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.
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.
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