FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

WHAT DIFFERENT MEDIUMS DO YOU WORK IN?

I create my original artworks in a variety of different mediums, primarily painting with acrylic, urethane and mixed-media utilizing the airbrush and a plethora of other traditional tools to create my original artworks on canvas and metal. I also enjoy traditional drawing and dry pastels. My figurative art is predominately created in acrylic on canvas and urethane on metal. Of late, I've taken up sculpture and find great pleasure in the relaxing process of manipulating clay into beautiful shapes. My abstract originals are typically created with urethane pigments and mixed-media on grinded metal. An avid photographer, I shoot all of my own reference images for my figurative artworks.

WHAT IS “SPECIALLY-PREPARED CANVAS”?

When referring to “specially-prepared canvas” on my site, I’m referencing a process where I coat my canvas with several layers of gesso over several days (usually 10-15 thin coats over as many days), to create an exceptionally smooth and uniform surface for painting styles that emphasize precision and detail. An article outlining my process, titled “The Perfect Ultra-Smooth Canvas for Airbrush” was published in Airbrush Action Magazine in December 2004.

HOW DO YOU PAINT CHROME?

Probably one of the most asked questions when I show my motorcycle art is "how do you paint chrome?". I wrote two articles showing my process for rendering chrome and reflective surfaces - both are on this site: "A Study in Chrome and Reflected Surfaces" featuring Indian Summer and "Creating Reflective Surfaces: Passing Time".

WHAT ARE 'ART NUDES'?

An art nude is a work of art that takes the naked human form as its dominant subject. The term is used for painting, sculpture, photography, and mixed media. In the tradition of Western art, nudity was common in the painting and sculpture of classical antiquity. In the Christian era, early artists who used nude models included Michelangelo, Botticelli and da Vinci.

The term art nude is used for an object of art with a nude human figure making up about one quarter of the surface area and is not intentionally erotic. It does not involve the subject interacting with anyone or the face of the nude as a prominent feature. (source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Art_nude)

WHAT ARE 'WINE ART NUDES'?

"Wine Art Nude" is a term I've assigned to my figurative art nudes on metal with a wine theme. Beaujolais and Syrah are examples from my wine art nude series. Like wine, art and nudes? Follow me at Twitter/WineArtNude.

WHAT IS COLOURAIN?

I was recently inspired to revisit Colourain™ – a series of abstracts I created in the mid '80′s, which were mostly my designer line of abstract art neck wear on hand painted canvas, denim, and other fabrics. Colourain™ paved the way for much of my abstract art to follow. The juxtaposition of form against randomness is the hallmark of much my abstract works. As a tribute to my abstract art of past, I have termed my current abstract art on sanded pastel paper as Colourain™.

ARE YOU AVAILABLE FOR COMMISSIONED WORKS?

I can be commissioned to create original works of art in a variety of subject matter and in many different mediums. If you’re looking for a portrait, or a painting of something specific, contact me anytime to discuss your project. Refer to the Commissioning Art Originals page on this site for more information.

DO YOU PAINT PORTRAITS?

I enjoy creating portraits and have painted many over the years. My figurative paintings are portraits, just unclothed portraits. For years, I created the Hollywood Video murals, which were essentially large scale portraits of celebrities and movies stars. Marilyn Monroe, Eddie Murphy and Steve Martin are just a few of the dozens of portraits created during my five years as their Creative Director.

WHAT IS PROVENANCE?

Provenance, from the French provenir, "to come from", refers to the chronology of the ownership or location of an historical object. The term was originally used for works of art, but is now used in a wide range of fields, including science and computing. Typical uses may cover any artifact found in archaeology, any object in paleontology, certain documents (such as manuscripts), or copies of printed books. In most fields, the primary purpose of provenance is to confirm or gather evidence as to the time, place, and—when appropriate—the person responsible for the creation, production, or discovery of the object. This will typically be accomplished by tracing the whole history of the object up to the present. Comparative techniques, expert opinions, and the results of scientific tests may also be used to these ends, but establishing provenance is essentially a matter of documentation.

The provenance of works of fine art, antiques and antiquities is of great importance because of the cultural value of such objects. Documented evidence of provenance for an object can help to establish that it has not been altered and is not a forgery, a reproduction, stolen or looted art. Provenance helps assign the work to a known artist, and a documented history can be of use in helping to prove ownership.

The quality of provenance of an important work of art can make a considerable difference to its selling price in the market; this is affected by the degree of certainty of the provenance, the status of past owners as collectors, and in many cases by the strength of evidence that an object has not been illegally excavated or exported from another country. The provenance of a work of art may be recorded in variously depending on context or the amount that is known, from a single name to an entry in a scholarly catalogue thousand words long. (source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Provenance).

Provenance of my art is recorded on this site through my Artist Blog posts and through art-in-process photos and videos, along with the listing of books or magazine articles where my art has been showcased.

WHAT IS 'METAL FUSION'?

Metal Fusion™ is a term I've assigned to my metal art that is created from my photography printed on metal. I helped pioneer this process years ago and created a library of artworks including figurative and motorcycle related imagery. Each Metal Fusion™ piece is unique in that the metal is hand-grinded before the print process, then after printing each piece is uniquely embellished by me to create a truly one-of-a-kind artwork.

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WHAT DO LOOK FOR IN YOUR MODELS?

I create fine art. And for that reason I prefer working with models who have timeless natural beauty and self confidence. I love the curves and shapes of the female figure and take great pleasure in creating art featuring them. All models must be 18 or older.

DO YOU WORK WITH MALE MODELS?

Vary rarely but generally no. The vast majority of my subject matter are female.

DO YOU PAY YOUR MODELS?

Yes. I typically work with professional models and compensate them for their time and talent. Photo examples of my work can be viewed online at Model Mayhem.

HOW CAN I MODEL FOR YOU?

If you plan to be in the Las Vegas, Nevada area and are interested in modeling, you can contact me directly. Talented professional models and muses interested in working with me can contact me via OMP, MM or other portfolio sites where I can view thier previous work.

Modeling is not limited to professional models, but a certain level of experience and desirable. Agency models or representatives need not apply.

As in industry standard, all models must sign a copy of my Model Waiver and Release.

WHERE CAN I VIEW YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY?

I post a select few my photography images online at Model Mayhem (most are nudes so 18 and over please).

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HOW CAN I SHOW MY ART ON THIS SITE?

This web site is specifically dedicated for original artworks by A.D. Cook, artist. All art featured on this site are the exclusive works of the artist.

AM I ALLOWED TO USE THESE IMAGES ON MY WEB SITE?… TAGS?

Unless otherwise indicated, the copyrights to all art represented on this site are owned by artist A.D. Cook [dba ADCook LLC], and are protected by copyright law. All rights reserved. If you want to use images for a specific purpose, please send us an email. Copyright and legal information can be viewed here.

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MY QUESTION IS NOT LISTED HERE…

If your questions aren’t answered here, or elsewhere within this site, simply contact us. We’d love to hear from you anytime. Cheers!