Train Hopping

Sorry for the big delay in posts.  I've been trying to finesse some old works and get a web site together all while packing.  Here's the latest rework of one of my Hobo Journey series.  Oil on board.  Also, be sure to check out the new site and let me know what you think! 

ToddKentonYoder.com

Thesis Work

Here are a handful of oil paintings for the picture book I'm working on.  Most are roughly 17"x 20" ish...

 Graphite drawing on gessoed masonite.























The scene above is a good example of where these paintings reach a pivotal decision making point.  Where, and how much opaque paint to utilize on top of this more or less finished wash layer/ drawing.

Good example of illustration problem solving;  "what we have here... is a failure to communicate."  In my underdrawing, the arm on the right hand figure wasn't reading and neither was the baby grand piano in the back...which I bought in Chinatown for this very scene.  Also, the gesture of the figure on the far left was too similar to the one of the far right.   Sooo...

 


...I repainted a large portion of the piece after the first few layers were down, adding a pipe to the left figure and changing the gesture of the right foreground's hand.  The piano Christmas ornament I used for reference was a waste, but I like it better now.  And I learned from it!  Even if I did waste hours on Ebay searching for doll furniture.



Riding the rails over the great Mississippi.

Sensing a musical element yet?

The most fun I've had drawing in a while.

 Nearly at the level of some of the more refined pieces in the book.  Still, a fun two page landscape of the book.
More later!

Older Thesis Tests

A bit of my process on these thesis tests; from drawing to final painting.  My first attempts at painting using only oil lift out methods...along with some collage work for added interest.

Another with pages from a 40's Popular Mechanics.

Oldies but Goodies

Commissioned graphite portrait of LaMonte Young from my first year in grad school.

Head drawing portrait from first semester.  I waited till the night before it was due... I've since learned not to do this.

From second semester, sea turtle study in watercolor to be used as...

...this character.  Also watercolor.

Rooster character for a children's book class illustration of the Musicians of Brementown.  Watercolor, oil lift out, and prisma pencil on sealed watercolor paper.

The other three protagonists.

Another watercolor for children's book class during my second year.

Another oil lift out on top of collage for mixed media class my second year.

More Oldies but Goodies

I thought I would post some of my older foundation oil paintings from the first year of grad school.  These are under the tutelage of Zhaoming Wu.  Both from his portrait painting and figure painting courses.  They're in chronological order during the second year of study, 2008.

One of my friends allowed me to crash at their flat during the move out of Academy housing.

One of the new housemates after the move.

Short workshop study that would later inspire my thesis project approach.

Final homework assignment for Zhaoming.

Stage One: Underdrawing and first temperature and color lay in.

STAGE TWO: Primary focal point render and more color on figure.

FINISH: After filling in background, warms and fleshtones to unify.

24" x 36"

Landscapes

Thought I would post some older landscapes from Dean Larson's Class.  Thanks so much Dean!

Overpass in Golden Gate Park.  Oil. 8"x10"

Somewhere in the mountains here in C.A.  I forget where I took the picture.  Oil.  8"x 10"

Bird Rock.  The white is from all the perching...
Oil.  8" x 10".