Plein air painting 93

Southampton 'old' cemetery contains a number of buildings, all grade II built around the same time. This one, known as the Non-Conformist Chapel, though used as storage space, was painted on a Saturday morning in February 2023. I joined a group known as the 'Urban Sketchers' for this paint out, so I had plenty of company on that occasion.
The painting measures 12" x 9.5" and done in oils on cardboard.

Plein air painting 85

A study of some gravestones catching the strong summer light one afternoon in 2022. The graves with nature claiming back the space, are to be found in Southampton 'Old' cemetery. Painted in oils on cardboard sized at 12" x 9.5, and unusually for me, painted in portrait format.

Plein air painting 84

This plein air landscape features the Tudor influenced gates at Southampton 'Old' cemetery. This is from inside, looking out of the boundary of the cemetery, where Cemetery Rd leads in to the avenue and the central part of the city. 
The cemetery was opened on 7 May 1846 and is largely unused now for burials. Two stone griffins once surmounted the pillars, lost at some point in time. Most of the buildings and some memorials in the cemetery are Grade II listed structures. The cemetery covers 27 acres and has a number of graves associated with the Titanic, Battle of Waterloo, Charge of the Light Brigade, the Indian Mutiny and Boer War.
Painted one morning in early November 2022, using oils on a piece of cardboard, cut to 12" x 9.5". 

Stocktaking at the Victorian giant eye factory - digital illustration

An everyday scene at a giant eye factory, as to be found in the Victorian city of London. It is secret work and is carried out in large underground vaults. The eyeballs are grown in very large glass vessels, filled with a green liquid and gasses pumped through them. Stocktaking is progressing on this occasion.

This digital illustration was created during May 2023 using Sketchbook.  Started on an Android tablet as a small rough sketch, it is later in the process moved on to a desktop PC where the image is enlarged and fully painted.

The illustration can be seen in greater detail on this link.

Plein air painting 41 

Avenue St. Andrew's is a Victorian united reform church built in 1889. The impressive red brick building is (part) grade II listed and can found along 'the Avenue' a main route in and out of the city of Southampton, and very close to Southampton common and cemetery. 
This plein air painting was done on a busy Sunday afternoon in late August 2021 at the entrance to the common, looking across the Avenue (A33) toward the church. It is done in oils on mounting board, sized at 12" x 9.5". 

Plein air painting 40

Painted in August 2021 during a hot afternoon this early 19th century grade II listed pretty Georgian house is pictured. It stands in Westgate Street in the 'Old town' area of the city of Southampton, where a number old buildings are to be seen, some of which are Tudor. West Gate itself is a Tudor archway that lead to the dock side, when the town was a walled one and had a castle very close by. The area is built on angled land leading to what would have originally been the port in past times. The extreme angle can be seen on the pavement, and continues around the property on the side road shown right. 

This plein air painting is done in oils on mounting board, sized at 12" x 9".

 Plein air painting 20

St Mary's church, in the St Mary's area of Southampton City is the subject of this plein air artwork. It was built in 1884 and partly rebuilt in 1954 due to war damage. The painting is 11.5" x 9.5"  and painted on supermarket cardboard, during June 2021.

Departure of large steam punk Victorian butterfly - WIP stages

This steam punk inspired scifi illustration features a large mechanical butterfly getting ready to depart from a very elegant aircraft hanger. It was painted digitally during February 2021. The picture above shows three stages of the creation of the artwork. In the first panel can be seen the digital drawing for the scene. The lines are there to indicate perspective lines for the building and other elements as it is important for mechanical/ man-made objects to be correctly and solidly drawn. In the second panel some basic colours have been added and indications made of tonal values. The image is still at a small scale, just over 1000px on the longest side. The final panel displays the finished illustration. To get here the artwork is enlarged from what is seen in the second panel to a size of 6000px on the longest side. The painting is then repainted to a higher, more finished standard with details and better tonal choices. The artwork of the steam punk butterfly can be seen in greater detail by following this link. 

Departure of large steam punk Victorian butterfly - digital illustration

Painted in the winter of 2021 this digital illustration shows a scene of a 'steampunk' inspired view of a large mechanical butterfly. It is taking on passengers while stood in its elegant hangar before take off. A number of well healed observers are watching with interest. The captain is surveying the final checks before departure from his observation platform by the 'eye'. This illustration can be examined more clearly on this link to an external site.

 

Southampton old cemetery looking west early autumn - oil painting

Southampton old cemetery looking west early autumn - oil painting

Landscape painting of a westerly view of the Cemetery.

Southampton's 'old' cemetery is approximately 27 acres in size and was opened during the 1840s in the town of Southampton, on the southern coast of the UK. Now in the 21^st century it sees very little use due to a lack of space. Some parts have been reclaimed by nature which adds an additional level of beauty and interest with views of headstones covered in ivy and bramble. This painting show a view over the cemetery looking west, with Hill Lane running parallel behind the viewer. It is painted on canvas sized at 30” x 20”, and completed during December 2019 over a couple on months due to other projects. This graveyard oil painting can be seen in better detail by following this link.

Dinosaur And Son With A Parasol - digital illustration

Dinosaur And Son With A Parasol - digital illustration

digital illustration - Dinosaur And Son With A Parasol

Created during October 2018, this digital illustration features a 'take' of the famous painting by Monet, 'Woman with a Parasol/ Madame Monet and Her Son'. It is also known as 'The Stroll' and was painted in 1875. My version does not feature humans but a Tyrannosaurs Rex and dinosaur son, out for a stroll in summer in the same field. It is painted in 'Auto Sketchbook Pro', initially using an android tablet, and then later exporting the file to a desktop computer running the same painting software to produce a final version. Some time was spent studying the original painting to create similar brushmarks and use of colour and light, as painted originally by Monet.

The digital illustration can be seen here in detail.

Manga Vampire and Woman - digital painting

Manga Vampire and Woman - digital painting

Manga Vampire and Woman - digital painting

During March 2018 this manga styled, gothic digital illustration was created featuring a vampire about to make advances on a young woman. The scene is lit by the candelabra the busty woman is holding.

The image is based on very typical horror based situations and conventions.

It was dawn and painted on a Galaxy android tablet as a sketch, then later exported to a windows computer running the same software but with more power. The final details and colour grading was then done in Photoshop.

The illustration can be seen in greater detail on this link.

Manga Vampire and Woman WIP stages

Manga Vampire and Woman WIP stages

WIP stages Manga Vampire and Woman

This illustration was created during March 2018, and was initially painted digitally in 'Auto Sketchbook Pro', using an android tablet. The horror based, manga inspired picture was worked up to a point (as in the centre image), where- upon it was exported in layers (as a PSD file) on to a windows computer also running Auto Sketchbook pro, and also enlarged to create a better quality image. At a certain stage the image is then worked on in Photoshop for extra details and colour grading, with the finished image seen on the right. Using this link the illustration can be studied in better detail.

Nightmare Victorian Flesh Creature Horror WIP stages

Nightmare Victorian Flesh Creature Horror WIP stages

 

'Nightmare Victorian Flesh Creature Horror' wip art stages

This scif/ horror image was completed in January 2018. It is drawn and painted digitally in 'auto sketchbook pro', firstly using the program as an app on an android tablet, and then moving the project on to a W10 computer running the same program. At the final stage the artwork is imported in to Photoshop for final colour grading and other details. 
The final digital illustration an be seen here.

SteamPunk Mechanical Robin Factory - WIP digital painting

SteamPunk Mechanical Robin Factory - WIP digital painting

SteamPunk Mechanical Robin Factory - WIP digital painting

This composite picture shows a number of stages in the creation of this digital painting, featuring a giant robotic Steampunk Robin, under-going maintenance in a factory.
The first panel shows the initial drawing using the 'Auto Sketchbook pro' app. Each object is  drawn on separate levels, often roughly at first, and then cleaned up on another separate level. After a suitable drawing had been created and the layout worked 'as a whole', it was then exported from the tablet (as a layered PSD) and opened in photoshop on a PC to enlarge it to the correct proportions for the final illustration, and then saved. After this stage the drawing is now ready for painting, and is opened up in the desktop version of 'Auto Sketchbook pro' on a W10 machine. From now on the artwork is painted using a number of brushes, using the drawing overlayed, as a reference. Again each element is painted on layers. Once the painting was complete some final regrading was done using Photoshop.
The finished painting can be seen here.

SteamPunk Mechanical Robin Factory - digital painting

SteamPunk Mechanical Robin Factory - digital painting

SteamPunk Mechanical Robin Factory - digital painting

A large steampunk themed giant robin in in the last stages of construction in a Victorian type of factory. Two of the designers are consulting the blue prints while the machine itself is being filled with hot, pressurised steam, off a wagon that has been pulled in by two carthorses. One designer has a special magnifying eye piece, the other some communication apparatus attached to his ear. In the distance can be seen other parts of the factory with tall chimneys.

The painting was done using 'Auto Sketchbook Pro' software during January 2017 for the initial drawing and painting. Final grading took place within Photoshop. By following this link the illustration can be seen in greater detail.

Cute Gothic Horror Vampire Woman - digital painting

Cute Gothic Horror Vampire Woman - digital painting

Cute Gothic Horror Vampire Woman - digital painting

This digital painting features a cute,gothic Victorian lady vampire, floating around in the grounds of a ruined church on night. With is one of her friendly bats on th is fine, moonlit night which shows up the stone sarcophagus that she has risen from.

The image was created in 'Auto Sketchbook Pro' on a windows computer during February 2017, and can be seen in close up here.

House at Hillier Gardens

House at Hillier Gardens

This small painting shows a part the house (Jermyn's House) within the 180 acre gardens at Hillier Gardens, Hampshire.

The Victorian 'Jermyn's House' was rebuilt in 1830 to the house as seen today, from an earlier house built during the previous century.

Seen here is a part of the back of the house, surrounded by a number of mature trees and plants, creating a cool, shady spot around this part of the building. The path using natural pieces of stone leads the eye through to the building.

Painted in a day during autumn 2014 on a 12” x 10” canvas board.
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As an addition note the work in progress image of the painting has been added to the post showing the three stages. The first stage is the drawing done in brown acrylic paint on a red ground canvas. The middle image shows the basic colours blocked in using acrylics. the final stage is the oil paint level done on top.

http://martin-davey.artistwebsites.com/featured/house-at-hillier-gardens-martin-davey.html

House at Hillier Gardens, oil painting

House at Hillier Gardens in stages.

Goth girl fairy with spider widow

Goth girl fairy with spider widow

Digital illustration of a Gothic fairy with a black widow friend in a graveyard. The goth fairy girl is dressed in Victorian attire with jewellery glistening in the moonlight, and has black wings. Beside her, on its web, is a friendly black widow spider, with distinctive red markings. Behind them on the horizon is a old haunted castle where they used to live but now the small hut provides accommodation for them and their friends. 
Painted in Photoshop to A4 size during late February 2014. 

http://martin-davey.artistwebsites.com/featured/goth-girl-fairy-with-spider-widow-martin-davey.html

Goth girl fairy with spider widow

The Luncheon on the Grass with dinosaurs

The Luncheon on the Grass with dinosaurs

This digital illustration is based on the famous painting by Édouard Manet, titled Le déjeuner sur l'herbe (The Luncheon on the Grass). In my version though I have taken a comical slant and replaced the original figures with cartoon dinosaurs instead.
A larger version of the artwork can be seen here.
A time lapse movie was also created showing the painting being painted in built up in photoshop. It lasts for under 2 mins.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQqNpwPlUWc

The Luncheon on the Grass with dinosaurs digital painting

This is the original painting for comparison.