I hate titling these. I feel like they come out sounding too self-serious, so I try to deflate that with a self-deprecating subtitle, and anyway my apologies if you read to the end of this sentence.
Yes to experimenting while hoping to knock some traditional rendering in its pants. It’s hard. I try to set up things like you did where things get messy and uncomfortable and random. It’s good stuff. 💪
As a reforming good art boy (and graphic designer) myself, I especially like the surprise of revealing the colors - the same way I like the intentionally imprecise brush. I've always loved your work - but, even more-so now!
What a cool experiment! And I love the inherent surprise in the results and how you can just keep reacting to the surprises in layers as you go. I've been wanting to do something similar to this with traditional mediums where I organize all my colors of paints, markers, etc. by values. You've given me a good way to go about it, so thank you!
Ooo he's actually got a pretty in-depth breakdown of his process saved to his instagram stories that you can check out (it's about halfway through the Q + A saved highlight), super interesting! It's not quite as randomized as the method you used here, but essentially just starting by putting down really loose funky washes based solely on temperature/value and then finessing after.
Honestly, there value charts have always hurt my head since Art School. But I really do appreciate the fact that you are trying to be looser, and let yourself experiment. I went to a talk by Marc Majewski, and loved seeing how he began his art career being so realistic and obsessed with getting everything right in perspective. And now his style is so childlike, that his dad got out an old painting he did from when he was 7 years old and it was so similar to what he was doing currently.
Which I relate to with my style... but maybe I will try this and hurt my head all over again.
Oh my goodness I LOVE the wild colors version!! I would absolutely read a whole book like that. But I love the revised one too?? AND the cowboy one??? The cowboy one reminds me a bit of Don Wood. (Also isn't Amy Timberlake just utterly fantastic?)
I love this. I was literally having a conversation the other day about this very topic, the difference between color contrast and light contrast, and made my own example with a red and green apple that become indistinguishable when desaturated. Your example explains it way better and way more fun.
For a long time, I thought I had read The Giver. Then I saw a trailer for the movie version and I was confused because it was not at all the book I remembered. Where was the senseless murder and the subsequent examination of the oppressive nature of bureaucratic systems? Then I realized I was thinking of The Stranger by Albert Camus. Turns out that’s a different book.
Good gravy this is a brilliant solution to coloring. I gotta try it.
Also, I've been doing a newsletter for a few years now and hands down the hardest part is coming up with a title for the darn thing. Just wanted to let you know I see you and you are a Good Title Boy too.
I think all of it is a good idea, and I love the whole vibe of the “garish” colors. Keep going!
Also: my kids and I finished Gumluck just this morning at breakfast and it deserves all of the attention and accolades it’s receiving. I’ll be recommending it far and wide (and buying the second in the series whenever it drops).
What a fun exercise!! I personally LOVE the wild colors version! I find it so hard to break out of my usual palette I might try out this exercise sometime
I left the world of art when I was pretty young (13? 14?) and now I'm trying to learn all the things I missed out on by not taking art classes in college. I lack confidence in nearly all areas of my art, but I feel especially stressed when the colors don't work out—so I'm going to use this the next time I'm experimenting with coloring! I love how this really freshened up this character you've drawn. (I love this kid, too.)
I wouldn't mind seeing a Bad Art Boy book some day—I just want to know what's going on beneath all those finished layers, so I can learn how to improve!
I LOOOOVE this exercise. It's also surprising to hear about your harrowing fight with realism. How often would you say you work something up too far and then have to pull it back?
Pretty often. Lately I feel like my final step of every illustration has been to drag a little drybrush over everything to put some chaos back in.
In this detail of the girl I thought I'd gone too far with the rendering, and actually copy/pasted the "wild colors" version over the top of it at 24%.
I've alwyas loved all your illustrations. Having grown up with a Mom who was an artist, it's always fascinating to me to learn how people think when they illustrate. This last one was really educational for me. I loved it. I hope you will continue to allow yourself to explore the areas that you enjoy. It brings new images to all of us.
Yes to experimenting while hoping to knock some traditional rendering in its pants. It’s hard. I try to set up things like you did where things get messy and uncomfortable and random. It’s good stuff. 💪
As a reforming good art boy (and graphic designer) myself, I especially like the surprise of revealing the colors - the same way I like the intentionally imprecise brush. I've always loved your work - but, even more-so now!
Thanks, Chad!
You both ruined and rescued it; A+, no notes
It's in a quantum superposition of both sucking and ruling, and has to be observed to collapse the waveform.
What a cool experiment! And I love the inherent surprise in the results and how you can just keep reacting to the surprises in layers as you go. I've been wanting to do something similar to this with traditional mediums where I organize all my colors of paints, markers, etc. by values. You've given me a good way to go about it, so thank you!
Let me know if you try anything like it!
Oh man, the Good Art Boy struggle is so real!! I’m a big fan of the wild colour version, definitely reminds me of the feel of Matt Forsythe’s stuff! 🙌
I would really like to watch him work. I don't know how he does what he does, but I doubt it's anything like this.
Ooo he's actually got a pretty in-depth breakdown of his process saved to his instagram stories that you can check out (it's about halfway through the Q + A saved highlight), super interesting! It's not quite as randomized as the method you used here, but essentially just starting by putting down really loose funky washes based solely on temperature/value and then finessing after.
Oh, excellent! Thanks, Monica!
Honestly, there value charts have always hurt my head since Art School. But I really do appreciate the fact that you are trying to be looser, and let yourself experiment. I went to a talk by Marc Majewski, and loved seeing how he began his art career being so realistic and obsessed with getting everything right in perspective. And now his style is so childlike, that his dad got out an old painting he did from when he was 7 years old and it was so similar to what he was doing currently.
Which I relate to with my style... but maybe I will try this and hurt my head all over again.
Oh my goodness I LOVE the wild colors version!! I would absolutely read a whole book like that. But I love the revised one too?? AND the cowboy one??? The cowboy one reminds me a bit of Don Wood. (Also isn't Amy Timberlake just utterly fantastic?)
Don Wood! That's high praise, thank you. And yes, Amy is the best.
I love this. I was literally having a conversation the other day about this very topic, the difference between color contrast and light contrast, and made my own example with a red and green apple that become indistinguishable when desaturated. Your example explains it way better and way more fun.
Makes me think of The Giver! You ever read that, with the apple that's gray until Jonas sees the truth? Henry's reading it now.
For a long time, I thought I had read The Giver. Then I saw a trailer for the movie version and I was confused because it was not at all the book I remembered. Where was the senseless murder and the subsequent examination of the oppressive nature of bureaucratic systems? Then I realized I was thinking of The Stranger by Albert Camus. Turns out that’s a different book.
I love the wild colored girl!!
Good gravy this is a brilliant solution to coloring. I gotta try it.
Also, I've been doing a newsletter for a few years now and hands down the hardest part is coming up with a title for the darn thing. Just wanted to let you know I see you and you are a Good Title Boy too.
Let me know if you try it!
I think all of it is a good idea, and I love the whole vibe of the “garish” colors. Keep going!
Also: my kids and I finished Gumluck just this morning at breakfast and it deserves all of the attention and accolades it’s receiving. I’ll be recommending it far and wide (and buying the second in the series whenever it drops).
Thank you! I don't remember when book 2 drops, but it's done—I'm working on 3 now. Maybe next fall? That's too long.
What a fun exercise!! I personally LOVE the wild colors version! I find it so hard to break out of my usual palette I might try out this exercise sometime
I would love to see what happens, if you do
I left the world of art when I was pretty young (13? 14?) and now I'm trying to learn all the things I missed out on by not taking art classes in college. I lack confidence in nearly all areas of my art, but I feel especially stressed when the colors don't work out—so I'm going to use this the next time I'm experimenting with coloring! I love how this really freshened up this character you've drawn. (I love this kid, too.)
I wouldn't mind seeing a Bad Art Boy book some day—I just want to know what's going on beneath all those finished layers, so I can learn how to improve!
I LOOOOVE this exercise. It's also surprising to hear about your harrowing fight with realism. How often would you say you work something up too far and then have to pull it back?
Pretty often. Lately I feel like my final step of every illustration has been to drag a little drybrush over everything to put some chaos back in.
In this detail of the girl I thought I'd gone too far with the rendering, and actually copy/pasted the "wild colors" version over the top of it at 24%.
Nice! I often return chaos to a painting by giving characters two or three extra feet. Or, occasionally, Godzilla.
I'm totally gonna try this color thing. I love the result! So cool.
I've alwyas loved all your illustrations. Having grown up with a Mom who was an artist, it's always fascinating to me to learn how people think when they illustrate. This last one was really educational for me. I loved it. I hope you will continue to allow yourself to explore the areas that you enjoy. It brings new images to all of us.