Happy Xmas and Prosperous New Year

To my followers and friends, and  any other visitors to the blog,  may I wish a Happy Xmas and Prosperous New Year.

The above three photographs above show Avon Valley Artists end of year `bash' in the Church Hall organized by Yvonne, Jan and Robert.  Enjoyed by all and thanks to the organizers.  No painting just eating and drinking! The new program of subjects starts on January 8th.

More Watercolour Paintings (2)

Here is another selection of watercolour paintings covering several subjects. They show many styles and techniques from artists of quality, even if individual paintings aren't necessarily to everyones taste. Some are well-known others less so but all are of interest. PLEASE NOTE EXTENSIVE INDEX JULY 2014.

Stephie Butler - Stephies work is easily identifiable with her delicacy and colour choices

Morten E Solberg Snr - a terrific American artist who produces very atmospheric landscape/wildlife paintings

Christian Couteau - His work is easily identifiable with his unusual colour choices

Charles Reid - Enough said!

Michelle Brown - I don't know this artist but like the looseness of this one.

Millind Mullick - The prolific Millind often features red and green, in this case orange and green 

Janet Rogers - an American artist who paints beautiful delicate portraits

Yuko Nagayama - This supreme Japanese artist normally paints still lifes/flowers so this is something of a change for her but equally good

Viktoria Prischedko - This one and the one below are typical Viktoria. It is amazing she produces such colourful paintings with such a limited palette (5 paints)

Viktoria Prischedko

Robert Wade- The doyen of Australian artists. I know this scene which is in Bristol. One of Roberts sons studied medicine here.

Ananta Mandel - Thanks to Alberto I now know Ananta is a man and has a Facebook page.

Orhan Gorel - a brilliant Turkish artist

Edward Seago -  A fairly simple study from the famous Seago.

I hope I have all the names right - if not I apologize to the artists concerned. Corrections welcome.

Tommy Lee Jones

Tommy Lee Jones is one of my favourite actors. My newspaper had an interview with him the other day accompanied by a full page photo so I decided to have a try at his portrait. The guide photo was black and white.

Tommy Lee Jones - 16" x 12" Arches Hot Press 140lb (300gsm)

You may notice this is hot press paper, in other words quite smooth, no real tooth at all. I was given a half used pad by Jan Weeks of Avon Valley Artists, who didn't like the paper at all. I've done one previous portrait, of an Amerindian, and it gave an interesting result quite different from those done on the normal `not' surface. I shall certainly do some more.

I made an initial drawing using rough methods of calculation regarding  proportions, spacing of the main features etc  with a Pentel 07 2B mechanical pencil. On reviewing it I used the rubber to erase and then made corrections as I saw it. The day following I made further corrections. 

As usual I started with the eyes, then the nose and finally the mouth. I then painted the rest using the features as the yardstick. After the paint was dry I put in the shadow areas. This took a number of attempts before I was (reasonably) satisfied. I say reasonably because it is easy to keep trying and risk disaster. I can see areas where it could be better but overworking is worse, in my opinion, than underworking. I didn't finish but reached a point where - faults and all - I decided I better stop.

Colours used were Cadmium Red Light, Raw Sienna and Cerulean or Cobalt Blue for the skin colours. The Cobalt Blue provided the darker mix. Brushes were the Isabey Kolinsky sables sizes 4,6 and 8. I also used the Isabey retractable size 6 mainly around the eyes.

I'm fairly pleased with it although he has the sort of face where getting a reasonable resemblance is not too difficult. I know it is far from perfect but then what is.

More Portraits in Watercolour

Here is another selection of watercolour portraits in a variety of styles. The artists include some well-known, others not so well-known, but all exhibit a high degree of  skill and quality, at least in my opinion, and I realise not everyone will like all of them. However there is sufficient variety for most. Even if you are not into portraits lessons can be learned from these paintings which might be applied to other subjects.

The wonderful Stan Miller

Ai Xuang - another of these superb asian artists

Guan Weixing - The Master

Janine Galizia - Amazing

Stephie Butler - lovely use of colour

Lu Yongsheng

Charles Reid - a typical CR portrait

Gerard Hendriks - unusual for him as he doesn't do many portraits but full of life

Diann C Benoit  - an excellent artist prominent on Facebook

Ibe Ananaba - always  unusual and often provocative

Steven Scott Young - enough said!

Tong Wuy

I know some of these artists but not all by any means. They are just a few of the many I have come across in the last few years. Styles vary but I'm sure that whatever your tastes some will appeal. If I have any of the names misspelt I do apologize to the artists concerned and stand to be corrected.

Children

This was the subject of a recent Avon Valley Artists session. It was three or four weeks ago and unfortunately I didn't record whose paintings they are so apologies to my fellow members. 

My grandson aged 8. I tried to capture his character, a budding entrepreneur, but only partially succeeded and his face is too red. 

Some very good studies I'm sure you'll agree.

Eurasian Eagle Owl

This is my latest bird for `Paint Colorful Birds for Fun' on Facebook. Fairly simple I made a loose pencil drawing with the eye and beak the focal points, using my Pentel mechanical 07 2B pencil.  

Eurasian Eagle Owl - 12" x 9" Fontenay Rough

Colors used were Raw Sienna, Raw Umber, Burnt Umber, Gold Ochre (W & N), Translucent Brown (Schminke PBr41), Ivory Black (Maimeri) and Cerulean (Daler Rowney) for the beak, and when dry liberal applications of acrylic white (Galeria Titanium White) for highlights applying it with a small stiff bristle brush, dry brushing mainly.

Apart from the bristle brush I used only two brushes, the Isabey Kolinsky sable No.6 and Da Vinci Artissimo 44 No 2, this latter for the background colour. I was quite pleased with the result. .

Autumn

This was the subject at the most recent AVA session. There were 15 members present and it is a subject that covers a wide range of possibilities.

Part of the happy throng

Yvonne Harry

Jo McKenna

Jan Weeks

Pat Walker

Peter Ward

In my case this based on a photograph of a hedgehog rummaging around in a pile of autumn leaves with all the seasonal colours that you get. Pebeo drawing (masking) fluid applied with a ruling pen is responsible for all the white streaks on the animal. An opportunity to paint with rich reds, oranges, golds and yellows.

Various references were used, from still lifes to photographs, some of the latter on ipads which are becoming increasingly popular.

FULL INDEX TO THE BLOG JULY 2014 POST.

Venerable Gentleman

This is my latest portrait after quite a lapse. I was attracted to a photograph that my fellow AVA artist Yvonne Harry produced and asked if I could borrow it.  The attraction to me was the character of the face - goodness knows what it has seen in the course of a long life.

The original drawing made with a mechanical Pentel 07 2B pencil. I took no measurements but started with a basic fairly faint outline, then worked out where the features, eyes, nose and mouth went constantly checking them in relation to one another and erasing and redrawing where necessary. Quite often actually. The mouth was more or less hidden. I then used Pebeo masking fluid, mostly thin or very thin lines, possibly overdone in places but with the hair a combination of gray and white preferred the white paper to show through rather than add acrylic white or gouache later.

This is my `studio' with the work in progress. The TV isn't in working order though.

Another view.

Still another, rather dark unfortunately which means I have to use a powerful daylight bulb.

`Venerable Gentleman' - 16" x 12" Centenaire 140lb (300gsm) not

The skin colour is various combinations of Cadmium Red Light, Ultramarine Blue, Cerulean, Burnt Umber, and Translucent Brown (Schminke) The beard had light washes of greys made from Cerulean, Burnt Umber, Burnt Sienna etc. The darker areas were put in when the original washes were dry. One of my many faults is not to wait long enough for the washes to dry.

Brushes used were the Isabey 6 retractable and Isabey series 6228 Kolinsky sables in sizes 4, 6 and 8.