To Mask or not??????

[aixguy]

I am about to embark on another monochrome painting. This is at my wifes request and the frist time on canvas. The canvas is gessoed and wetsanded to almost illustration board perfection. The canvas is 11" x 14" (28 x36cm) and the reference is not exactly high resolution. I am trying to deside if I should mask the sides of the face and along the jacket since there will be no background. Will probably not since I hate that sharp edge. I will probably end up using hand cut shields since the jacket is not pin straight. I am going to be using comart smoke which is very very transparent and requires lots and lots of coats, but was thinking of using back or maybe comart 60% grey scale on the jacket since the smoke would take forever to get to that value. What do you folks think, should I find the frisket or just use shields??

i vote for just using smoke and no frisket
looks like you'll have have with this one

[fresnojohns]

I would just go with your grey scale style and a few of your loose masks'. Even if you do anykind of back ground before or after, I would try to use
hand held masks' instead of frisket. My reason is that sometime you will rely on it too much. And you got to admit you sure get a nice edge freehanded.
Fresnojohns

[Vicar]

From observing your reference doug, it appears to be a little out of focus so using frisket or a movable shield might sharpen your end result anyway... I guess one could pull the shield up a little to obtain that soft look you desire.(I dont have too much confidence in myself lifting a shield to spray a consistent edge yet)
That soft outside edge is something i am still trying to get to grips with.
Good luck bud

[grinnen30]

I third the sheilding as much as possible...the only exception, you might want to mask his shirt to keep it white...In my transistions, my work comes out much better this way...and it is much easier to fix mistakes...

On the subject...his right eye is more open than his left...as you paint this, it is going to create an optical illusion if you aren't careful...move slowly here...paint what you see...not what you think you see...

[quickchange]

LOL here I go being different

I would frisk the background until I was almost done with the painting.
I would also not spray close to that edge. Saving the edge work till the end.
This way it will protect your background while you concentrate on the facial features etc. White backgrounds have a tendency to attract everything.

Even though you will not be spraying on the edge of the frisket it will still give you an edge, but one that is manageable with shields for finishing. When you have completed most of the work you can simply finish off your edges after the frisket is removed.

I don't know comart smoke, but seems many layers would be the way to go. Slow and easy.
Good luck can't wait to see the finished piece.

[zero420]

Originally Posted by donjohnson

i vote for just using smoke and no frisket
looks like you'll have have with this one

wow dude very very nice i agree with don

zero420

[gixster92]

Doug,

If you want the HIGH KEY look that this image is giving... I would mask off the back ground.. I know you hate it, then you come in and give the soft fade that it has. Your other option is to really control the overspray on this project and I think you could get away with hand shields... and if your can "erase" any overspray that should not be part of the high key then you in game. I can't wait to see your rendition of this project, as I have the utmost confidence you will render it justice.

[Jammer]

Hey Doug,
I see you picked out a pic for the wife, hehe. Is that the guys from the A-Team, Hannible? What happened to doing Tom Sellick? You should do Higgins for her hehehe

Free hand it and erease the overspray. frisket sucks I hate cutting.
Jammer

[aixguy]

Thanks everyone.. did the black of the jacket last night with a hand cut paper sheild just to get a line more detailed than the pencil and then darkened it freehand, we shall see how it goes. I used comart photo back.. kind of neat stuff.. now am thining about trying the grey scale paint rather than smoke.. but probably won't.
Yes Jammer, that is a very young George Peppard, my wifes all time hottie.. Tom Seleck has to much hair to mess with! I just realized today I could have done Kurt Russel .. well maybe next time..