Cowgirl

Ghastly · Post by **Ghastly** » Wed Sep 29, 2004 6:29 pm

I was trying an experiment tonight with real watercolours and non-photo blue pencil.

I penciled this picture with non-photo blue (so when it's scanned in 1-bit B/W mode only the black inked part will show up) then I tried to see if I could mix some watercolour paint just the right shade of blue so I could shade the picture with watercolours and then scan it in 1-bit mode and still only the linework would show up.

I didn't quite get it right, but almost, very very very close. I think a couple more experiments of this nature and I should be able to get the effect I want.

It looks kinda neat though in colour, very rough and sketchy because the pencil lines are still there and since I was rushing this I did the shading very fast and sketchy too. The neat thing is I can scan it and then colourize it afterwards so that the paint isn't blue (although it looks cool in blue too). I figured a nice sepia tone would work good for this picture.

Don't have a name for this girl yet. Maybe she'll be the mysterious stranger type. Gunslinger chick with no name. Made my own little story for her in my head while I was drawing her. I figured she's such an amazingly fast draw that she wears a "widow maker" holster. She also very handy with the lasso.

It was very fun to draw and paint because I was really trying to push myself for speed. I want to become faster at drawing because it takes me so damned long to draw anything. I didn't time myself on this one but I managed it all in only a couple of hours wich is very very very fast for me.

Usagi-kun · Post by **Usagi-kun** » Wed Sep 29, 2004 7:37 pm

I like

. It also has the feel of one of those old style photos

Squidflakes · Post by **Squidflakes** » Wed Sep 29, 2004 7:56 pm

The Sepia tone is very nice Ghastly. Is that a filter of some sort?

Also, what are you trying to do with this particular experement? Is it so you can draw, then scan without having to erase the parts you don't want?

Ghastly · Post by **Ghastly** » Wed Sep 29, 2004 7:58 pm

No I just colourized it after I scanned it to change it from blue to sepia. Figured it would fit in with the theme of the painting.

As for what I'm trying to do. I want to be able to shade a whole bunch of non-photo blue drawings I've done but still be able to scan them in 1-bit mode and only get the inked line art, not the shading. I've almost got it now, only a tiny bit of the blue paint showed up in a 1-bit scan. If I lighten my shade of blue just a smidge I should be able to shade drawings done in non-photo blue, scan them in colour for shaded effect, or scan them in 1-bit and only get the line art.

CottonStar · Post by **CottonStar** » Wed Sep 29, 2004 11:16 pm

Yet another nice pic, Ghastly.

AkaneJones · Post by **AkaneJones** » Wed Sep 29, 2004 11:59 pm

...
Is there something wrong, I read the topic and all I could think of intill I saw the pic is a girl with multiple breasts, horns, and a tail. Now it could be just the form or something but I don't know?
...
Oh well, mooving on... Crap! crap crappy pun.

Irish Witch · Post by **Irish Witch** » Thu Sep 30, 2004 12:48 am

I've seen a pic that was a combination of the two themes (Ghastly's and the muilt-boob thing)..

It was a girl as you described that was dressed up in the kind of outfit Ghastly drew and was sitting in a barn with those milking contraptions attatched to each of her teets... I lost the image ages ago and haven't found the picture again. If anyone knows where it is I'd be interested in finding it again. It was very well drawn and a good version of the concept!

CJBurgandy · Post by **CJBurgandy** » Thu Sep 30, 2004 1:26 am

The picture looks beautiful....

I was afraid for a moment before clicking the link that you had been drawing naughty pictures of my girlfriend.... Then I remembered that it wouldn't have been a bad thing if you had.

Squidflakes · Post by **Squidflakes** » Thu Sep 30, 2004 6:46 am

Now that I'm able to see the background, I must say I'm that much more impressed. Your buildings are great Ghastly! I know a couple of comic artists who can draw the human form with almost medical percision, but can't draw a building for crap. Are those based on anything, or just Wild West Cultural Meme #3645823

Ghastly · Post by **Ghastly** » Thu Sep 30, 2004 6:49 am

Yes, they're from the "let me just pull something out of my ass" Wild West collection.

I've been working a bit on my backgrounds lately and examining architecture when I'm out and about town. I'm no Fred Gallagher (but let's face it, the dude was a professional architect) but I am slowly getting better.

Wilmo · Post by **Wilmo** » Thu Sep 30, 2004 1:21 pm

It looks really good, but the holster doesnt look time-period appropriate, I may watch the history channel, but I'm no expert, so you dont really have to take my opinion seriously, but I think it looks good

Ghastly · Post by **Ghastly** » Thu Sep 30, 2004 2:34 pm

I'm pretty sure the RCMP were using "widow maker" holsters in the 19th century.

In fact, it wasn't until about 20 years ago before they stopped being used (because of too many widows being made).

Ghastly · Post by **Ghastly** » Thu Sep 30, 2004 2:50 pm

Yeah, just checked. Those styled holsters were used by both the British and American navy as well as the British infantry in the 19th century up until just after WWI

Wilmo · Post by **Wilmo** » Thu Sep 30, 2004 3:20 pm

okie dokie

Squidflakes · Post by **Squidflakes** » Thu Sep 30, 2004 5:27 pm

Why do they call 'em Widowmaker Holsters?

Kite-san · Post by **Kite-san** » Thu Sep 30, 2004 5:44 pm

i always thought it was related to the fact that they were favored for duels? (or at least steotyped as such) and thus those using them were prone to making widows of whomever was married to the other gunfighter?

Ghastly · Post by **Ghastly** » Thu Sep 30, 2004 7:10 pm

The holsters with a flap or large strap that covers the end of the gun are called "widow makers" because in a "quick draw" they take longer to draw the gun (needing to be opened or unlatched) thus are more likely to make a widow of the person wearing them.

There's an american version of the widow maker holster worn by cowboys. It doesn't have the all covering flap that the british model had but has a wide strap that covers the hammer.

The benefit of the widow maker holster is that for those riding through the bush or those who lead very adventurous lives (such as Indiana Jones who wore a british styled widow maker) there is little fear of accidental discharge (due to twigs or other items accidently cocking the hammer and getting caught in the trigger). It also prevents the firearm from falling out of the holster (although that did happen none-the-less to Indiana Jones in the second movie). It was a common navy holster because the cramped quarters on a ship meant lots of squeezing down passageways with things that could catch on your firearm.

Not a good holster to wear in a gunfight unless, like this girl, you're blindingly fast.

When I was a kid all the OPP officers wore Widow Maker holsters. Back in the 80s the police union successfully forced the government to not only change the holsters to something less dangerous in a quick draw situation but also to get rid of the old service revolvers for semi automatic pistols.

Kite-san · Post by **Kite-san** » Thu Sep 30, 2004 7:17 pm

ah, so i had it completely back asswards then. good to know.

Paradisewolf · Post by **Paradisewolf** » Sat Oct 02, 2004 5:16 pm

Nice drawing! But why would she have rifle bullets on her garder? Unless... does she happen to have a secret ninja compartment?

Ghastly · Post by **Ghastly** » Sat Oct 02, 2004 7:01 pm

paradisewolf wrote:Nice drawing! But why would she have rifle bullets on her garder? Unless... does she happen to have a secret ninja compartment?

For the sheer sexiness factor.