Follow Muddy Colors, filter it, and define how you want to receive the news (via Email, RSS, Telegram, WhatsApp etc.) https://follow.it/muddy-colors Sat, 09 Dec 2023 02:58:58 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/CVlgRyURl8kLWtJxk06P_iRFMxTa8z4W

  I made a couple new short videos of a little mark-making in oil on this new panel by Artefex. This is their smoothest panel yet, a lead alkyd oil-primed extra-fine cotton canvas mounted to an aluminum panel. It’s such a nice surface to work on. A perfect combination of smoothness, tooth and absorbency for this reductive kind of painting. It’s honestly my new fave. This quick painting was done using oil and spatulas, paint…]]> Thu, 07 Dec 2023 13:30:33 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/CVlgRyURl8kLWtJxk06P_iRFMxTa8z4W https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/CVlgRyURl8lL1L4f8OtbparkJyTkC_2b

We’re really excited to share the release of Lisa Cyr’s newest video series, ‘The Complete Guide to Artist’s Materials and Methods’. Want to know how to properly prime your surface, stretch canvas, or varnish a painting? Always wondering what all those mediums actually do? It’s all right here! In the spirit of  the classic ‘The Artist’s Handbook’, artist and educator Lisa Cyr put together a remarkably comprehensive video guide of ‘Materials & Methods’ designed for…]]> Wed, 06 Dec 2023 13:00:28 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/CVlgRyURl8lL1L4f8OtbparkJyTkC_2b https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/CVlgRyURl8kPKZK_ZoEWTApx5_w21kha

We talk about gesture a lot in regards to the human figure, but as I work on my current projects, I have been admiring a number of landscape paintings for their wonderful gesture. Lines, literal or implied, can be handed off between elements, sweeping and long to feel expansive or calm, or decisively terse and staccato to feel exciting or agitated.  So, today I am sharing a few of these paintings that have been inspiring…]]> Tue, 05 Dec 2023 12:00:36 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/CVlgRyURl8kPKZK_ZoEWTApx5_w21kha https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/CVlgRyURl8mBmM8p71QS3ntuT6pSmY81

Since Christmas is right around the corner, I thought, hey, why not make a few gift suggestions for when you’re sitting on Santa’s knee? Peter de Sève’s second collection, Local Fauna, is as fat, sassy, and gorgeous as was his first (A Sketchy Past, 2009). Featuring a wide selection of film designs, published works, previously unpublished paintings, sketches, and comps it is capped with a rollicking give-and-take interview with Peter conducted by the creator of…]]> Mon, 04 Dec 2023 12:30:26 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/CVlgRyURl8mBmM8p71QS3ntuT6pSmY81 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/CVlgRyURl8l4-JGpErcNHYMOI2eu70Rg

Every year, it is important to look at your artistic goals. As a new year is about to begin, I would like to share with you a process that is not only enlightening but empowering. In order to gain the most benefit from this process, you must free yourself from all distractions. The effectiveness of this experience is greatly diminished if it is done under stress or chaotic circumstances. My suggestion is to possibly go…]]> Fri, 01 Dec 2023 08:00:22 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/CVlgRyURl8l4-JGpErcNHYMOI2eu70Rg https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/CVlgRyURl8kNO5FagFHyfO9WSSr4-0sP

After my column last month about Manet and his work — especially Olympia and Luncheon on the Grass,  I had some very interesting conversations with some artists trying to wrap their head around what was SO controversial about those pieces. There’s a few different reasons. 1) His brushwork was so much looser than the leading academic painters of the time — not as abstract as the Impressionists that were inspired by him and followed right…]]> Thu, 30 Nov 2023 14:00:08 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/CVlgRyURl8kNO5FagFHyfO9WSSr4-0sP https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/CVlgRyURl8l3mqNAxVbKugpx5_w21kha

  I love stamps! The incredible effort that goes into each one is fascinating. Whether with graphic design or paint, they’re the smallest piece of Fine Art out there. To get to work with the United States Postal Service has brought me honor and joy for many years now. So you can imagine my excitement at getting to create the images for the 2023 Christmas Stamp. But it didn’t start so clearly. The art director,…]]> Wed, 29 Nov 2023 13:00:42 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/CVlgRyURl8l3mqNAxVbKugpx5_w21kha https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/CVlgRyURl8nGJxsxx-YQZFw3HFUzDTIP

I hope you have all been well and good.  This is a bit art schoolish but I had a few questions sent to me about shadows and any tips on the variations of tone within them.   I have a quick short tutorial on the differences in form and core shadows, and how to build them up.   This is the reference I am working from.       This is the armature stage, locating and…]]> Mon, 27 Nov 2023 13:30:38 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/CVlgRyURl8nGJxsxx-YQZFw3HFUzDTIP https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/CVlgRyURl8mpUamMBhoZAC1Ly282xAAw

Wishing everyone a safe and happy Thanksgiving from your friends at Muddy Colors! Art by J.C. Leyendecker, of course!…]]> Thu, 23 Nov 2023 13:49:42 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/CVlgRyURl8mpUamMBhoZAC1Ly282xAAw https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/CVlgRyURl8kSCUn8l0mZjJONpYks2fGs

A few images of the process develop for my latest Empathetic Robot oil painting.  The concept of a ‘rescue’/’assistance in departure’ had been in my sketchbook in various forms for over 13 years now, dating back to a knight carrying a young person in need. I love how the basic emotion and action and be transmitted across genres – it’s all about the humanity of the moment.  Given the turmoil around A.I. and the dark…]]> Wed, 22 Nov 2023 10:01:13 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/CVlgRyURl8kSCUn8l0mZjJONpYks2fGs https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/CVlgRyURl8n_hdeWAFgx_pu9CxXrVx4c

Holy hell I got to paint Black Lotus for Magic the Gathering! I have been painting art for M:TG since the 90’s, and if you know the game, you know what an honor it was for me to do this. I take you all the way through it in this months Fischer Paints video. Check it out and let me know what you think!    …]]> Tue, 21 Nov 2023 13:30:43 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/CVlgRyURl8n_hdeWAFgx_pu9CxXrVx4c https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/CVlgRyURl8mLROP83hErLwpx5_w21kha

Do you struggle to come up with composition ideas after one or two? Here’s a bunch of prompts that might inspire something unexpected. If you’ve got a D20 on hand, roll for a random idea! Low, or high camera angle Detail or very close shot Try the moment before, or after the action Compose with triangles, spirals, or rectangles Compose with parallel lines, or radial lines Crop the main figure Focus on designing the negative…]]> Mon, 20 Nov 2023 13:30:34 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/CVlgRyURl8mLROP83hErLwpx5_w21kha https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/CVlgRyURl8le4dWNNFuDOCVCAQLB0bf5

This painting has always captured my imagination. It is simple but so elegant and beautiful. The surface is compelling and fascinating and the subject’s expression is subtle and powerful. Abbot Handerson Thayer, the artist who painted Angel was an American artist who lived from 1849 – 1921. For me, one of the greatest periods in art history saturated with some of the greatest artists and works. I love trying to get as good of a…]]> Fri, 17 Nov 2023 07:46:17 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/CVlgRyURl8le4dWNNFuDOCVCAQLB0bf5 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/CVlgRyURl8ntanslsp6NBe4sICfMfkNm

Hey all, figured I’d go ahead and post an update on where I’m at with this big lawn painting. Had a pretty productive month on it. With something this big its easy to get intimidated, but its also sort of fun by the time you get it to this stage because each day you can pick an area and just sort of focus on it. in a strange way it’s so much that it alleviates…]]> Thu, 16 Nov 2023 12:00:57 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/CVlgRyURl8ntanslsp6NBe4sICfMfkNm https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/CVlgRyURl8mgj8Jp426xcyxhxzpi7FpJ

Painting students often ask about the differences between Titanium White and Flake White. Its common knowledge that Flake white has less tinting strength than Titanum, and that it can be a but more resistant to pressure, or “stiffer” than titanuium. Lead based flake white,  the template for the more available and safer Flake white Hue, is less viscous and more “ropey”than any other white…but it’s lead content make it an unappealing choice for most of…]]> Wed, 15 Nov 2023 12:34:16 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/CVlgRyURl8mgj8Jp426xcyxhxzpi7FpJ https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/CVlgRyURl8lN-FVgWEkPfEGT5aWO9DEx

Very hard to believe that this time last year I was at The Great Con-Junction, a 40th anniversary celebration of Jim Henson’s foundational fantasy film, The Dark Crystal. Chronicling the experience right here on Muddy Colors back in 2022, we took a look at the show and the special event at the Jim Henson Co. lot, along with a peek at my work for the official poster. In the last week I’ve seen a few…]]> Tue, 14 Nov 2023 12:25:52 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/CVlgRyURl8lN-FVgWEkPfEGT5aWO9DEx https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/CVlgRyURl8k2TERXqf3CKUGT5aWO9DEx

Lost Caverns of Ixalan, the newest set for Magic the gathering, gave me the opportunity to paint an old favorite of mine: the Dreadmaw. This time bigger and better than ever before. The assignment asked for him howling on top of a ruined pyramid, with a hint of the sun shining down into the cavern system. In my first sketch I focused on the angle and had us looking way down from below. But I…]]> Mon, 13 Nov 2023 14:02:52 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/CVlgRyURl8k2TERXqf3CKUGT5aWO9DEx https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/CVlgRyURl8n7hz6yjd8QhUTXPGaG87AR

Providing multiple sketches for a client to pick from is a routine part of the illustration process. While I am not usually one to become very attached to a specific sketch or idea, I do sometimes lament what could have been. So today I am sharing a bunch of rejected sketches, along with the illustration that was actually taken to final. I tend to send at least three sketches: one closely following what the client…]]> Fri, 10 Nov 2023 13:00:34 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/CVlgRyURl8n7hz6yjd8QhUTXPGaG87AR https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/CVlgRyURl8mEL6zWcxIaFoMOI2eu70Rg

Last weekend was the opening for Waking Willow, and I’m honored to share some of the paintings and drawings from the show. This exhibition features drawings, paintings, and collaborations I did with artist Toobz Muir. The show comes at the 3-year mark of a dear connection that bloomed from an online chance meeting and grew into a shared vision and deeper understanding based on life’s experiences and our drive to create and communicate through our…]]> Thu, 09 Nov 2023 13:30:28 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/CVlgRyURl8mEL6zWcxIaFoMOI2eu70Rg https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/CVlgRyURl8kk7MoPRK1AuwBC78OgjhDM

To put it plainly, I believe this has been a uniquely bad year to be a freelance illustrator.  I can only speak for myself, but I suspect that many other folks are going to agree with me here.  Like a lot of creatives, I find it hard to put distance between my work, my career, and my personal identity.  As a result, and in combination with overlapping challenges in my personal life, sitting down to…]]> Wed, 08 Nov 2023 13:00:20 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/CVlgRyURl8kk7MoPRK1AuwBC78OgjhDM