Sorry for the missed update, guys, I’ve been a bit overwhelmed with work for the last week or so. Updates will resume on Friday as normal! In the meantime, here’s a miscellaneous painting I never quite got around to finishing. larger version
Edit: Sorry to add further delays, but things have gone a bit tits up over here, you might have seen it on the news. Currently engaged in self-pity and commiseration while staring longingly at the EU. Regardless, page will be up soon!
0 thoughts on “no title”
Thracecius
That’s excellent news! Being busy with -paying- work is important, even if it isn’t as much fun (though it might be?). Some of my favorite comic creators (hard for me to ‘lump’ your art in that category, but it works for the sake of brevity) are experiencing the same lack of time to work on their ‘hobby’ right now, so I hope that means they are gaining recognition and paying work that supports their living needs, as well as hinting at future professional successes. 🙂
Dumb question: do you consider the “miscellaneous” painting unfinished for any particular reason? It looks like a great example of an Impressionist styled landscape with a lone figure as a reference point for the viewer. Even if my interpretation is ridiculous, it’s still a captivating piece for the structure, color palette, and overall ‘feel’, which can range from ‘a serene walk on a windy day’ to ‘an ominous approach of a dark figure’, depending upon your mood and perception at the time you are studying it. Speaking for myself, this would be the kind of painting I’d hang on my wall if I could afford it on canvas/framed, especially of the vibrant colors transferred over to print.
Kyethn
Thanks, man! I think I’d actually prefer to be ditching freelance work to do more on RMR and other comic projects, but such is life, and bills need paid. I’ve been dithering over a Patreon for months now, it would good to find the time to actually get that up and running. Ironically, it’s hard to find time to monetise RMR while doing freelance. blahhh
As for the painting being unfinished, it’s actually a little hard to quantify. I mean, I could keep working on it endlessly and it would just keep changing – figuring out when a painting is actually finished for real is a big part of painting, I guess! I’d probably add more detail to the buildings and the rice paddies, as well as try to make the clouds more directional to have the sky be a bit more dramatic. Like it would be cool if the clouds seemed to be shooting towards you more, a bit like this: http://www.canon.com/the-eyes-of-eos/EF-S10-18/PC/lens/lib/images/case/landscape_10mm.jpg
I also kept swithering over whether to do this colour scheme (loads of red) or go with a much cooler blue/green colour scheme. There’s benefits to both – red can be very striking, but in this case the reddish tree leaves showed up better against a deep blue sky, so I was a bit torn.
I went with red in the end because the red sky contrasts nicely with the green in the lower left half of the painting, and pulls focus a bit more to the figure. It was tricky, though, since the painting had been mostly blues and greens right up until the end, and then I slathered a bunch of red over it. It’s hard at that point to tell whether you’ve objectively made the painting better or not since you’ve been staring at it for that long. So I kept turning the red layers on and off in Photoshop while scratching my chin, trying to figure out which version was the “finished” version. I guess I haven’t quite made up my mind yet, haha.
Thracecius
“Art is never finished, only abandoned.”
-Leonardo DaVinci
I think it’s safe to say that you understand the principle behind this quote, even if you’ve never heard it before (unlikely). That being said, if you’re not satisfied with it yet, call it a WIP (work in progress, for any who aren’t familiar with the acronym) and show us the “final” whenever that happens! 🙂 I love detail in paintings, but sometimes vagueness (for lack of a better word) really works. In this case, I think it could easily go either way.
Also, “swithering” is a new word to me and too fun to forget. I must remember it!
Kyethn
It’s an appropriate quote! That said, this painting has been unfinished for something like a year. After a certain amount of time I suppose you just need to say it’s “finished enough” and move on. Also, a strong concept for artists is starting new pieces and not dithering over the same piece for too long, lest you never grow as an artist. I get a lot of practice at that with the RMR pages, but it’s generally a good rule to live by.
I think “swither” is a specifically Scottish word, so feel free to loose it on the wider world! 🙂 It’s one of my favourites.
Thracecius
I agree that sounds like particularly wise advise (…not dithering over the same piece for too long, lest you never grow as an artist…), even beyond the realm of illustration. I’ll try to keep that one in mind, especially since it’s a hard lesson to learn when it’s not the necessity of a focused effort, such as creating art.
Look at you! Chock full of good stuff besides your art & writing, and all without one of those easily recognizable (in the US) “Nutrition Facts” labels. Then again, I am biased in favor of the Scots (and the Irish & Welsh, if you must know), so take my commentary as a complete stranger for whatever it’s worth. 😉
Awenydd
So can I get a commission piece? Please?
Kyethn
Feel free to email me! I don’t take a lot of commissions, but I do have rates if you’re interested.
Somebody Someone
I can’t even begin to describe how awesome that painting is. Is there any chance we will get some far-east themed context in RMR? I’m pretty happy with the arabic theme of the current story line though, just wondering.
Kyethn
To be honest, it’s not very likely. I had some extremely vague plans along those lines from before RMR launched, but almost all references to other countries and continents were cut as the storyline developed and I realised this was very much about Ashul vs Imara, with Rishara Caan being caught in the middle. There’s definitely more out there to the world and I wouldn’t rule out coming back to it at some point, but for now I’m focused on the three established countries as settings. After this storyline wraps, we’ll most likely be looking back towards Ashul.
Joanna
I opened this page and my first reaction was “whoa.” Out loud. 😀
Calum
Stunning!
Cantcomeupwithaname
The mood and background for this is amazing!
It’s fine that you’re overwhelmed, and it’s okay not to work on RMR if it’s too much! Taking time when needed is great fir mental health, and if you want to benefit readers, then the quality is probably better.
Kyethn
Thanks, I appreciate the sentiment!
nf1287
Amazing. Your work is always has been incredible, I hope we will see the finished version up in your store someday, my walls could always use another print by you.
Kyethn
Thank you! That’s very kind of you to say, I’ll most likely be putting this up as a print very soon.
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