Tuesday, August 22, 2017

A painting for my friend Wes



In an effort to give JBF a unique return in the World Cup of Trading, I decided to make him a painting of his favorite player.

There were a few reasons I chose this route.

  1. Wes has been very generous to me over the years, so I wanted to provide him with something a little more personal.
  2. I am out of Willingham cards. They are going to become harder and harder to find as Wes gobbles them all up.
  3. I haven’t done a painting in a few years, and had been itching to jump back in.
I was definitely quite rusty, but overall think it came out pretty good. Here’s a few photos of the process.

I started by painting the background and then drew the image on the canvas. Usually I draw the image (using grid boxes) and then paint the background around it. I’m not sure why I chose to paint the whole canvas first this time. I also drew freehand looking at a picture on my phone. I actually combined two images, using the legs of one photo and the upper half of another.
I then started painting the legs and pants. I think the right leg is the best element of the painting, as it came together nicely.
Then I did the shoes, skin, blue jersey, in that order.

And once again, the final piece. The last stages included helmet, bat, ball, and a few touch-ups elsewhere.
I enjoyed doing this, and glad it turned out well for my friend. I’m not sure what’s on tap for my next painting, but hopefully it won’t be a few years before I churn out another one.

10 comments:

  1. Fantastic work AJ! What a unique and thoughtful addition to Wes's Willinghammer collection.

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  2. That's great looking AJ!!! Very nice job

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  3. It's funny... I'll see certain sketch cards that people have pulled or purchased and I think "Pffft! I can do that!"... and then I see paintings like this and I have to admit... I can't do that. Not even close. Great job on this!

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  4. I should have drew him a stick figure Willingham. He is my arch rival and should be trolled.

    Very nice painting. I'm always jealous of those who have artistic talents.

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  5. That's fantastic! What's the story of your art life? Did you study in formal school, take classes, or are you self taught?

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    1. Thank you. Nothing beyond some drawing and painting classes in high school.

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  6. Great job! I love cards... but a one of a kind painting trumps them all day long in my book.

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