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Bubble Templates
I have found that sometimes the simplest things can be the most effective. Naturally occurring organic images like; sky and clouds, fire and smoke and water, bubbles are effects that each artist can create to enhance their artwork. The real trick to achieving most organic type effects like the ones mentioned previously are to understand their original natural flow and movement. Having spent many hours scuba diving in Hawaiian waters, I have watched and studied firsthand the underwater sea life with the naturally created formations that have become their habitats as well as the landscapes and atmospheres that create the underwater lifestyle. I am constantly mesmerized watching bubbles under the sea freely flow with the currents, always on their journey upward as they transform into many different shapes and sizes as they ascend to the surface. To say that I have painted a few bubbles is definitely an understatement, as I have painted thousands upon thousands. Because I have painted so many, they have become second nature to me to create out of my head without using reference. Take the plunge as I take you to my underwater bubble world, showing you some of the tricks to my bubble creations.
First off, I use a medium blue base coat urethane painted panel. Once completely dry, I apply a pattern that I created on my plotter at my Cosmic Airbrush Shop. I draw the bubbles by hand then scan them to the plotter to cut the mask. I also use a few selected Artool freehand shields. I use my signature Dennis Mathewson Hawaiian Hues made by Alsa for my base colors. I mix two colors, a light teal blue and a dark navy then reduced 200%.
Once my colors are ready, I begin with the light teal and using my Iwata Kustom CM airbrush, I spray a light mist right around the cut of the mask. I add around 20% more color to the bottom than the top. Bubbles reflect light from the top on the bottom of the bubble.
Using a Mike Lavallee tru-fire template, I highlight round edges with white basecoat. How ironic, using a fire template to create water images. It works great, thanks Mike!
I then add white basecoat only to the bottom of all of the bubbles, following with the navy blue to the top of all of the bubbles avoiding contact with spraying the edge of the mask, thus giv-
ing the bubble a light glow all the way around it. Once finished, the masking is removed (saving the mask for future use).
Using an Artool Big Shield template with its perfectly cut circles, I add a few bubbles here and there as I choose, utilizing the same colors as previously explained. I have also added a few softer freehanded bubbles to some areas. The combination of the mask, Artool template and freehanded painting make for a totally natural looking bubble effect.
I usually use a blue base candy or a transparent blue to spray over the entire piece to soften the look against the blue background.
Using a #2 liner brush with some lettering and striping colors, I mix a light blue teal line only to the bottom of the bubbles finishing with a white dot to the top and bottom of each bubble. After completing the brushwork, I airbrush a soft white glow to each bubbles bottom with white base coat.
Lastly, using a Popsicle stick I deflect some white base coat off of the end, resulting in tiny white speckles that appear as tiny bubbles.
How was it you first picked up an airbrush to use in your artwork? I grew up in Las Vegas and one weekend in 1971 at age 12, my
parents took me to southern California (Laguna beach) where I saw a man and his wife painting clothing with wizards, castles, clouds, flying winged horses and rainbows. WOW! This was a fateful and incredible discovery to me seeing how an airbrush could spray color and be controlled. I received my first Paasche VL airbrush that next birthday and the rest is history. It was difficult to learn back then, before Airbrush magazines with howto articles, books and instructional videos, everything I tried to learn was pretty much self taught. I got my first job working for Big Daddy Rat at the Rats Hole shop in Vegas at the age of 16. I was coloring in cartoon hot rod t-shirts and rarely did any custom designs. We only had three colors and used day glow enamels Rocket Red, Horizon Blue and Lightning Yellow along with One Shot black and white. There was no water base t-shirt paints at that time. Any colors mixed on the shirts had to be over lays of colors and everything was cartoon style. Man, so much has changed since then. My automotive custom painting began at the same time. With practicing on my own car, I painted and airbrushed is about 9 different times, hehe. Many
Norman Rockwell Varga have moved me. Current artist like Olivia, Boris, Simon Beasley, Robert Crumb, Walt Disney and even some of my Tiki artist folks like Doug Horne and others. I have traveled all over the world teaching classes to other artists who inspire me as well. I have been teaching since my first class in 1978 and have been involved in pretty much in most airbrush organized workshop programs and taught independently as well. I am known as a T-shirt air brusher from the 70-80s then a Custom Painter from the 80-90s and now Fine art, I mostly work for my two Galleries in Hawaii and other locations that sell my fine art. Life as an air brusher has been quite a journey and still is growing. The roads of art have taken me many paths, but in all my traveling the one thing I never forget to pack in my bag is an airbrush.