– by John Jude Palencar
“A Terror” … well not really but a fun e-story project for TOR Books. Creative Director, Irene Gallo and I were back and forth on the concept: sad concept or more “horror show”.
Here’s the link to the short story: “A Terror” by Jeffery Ford.
The finished painting is pencil on board, blocked in with acrylic washes, and gradual building of the form with hatching, scumbling and scratching.
First the rough sketches:
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| Pencil on board |
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| Initial acrylic washes |
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| Additional acrylic washes |
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| “A Terror” 9.25″ x 10.25″ Acrylic on board |
I wasn't going to sleep tonight anyway… °_°
Love these sketches and the final as well, excellent creepy work!
awesome!
Very nice, as always. Thanks for the post.
John, you continue to be the God of the acrylic realm and acrylics flow through my veins.
I somehow deleted the rest of my comment. Suffice it to say, your work inspires in so many ways.
Thanks folks!
Although the real horror is that during the painting of this illustration I was trying to open a stubborn cap to a tube of acrylic paint and cracked my tooth all the way to the root!
You see …. art can be dangerous. I had to have the tooth pulled and an implant installed in its place…..I'm now waiting for the final surgery. Oh and the surgeon used cadaver bone for filler!
JJP
John: Loved the artwork for the story. Thanks!
Jeff Ford
These sketches are marvelously disturbing. Thank you for illustrated Jeff's wonderfully creepy little story so perfectly.
There is nothing so horrifying as the Teethman. Pulling teeth and filling with cadaver leftovers. I think of the dentist and break out in a sweat.
And thus is the reason I keep an old pair of pliers in the art studio– to keep me from the temptation of trying to use my teeth.
Hi Yvonne – Yes – I have pliers for the very same reason. I was in the middle of a wet into wet wash and in need of the specific color quickly. So… without thinking I used my teeth…. what a costly mistake!
JJP
Let's try this again….
Thanks Jeffery – It was pleasure to illustrate your story. I like the “death is not a democracy” line!
Thanks Bill – Hopefully we will get to meet at Spectrum Live 3!
Ellen – You are so welcome! – Thanks to Irene and the TOR Team too for the opportunity!
Hello John,
I’m new to the blog and I had a question about acrylic washes.
Specifically how wet can you get them and still have them stick to gessoed board?
I have been warned repeatedly that too much water weakens the binder. What I’m after
is wet in wet and drip effects similar to watercolor to give my work more texture and interest.
I do plan to lay in thicker color and glazes on top and then seal the whole thing in lacquer when
completed.
Will that work or do I need to use workable fixative between layers?
Thanks in advance ,
Brian Gomien