Setting up the model skeleton

I'm now finalizing the drawings for the next set of BDSM skeleton paintings. There is one pose that I had to set up, for a skeleton that is going to be tying up a human subject. My studio, unlike my old one on Belcher Street, does not have wooden rafters that make it easy to suspend the skeletons limbs into positions. The ceiling here is very high, and all there is up there are pipes, and a concrete ceiling.

I used monofilament line tied to drapery hooks, looped over the pipes up there. This did the trick, and I was able to set up my skeleton into the desired position.

Project nearing the end

After about 2 months of work, my series of dancing conjoined twins is almost done. There are a total of 6 of various small sizes, with the largest being around 9 x 12 and the smallest 6 x 8. Four are totally done, and two just need little tiny adjustments (highlights and touch up) once the current layer is dry.

When I get to this stage, near the end, I always try to have the next painting in the preparatory state - the idea fairly developed and ready for final drawings prior to committing to paint.

However, this weekend I had a quite conflicting ideas about what to do next. When I get in this state, it can almost be paralyzing. Saturday, I got practically nothing done at the studio. My mind went back and forth on various ideas, and then I had this horrible fear that I was running out of ideas, and even worse, unable to come up with any decent new ones. I then realized that several ideas just need more time to percolate. They are worthy ideas and just need to be ruminated upon. While I work through some various options with these preliminary ideas, I decided to finish up the BDSM skeleton series. I still have 5 finished drawings and reference photos ready to progress to paintings.