"Florida" Poster, And Sea Shells

Although the days here have been in the mild 70's, the nights have gotten really chilly. Certainly too chilly for the beach. Nonetheless, it seems a subject I never tire of artistically rendering. Parts of Florida really are paradise. I started this piece on Wednesday, and didn't finish it until Friday morning after my goodies from my gift certificate arrived. The pastel painting is 13.5" by 15.5", and I show the finished piece as it is first. Then, I show it again after some minor digital work: adding type with a drop shadow; a digital watercolor "salt" effect stroke along the edges for a sandy effect; a drop shadow on the border; all on a sea foam background to complete the poster. One could typically expect nowadays a painting to be converted into an illustration with just such a few digital tweaks. But those tweaks are even chosen carefully so as not to detract, but to add something to an image. You need the right typeface, the right colors, the right overall treatment. The finished poster has a very unmistakable "Florida" feel to it.

Some of the pastels I ordered were in flesh tones, which are also great colors for sea shells. So, I did a fun sea shell study just to acclimate myself with the latest addition of pastels I bought, below.

That was my Friday, on the creative front. I haven't even opened the second half of my shipment from the gift certificate, which is almost all pastel paper. Can't hardly wait!

Hope everyone had a lovely Thanksgiving, and until next time, take care!