Marina and a Penguin

3 hours at John's

It looked like there was a penguin in my sketch, so I accentuated it.

One of the best likenesses of Marina thus far.  John showed me the halftones on the cheeks of the model, which helped in rendering!

Studies Before Christmas

Some decent, some, well, not so much:

Mel is back! (3 hours at John's)

Adele.  Not a just representation! (3 hours at John's)

Back to QAA for a back pose-finally something a little different! Not a great rendition, so I tried some expressive, quick studies. (2 1/2 hours)

Between the Holidays

Working a bit between the holidays, but not as much as I would like.  Here is my charcoal study from this week at John's:

Not a bad resemblance, but a more sensitive hand would have made it better.  2 hours.

ARA Long Pose-Unfinished

On Saturdays I have been working with  Brian MacNeil on portraiture at the ARA.  We worked for 4 weeks on one pose.  I photographed at the conclusion of each session:

If I had another week or two, I could have finished this portrait.  For some reason, I failed to darken the left eye as much as the right one.  My pencil wasn't working :). 

The procedure at the ARA is very laborious, but it definitely forces the artist to hold back and study the model.  I need that discipline!

A Bit of Work

The model for QAA managed to lose her way on the way to the session, so we posed for each other. Portraits, that is, not figure.  I only had one board to paint on, so I wiped out each portrait before endeavoring the subsequent.  We each posed for 20 minutes.  I didn't want to waste paint for this exercise, so I just used cadmium orange, ultramarine, and titanium white:

This is work from John's.  Decent likeness, but the left side of her mouth needs to curve up more.

Marina in an Ugly Dress

I only did a small amount of work this week. Here is the lovely Marina in an ugly peasant dress in red chalk on charcoal paper:

Getting Back on Track

             This week was better for me.  At QAA I painted an opera singer.  Ironically, I failed to paint her mouth.  This may have been a subconscious effort to get her to stop talking!  I mentioned before that the artists at QAA often engage in conversation with the model.  During this hour and a half session, I learned the life story of the model.  She, indeed, was very interesting, but I'd rather her talk at the break, and not during the pose!!!

              Admittedly, I like the composition, and it was a decent start.  Oil on canvas board, no medium.

              At John's, I achieved the best likeness of the model to date.  Her eyes are a bit cartoonish, but overall I was pleased.  I wanted a good composition for this study:

Charcoal on newsprint.  

Studies in Mediocracy

           Last week, school overwhelmed me.  I had to teach an extra class and I had student recommendations to write for 26 of my seniors.  With this added burden, I was unable to focus any attention on my art.  I attended my usual drawing/painting sessions, but my mind was not attentive.  As result, my work was mediocre.  This first piece was a four week long pose.  I spent 6 hours on this, but I was disappointed in the outcome.  The problem with QAA is that the artists and models engage in conversation during much of our drawing/painting time.  I really wanted to paint a completed portrait, but as you can see, I didn't have success with the model's face.  Part of this was because I was stressed about school, but the other part was on account of the model talking and moving constantly.  She even indicated that she was particularly itchy.  The first few weeks allowed my to draw a rather correct figure and start an underpainting.  The last week I wanted to work on the face and expression of the model.  What a disaster!

             This next one at John's was a two hour study, and yuck!

More Studies

Trying to practice, though my time at the moment is limited.

Still working on construction of head.  Two studies at John's; first one was only a few minutes, the second one was over an hour:

One slow study at ARA, using angle measurements:

I think my quick, small study came out well.  The model indicated to me that he wants to learn to draw in this manner.  Quite a compliment and interesting since it was at ARA!

More work on Rebecca, but still unfinished:

Studies

QAA:

At John's we worked on designing, which was great fun.  Here is a sampling of some quick studies I did, more for my own records than anything else:

Becca: A Bit Better

           I am still working on my second portrait, Becca, which I posted a few weeks ago.  I think I achieved more of a likeness, and I am more painterly, and less illustrative.  I need to work on skin tones now!!!

Obviously, this piece isn't completed, but I am so much happier than before: Earlier Version

Making Time for Art

           School has been consuming me, so I haven't had too much time to work on art. On September 14th, I drew Adele a few times, but only one was semi successful. This one was about 30 minutes:

           This past Tuesday I was able to go to QAA for drop in drawing. I did two drawings, both 30 minutes.

          

































The first I focused on the figure; the second, obviously, the head. I am very happy with the head, especially since it was only 30 minutes of work.

         Wednesday at John's we worked on two poses. I didn't record the first, but I liked how I worked the charcoal around the chin of the model on the second.

Shoes, Again!

             Adam liked a painting I did last summer of some Christian Louboutin shoes, so I painted them again 3'x3' for a space in one of our rooms.

Sketches

QAA: One and a half hour figure sketch:

Quick sketches with John.  Proportions are improving, but the last one I struggled with the foreshortening.  The model's forehead needs to be pushed back, and her snout looks elongated....

Back to School

QAA:

Dramatic lighting on model.  Still distorted:

The Beautiful Thea

                I have been so fortunate to have such beautiful models this summer!  My neighbor's daughter, Thea, agreed to pose for me.  I asked her because she has such distinct, gorgeous features.  She sat (completely still, I might add) for 2 hours.  I photographed her, then I fixed some of the proportions.  I want to transfer the drawing onto a canvas, and paint her.  I still have to work on getting the eyes correct, but here she is thus far:

QAA: Red Chalk

Experiment using red chalk:

Becca: An Exercise in Futility

                                    The past few months I have been drawing more than painting.  The purpose of this, obviously, is to develop my drawing skills to make painting easier.  I feel like I can draw better than average now, so I decided to attempt a portrait again.  I haven't worked on a portrait from beginning to end since last summer/fall, when I completed Magistra Lanzi.    My mother-in-law (kind of), Becca, did me the favor of sitting for me for two sessions (each almost 2 hours), and then I took a photo to finish. I have not yet finished this painting, but I need it to dry for a few weeks so that I can sand some of the clumps down, and rework some areas.

                                     Although I feel this portrait is better than the last one (the one from last summer), the technique is still nowhere close to what I hope to accomplish eventually.  I did not handle the paint well, and I have to experiment with various palettes for skin tones.  I always seem to make my people too red.  At one point, however, Becca's skin tone was so cold, she looked like a corpse.  Becca is far prettier than this portrait.  I hope she will forgive me for posting it!
                                    What I am pleased with is that I only spent about 5 days on this rather than 4 months as last year.  I did this without the aid of an instructor, though my mother gave me some pointers.  Overall, I have definitely improved my drawing; now I just need to work with paint!

Construction Phase at John's

          This evening we worked on constructing the head with lines.  John emphasized placement of features at this first of three phases (the mapping phrase).

          My main problem with this drawing was that I failed to make the tear duct look as if it is behind the eyeball on the model's left eye.

QAA Figure Study

            Hour and a half study of one of my favorite models:

              If I spent a little more time, I would have softened the shadows and added more highlights.  The study was rendered on toned paper with charcoal.  I achieved a good likeness of the model, even though I was more concerned with the proportions of the figure.
              I also learned tonight about the difference between gum turpentine and resin turpentine.  I had no idea there was a difference!  My alchemist, artist friend explained why it is better to use gum.  When I start painting more, I'll pick some up at a hardware store....

Stunning Model, And I Blew It!

            My former student, the gorgeous Leyla, was gracious enough to pose for me today in John's studio.  I didn't measure at all, and that was stupid.  It was a good study of forms, but somehow I managed to mangle the image of the model.  We both concurred that the image doesn't resemble her in the least.  She is far prettier.  I started with charcoal, but switched over to burnt sienna oil paint too quickly.  Leyla sat for almost 2 hours, and then I did some touch-ups from a photograph.  John would be disappointed to know that I work from a photo.  Actually, not even a photo-an image on my iPhone!  I had to make her more human looking, though!  I also blew the composition.  Her head is a bit small for the board, and I know better than to place the model dead center.  Here is the result:

                 I would like to work on this portrait more, though.  I keep having to remind myself that ARA spends 90 hours on a figure pose, and Sargent would spend 3 months with a family before beginning a portrait.  

Frater Marinae

              Last night at John's I drew Nick.  I achieved a likeness and decent proportions.  I always feel I am more successful with a profile, perhaps because I do not have to balance eyes.  Adele indicated that my theory isn't necessarily true, since one is working with less information with a profile. Before drawing, we worked on constructing a head out of clay.  Great way to understand the construct of the head more fully.  Building the shapes and positioning them appropriately was useful.  In addition, John lectured about lines and Holbein.   I limited the amount of shading in this study.  John kept this sketch, since I always destroy them.  He decided it was good enough to keep.

Orange Sketch

             After my white orb study on Monday, John suggested that an orange would serve as a better study for portrait painting on account of the fact that an orange is irregular.  It is a better for examining planes, which is obviously more appropriate in preparation of portrait painting.  So this weekend I took him up on it.  I started the study on Saturday using paintbrushes.  Then, after about an hour, I was called in to dinner.  My work resumed on Sunday morning, but this time I used palette knives for the oranges.  I think that it is far simpler to use a palette knife for quick studies-the paint goes on quickly, and the painting remains loose.
            For this study I wanted to conserve my values, something John stresses.  The biggest challenge for me was the fact that the highlights kept moving since I was painting outside.

              In my own estimation I handled the paint well with the knife, but I hope one day to be this loose with a brush as well.  The photo quality isn't great....

the good with the bad......

I started the week well with the QAA study seen in my last post.  Then, things went quickly down hill.  At John's I again couldn't accurately place the model's features.

Look at how horrendous her left eye is!  I can't blame the model, either, because she was super still until the last 5 minutes when I lopped off her chin.

















Then on Thursday I worked on a great model at ARA.  I worked on her for 6 hours.  I measured much, and she came out well.