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I've been jonesing for an update and it looks great as expected. 😀

It's really cool how the background pieces like the dugout piece behind Babe's head have such a weathered/textured look. So cool. I certainly do feel fortunate.

Thank you so much for those kind words, everyone.

Bill, you're being too nice. I think the only artist here was the photographer, as he was really able to capture Babe so artfully (and probably without even thinking that he was doing so). I'm lucky if I can end up being some sort of conduit into those photographer's eyes.

Either way, I'm thrilled that this one is coming along!

Graig

Hey all,

Still plugging away at Babe, here. I've been spending lots of time rendering and fleshing out those bats, the rack, the dugout and the dirt, and I've finally gotten to a place where I can say, "the end is nigh." I mean that in a good way, of course.

Anywho, here he is thus far:

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b1...psspxjg2p2.jpg

When the paint dries on those bats, I'm going to be glazing a bit of warmth back into them, as I think they're a bit too cool overall. After that, they should REALLY start to reverberate.

Other than that, there's a bit of detail work that needs to be done on Babe, and then the rest of the stands are in for some love. We can then call it a finished painting.

Hope y'all dig it thus far. If you have any comments/questions/crits, just holler!

Graig

PS: As per usual, please excuse the glare from the photo, which is most noticeable on the right by the fella in the dugout.

Color me jealous. Simply spectacular.

Love it more and more each time

Hey all,

Getting down to the wire with this one.

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b1...pszbnu0fha.jpg

At this point, the only area that needs a good amount of work is that top right corner. Otherwise, there are just a couple of areas that need buttoning up here and there. I'm going to do my best tonight to get it to the point where it's done and ready to dry for a week. After that, a few glazes and it's off to the photographers.

Hope everyone is liking what they're seeing!

Graig

you certainly don't need me to blow smoke up your ass, but you are with-out question, the best Artist of Baseball subject matter I have seen in my 53 years, IMHO.

I appreciate your work immensely and am happy you have made it your passion. It shows in everything you do. Thanks for sharing it with us.

Graig,

Another great great painting. The way the sunlight is making that part of his face glow, wow. And the job you did on the guy in the dugout, what a touch. Another winner Graig.

Bill

Thank you so much for those kind words, Chuck and Bill. I really do appreciate them. And I'm so glad that my passion seems to show through in my work. I can honestly say that if I wasn't painting stuff like this, it would fall SO flat - nothing seems to get me going like the history of this sport. And it's just SO important to me to pay tribute to it and to do it right. The fact that you think I'm on my way really can't make me happier.

So, an update, Babe is finished and drying.

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b1...psuut5id83.jpg

It might not look too different from what I showed yesterday, but there's actually been a good amount of work that's gone into it between then and today. For one thing, I feel like that top right corner (and the rest of the stands) is resolved. It looks dimensional, mainly because I tried to show a progression of warmth and cool from left to right.

I've also included some close-ups, so you can see some of the detail that's gone into Ruth's features, the jersey, and the bats. The play of light and shadow across the latter was really a lot of fun to try and pull off. The same goes for the bat rack thing, which though was painted green, needed to have a weathered and dirty look to it.

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b1...ps0lwy5hit.jpg

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b1...psliib69q3.jpg

Anywho, I hope you all dig the semi-final result. All that's left is for it to dry, apply some glazes and then it's off to the photographers.

As per usual, if you have any questions or comments, feel free to share!

Thanks for reading.

Graig

As tremendous as the entire thing is (as usual), my favorite "parts" of this one are the guy in the dugout and the bats/bat rack. Mission accomplished regarding the weathered look to the rack, and the amazing detail of the different woods and grains on the bats is just unreal.

I enjoy showing my kids the different finished products as they come out. They generally look stunned and their jaws drop when they see them.

If I ever have enough "play money" to commision a piece from you, I would try to find an image of kids playing ball. Either in a street or in a field...doesn't matter. Sacks for bases. Beat up clothes and equipment. Having fun. That is what the game is to me. As wonderful as it would be to have these elite players images that you do, I would just cherish a beautifully detailed reminder of why I love the game so much.

Wonderful syuff.

Tom C

Awesome. Your talent really amazes me Graig. I'm so excited that I will have this hanging on my wall in a short time. This will certainly be the centerpiece of my collection. 😃

Congrats to the owner and to Graig for another amazing piece.

Graig,
You've really outdone yourself with this Ruth painting. There are so many things I like about it, I can't even begin to comment.

Nice job!!

Hey all,

Hope this message finds everyone well.

I'm so glad that you all have been so patient and lovely throughout this whole process, it's meant the world to me. I'm happy to say that we've come to the end of the road for this one.

I just got the scans back from my photographers, and I'm glad that they did such a great job. I'll be picking up the actual painting on Wednesday or so and then get it out to our winner, Eric.

Here's what we got for the whole piece:

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b1...psdtenx7mu.jpg

I tried to push the warmth in the painting, as I wanted it to be kind of like a moment when you have an overcast/cloudy day, and just for a second or two, the cast breaks and you get that warm sun, which seems to bathe everything in yellow casts. From what I've read and scene in other photographs, the first game of the 1932 World Series (which occurred moments after this photograph was taken) was pretty sunny for the most part, but newspapers spoke of silver skies beforehand.

Ruth's face was drenched in some of that warmth, but I also wanted to make sure that what was in the shade was equally as cool and vibrant, hence the blues and purples (especially where the bones of his skull signify the turning of the plains):

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b1...pseq1meq6i.jpg

His hands also got similar treatment with that golden light, as did those bats. It was important to make sure that although those lit plains would appear to be bright, they couldn't be washed out and devoid of color. So, I had to make sure that there was a lot of varying temperatures in there to keep the surface interesting

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b1...pscexwdi2h.jpg

The same applied for the other bats as well. I also tried to keep the bat rack looking pretty weathered, as I imagined that it was something that was painted before the beginning of the season, and after six months of baking in the sun, being drenched in the rain, and having dirty bats smacked on it, it wasn't going to look too pretty.

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b1...pscqmkoccp.jpg

So, in the end, this piece was a lot of fun, though it posed a bunch of challenges that weren't necessarily there in the Hank Aaron piece. I was dealing with similar light, but the difference in the architecture, skin tones, bats and uniforms made each one its own beast. After all, there were things about the Aaron painting that were really hard that I didn't have to consider here, so I guess it's all a crap shoot.

Now, I would definitely love to do another raffle, though I think we're going to wait until the end of the year. I have a buttload of commissions that I need to finish, most of which are for Net54ers (Phil, Ben, Brian, and Jason especially) - they've been waiting SUPER long for their pieces, and that ain't cool. But yeah, the next one will have a similar format, but I believe we'll be going back down to the $20 an entry price tag. And of course, if there's anything you'd like to suggest regarding how it's run or whatever, I'm VERY willing to hear it.

Either way, I hope that you all have enjoyed these two raffle events, because they were definitely treats for me.

If you have any questions, critiques, or comments, just chime in or drop me a message.

Thanks again, everybody.

Graig

WOW Graig! That is truly spectacular!

The final product looks awesome! I have a feeling that when I get it that it will be even better. I will be eagerly awaiting the arrival of this beauty. 😃

Breathtaking! Love the details of the little things like Babe's sock & undershirt

Graig,
Another beauty. In the background, the guy in the dugout really came out nice.
Congratulations Eric, can't wait to see a photo of your painting in hand or in its place among your memorabilia. Enjoy it.

As Graig said, the next one is down the road a piece, and you will not see a $30 entry again. I have some ideas so as we are not saddled with trying to sell a certain amount. But that is all down the road.
Another congratulations to Eric and two thumbs up for Graig.

Thank you so much, everybody!! I'm thrilled that you all dig the final product. The photograph, though really great, doesn't do the painting justice. But then again, no photograph can ever do things like these justice - ya gotta be there in person!

I should be picking up the painting tomorrow, so I imagine I'll be able to send it Eric's way soon. Hopefully when it arrives, he'll be happy with it.

Graig

That is a breathtaking painting Graig. You are a truly great artist. As Chuck said, your passion shines through your paintings and they are a joy to behold. We have 4-5 paintings in our house, all realism types, as they are my faves. They don't get much more real than the Babe in the dugout. The new owner will get a lifetime of happiness from your masterpiece.

Amazing work, Graig. Jealous of your ability and of the folks who have one of your pieces.

If it's not too much of a pain, would it be possible to put all the images you posted along the way into one post? It'd be cool to see the progression with the images right next to each other. You could really see the subtle differences.

again, terrific work.
Rob

Exactly! Thanks for taking the time. So cool to have them one right after the other and to really get to see the work you described. Thanks again.
Rob

That Ruth is killer! A tremendous job as usual! The detail work on the bats is simply amazing.

That is really a beauty. Eric, I'm sure you'll enjoy it as much as I do mine.

Thank you so much, everybody!! Like I mentioned before, this painting was a blast. And for the record, it's officially on its way to Eric, so maybe he'll be posting about it next week.

Stay tuned!!

Graig

Well, after a very busy few months I finally got around to hanging the picture and getting a picture of me with it. Every time I see it I marvel at the quality of it and that it's really mine 😀

Quote:

Originally Posted by T20Brew (Post 1412552)

Well, after a very busy few months I finally got around to hanging the picture and getting a picture of me with it. Every time I see it I marvel at the quality of it and that it's really mine ��

Looks awesome!!!

Eric,
Looks great Eric. Your smile says it all. Congratulations.

Looks great! Nice choice on the original image.