligan

This monochromatic version of the sandtrooper / stormtrooper kitty was painted quickly and freely, mainly as an experiment and as a bit of fun. I wore a paintbrush down to a stump painting this.

I still have it, if anyone wants to buy it!

Oil on canvas, 12 x 16"

Handsome Devil

This Sandtrooper kitty has been my most popular painting so far. I've done about five versions of it and sold them all, including one to Cory Doctorow of Boing Boing fame.

The original was in oils, the others that followed in a mix of oils and acrylics.

12 x 16"

A Glow In The Dark Riot Cop Kitty

This is a detail of the riot cop kitty's head, done in acrylics and glow in the dark paint.

12 x 16".

I've sold two of these.

Barbarism Begins At Home

This is the first painting I did when I began working regularly, about 18 months ago.

I was inspired by the dead-eyed stare of Hello Kitty, and how this cutesy character was the acceptable face of global consumerism. I wanted to subvert this a little, so dressed her up as a riot cop, the unacceptable face of globalisation and control.

The title, like a lot that were to follow, comes from a song by The Smiths.

It's oil on canvas, 12 x 16", and is now sold.

First Post

OK. Here we go. I'm going to use this blog to show off my paintings, document the working process and post things I find of interest.

This is a deliberately rubbish first post just to get me up and running and to see what it looks like.