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.

QAA Study

             Two hour study:

Highlights aren't great, but decent study....  Highlights were pastel...

Still Life

              Today I worked on a still life of a Chanel Nº5 bottle.  I don't really have an obsession with Chanel.  Then again, perhaps I do!  I still have to make some adjustments when it dries, but here it is thus far:

             I also fixed the lipstick I did a few weeks ago.

John's Studio with Hank

             I took a few days off from art.  I didn't want to, but life interfered with work.  Today I started to get back in the swing of things by going to John's studio with my Muse, Hank, and working for a couple of hours on some charcoal sketches.  I first completed a very traditional activity of a sphere.  I set up a white orb, and used vine charcoal and white chalk on toned paper.

              Then, I worked on copying a drawing of a torso from a book I have.  I tossed it, because it wasn't working out in the manner I wanted.  I will do another study tonight.

              Here are some photos of my Muse:

QAA: Study of Michele

Laudatory remarks from the model!  Michele the model, whom I have work with many times, thought I had improved so much in the last few months.  She indicated that she has seen people work for 25 years, and still not obtain much of a likeness.  This is a likeness, indeed! (But not a good photo-it is even a little distorted....)  Thank you, John, for your patience with me!!

Still Life: Rouge Coco 19

             After a deliberating with instructor John, we decided I should complete some still life paintings.  I decided it would be fun to do a study of a lipstick.  I worked on this for 3 hours this morning:

     It still needs some work-a narrowing in of the black on the left side of the tube, and a tad of an extension on the right of the cap.  Also, perhaps the CC logo needs to adhere more to the shape of the cap. I think that is what I need to do.  Perhaps John or my mom could give me a advice, or help me with perspective.  In order to get the cap shape somewhat correct, I used a one point perspective, but obviously I did not wish the completed piece to be photo realistic.  The obstacle I encountered was that I couldn't exaggerate the cap and make it look authentic.  Any alterations I made it appear that I had no idea what I was doing. 

Study of Marina

              I worked for about 2 hours on this study.  I used charcoal on newsprint.  Using a needle to get angles and some widths, I got decent proportions.  Still a little off, and could have worked a bit more.  I now observe that the eyebrows are not quite right, but I had some success in achieving a likeness.  Had a good conversation with John.  I think I am becoming frustrated because I can see what is wrong, and I push forward too quickly.  I need to set myself up first, before I delve in.  Focus, concentrate, and restrain.  As Giovanni used to tell me, you can't hang a picture until you first put up the wall.  Decorating comes after construction.

QAA Study of Stephanie

I used a colored charcoal paper for this study:

(vine charcoal and white chalk)

Updated Figure

            I worked for a bunch of hours today on that abstract I was attempting-in vain, but I worked nonetheless.  I don't know why I have such a difficult time with expressive compositions.

            I also toned down the background of a figure I had done a while back.  The chromium oxide definitely forces the figure to move forward on the board.

Maggie

               My dad wanted my to paint his new pug puppy, Maggie:

           I may still work on her a bit, but, for all intensive purposes, she is complete.  I assiduously worked on drawing her first. I produced a rather accurate drawing, then I painted her more impressionistically than usually.  Looking at her now on the computer screen, I may work on the wrinkles under her eyes, and I see I failed to add her collar-paints are away, so that will be work for tomorrow. I had much fun painting her, since I handled the paint more loosely than normally.  I like the effect, too.  Admittedly, the composition is not entirely mine-it is my father's.  I used one of his photographs, but I cropped her hind legs off because she would have looked like she was floating in space if I had her plopped in the middle of the canvas.  To balance her out, I also cropped her front paw.  I don't think my father will sue me, though.  

The Week of the 4th

              I was not so productive this week, but I did manage to go to John's.  These are two of my drawings from Wednesday:

(mapping to get proportions)



















(values, but wow are her eyes and cheeks inaccurate!!)

















I also loosely copied a charcoal sketch from one of my art books.  I am too lazy to find out who drew the original, but I only loosely copied her anyhow.  I wanted to experiment with red chalk, and I didn't have a model to work from.

First Full Week of Summer

           I had a pretty productive week last week, but this week is shaping up to be a bust, though I have some good ideas for paintings.  Now I just need to find a place to paint-it is too hot outside, and too hot in my attic/studio.

          Last week I worked on an abstract, that still needs some work, but here is my other work.

QAA Figure Drawing:

 

(Good proportions, finally!)

John's on Wednesday:

(Volumes)

(Line relationships.  Mouth and nose look accurate, but not the eyes or cheeks.)

On my own, working on a bust.  I haven't quite gotten the hang of sight size, so I need to practice more.  This is about 2 hours worth of measuring.....

ARA with Emmy:

(Emmy taught me some tricks, and I am sad we don't have class this week.)