Sculpture Update Update...

I mentioned in the previous post that I'd be adding the "FROG suit" blouse. Well, here it is in its preliminary form. I still have to get someone to put on the blouse and trousers to model in that pose.  I also need to go to Supply and see if they'll let me photograph and measure a plate carrier so I can put that  on him too.

Sculpture Update

Here are photos of two of the sculptures I've been working on, in process. First, there's the mule, with beginnings of his Decker saddle on the saddle pad...

The Marine mule handler...

His boots are taking shape also:

On the Rifleman sculpture, I've had to do some "surgery" to reestablish the proper form of the figure, because I'd lost track of the armature inside, and the figure got skewed.  I also changed the arm positions, turning him more into The Squad Leader than The Rifleman...

 

I will now have to reapply his "frog suit" blouse, as well as his body armor, etc.,  which I had to remove in order to perform the surgery.
Stay tuned...

Bois de Belleau

Today, I was able to produce another monotype print, utilizing some reference photos I'd taken a while back, of a Marine wearing the WW1 uniform...

It honors the fight at Belleau Wood in 1918, and depicts a Marine in the tangled woods, firing his Chauchat machine gun:

The inking and de-inking of the plate through rubbing and blotting can give some interesting atmospheric qualities...

Good Afternoon, Chesty, Wherever You Are...

As you know, I've been utilizing the Monotype process I learned while at my MFA session at the Hartford Art School...

Here's a monotype portrait of Lewis B. "Chesty" Puller, a legend in Marine Corps history (and an interesting face for a portrait artist to try and tackle!):

I'm pleased with the variation in tone and texture that the monotype process gives, and its sort of "controlled looseness". And though the portrait here is not perfect, I am pleased with the piece as a whole (notice the fingerprint lines in the black tones, especially in the eyes, which look a bit like engraving marks).

WM Rockin' at MOUT Town

Last year, I had the opportunity to go out to TBS (The Basic School) here in Quantico to a place they call, "MOUT Town" (MOUT= Military Operation in Urban Terrain).

They let me roam around with the instructors and the referees (I think they're called "Coyotes") and take photographs (and sketch if possible) as the young Lieutenants "assaulted" with squad and platoon sized elements into this "town" especially made for this kind of training.

I got the best, most expressive shots when the combatants were inside the buildings.

This is a monotype print I did today based on those photos. It is of a female Marine officer rockin' her M16 out the window of a building (she also had an anti-armor weapon over her shoulder...). 

More Monotypes

Here are two monotype prints I did today-- portraits of Marines.
I did both of them as a combination of two runs of the plate, the first being the color(s) and the second being the black tones and lines.

Though they're not perfect, I feel these monotypes stand fairly well on their own as expressive images.

Homage to the Marine Infantryman (and David Douglas Duncan)

Here's a monotype I did yesterday, after the photo of a Marine in Korea, taken by the famous photographer David Douglas Duncan.

His series of photographs of Marines in the Korean war will live forever in our country's consciousness, as an indelible tribute to the raw courage and will of the American fighting man.





To create this print I used two color passes of the plate-- the first one was a green tone and the flesh tone with highlights lifted out; the second one was the black tones pressed onto the paper over the first color.
After the second pass, I took a brush with the dark ink and touched up a couple spots directly to the paper, using my finger as well to shad and blend the tone.
Considering the difficulty and risk inherent in the monotype process, I'm pretty satisfied with the results.

The More You Sweat in Printmaking....

I crafted another monotype on Friday,  utilizing some of the mental software that Gary Kelley gave to the MFA students at Hartford the week prior. To see his wonderful monotypes, click here.

I think I'll title it,  "The More You Sweat in Peace..."
It's inspired by a Mojave Viper training event I was once involved in-- the Direct Assault Course-- after which we were all sitting around, sweating and resting.  

What is a "Monotype" you might be wondering?
 A monotype is a one-of-a-kind print in which the artist makes an image by manipulating ink or paint on a printing plate, and then transferring the image to paper by either rubbing the paper with a wooden spoon or running it through a press. The unique challenge with a monotype is that one never knows how the print will turn out, and cannot repeat the image once the paper is applied to the plate. It's all or nothing. The unique value of the process is that, if it is successful, it produces a one-of-a-kind image that has a looseness that regular printing has difficulty achieving.

Moving Along on the Trail to Higher Learning

Hello, all--

Thought I should give you a  SitRep on the goings on here.

I've been away lately, working on my masters degree, through the Low Residency MFA in Illustration at the University of Hartford.  It's a high-intensity program geared to the working professional, which allows him to pursue an MFA while still maintaining a career. For details, click here. I've got only a few sessions left, and one year from now, I'll be a "master" in the art of illustration. The Professors are world class illustrators, most of whom are legends in the biz.

Here are some photos from recent session, held in Hartford, Connecticut:

Chris (C.F.) Payne talks to us during "crit" in Advanced Illustration 2 class (my work is on the wall, far left-- the caricature of Chesty Puller and the monotypes of  WWI African American soldier...)

The monotype they liked--

Also a sculpture update--

I've made a bit of headway on the Mule and His Marine sculpture and here is the latest photo:

Even More Like a Mule

Here is the latest progress on the mule in the A mule and his Marine sculpture.

It's really starting to look like a mule, though still a bit rough in certain spots. I have now put the wax on all parts of the legs, torso and head, and even lengthened the ears a bit to begin that "muleness" that's so important to the piece.

Little by little, we're making progress towards the finish-- just like out on the trail!