Lion and Lioness Size:  49.5 x 38.5 cm (19.5 x 15.25 in) Medium:  Acrylic Support:  Illustration board Notes:  Airbrushed on gessoed board This is a result of: just because I’m trying out a new technique doesn’t mean I can’t make a nice picture out of it. I wanted to see if a thinly gessoed illustration board would result in a good practice support. It did well, but I’m still going to be doing other tests over time. In any case, since the surface was gessoed, I wanted to stress it by doing something with fur. I found these lions in an art reference library, and they provided a really good, furry test for this project. This was also a test of a painting technique I’ve been refining for my own use and that’s coming along nicely as well. So, overall, I’m reasonably pleased with how this turned out. (The image needs more color correction — it’s still a little yellow.) Many images by CJ Carter are ready for purchase in a variety of formats: prints, canvas prints, phone cases, and so much more. Help support this site and the artist by dropping by the store and getting gifts for yourself, for family, and friends.

We Fear No Elephants Size:  40.5 x 51 cm (16 x 20 in) Medium:  Scratchboard Support:  Scratchbord Notes:  — I wanted to do one of the big cats in a pose that isn’t typical. Me being me, I also had in mind that I wanted the piece to tell a bit of a story. The sleeping lion was delightfully not typical. Studying him a bit, I realized that he seemed unconcerned that he was sleeping on his own. Then again…lion. Duh. But, I reasoned, what if he had a protector guarding him from one of the few animals that even lions don’t toy with (much) — elephants? Enter the sleeping mouse. Now the story was set. These unlikely companions have joined up so that neither has to fear an elephant disturbing their sleep. Here's a little bit of the scratch detail. Many images by CJ Carter are ready for purchase in a variety of formats: prints, canvas prints, phone cases, and so much more. Help support this site and the artist by dropping by the store and getting gifts for yourself, for family, and friends.

Crystal Triode (practice) Size:  23 x 30.5 cm (9 x 12 in) Medium:  Acrylic Support:  Gessoboard Notes:  Airbrushed This is a rendition of one of humankind’s greatest and most significant inventions: the crystal triode–what we now call the transistor. The main goal I had was to practice working with opaque colors, specifically with color matching. Additionally, I wanted to see what differences there were with the techniques I use with transparent paint vs opaque. An added perk was painting something that wasn’t a close headshot–which I seem to do a lot of. For the support I used the generic, thinly-coated gessoboard I ruined when I was doing my sanding prep. Even though a support isn’t usable for fine work, it’ll do in a pinch for practice. This piece is about 95-98% finished. There are some bits that need to be sharpened, and a few areas that could use more texture, but as this is just a practice piece, it’s done enough for what I needed it to do. Besides, the wires vexed me. Very annoying. Here’s a snap of the progression. Many images by CJ Carter are ready for purchase in a variety of formats: prints, canvas prints, phone cases, and so much more. Help support this site and the artist by dropping by the store and getting gifts for yourself, for family, and friends.

Arachne Reborn Size:  61 x 45.5 cm (24 x 18 in) Medium:  Acrylic Support:  Gessoboard Notes:  Airbrushed with stylized realism. Visualizing the climax of a myth. Arachne, the daughter of a renowned dyer, was known for her skill at weaving. She boasted that Athena herself couldn’t best her. Though warned, Arachne refused to acknowledge that at least some of her knowledge came from the goddess. Athena went in disguise to warn Arachne not to be so conceited and to not offend the gods. Arachne scoffed and wished that she could engage in a contest with Athena to prove her skill. Athena revealed herself and accepted. Athena wove a perfect scene of her victory over Poseidon which inspired the people of Athens to name their city for her. Arachne’s effort showed 21 depictions of the failings and transgressions of the gods. Even Athena agreed that Arachne’s work was immaculate. Whether for that or for the subject matter, Athena’s anger caused her to lash out at Arachne, destroying her loom and smiting her face. Refusing to bow to Athena (though some say it was due to realizing her folly), Arachne hanged herself. Out of pity, or perhaps spite, Athena transformed Arachne–the rope becoming spider silk. In this painting, Athena is looking at the result of her handiwork. Much of the painting is intentionally softly focused. Though the dominant image is that of Athena, I wanted the viewer’s gaze to always be drawn to Arachne. I also opted to not be overly beholden to the idea of realism for this piece in order to enhance the emotion–which, for Athena, can be interpreted as either lingering anger or pity/compassion. The dramatic lighting was chosen to further [...]

Cameron’s Bad Day II Size:  40.5 x 33.5 cm (16 x 13.25 in) Medium:  Graphite pencil Support:  Bristol board Notes:  none After I completed Cameron’s Bad Day, I knew that I wanted to give it another go. I’d erred with the eyes and wanted to get that right. So, in the grand tradition of artists doing a piece as many times as necessary to be satisfied, I tried again. This is a fairly standard sketch using woodless pencils as well as leads in lead holders. The vast majority of the blending was done using stumps. I prefer using stumps to my fingers to avoid transfer of oils as well as having a marked reduction in the risk of inadvertent smudging. Work on the piece was very sporadic over the course of three weeks: an hour here, a couple of hours there. The actual image is a bit larger than shown, as this was always intended to be matted. Many images by CJ Carter are ready for purchase in a variety of formats: prints, canvas prints, phone cases, and so much more. Help support this site and the artist by dropping by the store and getting gifts for yourself, for family, and friends.

Akela Size:  28 x 35.5 cm (11 x 14 in) Medium:  Scratchboard Support:  Clayboard Notes:  Airbrushed acrylics provided the pigment for the scratch work. I was requested to do a wolf by a family member, so I did a wolf (yep…that’s about all the inspiration I need, sometimes). I chose to do an airbrush/scratchboard mix because that’s a natural for mammal and bird close-ups. Plus, I enjoy it because it allows me to do both of the techniques I like doing. This image and many other images by CJ Carter are ready for purchase in a variety of formats: prints, canvas prints, phone cases, and so much more. Help support this site and the artist by dropping by the store and getting gifts for yourself, for family, and friends.