Lance Rubin 05 Feb 2005

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+++++++++++++++ Tools I use +++++++++++++++ Smartdisk 40Gig HD- About the size of a deck of cards, it slips into the pocket to go to work with me. In my spare time at work, I can do digital sketching, tweaking, and composing elements for future paintings. I sure wish I had Painter, but I don't *boohoo* iPhoto- to organize digital reference photos Photoshop- to compose studies for future paintings, and tweak color. (I work at an ad agency in Manhattan, so I'm at my computer all day, so that facilitates doing some personal stuff in between ad stuff...)

iTunes- GOTTA have music while working. Chocolate espresso beans- yummy treats help, and get you wired too. Guiness Beer- after working for a few hours, it's nice to have a little liquid inspiration.

Loew-Cornell Brushes- packaged in sets of 2 to 12, they are cheaply priced, and the quality is just fine for me. Masonite- I like a rigid ground to paint on. I will buy a buncha sheets, and cut them up on the table saw. I make 12x12's, 12x24's, 24 x 48's, 36 x 36's, and 48 x 48's. Then I gesso them as a batch. The backs get gesso too to reduce warpage.

Portable sketchbooks- For sketching on the way to work on the train (I work in Manhattan). I also use these as notebooks to write down ideas about paintings and compositions. Big Sketchbooks- For sketching in the studio, and composing the elements.

Paint- I don't care too much about brands... seems they are all pretty good. I just make sure there's plenty of white and black. File folders- Stuffed with reference materials. Photos from magazines, artists I admire, Inspiration board- I have a piece of plywood that I use to hang inspirational stuff on. Some things will be up there for mood, some for color, some for technique and so on.

List of Goals- I have found that I was not getting enough done. I decided to keep a list of goals (and sometimes post it on my inspiration board). This way I stay focused on making X number of paintings, stencils, sketches, and drawings. It's like having assignments like when I was in school. It is not always completely effective (like when I forget to look at the list), but it has significantly improved my rate of production.

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caption: This is me with my weekend goal list...

RQ Trietsch 05 Feb 2005

WEll here are some shots of my inner sanctum

RQ Trietsch 05 Feb 2005

My heat source.

RQ Trietsch 05 Feb 2005

Antique state of the arts, sound system, with speakers hidden in the rafters.

RQ Trietsch 05 Feb 2005

Got to have a TV, even tho I usually don't turn the sound on

Lance Rubin 05 Feb 2005

My process: I usually take digital pictures, clip photos from 'zines, and find references online. Then I tweak the color and texture in photoshop, and compose the elements. As I go, a story starts to emerge. I might have a file with as many as 75 layers, and usually a good many of those layers contain things that I thought I might use, but end up not using. That's the beauty of Photoshop in this context is that stuff is always available to use, and you can always turn that layer's visibility off to get it out of your way until you need it.

Before I start to work, I always simplify the image in Photoshop by reducing the colors, details, and texture so I don't wind up trying to paint too photorealisticly. If I wanted a photo, I can just take one. This is going to be a painting after all.

Sometimes I transfer the image to canvas with Photoshop's grid. I just turn on the grid, and the computer screen is right there to look at and work from... plus the saturation of colors onscreen is better than a printout. I also can zero in on one grid box at a time to keep the distractions to a minimum. If I want to use a panel that's, say 48 x 48, and the image I want to paint is say 24 x 32, then I will flatten the master file that has all the individual elements separated, and stretch or reduce it to the nearest multiple of 48" (in this case make it fit 24 x 24 by either cropping, moving elements, or stretching or reducing). Since 24 is 48 divided by 2, I turn on the grids in Photoshop, and assign 2 gridlines per inch so that 1 grid box is 1 inch on the canvas. Then I print this out at a small size to get an overall feel, a large size to show the smaller stuff, and maybe a few really closeup areas to make sure I can captures the subtleties of things such as eyes, noses, ears, plants and mouths (etc.). Then I block in background colors with a wash. I might also do a few quick studies on scrap paper to get color ideas, and tighten some details.

RQ Trietsch 05 Feb 2005

And last but not least....

Lance Rubin 05 Feb 2005

Looks like you have LOTS of space, RQ, and appropriately, a big honking space heater!

Do you do some sculpture?

I tried to work in my garage, but it got too painful standing on the freezing concrete, and my wife felt sorry for me and let me in the house like a soaking wet dog... barf!

Rob Jones 06 Feb 2005

You gotta have the mini fridge, stocked of course

RQ Trietsch 06 Feb 2005

Yup Rob, and yes Lance I do wood sculptures, most of which I can't show here at AW. Policy, oh well, I still keep whilting away. You are right about the floor getting cold. Where I live it can get very cold during the winter and very hot in the summer. But I'm sure you can relate to that more so than I.

Steph Salt 06 Feb 2005

Is envious!

I have one room, my livingroom, for working in. I did try to use my spare bedroom but it just hasn't got the right feeling, which means nothing get's done at all. So here I am back cluttering up my main living area.:D

Steph Salt 06 Feb 2005

Here it is btidy, and believe me it isn't anything like that now!

I think I will copy Lance's list of prjects to do...

Lance Rubin 06 Feb 2005

Wow Steph, that is clean and organized (and Christmassy). I bet you do your best work when it's all cluttery, like me.

Ah yes, RQ, I stopped by your place to see your stuff. Looks like you invest a huge amount of time in each piece. Whoah! That one that's as tall as you is pretty impressive. Do you sell through a gallery as well?

------ Here's a pic of some of the stuff I've been fooling around with.

Please note that the picture of Biggie Smalls is a copy of an illustration from a magazine, I just did that one as an exercise to try out working in that style, and to see if I could learn anything from it.

I did Biggie on canva-paper which was a new experience for me. I liked the canva-paper because I felt like I could just ditch the thing if I didn't like where it was going. ;>]

Steph Salt 06 Feb 2005

Yes I do Lance, I just daren't put anything away, because if I did, I would forget about it LOL!

Which reminds me there is a cd of my pictures in the disc drive needs puting away in it's cover :) Done! I have to leave the covers open to remind me :D

joan warburton 06 Feb 2005

LOL, RQ, clean that mess up!

06 Feb 2005

rosemary gioielli 06 Feb 2005

RQ you're too much! aw artist Terence Stephens' back yard, kinda funky and fun..

rosemary gioielli 06 Feb 2005

These guys are made of fiberglass. Hi Lance! I like what you did here. It doesn't matter if it was done before or not, it was never done by you...) Plus, we're really into repetition here!

rosemary gioielli 06 Feb 2005

rosemary gioielli 06 Feb 2005

T.S.'s cool house