Ride the Tortoise!

Welcome, welcome steampunk friends, I am happy you've stopped by! I hope you have enjoyed a wonderful and creative summer, and maybe you even had a chance to create something for our summer challenge. September is here, and we are ready for a brand new month of steampunk and industrial makes - hope you can join us!

Life can be a pretty amazing adventure when you travel at the speed of a tortoise! You have plenty of time to stop and smell the roses, or the ocean, or peach cobbler in the oven (yes, I made some from peaches from my very own tree). You have time to enjoy the sun rising and setting and watching the clouds scuttle across the sky. 

You won't miss things at this speed, like the windup clockwork woman riding a giant tortoise through the celestial sphere. Have you seen her overhead on a clear night? No? then it's time to slow down a bit and go at tortoise speed for awhile. 

I started out with a sketch of a tortoise, then drew it into my art journal, and laid on a layer of  Texture Medium with a palette knife. I wanted to create a lot of texture on the legs, so kept lifting the knife. 

When you don't have the right stencil, just go in with a wood skewer and draw your design right into the medium. I was trying to make the plates on the tortoise here. 

While that was drying, I got started on the celestial layers with a deep Ultramarine Blue. I lifted areas of the paint with a baby wipe. 

Next up, some deep purples...

Then, I used Metallics with the DecoArt Andy Skinner Whirlpool stencil, the Brutus Monroe Tangled Waves stencil, and some bubblewrap.

Now, the night skies are starting to look a bit more mysterious. 

Now that the tortoise is dry, I can paint it with a mix of Green Gold, Quinacridone Gold, Transparent Yellow Oxide and Payne's Grey.

Thinking steampunk, I wanted to give this beg fellow a metallic sheen, and buffed in some Burnished Gold.

Closeup of the tortoise...

To add some more depth, I used a Stabilo graphite pencil and a water brush.

I added gears to the tortoise so that the windup woman could use her reins to steer him, and for fun, added a top hat I made out of black cardboard. I then thought he needed goggles to traverse the universe and made them out of bits and baubles. 

I used the woman from the Graphic 45 Olde Curiosity paper pack, added a windup key, clock and key and "monocle". I think she is now ready for the reins to guide the great beast. 

Are you ready for your own tortoise adventure? I know it's out there waiting for you!

Thanks for visiting, and I hope you will join us this month with your own special steampunk/industrial creation! I am looking forward to it! 

Many, many thanks to our generous sponsors who keep the gears turning at SASPC!

Maura