New Paintings Started. The Lounging Figure, the Copper Tree

A couple new paintings started this week.  Wednesday evening during figure drawing group I began a 9" x 12" panel of the female nude, perched upon black and teal drapery.  I started by under painting in shades of blue and a little brown, manipulating the limbs and fabric until I was happy with the placement.

Working on a small scale, it's important to get everything blocked in proportion before thinking about detail.

For the next hour I worked on getting the local color and minor adjustments to the figure.

Since our session came to an end, the kind model permitted me to take a reference photo so that I can finish.  I am especially interested in painting the pattern in the drapery.

Much like this painting from a couple weeks ago, I think the pattern will really add interest to the piece.

Also started this week...I am working on a painting for a client's dining/living area.  The walls are copper colored, and they are especially drawn to trees.  I found a really small (1" x 2") snapshot of a cherry tree branch in bloom in a magazine, so I am basing this painting off of that tiny picture.  I'm glad it's tiny, though...I want to look at the general shape, not minute details.

I started with a wash of cadmium orange, then glazed over that with a mix of turquoise and white.  Then I added about a hundred little squares of copper foil (THAT was fun!) and glazed again with a mixture of red and sap green.  (two panels, 30" x 30" each)

I'm just starting to add some lines with conte' crayon.

I have worked in this style before, and it creates a surface with a lot of depth and texture.  The birds in this painting were created the same way. 

And I love using copper leaf, you can control it to some extent, but sometimes it will tear and rip, creating accidental shapes as it did in this painting of the figure.

I will still add several more layers, and maybe even use a little modeling paste in a few areas.  I also like to sand away spots that become over-developed, revealing some buried moments.

I'm excited about finishing both of these paintings...soon I hope!

Original Art SALE in my Etsy Shop! Save 30% on All Original Watercolors, Pastels, Paintings and Drawings.

Thanks to a great new application, I am finally able to have a STORE-WIDE Original Art Sale in my Etsy Shop! 

All Original Watercolors

All Figure Drawings

All Modern Art

All Drawings of the Male Nude

Are 30% Off!  No need to wait for a refund or enter a special code...just shop and buy!

It's not that I don't love each and every piece...but it's time to clean out the studio!

And...I broke my glasses.  So I need new ones :)...or my new work could look REALLY blurry...

New pastel portraits started, one from life, one from a photograph.

Over the past weekend I had two very different events and two different opportunities to start a pastel portrait.  Friday night, during the opening for Art of the Figure, we had a live model pose and I began a portrait in Nupastel on an olive green piece of Colourfix paper.  On Saturday, I participated in the Crabapple Festival in Milton, GA.  I used this opportunity, outside, a gorgeous sunny day, to set up my easel and start a portrait from a photograph of my little girl.  (This is not finished yet!)

I started out early in the day with just a few colors - some blues and fuscia - to define the large shapes. Then I started to add bits of warm and cool greens and pinks as well.

All during the festival visitors would stop and chat and we would discuss technique, what kind of photo to start from, how I chose my colors, etc.  I encourage people to select photos that are taken in natural light, that capture a casual moment rather than a forced smile.  When you are looking thru photos trying to decide what to turn into a portrait, look for the one that says to you "Now THAT is their personality!"

So what source of information is easier to work from - the live model or the photograph? One of the obvious benefits when dealing with a child's portrait is the photograph stays still.  However, when working from a live model, I tend to find a lot more color in and around the figure, as you can see here from Friday's live demonstration.

There is a lot of energy in the mark-making, and the layering of color is more "impulsive" rather than trying to match a photo.  However, since I did not get to finish that evening, I will resolve the features and finalize the piece from a photograph.

In the end, I think that portrait artists need a good balance of working from the live model and photographic references.  We can take the strengths of both an put them to use in our work.  If I end up with a reference photo that is a little monochromatic or too dark, I can remember the colors I find in the live model.

Opening Reception - The Art of the Figure - Photos!

I just want to thank all of the fabulous people who visited Ann Litrel Art on Friday night to see our show, The Art of the Figure.  There was a constant stream of people, and it was such a pleasure to chat with you about the work and share information about our drawing group and what we enjoy creating.

My neighbor sent me some great pictures so I'm going to share a few of those.  Someday when I actually download the photos from my camera I'll add those, too!  Most of these show myself and two fellow artists working from our wonderful live model.  That was a lot of fun for everyone...we were all working in very different styles, and viewers seemed to enjoy watching the process and seeing how different artists approached the same subject.

The Art of the Figure - Drawings and Paintings of the Live Model. Opening Reception 10-01-10

This has been a very busy week, prepping for tomorrow's Art of the Figure Opening at Ann Litrel Art on Mainstreet in Woodstock, GA.

I spent the morning hanging the work - and it looks terrific!  A broad range of styles and techniques in a variety of media - watercolor, pastel, charcoal, and oil.

These are just a few of the pieces in the show, including a few of my pieces, Shane McDonald, Bruce Johnson, and Shannon Brickey

Please come by and see the whole show!  A portion of the proceeds from tomorrow night's sales will benefit the Elm Street Cultural Arts Village in Woodstock.

October 1, 2010 - Ann Litrel Art - 5-9 PM

Live Portrait Drawing Demonstration from 6:30 - 8:30

After a morning in the studio...

....here is an update on the drawing of the nude couple.  Looking very sculptural...there are a few issues with scale....still bringing in the darker values...but it's coming along!

I've ignored my family. And liked it.

Did you ever have one of those pieces that just DEMANDED your attention...a painting or drawing that haunted you at night, causing restlessness and the inability to fall asleep, a piece that just says "PAY ATTENTION TO ME!"  Well I have one of those pieces right now, and my family had to pay the price.  I ignored them all day just so I could do what needed to be done! (of course...if you ask them...they may have enjoyed my absence...but let's not go there!)

So here is what I'm working on! A new 30" x 30" drawing from the evening that we had the couple model for our group.  (his head looks really blurry right now!)

  Because of the complexity of the pose, I used a grid to transfer the photo to the board.

Then I used some vine charcoal to establish an over-all sense of light and shadow.  Trying very hard to think of the WHOLE drawing...not just the little moments that I wanted to dive into.

 After using the vine charcoal, I switched to a hard charcoal pencil to start really defining the shapes. 

I still have a long way to go, but I am so excited about this piece I couldn't wait to show you! It's probably the most beautiful pose I have ever seen...I kind of have to shake my head in des-belief that I actually get to work with these incredible models. 

Oh...and the family's ok.  I think I'll ignore them more often.