greenstarstudio

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

a mural in 7 days...

so, i've been a little internet absent, as i've been spending my days in the warm sun, working on the mural. i figured this would be as good a time as any to take you through the past week or so and let you see how a mural is done (well, how MY murals are done).

this is what the wall looked like to start with...

then the scaffold company comes along and puts up a scaffold for me to maneuver around on.
on the first day of work, i'll need to prime the whole wall; this is a coat of essentially the same kind of gesso you'd cover a canvas with before you paint--- it fills in all the little holes and pits and puts a flat coat over the surface, which, in theory, allows the paint to stay on the surface and not get soaked in to the brick...

on the 2nd day, i sketch out the basic shapes of the image-- no details yet, but just enough information to be able to lay in flat color. i've premixed most of the colors i'll need, so i can just roll those into the spaces i've drawn out; it's like a giant color by number! a lot of people have asked how i figure out where to start the drawing or how to plot it out on the wall. well, there's probably an easier way, but basically, i take the sketch and lay it over the photograph of the building in photoshop; i re-scale the image until it lines up. Then with the help of a little basic math, i make a scale, and figure out how many inches on my scaled down drawing equal how many feet on the actual building. I can use the scaffolding itself to figure out how many feet tall or how many bricks tall the spaces between levels of scaffolding are and fold my drawing into rows that correspond to each level of scaffold. After that, i just climb up and use a light colored paint; i don't hesitate much or worry too much--- i just pick a curve or a line and put it on the wall... the rest just falls into place, one level at a time. If there are any unclean lines or things that dont connect, i can clean them up as i paint...

3rd day: more flat color...

4th day: yet more flat color (and starting to correct some of my drawing)...

5th day: more flat color, more drawing correction and getting ready to put the main background color in (its a very pale blue)...

6th day: this is what it looks like now. There are selected bricks that i've painted over with a slightly different color blue, so the surface will have a little more depth and "shimmer" from a distance...

...next week (barring bad weather) i'll start the details; with all the flat colors laid in and the background color having corrected all of the shapes, i'm ready to give my figures faces and to paint in the scenery & landscapes that will fill the lower halves of their bodies. After that, it's just a matter of adding a few details, outlining the figures and correcting any drips or color oddities. And then, i seal it. So, keep your fingers crossed for good weather and good muscle health (these murals aren't easy on the back and bones!).

xo, danamarie

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Weekend Deal!

alright friends, it's almost time to roll out the 2009 Knitimals, but first we have to find homes for handful of sweet 08's still looking for love. And, I'm celebrating a very productive week in the studio, by offering a whopping 30% off all items in the shop, as well as free US shipping with a purchase of $40 or more. All Knitimals will ship with a free coloring book too! WOW. Just enter code STUDIO SALE in the "notes to seller" section at checkout, and wait for a revised PayPal invoice. Sale valid through Sunday, 17th at 11:59 pm

enjoy!

Sunday, May 10, 2009

PLUSH YOU!!!!

and now i'll let a kitten out of the sack...
i've been invited to be a part of Plush You! again this year.
this is a huge show, with dozens of amazing plush artists from around the world. and its a great party too! i participated in 2007 and actually headed out to Seattle to witness its splendor in real life---- and my brother fell in love with the Emerald City; I missed the show last year, but decided to get my butt in gear soon enough to actually apply this year and lo and behold... success. AND, i will be going back out again this year, which is huge because not only will i get to see my brother in his new city and meet his dog, i'll get to reunite with plush makers i met last time and meet new favorites i only have e-relationships with.... like this lovely lady with whom i've exchanged both fabulous emails and overseeing of our dogs forging a long distance love affair. (mason sends his love, waffle!).

so, what will i show this year?
i'm thinking these new guys...
reveal on it's way!