The difficulty with my paintings these days is the amazing amount of work and concentration that goes into the finish. Even with pieces that are supposed to be dashed off and finished quickly. Because so much of my work is hastily applied due to temperamental reasons, I end up going over areas many times, first to get the big effect, then to polish that effect. During that time, much gets gone over or changed to fit things better. All that work and rework ends up exhausting me, and makes me want to turn it over to someone else 3/4 through to provide the finish.
Also, pure transparent watercolor seems to just not be for me. Even with good planning the wash method doesn't work for me, as often as I have to alter or change my mind with things throughout the process. Opaque and colored pencil seem to be what is preferred by me nowadays. After 3 1/2 years of experimentation and failures, at least that method's been providing a nice challenge and mostly satisfying results.
This beautiful set of drawings are a visual haiku; stripped of all detail yet communicating the essence wonderfully. Steve Rude is always conscious of form as the basis for drawing. He has the animator's talent for seeing forms as 3 dimensional objects in a 2D space. We're lucky to have him.
This drawing is a zen like image; it appears simple but contains a wealth of information beneath the surface. Steve Rude has internalized forms moving through space and working in unison to create depth. He prioritizes gesture, proportion and basic forms which is why his art is consistently superb and rewards close study for students.
The Emerald Guardian, Green Lantern, at his very best!
Once again, The Dude has produced a true work of art. This is the second in a series of full figure painted portraits that Steve created for me. The first featured Batman. The commissioning process went smoothly with Jaynelle communicating with me every step of the way. I was able to see a rough before the piece was finished. To the Rudes, you’ve got a friend and customer for life. Thanks again!
Since I am an acrylic painter and artist myself, this commission was for Steve to draw Sue in a pencil pose wearing her 1990s FF uniform conceived of by the late, great Paul Ryan. And Steve drew a unique pose for Sue. Not a pin up pose but more like something one sees in a comic panel, it was now my challenge to fill out the rest of the painting. So I put the 1990s villain Malice in the painting and a lot of Paul Ryan inspired FF HQ tech too. The long and the short : Steve gave me exactly what I asked for. His wonderful wife Jaynelle handles all the particulars of shipping and handling, so no worries there. Very professional. But I wouldn't expect anything less from a great like Steve Rude !