So long Bettie

Bettie Page passed away this week, she was (is) the definitive pin up girl icon. Her carefree and playful nature inspired photos that really define what pin ups are all about, at least for me. While I've done my share of girlie drawings, I often joke that I prefer the '40's and '50's style imagery, back when sex was cute ;) And none were cuter than Bettie Page.

So what can you say about someone who put a smile on generations of faces and inspired a zillion artists??? Well, I just did this little painiting of you Bettie, and I'll say so long and thanks!

starlets make the best models!

I like to use old Hollywood pics for drawing and painting practice since the lighting is usually really good. Before the days of all flash photography, there was a lot a great dramatic lighting in photos and on the screen. Oh, yeah and the women were are stunning... that helps..

little watercolor heads

I haven't had much time lately for commissions etc but I have been dabbling with small watercolor (gouache actually) heads in black and white. Whenever I'm trying out a new medium, it makes sense to take it easy on myself so in this case, I'm just using diluted black gouache rather than going full color. I start off by spraying some water on a piece of 8.5x11 bristol board, then taping it down and letting it dry, this way it won't buckle once I start painting on it. That green tape is awesome for art by the way, I picked it up at the home depot in the paint department, it peels up easily without damaging the paper. It's called Frog Tape.