Stemple Creek - Tomales, Ca.

"Stemple Creek"

Tomales, Ca.

(12" x 16" watercolors)

Story behind this painting can be found in previous post: Click Here

Plein Air - Tomales, Ca (Progress Shot)

Rain was in the forecast this past week. And this afternoon showcased lots clouds in the sky. While driving up Highway-1 towards Tomales, the overcast burned off and the rolling hills were brightly lit. But a particular hillside caught my eye so I decided to pull over and scope it out.

Such a great view with a creek along the left side and a handful of barns to the right!

Once my gear was set, I quickly penciled in my layout and immediately started painting the sky. I wanted to work fast because (through experience) once those clouds move in, they will cast numerous shadows over my view.

Luckily for me... today's weather stayed clear of rain and the wind was minimal.

Stay tuned for the finished painting in my next post!

30th Anniversary - Transformers

September 17, 1984 is the date that the first episode of Transformers aired on television! 

I still remember my dad picking me up after school and asking him to drive home Super Fast! He said, "Don't worry, the timer on the VCR is all set."  LOL!

Happy 30th Anniversary Optimus Prime.... Now, Let's ROLL OUT!

Plein Air Painting: Spring Lake (Santa Rosa, CA) - Finished and Ready for Framing

As fun as plein air painting can be, there's always the struggle of the natural elements. In this case, I battled afternoon blown out lighting over the Lake. And the temperature was 90 degree (in the shade) causing my gouache paints to dry rather quickly and my glazes appearing much lighter than intended. So I decided to pack it up and retouch areas of my painting back home.

(7" x 10" gouache on watercolor board)

It's not the first time this has occurred. Usually I scrap the entire painting and start a new. But this particular experience was really FUN!!! Actually...it's given me ideas to finish 2 additional paintings sitting in the recycle bin. Once I give it a go, I'll be sure to share the outcome. But for now.... it's time to get this framed. Thanks again! 

Plein Air Progress shots at Sunny Spring Lake

Have you ever driven through a town and wondered, 
"What if I just drove down a little further?"

That's how if felt when I visited Spring Lake Regional Park located in Santa Rosa, Ca! Located just 15 minutes from the main freeway. Really easy to find, no curvy roads, just a straight shot to the park entrance.

Although it was a  Summer Weekend I had to wait in line (about 4 cars in front of me) to pay the park entrance fee. There are several parking lots to choose but finding an open spot can get tricky due to the popularity of the park.

I walked around the entire Lake to scope out an area to set up. Saw some great views by the Lagoon area,
but lots of foot traffic and all the shaded areas were occupied by picnickers. On the opposite side of the Lake I found a cool swamp like area with algae resting on the top surface, but I could immediately hear the swarms of mosquitos planning their attach on an innocent plein air painter, LOL!

So I ended up setting up where my hike began... just 20 feet from my parked car, haha! So I walked along the shore, where visitors can rent paddle boats. Found some good shady coverage and set up my gear. Had a great view of the Lake, trees, paddle boats and a couple of hills off in the distance.

Stay tuned for my next post featuring the final painting!

Thanks!

ROBOCOP sketch

Warm-up sketch of the 80's superhuman, cyborg,

ROBOCOP

(3" x 3" markers on post-it notepad)

Darth Maul's Birthday

Happy Birthday to Ray Park!

He's played quite a few movie characters such as Snake Eyes (G.I. Joe) and Toad (X-Men), but his ultimate role was playing the secret Sith Aprentice in Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace..... better known as,

DARTH MAUL!

(Markers on 3" x 3" post-it notepad)

Deadpool TGIF

It's Friday... we made it!!!

Morning warm-up sketch of everyone's 

favorite mercenary anti-hero... DEADPOOL!

(markers on 3" x 3" post-it note pad)

Shark Week!

Shark Week is going strong!

So it's only right I sketch up a SHARKTICON! 

Razor sharp teeth that can tear through solid steel...Yikes!

(3" x 3" markers on post-it note pad)

©2014 Gerald de Dios. Posted image may not be used or duplicated without artist permission.

COWABUNGA!

Warm up sketch from this morning..... 

Cowabunga Dudes and Dudettes!!!

(Pen and Marker on 3" x 3" post-it note pad)

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Weekend!

Porto Bodega Marina

Driving up to the Bodega Head was fun... but the parking lot is small.... and filled up rather quickly! It was a bit crowded due to the Summer time visitors. I'll have to revisit again in sometime in the Fall.

So I decided to drive back down the hill and over to the Marina. Didn't find anything that caught my attention at Spud Point Marina but found a nice spot at the Porto Bodega Marina. I had set up my gear .... and it suddenly started to RAIN! Typical weather along this part of the coast.... So I packed up, parked and painted some studies from my car. 

(top) View at the entrance of  Marina - a boat parked in front of large lush trees. 

(bottom) Squeezed in one more study of a hillside behind one of the vacation homes.

(Gouache studies 4"x6" each in sketchbook) 

Well that was my plein air adventure along the northern California coast! 

I may try for another farm or maybe winery next paintout :)

The town of Bodega

Decided to go on a day trip to the town of Bodega with my wife. We left early in the morning with intentions to sketch and plein air paint at Bodega Head. Just like most road trips... taking a break is in order. But in our case... a sign caught our eye when reaching Bodega. A bright neon sign that read "Big Book Sale Today". Luckily we didn't have to drive far at all... it was easy to find.

There's never a guaranteed to find a gem at each book sale. But one person's trash will eventually become another person's treasure. In our case we each found a couple items that we just had to purchase! 

As my wife quickly found 2 intriguing books, I ventured off to the Arts and Media tables. I don't collect much VHS tapes (wait, what's that?) but a particular box caught my eye... Flipped it around and immediately noticed the sticker price.... only a dollar? Hold on, Are they just selling an empty box?

I guess luck was on my side because the extra collectible contents were included! I have to say the best part of this find was the "Art of Episode I" which is filled with Concept Art from some of my favorite artists!

Full Details: 

1 - VHS Widescreen edition w/ behind-the-scenes documentary.

1 - 35 mm Film Strip consisting of 5 consecutive frames from actual theatrical print.

1 - Collector's book (48 pgs) excerpted from "The Art of Episode I", filled with conceptual paintings, storyboard drawings, and developmental artwork exploring the creative impulse behind the film's astonishing designs!

I later walked over to the Fine Arts table and found several art book based on Impressionist Painters! Most were huge coffee table sized books but I wanted something that I could easily read before going to bed or maybe for a weekend getaway. And that's when I found this...

Although it was published in 1999..... I got it for 2 dollars! It's packed with painters and paintings I absolutely admire! With images of Manet's Olympia and Renoir's The Path in the Grass! It's a 2 part book. The first half discusses the Impressionist movement and the second half gets more personal about each individual artist life and works.

Both great finds! One to enjoy during my stay in Bodega and the other one to enjoy at home while watching Star Wars in the background.

Next post I'll share my paintout at Bodega Head. Stay Tuned!

What Time is It?

It's ADVENTURE TIME! One of my recent completed projects :) 

Looking forward to sharing my silly doodles of Jake, Finn, Marceline, 

Lumpy Space Princess, Ice King, Princess Bubble Gum.... and MORE!

So stay tuned and check back soon, Thanks!

Now on TUMBLR!

Follow me on TUMBLR too!

geralddedios.tumblr.com

Thanks!

Plein Air Painting - Fort Baker (Sausalito, Ca)

A recent plein air painting during a visit to Fort Baker (Sausalito, Ca). I packed my gear and set up on the grassy parade grounds. 

"Fort Baker"

(7" x 10" watercolors)

Sausalito, Ca.

The house in the background is a former general's residence, which has been renovated to a historic guest-room for a resort. I planned on adding some folks picnicking…but they left early. Instead, I quickly captured someone flying a blue kite! 

Plein Air Painting on a Farm (Tomales, Ca.)

"Over the Pond"

(7"x10" Watercolors)
Tomales, Ca.

Had a chance to visit a private farm that specializes in goat's milk and cheese. The owner was really nice and allowed for plein air painting on the property. 

After grabbing my gear, I hiked up and down the main trail and found a nice view above a pond that had a handful of goats grazing and sheep off into the distance.

Immediately after laying my first watercolor wash, a huge gust of WIND came in.... it felt like painting in front of a jet engine!

See video clip [HERE]

I'll admit I almost threw in the towel because my easel continuously was shaking and my paint palette flew away a couple times!

But glad I stuck it out and walked away with a fun painting :)

Mighty Winds of Tomales

Oh the challenges you face when plein air painting! 

Listen to that gust of WIND! My easel was

shaking and my paint pallet flew away! LOL

See final painting [HERE]

California Poppies

(7" x 10" Watercolors on Watercolor board)

For the past month I would see these bright orange flowers blooming along the North Bay freeway. It was really nice to find these during my recent hike in Petaluma, Ca. If you haven't seen or heard of this flower it's call the "California Poppy" but also goes by "Golden Poppy" and "Cup of Gold". It's the California State Flower :) 

Found some Golden Poppies

Went for a hike and came across these Golden Poppies growing between these cluster of rocks.

The day started off rather warm and my paints were drying quickly. Good thing I always pack a travel size spritz bottle. I kept the painting loose and loaded my brush with lots of water and color.

Just when I start getting into my painting the wind begins to pick up. Here's a shot of some finishing touches to the California Poppies. Stay tuned for the final painting in the upcoming post.

Creatures of the DEEP!

More Creatures of the Sea!!! Here's the final scans of my sketchcards for "The Deep" series.

(Left column) Moray eel, Sand Shark, Giant Squid, Sailfin Tang 

(Right column)  Fire Fish, Oar Fish, Saw Fish, Horseshoe Crab

See previous post for more of my sketchcards completed for this set!
[Link HERE]

Creatures of "The Deep" - Sketchcard Set

Here's the first handful of sketchcards I completed for "The Deep" series. 

Top row: Sea Anemone, Spotted Jellyfish, Octopus

Bottom row: Nautilus, Pink Jellyfish, Yellow Seahorse

Be sure to check back for more!!!
[Link HERE]

Gone Fishing

Hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving! Here's a snapshot from a recent paintout at a fishing pond in Sonoma County.

The hike was pleasant and the pond was quite easy to find. It was so fun to see all the fall leaves in the background and the 2 families fishing on both sides of the pond. Already looking forward to returning and hiking to the opposite side of the trail and maybe paint one of the vista views.

Seahorses of The Deep

Here's a few Seahorse sketchcards I recently completed for a new series expected to release early 2014.

As mentioned a couple months back...I worked on 2 series simultaneously. The first set was the "INSECTAE" series and the next set if for "THE DEEP" series. 

I'm just as excited for this new one because it deals with all types of creatures from the deep blue sea!!!

BATKID Saves Gotham City!

Here’s the sketch I mailed for the super awesome Batkid ! Thanks to Make-A-Wish for making this event happen for lil’ Miles and his family. BATKID – Enjoy the sketchcard :) Just a little token for your bravery and saving the Day!!!

More of Miles' story can be found at Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Insectae Sketchcard Set

Recently completed illustrations for a new sketch card series called "Insectae". 

I had such a blast working on this set.... I have to admit, it's the best quality sketch card stock I've worked on! This card stock took my watercolors very well... along with other mediums used (gouache, markers, ink and pencils). 

Thank you for checking out my updates and stay tuned for more soon!

Upcoming Project - The DEEP and INSECTAE

These are the most impressive sketch card stock I've ever seen! Not only is the card stock thick but the letter press with metallic printing is amazing!

The 2 sets I'll be working on are Insects.... and creatures of the Deep! Can't wait to work on these :)

Upcoming Project - Witchblade

Sneak Peek at one of the projects that's been keeping me busy!

Bacon and Butter and Sketching!

My wife and I took a trip out to Sacramento and spent some time with one of our best friends Ari Ramirez :D We brunched it up at a place called "Bacon and Butter".

(Left) I ordered Biscuits w/ Gravy topped with Sage (Right) Olivia ordered the Grilled Cheese Bacon Benedict w/ seasonal fruit!!!
 
If you love bacon... butter... breakfast.... brunch.... then this is a spot you gotta try! I thought it was nifty how they give your bill wedged between pages of an old book! When I flipped through the pages I noticed all the short notes and doodles! I couldn't help but scribble down a quick zombie sketch before leaving.... "Mmmm Bacon!"...maybe I subconsciously can't wait for the new season of Walking Dead? Haha. 

  (Doodle can be found on Page 28 of the book "A Gift of Prophecy")

Crane Creek (Sonoma County) Painting 2

(7" x 9" gouache on watercolor board)

After the first painting I hiked a little further in hopes to do one more painting. I found a nice shady area to set up and painted this one in 45 minutes. Trees are just so fun to paint! The layering can be tricky but each time I paint trees I discover new techniques :)

Crane Creek (Sonoma County) Painting 1

(9" x 5" gouache on watercolor board)

Crane Creek (Sonoma County) The Views!

Took a drive up to Sonoma County and into the town of Rhonert Park. It was a wonderful drive through additional small towns and several dilapidated barns! I was hesitant to pull over and snap some photos... but my destination was for Crane Creek Regional Park.

Parked my car, paid the $7 parking fee, loaded my gear and started hiking! Although there were beautiful oaks to paint, I decided to head up a hill to get a glimpse of the views.

Here's a progress shot overlooking beautiful grassy hills, views of the valley and vineyards!

501st CVI - DVD Available for Order

My Star Wars 501st sketchcards will all be featured in a new DVD! 

501st Celebration VI DVD

The DVD will showcase Celebration VI from Orlando FL, celebrating the 501st - 15th Anniversary! Featuring everything from the costumers to Roxy the Rancor to the Big Bash Party.

Here's a link to the Trailer [HERE]

Here's some of my cards that will be available on the Swag Trade Section > Sketch Card Collection > Gerald de Dios

 ©2013 Gerald de Dios

Pt. Reyes Vineyards - Summer Rain!

(Watercolors on 12" x 16" waterboard)

Took a day trip up to Pt Reyes with my wife. It's normally about a 45 minute drive ... unless there's RAIN..... which makes it that much more dangerous when driving through Lucas Valley's curvy roads. Luckily it rained only the first part of the day... which allowed me to park and set up.

During this type of weather I'll have to find some coverage.... in this case my SUV trunk door! As for views, the options are limited by the fog and misty air. I walked around and scoped the area.... off to the distance I spotted a barn.... and a truck loaded with hay!

Usually around this time I have to work fast because of the summer heat.... but working wet on wet with these low temperatures requires some patience to allow the watercolors to dry. I've always had a hard time approaching misty skies and usually over-work the painting.... but I think I captured the atmosphere and how the day felt from Sunday's paintout :) 

TRANSFORMERS Sketchcards now Available!!!

I recently completed a handful of sketchcards that will be randomly inserted into boxes for the New 2013 Transformers Optimum Collector's Set!

It's a mixture of the 1980's cartoon (Generation 1) and the latest Transformers Prime Animated Show (HUB Network).

The sets are now available on store shelves and at Hobby Stores!

To check out the cards I worked on, click on the photo below:

Black Point - Old Dock (Novato, Ca)

(8" x 10" watercolors on 140lb. waterboard)

Black Point Boat Launch - Novato, Ca.

(8" x 10" Watercolors on 140lb. waterboard)

Took a drive down Hwy 37 and set up at the Black Point boat launch. Followed a hidden trail that led to an old dock. While sketching my layout... my tripod cracked and my portable stool broke!!!

Luckily I also packed a beach chair.... and ended up painting on my lap. The winds picked up and my umbrella kept flying away... luckily I always tie down my umbrella just in case this happens :) 

Other than all the mishaps... I  had a great time here!

Black Point Boat Launch - progress shot

Taking a break from the studio and catching some sun.... and by sun I mean painting outdoors!

Happy Mother's Day Mom!

Happy Mother's Day Mom! Remember when I drew on the wall with crayons when I was 2 years old? Thanks for not freaking out... well, not freaking out too much, LOL! We had a wonderful time hanging out in Sausalito on "Your Day!" Enjoy your new painting and new San Francisco Starbucks mug... to add to your collection!

Sneak Peek - Bird's Nest Painting

So last summer my mom sent me weekly photos of her new found neighbors. And looking at the photos closely... there were strands of purple, yellow and beige all over the nest.

But when I visited in person.... and looked closely... I could see a lot of warm colors like reds and oranges! The eggs were bright blue and the nest had such a mixture of straw, branches, hair, etc.

Of all the photos my mom took...this was the one I referenced for the eggs. The photo looks very flat... So I had to really keep pushing the center of the nest downwards to help showcase the eggs. Like most paintings this caused a lot of going back and forth with the layers. But it turns out that the wispy brush stokes really created this movement... this energy... in the painting!

(Below) I also wanted to incorporate those green leaves that are blurred in the photo.... but I didn't  want it to take away from the main focus of the painting... So you'll see splashes of green at the top left and right of the painting.

I really didn't know if this would work? Or if it would ruin a good thing? But in the end... it was a really fun painting to work on!

Crepes Anyone?

Step 1: Once your batter is ready....

 

Just kidding! This is actually a surprise painting I'm prepping for my mom for Mother's Day :)

Story: Last summer my parents found a birds nest in their backyard. Later finding 4 tiny blue eggs inside. My mom was so excited when they hatched... but sad when the last baby bird flew away.

 

 Had some watercolor paint issues but I'll save that for another blog post :) 

In the meantime, Check Back for the final results! Cheers!