Joker - Arkham: Painting--Oils IV - The Straitjacket (2)

The time has come for the tedious part of the project: the canvas webbing on the straitjacket. 

I first tested both oils and acrylics on a piece of polystyrene painted with a khaki acrylic: the acrylics were the superior medium for this application, due to their opacity and fast-drying nature. 

And so it begins. It takes about 30 minutes to do ~10mm of webbing, including staining and outlining in oils. This will be going on for a while. . . 

UPDATE 12.08.2018. . . After completing the transverse webbing across the pectorals, I painted the stitched tape at the base of the straitjacket's collar.

“When the cost of a hobby exceeds the fun and doesn't attract new people, the game is over.” -
Oscar Koveleski, August 2003

Joker - Arkham: Painting--Oils - Intermezzo II

"The next step is finalizing the straitjacket before transferring the bust to its permanent display base." 

Finalizing the straitjacket is not only quite involved, but the workbase actually works against you a fair amount of the time. So. . . I decided to take the base variable out of the equation and trans- fer the bust to its permanent display base.

There are still areas that will prove irksome in the days ahead, but I am now in a better position to make an informed opinion as to how critical any given area is in the overall aesthetic. 

Movin' right along. . . 

UPDATE 11.08.2018. . . The plinth and the undersides of the bust are now painted!

“When the cost of a hobby exceeds the fun and doesn't attract new people, the game is over.” -
Oscar Koveleski, August 2003

Joker - Arkham: Painting--Oils III - The Face (1): The Eyes, etc.

The eyes--sans pupils--and the deep eye-shadow umbrae are now done! It truly is a testament to the quality of the sculpture and casting that this was one of the easiest set of eyes I have ever painted!!

I also applied a light grisaille of  black around the lips and the deep folds of the upper lip--pre-shading, if you will. I then blocked-in the red of the lips, taking special care around Cupid's bow; and base-coated the eyebrows. . . 

Movin' right along. . . 

FOLLOW-UP. . . Phase I of the face is now essentially done! The next step is finalizing the straitjacket before transferring the bust to its permanent display base.

“When the cost of a hobby exceeds the fun and doesn't attract new people, the game is over.” -
Oscar Koveleski, August 2003

Joker - Arkham: Painting--Oils - Intermezzo I

In order to let the bust itself rest, I spent the remaining time this evening working on the hand. The main focus was the blade of the straight razor, or, more appropriately, cutthroat razor. This was given two or three wet coats of Vallejo black, allowing each preceding coat to dry before applying the next. 

Once that was done, I applied a grisaille of Vallejo black over the entire hand, creating a tonal landscape over the white primer. Once this is thoroughly dry, I will decide whether to continue applying acrylic grisailles, or paint it in oils. 

Movin' right along. . . 

“When the cost of a hobby exceeds the fun and doesn't attract new people, the game is over.” -
Oscar Koveleski, August 2003

Joker - Arkham: Painting--Oils II - The Scrubs--and the Neck!

There are two major "sub-canvases" that comprise this piece: the straitjacket, which was done yesterday; and the head/face/flesh. Normally, I would have done this second "sub-canvas" next, adhering to the painting version of "Hund's bus seat rule"; however, the unique flesh-tone allows me to do the collar and the neck at one sitting.

The scrub's collar is done in institutional orange, using Liquitex Cadmium-Barium Red Light as a base. The inner surface of the collar is in turn shaded with the addition of Payne's Grey--not very carefully, I might add. The resulting mix is then methodically feathered and drawn-up the neck as a dry grisaille that doubles as the shade. Nothing could be simpler!  

“When the cost of a hobby exceeds the fun and doesn't attract new people, the game is over.” -
Oscar Koveleski, August 2003

Joker - Arkham: Painting--Oils I - The Straitjacket

The entire piece revolves around the straitjacket; thus, very little real progress can be made until it is done. So let's get to it. . . 

The straitjacket is now done, "done" as in Phase I. If I decided to go no further, it would look fine as is; but keeping in mind that this is a dirty, grimy garment in one of the worse mental institu- tions for the criminally insane, it is, by definition, a Phase I application.

A brief note re: application. Straitjackets are made from heavyweight canvas. ergo a textured sur- face would be apparent. To achieve the hint of a texture, I stippled Titanium White thickened with Dorland's wax medium. Since Dorland's increases the translucency of the oil, a cool 'unbleached' bias due to the yellow gray uc is evident. Shading was done stippling the shade tones (Gamblin Black Spinel and/or Raw Umber) into the folds, and blending by drag stippling. Once the surface is dry, I can go back and apply wet stains, washes, and glazes to achieve the desired effect.

“When the cost of a hobby exceeds the fun and doesn't attract new people, the game is over.” -
Oscar Koveleski, August 2003

Joker - Arkham: Painting--UCing II

This morning, I finished the main uc'ing on this bust, namely the collar of the prison scrubs. After lunch, I will create a border of green along the hairline to frame the flesh. . . and that should just about do it. I will still have to undercoat the plinth, but this won't be painted until after the strait- jacket is done. . .

“When the cost of a hobby exceeds the fun and doesn't attract new people, the game is over.” -
Oscar Koveleski, August 2003

Joker - Arkham: Painting--UCing I

With his dapper alter-ego hell-bent on the finish line, it was time to begin addressing the needs of the psychotic inmate.

Given the relative largeness of this piece, I thought I'd begin with the straitjacket. This could have been a rather daunting undertaking, but fortunately I had an unopened bottle of Polly-S Fantasy's Yellow Gray. This is one of my all-time favourite acrylic colours: the acrylic version of Liquitex Parchment with a slightly green-ish bias. 

Next, I touched-up the face which I had lightly over-primed with Tamiya Fine Surface Primer-White.

More to follow. . .  

“When the cost of a hobby exceeds the fun and doesn't attract new people, the game is over.” -
Oscar Koveleski, August 2003

Joker - Arkham: Painting--Priming

The "Clown Prince of Arkham" is primed. Let the madness begin!

“When the cost of a hobby exceeds the fun and doesn't attract new people, the game is over.” -
Oscar Koveleski, August 2003

Joker - Arkham: Prep IV--Finishing

All the major work has been completed--the scrub "collar" is ideal! I am now down to final finish- ing and assembly. There will be some tweaking to be done to the fit and details on the straitjack- et straps prior to attachment, but this is little more than fine detailing. The only piece that will not be attached before priming will be the hand.

Almost done. . .

UPDATE 23.07.2018. . . The straps have been permanently attached. All that remains to be done on the straps are minor spot fills and seam integration. . . DONE

UPDATE 25.07.2018. . . Save for some minor tweaking about the hair and the dentition, the bust is ready to be primed. Priming is scheduled over the weekend. . . DONE

“When the cost of a hobby exceeds the fun and doesn't attract new people, the game is over.” -
Oscar Koveleski, August 2003