Porsche 911 Turbo painting

 

My latest project that I’m working on is a Porsche 911 Turbo painting. The 930 generation Porsche is probably my favorite version of the 911. When I was a kid, this was the iconic bedroom poster, alongside the Countach and Testarossa. I wanted to make a painting of a red 911 racing down an open road during a beautiful sunny day.

 

Progression from initial sketch to the current state.

 

FJ60 Painting

 

Another painting I started during the pandemic was the FJ60 Land Cruiser. This might be my favorite model of the Land Cruiser. I chose to paint this version in a color/graphic scheme that was very 80s. I really loved getting lost into the details. I finished this painting in June.

This was how the painting looked during the pandemic.

Self Portrait

I’ve been a little busy lately and now that things have calmed down a bit, I decided to update my blog with a few personal projects that I’ve finished within the past few months. One project that I’m really proud of is my self portrait.

I finished this self portrait in on March 30th, 2024. I waited 6 months for the painting to fully dry for varnish on September 29, 2024.

 

The gloss varnish made the colors and details more vibrant, but I feel that I lost some of the brush strokes.

 

This was how the painting looked when I finished it on March 30th. It was a little hard to photograph, because the paint was very shiny. I was very satisfied with resolving proportions, details and colors.

 

I started this painting around January 2023. I was originally thinking that I could finish it for my 40th birthday on February 26th. It turned out that I was a little rusty at painting, and this painting took a lot longer than expected.

What made this painting challenging, was getting the facial proportions and expression correct. There was a period of time where I thought a purplish background would have looked good. I ended up using a darker neutral that was less distracting from my tan skin tone. I really wanted to emphasize bold shadows and highlights from a strong light source.

This painting was a great experience. I might be tempted to work on another self portrait in the near future. Hopefully, it will be quicker with the knowledge I gained.

 

A mural for Rajiv and Harsha Satyal

 

Around March 2022, my friends Rajiv and Harsha asked me if I could paint a mural to add some color to their backyard. I was a little hesitant at first, but then decided that it would be a great opportunity to re-live some of my mural days back in Austin. They wanted something that is vibrant, and reminds them of Los Angeles. Before painting can start, I created proofs with Sketchbook Pro and Photoshop.

 

My initial idea was to create a Los Angeles skyline. I was imagining the Hollywood Hills against an evening sunset. The sunset would feature a gradient with a warm yellow, into orange and then a deep purple. It was interesting, but they wanted to see ideas that incorporated more green and orange.

 

The next ideas incorporated elements of Los Angeles. I was thinking about incorporating the Santa Monica Pier ferris wheel, the Chinese Theater, Laugh Factory and the Comedy Store. The ideas represented Los Angeles, but looked too busy.

 

The winning proof was an evolution of the sunset idea. This proof featured more orange and emphasized the sky. The Los Angeles elements were toned down, and became details within the painting. The Hollywood sign became more prominent.

 

With the proof approved, I bought the appropriate supplies and started working directly on the wall.

 

Within the first day of painting, I was able to put down all the elements. There was still a lot of work to be done brightening the sky, honing down the details and tightening the lines.

 

Putting down a few tape lines was very effective in defining the sunset, ocean and skyline.

 

After a few more hours painting by brush, I considered this mural done!

 

I was very satisfied with how this turned out. Painting against a porous surface was a little difficult, considering that the lines wanted to become blurry.
Taking the time to finish the details with brush was very necessary to create a clean looking painting.

 

Here’s me with some very satisfied customers!