Yunnan China

Painting based on a few photos I took in China travelling from Tiger Leaping Gorge to Shangri-la.

Fighting talk

.. well the model looked like he was fighting himself in the short poses (or would have done if I had used larger paper). Two 10 minute poses in charcoal and charcoal pencil on A2.

Long pose I probably should have started something new half way through as the light had changed so much and I lost a lot of the changes in hue. About three and half hours acrylic on 20"x16".

Fleeting glimpse

Still messing around with this.

Attitude

Portrait session on Saturday. I should have left the painting after one hour (without lightening the shadows). About 1 hour 20 minutes acrylic.

Had another go which is more accurate for the model and also her pose (which did change). About 40 minutes charcoal/chalk.

Splashing around

Just trying to have some fun. Three 10 minute poses in charcoal/charcoal pencil.

The other artists decided we should use the last pose for the long pose. About 1 hour 30 minutes in water soluble wax pastels.

The wrong pencils

First some 10 minutes drawings in charcoal and coloured pencils.

Then a 1 hour in coloured pencil

Then 35 minutes in conte and charcoal

Golden

The model was Gilda on Saturday. First three 10 minute poses on A1 paper, charcoal pencil.

Then the long pose. I tried to get some of the abstraction that Philip Pearlstein's paintings have by using a tight crop. About 2 hours 30 minutes in acrylic on 22"x18".

The light had changed so much by the afternoon I gave up correcting and painted a quick sketch. About 35 minutes 16"x12".

RAF Pilot

First Saturday of the month is portraits. This time the model brought his RAF uniform from when he used to pilot Nimrod aircraft.

About 2 hours in water soluble oil pastel 30"x22". The blues are all too vivid, should be greyer.

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The long and the short of it.

Short pose 5 minutes charcoal pencil.

One hour pose conte sanguine.

Tuesday Takeaway

On Tuesday we were using charcoal prepared paper and then lifting the lights with an eraser. First though three quick ones. Three minutes each in charcoal and charcoal pencil. All drawings on A2.

Then some practice with the lifting, two 5 minute drawings.

Long pose more of the same though I didn't use the charcoal pencil. About 1 hour.

Linear damping

Long pose 50 minutes conte pencil.

Different strokes

Different kinds of short drawings on Tuesday. First two 3 minutes in charcoal using the wrong (left) hand.

Then two 2 minute continous line in felt-tip pen.

Finally a one minute charcoal pencil.

Long pose in charcoal pencil, just under one hour.

Start of term

Finally the autumn term has started and it was good to get back to some shorter poses. First 2 five minutes and 1 ten in charcoal and charcoal pencil.

Then a couple of continuous line drawings in felt-tip pen.

Finally the long pose about 50 minutes in graphite.

Patchwork

I found a new drop in session in Hindhead near to my home. The model was one of the regular models at Guildford sessions so there was no excuse for the patchwork of colours I ended up with. About 1 hour 40 minutes. Acrylic on 22"x16".

Lock Keepers: still tweaking

Still need to be a bit more structured with the trees.

Protrait - Dee

Just one today. About 2 hours in acrylic about 17"x22"

Look Keepers - more progress

A bit more progress. Adding some details but still trying to get things overall in the right state. Need to check the contrast of the trees.

Lock keepers - Work in progress

I've finally got around to starting a painting from a photo taken eight or more years ago.

First drawing in pastel pencil on burnt sienna acrylic. The idea was that the orange helps warm the final result and also helps "Smuggle reds" as Stapleton Kearns suggests.

Then starting to block in colour. Mostly trying to get the overall tones right. Colours and details to come later (and lots of adjustments).

Goya's Maya

.. or rather a similar long pose. First a couple of short poses. Both 10 minutes, charcoal and charcoal pencil on A2.

Long pose I had two goes at. Same materials, the first about 40 minutes, the second 60.

Substitute model

The model we had booked could not make it today but thankfully Kelly, a regular model, volunteered.

A couple of 15 minutes on A2. Charcoal and charcoal pencil.

Long pose I tried two variations of a linear approach. Both linear though the first was more literal (in graphite) whereas the second more interpreted (in charcoal / charcoal pencil). Both about 45 minutes.

Shapes and tones

Shapes were better this week but the tones on the longer pose had the usual short sighted approach.

First two quick poses, ten minutes in charcoal.

Long pose in acrylic. Need to add more tonal variation on the painting and also be more consistent in that rather than making everything a contrast of light/dark. About 3 hours 30 minutes.