Thursday, June 30, 2011

It's Almost There!!

Another update of the portrait I'm working on.  I got a second wind tonight and decided to work some more.  I also chose not to do the red and white hawaiian print.  There were so many folds in the shirt, between that and the print itself, I was too scared haha.  So I made up a color mixing pinks, purples, maroons, and blues.  I still have the hands to finish and some other things to touch up but it's almost done!!

The vibrancy of the shirt may be taking away from the person...I'm not sure what I'm going to do about that yet....hmm... ideas?

Update

Worked on this some more tonight.  Just wanted to post an update.  I like where it's going, just need to think about what I'm going to do about the shirt... in the picture its a white and red hawaiian print, but that may be too detailed to come out nice.  White shirt? Blue shirt may cool down all the other colors...  Any ideas?

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Finishing and Starting

So I worked on my "In the woods" piece last Saturday and I'm very happy with it.  I like where its gone, and the colors.  Here it is! Only 6x8, Nupastel on paper with Pastel Pencil details...

In addition to this, I took on a portrait on 11x14 size paper with an attempt to do more detailed work.  I'm not looking to do something that looks like a photograph, but something more detailed and life like than I have done.  I worked on it for about an hour and need some more tweaking on the building in the back.  I like the beach grass and what I've done so far with the hair and skin tones.  The shirt in the photograph I have is extremely detailed and I'm unsure if I'd like to keep it the red and white print it is, or change it.  Please let me know what you think!!!


Also, I stumbled across a couple blogs that I love!! Check out Edward Gordon's blog on the right!!

Friday, June 24, 2011

Mini Paintings

Just wanted to post some updates of things I've been working on.  I took one of my 12x16 Pastel Papers and cut it into four 6x8 pieces to do some work on a smaller scale.  I've got about 30 minutes worth of work on both of these pictures done but I'll be putting on more layers and working on the background of the scallions piece.  The pictures aren't the greatest because they're off of my phone, but I found that my phone takes better pictures without the flash if I don't have indirect daylight to take it with my camera.  One is scallion flowers, and the other is just looking down the opening of a wooded area.

The scallions were harder than I anticipated as I wasn't mentally prepared with all of the little petals, but I like it none the less.  The harder part is the background which is an out of focus garden (all green) and a hosta (spelling) that is light in value because of the transparency factor.  But I really like how the woods are going.  I would like to work on leaf detail in the trees more.  The woods picture is more out of focus than I thought it was when I took it... so I apologize.  With more work on them I'll take better pictures of both.

After watching a documentary about Van Gogh, based on letters to his brother, it was reported that he created over 900 paintings in 9 years, averaging a painting a day.  Out of curiosity, I wanted to see what my average production was.  Knowing it wouldn't be nearly as much between just starting pastels a year ago, working two jobs, and attending two colleges the past six month, including finish my Master's and thesis.  I have created 54 pastel paintings in the past year, averaging to one a week.  Posted here are numbers 55 and 56.  I'm going to take this opportunity to challenge myself and my production rate.  Let's see what happens! :)

Sunday, June 19, 2011

Bubbles

So I usually visit my parent's on Sundays for dinner and today I decided to head up there earlier than usual with my bag of pastels, which was already packed from my figure session yesterday.  I had printed up pictures that I wanted to work on for my movement series and started one.  I'm really happy with how it turned out.  A photographer that I"m working with had emailed me several pictures to get my input and when I enlarged them online I zoomed in much further than I anticipated.  Well this turned out to be one of those happy errors and I fell in love with the zoomed in pictures more than the photo as a whole. I started one of them and still have to work out some of the composition so that the focus of the picture is where I want it to be.  But I really like it and have impressed myself (don't you love it when that happens?).  Here is the first of two bubble pictures of the series. Please let me know what you think!
 



Here is another picture I took with my phone, without any flash, and in natural light.

Saturday, June 18, 2011

Live portrait drawing #4

This is my fourth live figure drawing.  I'm pretty pleased.  The gentleman was from Trinidad and had a wonderful accent.  He was also a great model and held very still (and it was his first time!).  I spoke to the woman monitoring because I overheard her conversation about trying to get other monitors.  Originally, the Sat clothed figure drawing for July and August were canceled because she's been monitoring for 5 years and didn't want the obligation every Saturday for the summer.  Several members are trying to relieve her and rotate so that the sessions can continue.  Well I also heard her talking about needing models so I told her if she needed models, I wouldn't mind doing it but I don't want to do the nude modeling.  So I don't know if I'll do it once and they'll never want me to come back or if I can be someone's muse.  Anyway, back to today's session, the model was fantastic and I'm really happy with my work, especially considering this is my fourth live model. :)  Even the model liked it and took a picture on his phone for himself!

I took a reference photo and my work on it some more.  I would like to put more into the background and some detain in the small amount of shirt that is visible.  I would love to hear any comments!

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Teddy

Alright, so with much procrastination (pen drawing instead of pastel) I started working on a series that encompasses movement.  The explanation for the why and how of this series is a long story so for now I'm just going to say its about multi-sensory perspective using movement.  Anyway, I found a picture online by a photographer in Germany and (with his permission) am recreating it.  When I decided to work on this series I had an idea in mind but then found this picture and it's exactly what I was thinking.  Here is about 45 minutes worth of work from tonight...







There are things I need to work on more... the lines that indicate movement behind the bears head, the circular motion at the bottom left, etc.  But this is a start and I'm really liking where it's going. :)

Please let me know what you think!!



Sunday, June 12, 2011

I'm practicing.

Its been a while but I have been busy... trying to practice sketching but in pen (first time).  I haven't completed any pastel paintings but I have been trying to practice getting gestures or just plain old drawing.  I've been working in pen, forced to face unforgiving lines.  I am happy with how everything has been coming out for the most part, and decided to share some... enjoy!



Saturday, June 4, 2011

Marathon Figure Drawing

Today was the Marathon Figure Drawing session.  I didn't stay the whole day, I got there at 10:30 and stayed until about 5:30.  There was a long poses and short poses room, and I chose the long poses because I wasn't sure about what to expect and I'm still getting used to the whole drawing naked people thing.  I was thinking the long poses would be about an hour, and they would do a few of them.  Nope, just one looong pose that lasted about 3 hours.  I've never spent that much time on a drawing, but for whatever reason, didn't stop and do multiple drawings.  I just kept working and working. The first model I drew enjoyed walking around and seeing what the artists were working on and at one point, later in the session she came around and said "Every time I see it, I think you're done, but then it gets better!"  By far the best compliment I've ever had about my art work.  I even had another artist that stood behind me for a few minutes and just watched me work.  I felt very flattered!  I am extremely happy with what I did.  Next I'd like to work on doing short colorful figures that are abstract in color but not shape.  Anyway, I wanted to post what I completed!
Between the two, this is my favorite.  I started with a layer of pinks and purples and slowly added oranges, blues, and lights.  I really did spend the whole three hours on it.  Great model, very elegant, with a beautiful neck.  I had a lot of fun doing this.  It is Nupastel on Pastel Paper with Pastel Pencil details.
Number two.  Again, happy with it.  This pose was harder.  While the monitor had taped markings so that the model could take up the same pose after breaks, her torso and face were slightly different after each break.  Her lips were very tight which made that particular detail hard to draw.  There was a black cloth draped over the bench she was sitting on, but I preferred to add more color into it.  For this one, I started in oranges, reds, and browns, and then built up by adding pinks, purples, greens and blues.  Same as the first, Nupastel on Pastel Paper with details in Pastel Pencil.  Let me know what you think!!
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...