For those of you that are interested, I have a opportunity to show all of the steps taken in doing an illustration...received an email with a request, then drew up some ideas for the colour illustration, "the octopus and the tree"...
http://www.tonmo.com/phpBB/download.php?id=3408

This morning, I talked to the client, and decided to go with something less formal in structure, with a little more "grab" (pardon the pun) and did a pencil outline of the piece...(note: my wife just walked into the studio and asked why the octopus is hanging from the tree..."wouldn't it die?" :roll: )
http://www.tonmo.com/phpBB/download.php?id=3409

Very cool! But I Think that u should make the octo becoming the tree! Now that would be cool! And then make the tree green like asprout and where the octo starts turning into the tree or sumthin make im green to! Just a suggestion! Ur work is great! :P
PS: Ur client is stupid and knows nothing of art! Ur first one was da bomb!

I'll take it under advisement... :D
Started blocking out the colours...many layers of pigment to create a feeling of depth...
http://www.tonmo.com/phpBB/download.php?id=3414

pffffff! lousy clinging octo!

It's very interesting to see the artistic process. I use a similar technique for my bead weavings! I play with sketches and colours then when I get a design I like I transfer to a grid..select my beads and off I go!

J

You should make the tree a conifer, as it's only the Pacific Tree Octopus that is known to be a tree climber. Art must be scientifically accurate to please the public :P

I love those drawings, you're pretty good at this sketching stuff. I like the second one best :) . Are ya gonna carve this image into something or just a painting? I must say your client certainly has interesting taste :)

If only Pacific Tree Octo's were real :roll: ... but why name it pacific if its in the middle of a forest? Yet another flaw in the PTO story...

Nice line work, and I like the muted complementary color scheme 8)

Is this illustration going to be used as part of a story, or is it just a standalone piece? Either way, it would work well :)

--Carl

It is a piece to complement a bit of prose written by the client...I'm not sure if it is going to be in a book of shorts or not...glad you like it!!
I finished off the glaze washes this morning, once they dry, it will be time for the pen and ink lining!
http://www.tonmo.com/phpBB/download.php?id=3422

1st inking is done...time to wait for a bit, remove all of the pencil lines, and send a proof off to see what colours they want in the tree and octo...
http://www.tonmo.com/phpBB/download.php?id=3425

Thank you very much for letting us see the whole process in creating this wonder octopus illustration.

I'm interested in the size of the sketches and final drawing, paper used, and the washes - are theycolored ink or watercolor?

You're very talented!

Nancy

Wow, very impressive :notworth:

Would love to get a higher-resolution shot of the final product, so I can print it out or use it for my desktop picture =)

I'm still waiting for Dr. O'Shea's squid sketch on a T-shirt!

-Brandon

8) :thumbsup:

I'm still waiting for Dr. O'Shea's squid sketch on a T-shirt!

-Brandon

Me too!

J

Nancy...this is a fairly small piece...only 12x16 inches, on illustration board, using aniline dyes, windsor newton watercolours, and good ol india ink...no stops are used, prefer to do all lining with a brush...(good number 000 sable)
started colouring in the front bits, tree and octo...still unsure about what colour for the ceph (all the way from a blue ring to a red )...had to tint the octo slightly red anyway to take a bit of the "bite" away from the fruit...
http://www.tonmo.com/phpBB/download.php?id=3435
I will ask about the use of the image for screen savers...not sure about the print though...might be a bit of a conflict, as all my work is copywritten...will check on it!
greg

The image as it exists right now would make a very attractive poster. :)

BTW, the gray rock formations in the background? I just noticed that the third from the left resembles one of the giant stone statues from Easter Island. 8)
Is that just a happy coincidence, or is that part of the underlying story?

--Carl
http://protask.nl.eu.org/~dennis/emoticons/div34.gif

The whole process is wonderful to see. Thanks for showing us the steps of your craft. I can't begin to fathom the brushwork with India ink - everything I do is changeable - this is what computers do well - so something in which a mistake would be the end is far out of my depth! Awesome.

Melissa

The image is looking great, dull bimac eyespots for the octo?

Cthulhu 77 do you ever use camel brushes???? or drawing pens (dip or fibre???)

J

Jean, I've always found sable to be a better vehicle for watercolour, though my brother likes camel hair, and he uses the same brands...personal choice, I guess...and yep, I use a variety of pens, from good ol quills to rotrings...(me in an art store with money is scary...)
funny bit: Shanlyn just found out that the brushes are made from sables that are killed...she thought they shaved them ! Can you imagine shaving a weasel??? (note: wonder if they could use nair?)
WN has a good line of brushes, the newest ones are Utrecht...a sable blend, probably sable and camel.

Out for the final screen shot today...
http://www.tonmo.com/phpBB/download.php?id=3442

Jean, I've always found sable to be a better vehicle for watercolour, though my brother likes camel hair, and he uses the same brands...personal choice, I guess...and yep, I use a variety of pens, from good ol quills to rotrings...(me in an art store with money is scary...)
funny bit: Shanlyn just found out that the brushes are made from sables that are killed...she thought they shaved them ! Can you imagine shaving a weasel??? (note: wonder if they could use nair?)
WN has a good line of brushes, the newest ones are Utrecht...a sable blend, probably sable and camel.

Thanks......I'm a student so budget is a consideration!!! I used to use rotrings but the nibs died and no one is importing them into NZ any more. I'm now using staedtler mars professional in various sizes. They seem to be a good substitute!!

J

:notworth: Very nice!!! How did I miss this? Quite a talent you've got there and I must say I am envious!!!! Fascinating to see the whole process from an idea to the finished peice!

Carol

Thanks Carol! Yeah, I am pretty happy with it also...may end up doing a kid's room with a similar mural now...that would be fun.
Jean, Mars are great pens...a little more fussy about cleaning though...you may need to get a vibrating cleaner...(I don't have one, but my brother swears by them) You might want to try Sakura graphic disposables too...they are available in archival grade ink in all of the sizes...saves on the clogging issue!!!!
greg

This is the bit of prose my brother is hand lettering to go next to the illo:



" At the great beginning of Time, there was a great tree, Tane, and his roots drank from the world and his branches held up the sky.
But mischievous creatures from the void stole his leaves, leaving him cold and hungry.
They hoped that he would fall down, and then the world would end, so that they could have all the earth to themselves.
The Father looked down, and saw all of this happen. So, he called out to one of his daughters, Rapani, who dwelled in Te Kore Nui, to come and guard the tree of the world.
She swam and swam, and arrived just in time, for only one fruit was left. All of the evil people were frightened away by her waving arms and angry demeanour.
Eventually, the fruit will fall, Tane will crack, and the world will end, so that Rapani can return to the void, but that fruit will grow into a new tree, and a new world.
And, it will need a new guardian."

Jean, Mars are great pens...a little more fussy about cleaning though...you may need to get a vibrating cleaner...(I don't have one, but my brother swears by them) You might want to try Sakura graphic disposables too...they are available in archival grade ink in all of the sizes...saves on the clogging issue!!!!
greg

thanks for that....so far so good re the cleaning. they don't seem to clog much. I took Steve's advice and I've been using velum for my drawings .......much better (ta Steve :notworth: )

J

oh yeah...less cotton, more hard surface. Do you like illo board as well? (Vellum is hard to move pigment on...)

oh yeah...less cotton, more hard surface. Do you like illo board as well? (Vellum is hard to move pigment on...)

Never tried it...don't know what it is!!!!!

J

strathmore makes a really nice series of illustration boards...cold (smooth) and hot press (rough) that work well for pen and ink...the cold gives you more detail, but won't hold pigment too well (have to use a fixative).
One of my favorite surfaces, next to canvas and rice paper...
greg

I took a stab at illustrating Greg's story -- my idea was to hint at a woman's face in the tentacles...

http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u162/kitflubber/Te%20Kore%20Nui/TeKoreNuiStory.jpg[/IMG]

Very nice!

strathmore makes a really nice series of illustration boards...cold (smooth) and hot press (rough) that work well for pen and ink...the cold gives you more detail, but won't hold pigment too well (have to use a fixative).
One of my favorite surfaces, next to canvas and rice paper...
greg

Gotcha. No I haven't tried those. I'm now using Daler -Rowney Layout paper or Canson acid free tracing vellum....both work really well depending on what I want!

I just bought some faber-castel artist pens which have nibs rather like paintbrushes they come in 3 sets, shades of grey (which I bought), shades of terracotta and colours, lots of fun!

J

Nice pictures! They're pretty cool.

To Octomush: nice signature.