Beginnings of Usurper
Hello painters, this update presents the start of the Uspurper bust I've been eagerly awaiting. It is the second bust to appear on my Patreon and has some heavy influences from my trip to Paris. Most notably through the feelings and palette of Picasso, particularly through his Blue Period, where he expresses himself after the loss of his friend, through the minimal palette and singular perspective portraits. I was particularly moved by this series in his collection, given the context, and it touched the feeling of loss. Looking into the Usurper sculpt, I was building up what it must be like to view a fantasy character with these sad feelings. Seeing into this elf-like character with a sense of vulnerability, and working with a method that I can try and capture something in there.
On the technical side of things, I'll also be touching in with some brush theory and diving a bit deeper into the process of sketching and working with an Average Light & Average Shadow approach. Many are probably familiar with my general approach to painting by starting from dark and building light and volume, progressively increasing the value. This painting, and a few recent others, most notably the other bust Hare of the Moon, have been in with this approach. It's not to say this is superior, better, or the proper way; rather, it's just another way to approach painting. I'm hoping that with this technical intro in the upcoming tutorial and then observing the sketching phase of Usurper, it will help guide your brushwork better and give you some solid anchor points to follow when it's your turn to hold the brush.
That's all for now! It's back to editing this video, and I hope to get it to you all by the end of the week! Till then, keep your creativity flowing and Happy Painting!
Bb