Squees by Meg Lyman
16×20″ gouache on Aquabord
For sale at GenCon
I’ve been wanting for a while to change how I paint, both in subject and technique. I feel stagnated and that my abilities are not being challenged. I have a lot of ideas for subject matter, and although doing fewer cephalopods will certainly disappoint some fans, I truly need to expand.
Don’t worry, there will still be a calendar.
I took Qiang Huang’s class because his technique fascinates me. I have such a long way to go, but I want to practice and learn more about using deliberate brushstrokes and alla prima. I believe I can do this if I practice enough, and it will work well with the subject matter I have in mind. I decided to do a first practice with this more deliberate technique using a more familiar subject matter and a more familiar (but more challenging!) medium. I’m very happy with how it turned out considering it was experimental.
Critiques welcome!
Below are some WIP shots. For those curious, I underpainted the entire board green except for the squee bodies. Then I put on thick white paint straight from the tube in vertical strokes with a 1.5″ flat brush. The rest was done with 1/2″ and 1/4″ flats. I loved using the biggest flat brush I could on each section. I also tried to do as little blending as possible, and used dry brushing on the bee fuzz with paint straight from the tube.
WIP 1
WIP 2
Welp, I’d be forced to have pet squees if these were real.
Interesting. It reminds me of a painting I made a number of years ago. I used a wet on wet technique using water colours and some acrylic. It was of a serene scene with a tropical rainforest in the background and a lady very much enjoying a cool dip with her toes in a sort of jungle pond. You can see waterfalls in the background. The painting looked like looking into a mirror or looking out a very wet window. Every thing is sort of wavy.
Me too with the pets. And sounds like a cool painting, K_tigress!
The squee wings are beautiful! I am really excited for you and proud that you are tackling new techniques/material/subject as you totally have the talent and I know you have had your eye on new territory for awhile. You will be great!!
I love this! Is it for sale? Would you consider painting squees and your vision of dragonflies?
Carole,
Thanks! It is for sale, I just have been lugging it around to conventions and haven’t put it up in the shop yet. Will do soon. I love the idea of dragonfly squids… how fun would that be?
Meg