Board Reveal

This post is Ethan-friendly, because if this is posted, then he's seen the completed works, and now all of you get to see it. If you are lost about the references, check out the first post about this project.

Also, the idea of me even wanting to paint on skateboards was originally inspired by the amazingly wonderful Tran Nguyen when she painted a skateboard here, here, and here. Tran, you are so awesome!

If you're too lazy or focused on this post--my friend Ethan is a skater and wanted a blank board arted up. He gave me creative license over everything. His only stipulation was that he wanted to sign it when it was finished.

The board stayed in my room for about a week before my paint supplies were moved up here, and then another week while I prepared. Over this past week I've been dabbling on painting. The majority of it was done before class on my slower days, and then at night while my roommate was out--so that I wouldn't be in the way or tempted to play Halo: Reach with him.

Here is the process, from start to finish, in a series of pictures. Some of them are grainy/glared because I was using overhead lights instead of natural light--because it was night.

At the end of this post, I'll list the colors of paints I used for which parts, just because I know people are gonna ask me.

Original sketches during one of my meals.
The image of the squid/octopus seemed to be my mind's main focus.

Before I went to painting, I needed to play with colors and design, so I sketched it out using GIMP and my Genius Tablet, as usual. I really wanted to use all these blues and greens, and then set it all off with the bright, hot pink.

The board, with a sketch from a China marker, seen with my usual acrylic set up and newspaper to keep messes to a minimum.

Off to a good start. I was really surprised how easily the fluid acrylic covered the large areas I needed painted first. I was experimenting with color mixes, and because of how bright the sky was, I decided to change my original intent for the squid's psychedelic color pattern in my original digital draft.

After a few layers on the sea to get a variety of tones, I realized it got really dark, and that it would dry a little darker. It was here that I officially decided to change the squid's color to something less blue...

And that color was pink! I mixed varying levels of pink to get these nice tones for light and shadow effects. This is more of the "natural" image we have of Architeuthis and his kin, even though they are more naturally red/white and every other color.

I mixed even darker tones for more dramatic shadows, and decided to put some seafoam on those peaks.

Started using white and black for highlights and defining details. Notice the bubbles, wave peaks, and seagulls.

 Hanging in Ethan's room after the reveal. We just have to figure out where we want to sign our names.  Additional highlights and details were added all over to give the depth I wanted.

Here's Ethan's response. I was originally going to ask him what he thought it was, but he turned around right away because he hadn't pictured anything in his mind.



By the way, he loves it!


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And as promised, the color list:

All of these colors are Golden, Fluid Acrylics. They're higher-grade and a little more expensive than some other ones, but they work for me.

Sky: Titanium White and Primary Cyan
Sea: Ultramarine Blue, Phthalo Green, and Primary Cyan
Squid skin (varying tones): Titanium White, Pyrrole Red, and Pyrrole Orange
Seafoam: Titanium White, Primary Cyan, and Chromium Oxide Green
Squid skin (dark): Titanium White, Pyrrole Red, Quinacridon Burnt Orange
Eyes: Hansa Yellow Medium and Titanium White