I really want to buy a WWII era tank or airplane model and paint it in ways that will piss off everybody else painting them. Model makers are always striving to make it as realistic as possible, even down to dirt and grime. But I want to make it pristine, like a hot rod ready for a show. I want to use candy paint and intricate masking to emulate a traditional lowrider paint job. But what I really want to do is use fluorescent colors and make it look like something straight out of Tank Girl's wildest nightmares.

I struggled for so many years with imposter syndrome over my art and was so insecure about it for so fucking long. But I've been working hard the past 10 years or so to overcome and accept it and holy shit. That moment when you make something that just really tickles your fancy is pure fucking serotonin. It felt so damn good to look at something I created and think "Yo, that's dope. I want to display it in my room."

I hope everyone gets to experience that.

I recently realized something after some 30 years of making art. Even though there's millions of colors available, you can choose a specific color palette and use it exclusively. I pretty much only use fluorescent paint now and can still create so many different things with it. I also made more art in the past year since deciding to lean into fluorescents than I have in any year prior. It's awesome.

Got more painting done today, including clear coat on the Supra I've been working on the past week. Clear is always a pain in the ass because it's full on automotive paint and therefore much harsher. It also requires the use of thinner to clean out the airbrush and needs to be cleaned out IMMEDIATELY. So, I usually put it off until I've got a few things to clear. But, I managed to get it done today and it went really well.

I also did some work on the classic Mini Cooper, which I had done some experimental surrealist graphics on. They hadn't turned out how I was wanting, so I sanded the top down (the only part I had done graphics on) and got it re-primed today. Was able to lay down a light gray base as well and it ended up being a better color than the first time.

Even managed to get my Queen of Hearts lead sled primed and based. It's part of an Alice in Wonderland themed series I've been working on and should be pretty awesome. I added a styrene visor over the front windshield that I styled to look like a crown. Right now it's all white, but I'm going to layout some graphics that'll be based on her dress from the original cartoon movie.

Calotto Sunset, 2021

Quick test piece I created to figure out a design I want to paint. The final piece will have fluorescent paint for the orange and purple parts and the color palette is based on the California Lottery logo from the 80s/90s.

FluoroBurn 002 - Neon Summer

My most recently finished piece. Retro design inspired by classic minitruck styling of the 90s, but cranked up to 11. Full florescent paint job with no decals, just custom cut stencils and a lot of patience.

Tried out some new things with old techniques while airbrushing today and found some promising stuff. It's not quite there yet and will need a bit more work to get right, but it'll be pretty cool if I can pull it off.

This is what I painted today. I've used this technique for fades a couple times now and it has yet to disappoint. Looking forward to shooting clear tomorrow and getting this thing finished.

Been quite a few years since I painted space. This was the third attempt on this canvas and it turned out fantastic. Just took a bit to get my bearings back.

I am so excited about how this little dude is coming along! Next step is detailing. :D

Ah, shit, dude. I’ve had a sculpting idea for the last couple weeks and I finally made it happen tonight. It’s one of Jester’s spirit guardians. A hamster unicorn. And it’s super adorable. I am very pleased with where it’s at right now! :D Still gotta do more detailing, but I baked what I had to keep the basic shape I wanted. 

If money weren’t an issue, I’d have a mixed use high-rise for artists built in downtown Eugene. The dream is that it’d be a space where artists - young, old, and inbetween - could live there rent-free and explore artistic endeavors of all varieties. Got it at least partially laid out in my head too. 

It’d take up a full city block and be designed in an homage to a classic architectural design. The bottom floor would be retail space where the artists could sell their creations and maybe some local restaurants that are open 24hrs. Second floor would be a gallery space that could be subdivided to allow for multiple showings at once, or completely opened up for one large showing. Most floors would be living spaces, with multiple configurations. There could be larger apartments for families or groups of friends, studio spaces for solo artists who want the open space, or traditional 1/2 bedroom apartments for those who need the structure. I also see at least a couple floors of open loft space that allow for communal work/living arrangements as well as a top floor that is a dedicated maker space filled with all manner of art supplies, tools, mediums, and whatever else can be thought of. 

The idea would be for the entire building to be a place where creatives can come to create with access to basic and advanced supplies so that they can explore whatever creative desire they have. I’d want it to be a model that other cities can follow, but also expand upon for other artistic endeavors like music, culinary, film, whatever. Not that these things couldn’t also happen in mine, but they could be better designed for those particular pursuits. 

There needs to be grants for art projects similar to how there are grants for science. Because I’ve had several ridiculous but awesome ideas for art installations but I can’t do any of them because I don’t have the money for it. I just want money to be able to create my inane ideas for the enjoyment of others.  Admittedly, even if this was real I’d probably have trouble getting funding for several hundred pounds of alphabet noodles to be able to complete the idea I just had. But really, who wouldn’t want to eat a bowl of alphabet soup from a pot that contained every single letter and punctuation mark in their favorite novel?

Did a little sketching during Critical Role tonight. :D I originally thought of this when Nott and Beau were drunk and did the finger hook thing a few episodes back. Lol

THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS CHEATING IN ART

Stencils just make things easier for transferring and getting clean lines. Still had to design the stencil in the first place.

Tracing is a great way to get a clean copy of your sketch to work from. It’s also helpful when painting murals (projection).

Reference images help you understand what you’re trying to draw. 

Literally the only thing that matters when it comes to art is getting whatever is in your head into the physical world as best as you can. Doesn’t matter which methods you use (or don’t use) nor does it matter if you use improper technique. If you’re pleased with the final product, how you got there doesn’t change that. Don’t let art snobs bully you about that shit. They just want to feel important.

I finished up another piece the other day. Really pleased with how it came out. It also helped me get comfortable with laying down tape designs.

I had a nice sketchbook that I wasn’t using, so I took it to my nephew the other day as he has been really getting into drawing and making art the past year or so. When I gave it to him, I made sure to add a caveat that he shouldn’t save it for something really good just because it’s really nice and that there will always be more sketchbooks and art supplies to be had.  I wanted him to hear that because I used to hoard my nice supplies. I’d save them up for when I had the creative juices for something really good. But that never really came. I always felt I needed more skill to be able to do it right, so I’d put it off. And I ended up with a lot of really nice art supplies and very little art to show for it. Part of my re-connection with art the past two years has been fighting that urge; using what I have without worrying that I’m using too much or “wasting” it. Because no art supplies used in the creation of art are wasted. They may not have led to the piece you wanted or you may have tossed the piece out when you were done, but the act of making it was a worthwhile use of the supplies. Even if the piece fails, you’ve learned something and can do better the next time you try it.