Bob's ART du Jour

Hi, I'm Bob Eggleton and this is my painting and "life in general blog" but mostly paintings. Usually they're for sale. Anyway, if you like something contact me at zillabob@cox.net and ENJOY!!

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Location: New England, United States

I am a Hugo award-winning fantasy/SF artist who works on both publishing projects and film concept work(such as Jimmy Neutron and most recently, The Ant Bully) but I have a passion for landscape work, small paintings and exploring the properties of paint. This blog will mostly showcase my "painting-for-the-day" as kind of a personal voyage. I'll also be inserting sketches,photos and ideas of projects I am working on, that I can, when I can, so look for those every so often(usually as paint is drying!)

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Painting: Step-By-Step Pt 2

Okay, I then decided earth was too distracting at this point and just painted it out as I finished Jupiter. I also moved Io away from the center and over onto Jupiter's bright side. Nothing destroys a piece of artwork like something *dead center*. Europa is to the left of that. That happens-your original idea always changes as you move along. This is why I don't do tight sketches, because what looks good small can be not so good, large. It also works for sponaneity. I added in the "starstuff" inside the monolith with a palette knife and basically rubbing paint on in layers. The stars were added in with a toothbrush-spattering paint on.

I now start paying attention to the astronaut. I'm using my "Malstick" which is what oil painters use to rest their hand on whilst working on the painting. I also paint upright-better for my back I find. My "Malstick" is not some fancy thing either. It's an old pool table cue stick. Works a charm and found in my Mom's basement.

The astronaut was the last thing I worked on and here, we're looking more finished. In the upper left you can see the dark side of Ganymede which I used as a "curtain" element to help with the "V" composition that holds the painting together.



Basically, done. I picked at it abit and added a blue backlit color to the astronaut because I needed him to stand out from the black. I'm not a rocket scientist, in fact my math(I'm not even sure what algebra is, and I need a calculator for adding anything up!) and science averages about a "C" or a low "B" so science was not my priority as much as drama was. In fact it's earth's moon the monolith is on, I just had to incorporate more elements from the saga into the piece AND finish it ON TIME(which I did) and make it work as a doublespread.
Anyway, hope this gives some insight into how I work.



11 Comments:

Blogger David B. Ellis said...

Looks fantastic! I'm glad you decided to remove the earth at the bottom of Jupiter. It improves the composition dramatically, I think.

The 2001 series seems to bring the best out in artists. I loved the Whelan and Donato paintings for the series and am glad to see an Eggleton interpretation.

6:39 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

That's a really beautiful work. The moons and planet look so real, gives a deep and quiet feel. love the starstuff coming out of the monolith too


dt

9:53 PM  
Blogger Jack said...

This comment has been removed by the author.

4:42 AM  
Blogger Jack said...

I remember the two of us at the Star Trek World Expo in 1976 watching 2001 on a sheet tacked up on the wall of a meeting room at the Statler Waldorf; now, here you are 32 years later doing this piece. Who would have guessed where all of those hours working away in that small basement room on Anton Ct would have led you.

Here's to livin' the dream, baby!

4:43 AM  
Blogger Bob Eggleton (Zillabob) said...

Thanks David-Yeah, I like Whelan's 2010 piece alot, very iconic in science fiction. Those two in mind, I wanted mine to be different again than that.

Dave T-thanks!

8:27 AM  
Blogger Bob Eggleton (Zillabob) said...

Jack-thanks!

YEP! It's funny I just FOUND that old program book from 1978 and it has indeed, 2001 being introduced by Dick Preston(remember him?). What memories, 30 years later! And did we think the future would be this screwed up?

8:29 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I love behind-the-scenes, how-it-was-done stuff like these last two posts. It gives you a better appreciation for all that went into the piece...

7:18 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I love behind-the-scenes, how-it-was-done stuff like these last two posts. It gives you a better appreciation for all that went into the piece...

7:18 PM  
Blogger Annalisa said...

I agree with DavidK and David B. Ellis: all the behind-the-scenes stuff really makes me appreciate the beautiful finished piece more (and is truly educational for a person who is still struggling with oil paint!) AND I definitely agree with your choosing to move around the planets. I especially enjoyed seeing how the composition changed, although the central concept never wavered.

And, again, it's a beautiful painting! Beautiful scene, strong concept, wonderful rendering.

11:58 PM  
Blogger Bob Eggleton (Zillabob) said...

Annalisa! Thanks!! What kind words. I think I made the right decisions here. The client loved it, and VERY happy I came in right on deadline target!

12:04 AM  
Blogger thebonebreaker said...

I love the piece Bob - it was very cool to see the process...

Glad to hear that you finished it on-time! :-)

9:40 PM  

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