Saturday, March 23, 2019

How I Cope Until the Muse Comes - figurative/portrait sketches


While waiting for inspiration, I sketch from the TV - here are a few of the dozens of these little things that I have lying around.  This approach demands drawing quickly, but since subjects will move right in the middle of the sketch, I am challenged to do a lot of memory drawing or pretty much just leave them unfinished.  Lots of fun for me and good training until I am moved to draw something to really get wrapped up in.πŸ˜€  Thanks for stopping by!

Monday, March 04, 2019

Meant to be an Oil Pastel, but Stayed a Watercolor portrait sketch

I decided to do a loose underpainting with watercolor for an oil pastel - something I almost never do - but just decided to leave it as a watercolor after all.  It actually wasn't laziness - I really like the looseness of this little 7½ x 9" piece on Arches oil paper.  Thanks for stopping by!

Saturday, March 02, 2019

More Fun with Watercolor - a watercolor portrait sketch

I came across this warm-colored piece of paper, about 6 x 8" and think it probably wasn't watercolor paper, although it's very sturdy and held up well without much buckling.  It seems to me that most watercolor paper is white, although I'm not a watercolorist so don't know for sure.  Anyway, I used it for this quick little sketch.  I painted it with colors from my cute Da Vinci pan set (below) and it has this little ring on the bottom for finger or thumb. 
Makes me feel like an experienced watercolor painter! πŸ˜„Much fun - thanks for visiting!

Monday, February 18, 2019

Soulful Bridgette - original charcoal portrait drawing

Female model looking down drawn in charcoal on pale blue paper
An all-time favorite of mine - drawing from the posed model. And she is a great model, too! Some things I could change, but not going to because it was my reaction to her that I want to save.
 This drawing is on pale blue Stonehenge paper, which I absolutely love (it doesn't really look blue in the photo, but that's my fault), using soft vine charcoal. Stonehenge is fabulous for charcoal drawings, as well as oil pastel and several other media.  I guess I'm talking about Stonehenge because there were many comments in the drawing group about this lovely paper, which I have used for years, and I just thought it deserved mention. Although I use all of the Stonehenge colors, this pale blue is beautiful.  You can visit Legion paper - the company that produces Stonehenge here.   And it's made  in America!πŸ‘
Thanks for stopping by!

Tuesday, February 05, 2019

Purple Dress - original oil figurative painting of dancers

I have been away soooo long - actually working on landscape classes that seem to take much of my time, but am learning, for sure!
This 7 x 5" painting on panel is a bit more abstract and it's one that I sort of let 'it be it' to paraphrase the saying 'let _____ be _____' - just so much fun for me! I did it on a Richeson panel, which has a pale umberish, greyish tone and really liked working on it.  Thanks for stopping by!

Wednesday, January 16, 2019

On My Easel - Pondering - oil pastel portrait painting

young woman with chin resting on her closed hand eyes turned to side
I asked this young woman to hold the pose while I took a picture to work on back at my studio.  As much as I really like going to drawing groups, I wish I could get so many of the people I see to come and pose for me.  That way I would be able to control the pose, the lighting, etc.  Oh well, one just does the best one can.  And I actually was happy with her pose, fleeting though it was.  Not really finished with this one, yet, but getting close.  It's on 12 x 9" gritty paper.  Thanks for stopping by!

Wednesday, January 09, 2019

Sandi - oil pastel portrait

woman in three-quarter portrait rust colored sweater black shirt
Sandi sat snuggled in her sweater while she posed and I really loved drawing her.  I used acrylic paper with a blue acrylic paint for the background.  Then I used mostly Senneliers and a few Caran d'Ache oil pastels to capture her sweet expression.  It's 12 x 12".  Thanks for stopping by!

Monday, January 07, 2019

Elisa's Pose - charcoal drawing of a nude model

nude model lying on stomach head on arm with one foot hooked behind other knee
Back to one of my favorites - the nude model.  Adding to the challenge of this piece is foreshortening - mainly of the leg - and drawing the foot.  Both require a good bit of study.  I did this with vine charcoal on warm white drawing paper, about 12 x 18".  Thanks for looking!

Sunday, December 23, 2018

Scallions - original acrylic still life painting

Scallions lying on orange tablecloth, tied with blue rubber band
I can't even begin to cook without onions - the Southerner/Texan in me - and here are a few before they were sliced for the salad.  Still working on 'the acrylic experience' and liking it for the most part.  The special appeal of acrylics is their fast-drying quality, which is good for many endeavors.  I also love Golden Open, which stays open (wet) a lot longer than regular acrylics, so I probably use that a little more than the usual kind.  This piece is on 5 x 7" panel - thanks for stopping by!

Tuesday, December 18, 2018

Submission - acrylic still life painting

two pears facing another pear bowing to them
A fun thing to fool around with in my quest for experience with acrylic paint.  Maybe it's a little abstract, but I really enjoyed slapping the paint on.  I did this one on stretched canvas, 8 x 10". Thanks for looking!

Thursday, December 06, 2018

A Touch of Tangerine - original oil figurative painting

man with woman in red and tangerine dress dancing a tango
This piece is done on 10 x 10" stretched canvas - actually, it's been around awhile, but somehow I just never got around to posting it.  I painted these dancers using a sketch I did a few years ago - it was a challenge to get her arms right.  I could have changed it, I guess, but just really wanted to do it like the sketch, because I really love the position.  Thanks for stopping by!

Tuesday, December 04, 2018

Another Crazy Drummer - original acrylic figurative drawing

black acrylic drawing of drummer playing drums and touches of watercolor
The hairdo got me.  Lots of hair.  A good and pretty wild drummer, but he could really play those things!  I thought of making it have more movement by adding strokes after I was finished, but decided to leave it as I drew it and just added a bit of watercolor.  This drawing is on 12 x 12" Strathmore acrylic paper, which is 246 pounds - cannot go wrong with that weight, just good for so many applications.  I used #2 bright and #4 filbert brushes with the black acrylic, painting from a drawing I did years ago.  Could do more 'finishing', but I'm not.  More fun that way!

Friday, November 30, 2018

Friday Jive - figurative painting of jive dancers

lively young man and woman dancing jive holding hands facing away
This piece is a lot looser than usual and was really really fun to paint - sort of threw caution to the wind with this one!  It's on 8 x 8" panel - thanks for stopping by!

Tuesday, November 27, 2018

Nude on Pale Green - oil pastel nude drawing

loosely drawn oil pastel nude on pale green
Here's a quick oil pastel - just had enough time to pretty much fill it in before time ran out.  First I put a pale green acrylic on acrylic paper, then used oil pastel for the drawing.  It's about 12 x 5 1/2".  Thanks for looking!

Sunday, November 18, 2018

Ginny's Hat - original oil portrait painting

Red haired young woman wearing green cloche against purple background
I put a ton of oil paint on this 8 x 8" gessoed wood panel, mainly on her face.  I seldom do that, but it was an interesting experiment.  I had applied extra gesso and was trying to overcome the texture of the brushstrokes since I didn't sand the board.  Now I'll see how long it takes to dry!  Thanks for stopping by!

Friday, November 09, 2018

Line Jive - ink figurative drawing of dancers

Abstract varied black ink lines on white paper depicting jive dancers
This ink drawing is really the inspiration for the previous post, although I did make some changes when I did the painting. Just letting your pen go a little crazy is a good thing and results in the most interesting outcomes.  I used two pens  -  Sharpie and Itoya.  While I like using these kinds of pens, I also love dip pens - they don't give the same results, but their line quality is often fascinating.  This drawing is on Strathmore Bristol, about 5 x 5 1/2".  Thanks for stopping by!

Thursday, November 08, 2018

More Jive - original figurative oil painting of dancers

Girl in red dress, boy in t-shirt and jeans jiving against golden background
It was fun working on this 8 x 8 x 1 1/2" canvas and although I already knew I'd love it, I did apply more gesso, which gave it a slight texture that made the surface even more exciting for paint application.  And with this depth of canvas, there's no need for a frame.  Those jivers - my BFFs!  Thanks for looking!


Thursday, November 01, 2018

Workingman - original ink/acrylic figurative drawing

brush drawing of man in flannel shirt and workboots
I couldn't seem to find this drawing on my blog and it's one of my favorites.  Did the piece a few - or maybe more - years ago.  This young man's wife was scheduled to pose for a drawing group I attended, but she couldn't make it, so he came in her place.  He was a great model, although I could tell he wouldn't be repeating the experience.  He was dressed for his job, and as soon as his stint was over, he made a beeline for work.  We were all very grateful that he spent a couple of hours with us.  I used a brush with ink and acrylic on greyish-white paper and loved drawing the plaid flannel shirt and the work boots.  Thanks for stopping by!

Saturday, October 27, 2018

On My Easel - Woman at Table WIP

Woman seated at table with wineglass her arms on table many paintings on wall behind
From a drawing I did a few months ago, I worked on this one today.  Lots of work to do, though, which I'll enjoy while I listen to a book by Charles Todd. one of the Inspector Rutledge mysteries, set after the First World War or Great War.  Do other artists like to paint in silence?  I did that for awhile today and it was really pleasant, but after a couple of hours decided I needed a change.  Should have made all my changes and finishing up tomorrow, so will maybe post my final painting - thanks for stopping by!

Friday, October 26, 2018

Kitty's White Sundress - charcoal and white pencil figurative drawing

I'm loving this 12 x 9" Strathmore blue toned paper.  It's heavy and beautiful - a dream to work on.  Also, I used General Pencil Company's Primo euroblend charcoal pencil set - three charcoal pencils and a white one.  They are smooth as silk - my favorites - and if you like to draw, you will love them, too.  This company makes the best pencils IMHO - there are the regular charcoal pencils, as well as the handy Peel 'n' Sketch.  All winners!  Thanks for stopping by!

Thursday, October 25, 2018

Seated on a Stool - figurative oil painting of a woman

I thought this was an interesting setup and fun to paint.  I used a limited palette which I love doing.  Actually, though, that's probably the only choice.  It's 14 x 11".  Thanks for visiting!

Monday, October 22, 2018

Tango Flourish - figurative painting of tango dancers

Three couples dancing tango with central woman in red dress and partner in fedora and suspenders
I was watching from a chair and got lots of good views, looking a little bit up at the dancers on that evening.  Such a beautiful dance - tango - and I never tire of watching (and painting).  This is on 12 x 9" panel.  Delighted you stopped by!

Monday, October 08, 2018

Figure Study - original oil pastel nude sketch

loose, gestural sketch in oil pastel on of a seated nude woman in blues, reds and peach
Here's a 6 x 8" oil pastel study on Strathmore toned paper, using the sides of Sennelier oil pastels - I left out a ton of details, because I just wanted to capture the essence of the pose.   Thanks for looking!

Thursday, October 04, 2018

In the Dark - portrait sketch of the model with white pencil on black paper

It's been so long since I did this kind of drawing that I was kind of lost, but maybe I'll get the hang of it again.  I used a white pencil on black drawing paper.  Many years ago, I did drawings of Greek statues using this method and loved it, but then got distracted by some other medium and never went back, but now am thinking it could be fun!  This sketch is about 11 x 11" - thanks for stopping by!

Saturday, September 29, 2018

On My Easel - pen and ink portrait/figurative Work In Progress

Woman seated at park in front of tree drawn in black ink with lots of texture
Ink is one of the best drawing improvers - and one of the most frightening.  No way to make it right if you mess up -  or at least I haven't found it yet!  I look at this and think 'should I create more texture'?  Or just leave it at this stage?   Will think this over and am definitely open to suggestions.  For this one I used Micron and Sharpie pens on Canson drawing paper.  It's about 9 x 10".  Thanks for stopping by!

Wednesday, September 26, 2018

The Drummer - oil pastel figurative drawing of a man playing drums

Loose oil pastel drawing of a young man playing drums drawing on dark blue paper using cool color scheme.
Loving this new (to me, at least) Strathmore toned blue mixed media paper.  It comes in a pad, it's heavy, and has a wonderful surface.  Great stuff! I really loved doing this drummer - I played drums in my youth and have a soft spot for them to this day.  After all, they're the backbone of the band and in the right hands are just beautiful!  Thanks for looking!



Monday, September 24, 2018

3 Lisas - oil pastel portrait sketch of model in 3 views

I could probably just as well call this 'Just Foolin' Around' since that's what I was doing - searching for a way to do different views of the same model.  One sketch I used to love doing was the model in different values.  Maybe tomorrow.  Just wanted to share this 11 x 14" oil pastel portrait on Canson black drawing paper.  Thanks for looking!

Sunday, September 23, 2018

On My Easel - oil pastel portrait sketch of a ballet dancer looking over her shoulder

Inspired by the ballet I saw last night, "The Firebird" by Ballet Austin, I sketched a ballerina looking back - and of course, I now have more ballet sketches from which to paint.  The ballet was lovely - I've seen lots of beautiful ballets over the years but never "The Firebird", so am really
thrilled!  Above is a picture of The Long Center where Ballet Austin performs.  The drawing is 8 x 6" on Pastel Premier board.  Thanks for looking!

Sunday, September 16, 2018

Dancers 3 - loose black and white charcoal figurative drawing of dancers

I came across this one the other day - it's from about four months ago.  These dancers will show up again somewhere in other drawings - really happy with loose unfinished pieces.  It's about 9 x 12".  Thanks for looking!