Portrait Painting

Portrait painting can be one of the most rewarding painting exercises to work on. It's always a challenge to get it just right. Even with very famous people or non. The human face is probably one of the most looked at pictures in the world. I've painted Aidan Turner in this portrait. It probably is a little vibrant for most people. But I am testing out styles of painting. There are millions of styles and some that I haven't even thought of. Finding your set style is part of the artist journey.

If you like this painting pleas share with with other fans of Aidan. If you don't that's okay. I hope to paint him in different styles in the future.

Thanks Aidan for you great acting skills.

Art Nouveau

Art Nouveau is a fantastic area of art. It has a long tradition of taking people, products and animals and redesigning them to have clean lines and beautiful colors. Here are the top 10 traits of Art Nouveau Design.

1. Line work: the line work must be clean and elegant. The figures are often drawn to be long and tall.
2. Color : Most of the colors are soft and in the light colors. But warm and neutral tones dominate.
3. Hair: If you're drawing the figure pay close attention to the elegant shape of the hair. Extra detail is placed in the hair. Drawing out each strand in some images.
4. Circles as a focal point: Having a circle as a background focal point behind the characters heads brings the main focus there. Often it is used as a design element.
5. Message: Most of the messages are to show off a product or an event.
6. Reflections: If you have a complex illustration the main focal point can be reflected. Almost like a repeating pattern.
7. Borders: The borders are elegant and designed to be clean and ornate. You'll want a detailed weaving border that swirls around the edges.
8. Influenced by nature: Most of the content is nature driven. You'll see the subject matter dominated by birds, cats, horses, and women or romantic couples.
9. Detail: The details in the piece of art can range from very fine line work to a story woven in the frame. You'll often see a message with pictures. Similar to stain glassed windows.
10. Architecture: If the influence is in the home you'll bet the lamps or staircases have detailed looks and emphasis strong curved lines. Nature is the main focus on the design in the home. To bring an organic look to it.

If you'd like to see sample of Art Nouveau here is a sample below.

Two Buckskins with Pioneer home

Photography of two buckskin horses in a pasture and an old shed pioneer building in the background. The horses don't seem to mind me shooting through the fence. But they both do look like siblings. 

To collect Hidden Falls

https://society6.com/product/waterfall48775_print#s6-6065415p4a1v45

Looking to add a photo of Hidden falls to your collection. Check out the link above. You can get a copy of the famous waterfall though Society6.

Make sure to share with your friends.

Waterfalls: Hidden Falls

If you're in a mood to explore. Come walk with me to Hidden Falls, a short 1.3 Miles and 6783 Elevation you'll be in the heart of the forest.  A 100 foot waterfall is waiting for you to come and explore. The hiking trails are new and improved. Large paths let you easily climb the short distance. A fun beautiful boat rid at a reasonable price of $15.00 for one adult both ways.  The paths are newly fixed and it is easily accessible for those who might be brining children with you. Be sure to pack a light jacket while you spend a good 30 mins looking at the magical hidden falls.

The forest is pristine and heavy with the scent of pine and ferns. The trail is easy to follow and you'll hike up in a safe zig zag motion as you travel with your friends and family to your destination.

If you have plenty of time you'll want to continue your hike up to Inspiration Point. This 200 feet increase in elevation,  is  worth the trip as you'll be able to see out over the entire lake. Strong winds and crisp fresh air will keep you on your toes. The trails are well marked and wide so multiple people can walk past each other without fear.

There are plenty of local wild chipmunks to keep the children amused. Not afraid of people and accustom to heavy foot traffic you're likely to encounter the furry little friends along the way. Make sure not to feed them, even though they are surely to follow anyone with the food pack.

Pets are not allowed in this area. So make sure you leave them with a caring baby sitter as you travel up to your destination.

Take a selfie at the top of the mountains and be sure to share with me on Instagram.

For more information about the trail check out
http://www.tetonhikingtrails.com/hidden-falls.htm

Starry Starry Night meets Just around the River Bend

This painting started out as a good thought. But it really struggles with not knowing exactly where it should want to go. Trying to push away from the original character and change it enough so she is different. Exploring texture and pattern to see what would work best for this type of style.

Most art might seem formula unless you have a set style. If you like to explore styles you'll always be working towards a new look for different paintings.

Why Creatives should Play more

Play is important to coming up with solutions to the problems we face today. I want to encourage artist to go out and play today. I am guilty of working and focusing on the problem of work.

But for today I say go out and play.

https://www.ted.com/playlists/383/the_importance_of_play


Check out the Ted's Talks on taking time to play.

Painting of Elephant colorful

In this painting I worked on creating an abstract elephant in the clouds. Lots of colors and mixing to let the viewer look at multiple areas of the painting. A fun study of elephants and color.

Sailing Boats

In this painting I have a couple in a boat sailing with a sunset sky. A few seagulls are in then background and the girl is in the yellow dress.

Anti-valentine's Day Leggings

Do you dislike the single awareness day? Check out some leggings that will let the world know how you are feeling. These are comedy based. The words all say a form of no.

No, never, meh, and my favorite Never Ever.



https://society6.com/product/no-unhappy-valentines-day-repeating-pattern_leggings#s6-6016044p43a56v415

Brown Moose leggings for Fall

Hi There,
Society 6 is pretty good or leggings. The quality is pretty high with the ink and fabric quality. Here are a few designs I've created with society 6 and Illustrator. Purchase Moose Leggings



https://society6.com/product/moose-brown-repeating-pattern_print#s6-6009320p4a1v45

Creating patch work quilted leggings

I have decided to come up with some solutions to leggings. There are many styles and designs I can create for this fashion trend. It would be great if companies let artist design complete outfits. Perhaps, someday that would be a possibility. But here is a stylized patch work quilt leggings. They are designed to be playful with many colors so you can match a top to them.

Christmas Leggings & Repeating Patterns

Christmas time is one of the best times to sport some flashy style of dress. I've decided to design some outlandish christmas legging and shirt designs. If you're looking for some ugly christmas sweater options or fun leggings check out

https://society6.com/product/santas-special-delivery-repeating-pattern_all-over-print-shirt#s6-6002605p44a57v420
https://society6.com/product/santas-special-delivery-repeating-pattern_all-over-print-shirt#s6-6002605p44a57v420

Painting human figures

Hi There,

The study of human anatomy with artist has always been an important foundation to any artist education on the complexity of the figure. It can be a struggle for artist to paint, and draw the figure. You can create all types of stylizations with painting. The main goal is to focus on getting better with each render. But to understand the meaning of the human figure takes more than drawing a nice Sixpack. It has to do with the meaning behind the painting. Paintings often hold more than what meets the eye.

The painting below was a request by a few fans that love the show Poldark. A poplar BBC show you can view on PBS in America. The character has wisdom and strength and isn't manipulated, by the antagonist of the film. To show this the directors made sure the actor is in top physical condition.

In my painting I try to paint the fatigue of the character by having him look down and off to the left. The sky in the background is red to suggest a storm is coming.  It's a story of perseverance for the character and a lot of hardship is about to come his way. Not just physical, but mentally he is tested.

A strong human figure is to suggest power in movies. A healthy looking character with lean muscles is visually interesting, but it is the way it is filmed or painted that can bring meaning to an image.

For example lets look at the story of Abinadi. A character that is a Prophet and is trying to talk to the wicked king about telling his people to repent. But take a look at the painting. In the painting you can see the man is very strong. That could mean the artist gave him a visually strong body to show he is a strong man of God. Those small visual indications that the artist wants the viewer to understand on a subtle level.

To find out more about Abinadi check out his story here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abinadi

To check out Poldark the movies or book visit PBS.




To purchase a painting please visit http://julielukeartwork.deviantart.com/art/Polder-Cutting-the-grass-637094825

The New hit show Poldark from BBC

Poldark (2015) gets home from fighting in the war to find his beloved engaged to his cousin. He discovers that his father has passed away and the home and estate are in ruin. He sets to work on correcting these misfortunes. While he struggles to get over the beautiful Elizabeth, he sets his sights on reopening up a mine that had seen better days. Only to find that a certain mysterious man is set on thwarting his plans. Will Poldark succeed when a powerful rich man in the town is against him? Will he find a new love and get over Elizabeth? Check out this fun swashbuckling romp on your local BBC channel or PBS station near you.

You can watch it through amazon.com prime or on your PBS station.

There is a new show out titled Poldark. It's a fantastic show set around 1776. The clothing is all very well crafted, and the actors are all amazing. Here is a screen savor for those who want to have an image of the main actor Poldark on their computers.

You can purchase the first season and it has all the elements of great story telling.

purchase the DVD collection from amazon

Here is a quick summary of the film.

Outlander Painting

Outlander is a pretty popular show. There are a series of books to read, if you looking for a strong historical drama. You can check it out on amazon.com

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=sr_1_4_hso_sc_smartcategory_3?rh=n%3A154606011%2Ck%3AOutlander&keywords=Outlander&ie=UTF8&qid=1474401575&sr=8-4-acs

Check out my new photo website

http://julielukephoto.net23.net

Come check out my photo website.

The Power of Pop Culture in Art

Hi There,

Many of us love pop culture, it is a way that we can all relate to a topic on displayed on screen.
I've recently thought of how funny it would be for two popular characters to meet. So I've been working on drawings of these characters meeting. Check out when Harry Meets Kiki.

How to create Patterns

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwBeanmm9ufIf0q0VwG5bkuakujO4pFDG

In these videos I talk about how to create patterns. They can be a lot of fun. The more work you place into them the better they can be. Check out some sample patterns I've created. Once you finish the videos create a pattern and show it off to your friends and family. You can even create your own custom wrapping paper and print it off at the website ZAZZLE.com

Now, let's go make some artwork.

Creating repeating pattern for sale on line can be used for multiple products. Check out the youtube channel to find out more on how to make your own repeating patterns.