"Elephant and Rhino"
watercolor on paper
40 x 30 cm (15 ¾" x 11 ⅞")
As many of you know, I have been pretty busy those last months, converting a Renault Trafic panel van into my personal "Corona-Camper". It's quite a challenge to make a cozy home for two out of a tiny vehicle that fits standard European inner city parking, especially for a guy of 6'5" with commensurate bulk :-)
I completed about 80% of the work, but since I'm waiting for the upholstery (a trade I have zero talent for) I managed to find a little painting time. It's not likely the Renault will ever get to see the African continent, but it doesn't hurt to phantasize about what adventures one might encounter there. A nice subject for a painting, anyway...
Before you ask, of course I will show you the camper in an upcoming post. For today, thanks for looking, and please don't forget to upvote and reblog if you liked my art. Until next time!
Wie viele von euch wissen, war ich in den letzten Monaten hauptsächlich damit beschäftigt, einen Renault Trafic Kastenwagen zu meinem persönlichen "Corona-Camper" umzubauen. Es ist eine ziemliche Herausforderung, aus einem winzigen Fahrzeug, das auf einen europäischen Innenstadtparkplatz passt, ein gemütliches Zuhause für zwei Personen zu machen, besonders für einen 1,91-m-Mann mit dazugehörigem Körpervolumen :-)
Ich bin zu etwa 80% fertig, aber da ich auf die Polsterung warte (ein Handwerk, für das ich null Talent habe), habe ich es geschafft, ein wenig Zeit zum Malen zu finden. Es ist unwahrscheinlich, dass der Renault jemals den afrikanischen Kontinent zu sehen bekommen wird, aber es schadet nicht, davon zu träumen, welche Abenteuer man dort erleben könnte. Jedenfalls ein schönes Motiv für ein Gemälde...
Bevor ihr jetzt fragt, natürlich werde ich euch den Camper in einem zukünftigen Post zeigen. Für heute, danke fürs Anschauen, und vergesst bitte nicht das Upvoten und Rebloggen, wenn euch mein Beitrag gefallen hat. Bis zum nächsten Mal!
Love this one.
Novice question, but how did you clean up the inside of the sun, and keep the colors clean on the edge?
Thanks. I used liquid latex masking. The sun is pure paper white which I never painted over. See photo #1.
I was wondering how the vehicle conversion was coming along. Sounds like quite the project. 80% done though, thats great. Nice painting. The lines are quite crisp and clean. Well done
Thanks. Yes, it is quite a project. Much of it is staring at it and thinking. Every millimeter counts, and there are trade-offs everywhere. For example, I have a huge 2 m x 1,70 m bed which can be made up with two people in the van and the doors shut (in case it's raining). If you know the tiny Trafic, you understand that took some thinking :-)
In addition, the vehicle is registered as a truck, and most items need to be quickly removable with simple onboard tools to count as cargo; else the vehicle registration and insurance are voided. So to make the furniture free-standing but still firmly in place for safety and to avoid rattling is another time-consuming issue.
I will likely not be able to get a motorhome reg, because the authorities insist on a built-in cooking hub. The only kind with an indoor certification requires the installation of a full-fledged propane system. That's idiotic. I opted for 227 g butane cylinders which are readily available worldwide. No adapter hassles and such. The cookers are portable; I have two, one mounted and one stowed away. Maximum flexibility, but no indoor cert. Because the carbon monoxide from those burners is much, much, much worse than the kind emitted by the certified burners. What a bullshit!
One day I'll explain all this in a post with photos, although the administrative hassles pretty much only apply to Germany. Most other countries don't give a rat's ass.
Wow thats quite the challenge. I didn't realize it was that big of a conversion. Interesting. So many rules and regulations as well. I guess thats not surprising though. Always the case.
I look forward to the post about it.