So, my girlfriend let me know that the Hive Gallery still needed some people to put skateboards in their annual skateboard painting exhibition thingy. As I am trying to put myself out there a little more aggressively this year, I went for it. This is the process I used to make the painting.

STEP ONE: Freakout.

I start everything like this. Dissatisfaction helps drive my creative process. It’s not as unhealthy as it seems. Really! Dont you judge me. It helps push me. Off a cliff. Into anxiety land.

(pic of me freakign out)

 

STEP TWO: Inspiration and reference.

Calm down and get to work. Usually this starts with an idea and some research. I’ve been drawing lots of wolf skulls for a comic I’m working on and liked the idea of  the words “bad wolf” in Welsh “Blaidd Drwg” from doctor who.

I like the old roskopp boards.

I also liked the old tony hawk boards with the skull .

I decide I’m going to do a drawing with line and trap shading in b& w and carve the words in to the board with a dremel and inlay with gold .

STEP THREE: sketch and plan

  

Did a bunch of sketching. have a big block of newsprint for this.

  

Did a couple of studys of wolf skulls.

STEP FOUR: refine

  

I made some sketches full size and then traced them out to refine them. I used this as the basis for the painting itself.

At this point I started to question the feasibility of lettering.

Step Five: paint

Sign paint and shitty brushes. really like the wood grain. I dont have any pics form this. I sketched it out in pencil on the board, blocked it out in white and out lined everything in black.

I ditched the lettering: I could barely make a dent in the wood with the dremel. I could see it taking a really long time and then not coming out well. I still like the idea so we’ll save it for a rainy day and another project.

stop freaking out (not really the freaking out continues to this day)

ultimately It was not the worst piece there and not the best piece.