I'm having a bad day

This was painted with the small portrait group I belong to, and with the portrait challenge on paintingfriends. My aim with this reference was to try to capture the mood more than anything else. I was going for sulky, but I think I just ended up with sad, or possibly evil. It looks even scarier in real life...

There are, um, fairly major issues with the features (the mouth is especially wonky and the eyes aren't great either). Sometimes these portraits just plain get away from you, and I got fed up of fiddling to try to get it right. I think I'll call this one:


'I'm having a bad day'


Reference photo was from Grunge on WetCanvas. Twas an interesting exercise but I don't think I'll be hanging this one on the wall :-)

Acrylic, 11 by 15"

Life drawing

At the risk of boring you all to death, here are a couple more life drawings, from Wednesday night's class ;-)

 This first one is charcoal on newsprint, a 10-minute pose.

 And next we have chalk on black sugar paper - this was a 30-minute pose, which I found really enjoyable. As you can see, I urgently need to work on facial features... and feet... and hands...

Some more life drawing

Here are a couple from last night's life drawing class.

25 minutes, charcoal on cartridge paper, A2.

20 minutes, charcoal on A2 cartridge paper again.











I feel I'm getting a bit better with the proportions, but I'd like to improve my drawing style, to produce something a bit more refined and confident. Practice is the key...

Youngster enrapt

Here's a painting from the Painting Friends forum portrait challenge. The ref is by luisrock62 on morguefile, thanks!

This kid was looking rather jaundiced for much of the time on my easel, but I think he's recovered... Practising skin tones and trying to keep loose...

There was much debate about whether out portrait subject is a little girl or boy (hence my non-committal title, lol)... I reckoned a little girl, but changed my mind while painting him. What do you think?

Watercolour, quarter sheet.

Old man winter

Well, moving on from my getting acquainted sketch, here's what I've ended up with:

Watercolour, gouache and ink, using clingfilm; quarter sheet. Ref photo by bboomerindenial on morguefile.

The reference photo for this painting was supplied for the January challenge in a small portrait group I belong to, and was in black and white, the idea being that we could apply our own colour without being influenced by the colour in the original. This is where I ended up. I'd like to say that flashes of inspiration brought me here, but in reality my thought processes were more akin to continental drift...

I may well try a series of these, one for each season, what do you think?

Edit: this painting was featured on the RedBubble homepage, 1st Feb 2011 - well chuffed!

sketch

Here's a "getting acquainted" sketch - thanks Linda, perfect description ;-) - for my next painting. Ref photo by bboomerindenial on morguefile, thanks!

Did this in my little sketchbook, 8" by 6". I have a few possibilities in mind here, but I think I'm going to try a 'Jack Frost/Old Man Winter' approach first off, and I think I may be getting the clingfilm out...

2010 top 10

Well, I've just been over at Crystal Cook's fabulous blog, where she has her top 10 paintings of 2010 - all beautiful paintings! She's suggested we all do the same, so here are my top 10 from what I've managed this year...

In no particular order...

Emily, watercolour, 11 by 15"

Her watchful place, watercolour, 11 by 15"

Charcoal portrait, A4

When I was a child, acrylic, 10 by 14"

If the wind changes direction, acrylic 10 by 14"

That basset look, watercolour, 11 by 15"

The glance, watercolour, 8 by 10"

Tom's old spot, watercolour, 8 by 10"

Faithful, watercolour, 8 by 10"

Best friend, watercolour, 8 by 10"

Have a happy and creative New Year - all the best for 2011!