The Progression...

So I am working on the two paintings, Zedie-Eddy and the Graffiti Eddy.  Both are coming together quite well.  I thought I would update the progress of the paintings.  The first is the Zipper-graffiti Eddy.  First images are of the face without the hands finished, the next image shows the hands and zipper in place, but the zipper is still in gray tones.  The final photo of this painting shows the zipper in the beginning stages of color.  Just a side note: hands and ears are very difficult to paint!

Hands not painted yet - just the face:

The hands are now in place- I am very pleased with them.  I really like the fingernails.  

The zipper has now been fully incorporated into the head and color has been added.  I will probably add a few more really translucent layers of color on the zipper, but it's pretty close to being completed.  I don't want the zipper to become the most important element in the image, but rather the battle going on between the top portion and bottom portion of the composition, and the personal battle going on in the mind of the subject (portrait painted).

The next photos are of the Zedie-Eddy.  I have finished the face (I think), and am currently working on the Zedie scene on top of the head.  It is going to be a very slow process as I have to go over the buildings several times to smooth out the paint.  I am using acrylic paints for Zedie and his city.  It's interesting going back to acrylics after all of this time working in oils.  I forget that I can water down, thin and smooth with just water mixed in with the paints - no toxic solvents needed; however, the paint isn't as easy to blend and smooth as it is with oils.   Zedie will be in bright vivid colors, but the scenery will be primarily in grays and black as they are in the night/dark of the story line.  I think the Zedie and space ships will really "pop" once the color is all in place.  I can't wait to see this one done!  I have a long road ahead on this one though.  I will most likely start a third painting to allow for drying time on these two in progress. 

The buildings are blocked in - but not completed.  I have to block in all of the buildings, paint the black background and then once all is dry, outline them with a sharp line to give a more comic book feeling. When I get all of them in and am happy with the results, I am thinking of adding little elements in some of the windows.  We'll see.

Close-up of the top portion of the composition.  You can see that the buildings are getting blocked in (roughly); I will then go back and smooth and outline them.  But I like how it feels and looks already.  The buildings also wrap around the sided of the canvas.