Kat Powell Artist

 Quick lighting advice. For this video I wanted to experiment with a single light source. When you are working on something like this you need to constantly think about WHERE your light source is. For the first skellie you see sitting right in front of the computer screen, the light will framing his figure and casting an intense shadow around his frame. And a tiny bit of light will show around his eyes. I made the light here the most intense because that is where I want the main FOCUS of the image. Everything else still keeps with the light source but is more muted because the other figures are both farther away and not the focus of the image. By the way, rest your eyes when you can! (And I will try to take my own advice...)

If you've been following my work you know the Skellies are a common occurrence. I love drawing in scenarios that look like they came out of a storybook. I just having fantasy images that feel as if you walked into the room and see all the characters going about their own business. For this image I wanted to challenge myself with a complex watercolor painting that has foreground, mid-ground, and background. I wanted the stain glass, which is the background, to be a bit out of focus. And as the characters and items in the scene get closer to the foreground there are different levels of details. I keep the color palette a bit subdue, mostly oranges and blues. You can see in the video that I start with the background. This is not a necessary step for watercolor, but it's a habit I tend to have from doing acrylic and oil painting for years. (I start with the background so that way I can layer stuff on top of it and it stays as the background.)

I have opened an Etsy shop where I sell prints, please go check it out!! https://www.etsy.com/shop/KatPawCreations

Full image, pencil on matte board 40"x19"

Owl Ink Drawing (finished)

This image has been such a monster, but I am so happy with the end result. I created this to express my discomfort with vivid color and brightness, so it's fitting that it has been a struggle to get the right colors. Prints @ society 6 http://society6.com/KatPowell/15-Birds_Print

 A follow-up image to Tiger Submarine Story time: After months the skelies finally take the tiger out for a test run as night falls. The lights in the attic are surging as the circuits are checked and blown wires replaced. Who knew the skelies were such capable electricians...

This image is about Thanatos vs. Eros, or Death Instinct vs. Self-preservation which are personified by my skelies. Also the nerves that are anchoring the feet are spilling a type of Morse Code. Personally I've never acted out my death drive but the thought of self-destruction has crossed my mind (i.e. thought of what it would be like to drive off of a bridge). From my own perspective, this isn't about suicidal thoughts but more about the curiosity of what death would bring. "morbid ain't it" Death is the final frontier of human exploration.

New artwork along with recording. This image was completely inspired and created after listening to this song:  "White Winter Hymnal" by Fleet Foxes

Another speed painting captured using Corel Painter this time.   Story time: As the little skelies were traveling through the jungle they came across a tiger that had been attacked by poachers. With great ingenuity and determination the skelies will soon give the tiger back its freedom and its life. Until then the tiger will have to rely on them for survival. For now a simple swim gives the best comfort.

 I've always been stronger at illustrating and drawing so i start with a sketch.    Then i try to focus on light source(s) and shadows. Finally i add in color and more shading. This is a very simple walk through, if i do another i will try to save more steps. http://k-el-p.deviantart.com/gallery/#/d38ww6h