Jane Goodall

Jane Goodall - Progress

Sekaido - day 2

Not a huge leap but getting that initial perspective is always rough.

 

 

Using a guideline would be much simpler but I'm not looking for geometrically accurate drawings (cos where's the fun in that?).

 

Working outwards should be plain sailing from here but I really gotto get those paints down.

Blotchy

After falling out of practice last month, decided to pick up where I left off and try salavaging a few pieces.

This one on A3 didn't come out too bad, but with the Sekaido competition looming, it was time to move on to the next project.

Sketching

Haven't had much time recently to get paints down but managed a quick sketch for later.

Lady Edith

Maggie Smith

Last year my buddy Zan introduced Downton Abbey. I resisted. I was dreadfully wrong.

Now Maggie Smith has drolled her way into my heart and into the site!

I'd taken off a few months between my last work and this one, but a fun way to kick off the year.

Jane Krakowski

Birthday piece for a buddy of mine. 

Krakowski is a fantastic actress and a pleasure to draw, sketching took about 40mins - paints about 3hours.

Wrinkles - Tones

Really enjoying spending time on varying shades, adding definition and depth to wrinkles.

Plenty of misteeks but can feel the transition from getting lucky with the acrylics to actually controlling and understanding contours.

Tonal Testing

Working with pastel green allowed for some accurate textures. Although I couldn't quite get what I was looking for, think I might've screwed up with the sketch in the first place.

Sekaido work - week deadline

The previous canvas debacle left me with just 7 days to create a new piece in time for the exhibit. Recreating the same visual on a smaller canvas would've been much simpler but where's the fun in that.

Time restraints led to a limited pallet, meaning black would be taken out of the equation. Initially I wanted a more vibrant bubbly piece anyway since the last had been pretty morbid.

The yellow sky was a base layer to motivate a lighter mood whilst working, but eventually needed to be darkened to balance the shading on the plants.

Sekkaido entry .. or was..!

The past few weeks I'd been focused on the annual Sekkaido competition (which always seems to sneak up on me somehow).

Still about 12 hours from completion I was quite happy with the direction and colour coding, unfortunatly realised 2 weeks before the deadline that I'd been too ambitious and had been working on an F5 piece when it should've been an F4.

No biggie. It's pretty rare to get the chance to work on something that size, and it was a heck of a learning curve.

 So back to the drawing board!

Honey

Really enjoyed working with yellow this week. It's spring already, so only seemed right to go with something more vibrant.

Using wet on wet is a pretty standard technique with acrylics. and I was stunned at how much more fun  it was. Especially the hair looks fluffier and lighter.

This month will be the Sekkaido competition, and this year I'm looking to stun.

Watch this space.

Testing the water

My wife is pretty awesome, but I've never been able to capture her character in my work.

Layering thin films of acrylics might have been the wrong choice. Its's safer but the final result isn't satisfying.

Think the next portrait see a return of thick acrylics. Safe isn't getting results.

Speed Acrylics

Not happy with the actual result, but the main thing is to learn and take forward. originally I was thinking the composition with the sketch wasn't too bad.

Looking back, the eyes could've been better. Symmetry is once again the monkey in my soup.

Shiva

The Shiva painting a few weeks back pulled me out of a slump I'd been in for a while. It only seemed right to take another shot at her, but on a larger canvas.

The composition is a little off, but hey, the eyes came out pretty well.

Pink!

A lonely tube of pink acrylic had been lying the apartment for months, needing a good home.

Sold

Pretty happy with the result ")

Shiva

2 hour portrait sketch.

Really love the cheek bone definition on this painting. Using a light acrylic and layering from light to dark seems to be working for me.

The underlaying texture and natural pattern of the wood underneath the painting are perfect for skin tones.

Peel

Messing around with the clay earlier this week lead back to some Planet Peel visuals.

After a few months of working on portraits, animals and plants it was about time to go back and see what could be done with the Planet Peel visuals. 

Overwhelmingly these visuals give me a sense of satisfaction unlike the portraits. The ribbon effect is just a bunch of fun, so I'll be spending the next week working on new ides, colours and expanding the world a little.