Animals - Avon Valley Artists

This was the subject at last weeks session, at which fourteen members were present. I think one can say it is a fairly popular subject.

The early stages starting with the eyes

Peter Ward - Primate 16" x 12" Centenaire 140lb (300gsm) not

I relished this subject using an image picked up from Google and saved on the ipad. I wanted to diverge  (a la Gerard Hendriks) from the fairly dull original colours, roughly combinations and variations of Burnt Umber, Raw Umber and greys, put in painting terms, and add more colour. One of my many faults is a tendency to  carelessness and I reached a stage here when I thought it would end up as a dogs dinner of a painting. I don't think it quite that but it certainly isn't as I originally intended and I've been pondering it since, and may well have another shot. The lesson - study the subject in great detail, pick out the main features and don't rush things. Although some regard this as being beyond the pale I suggest the ipad apps Value Viewer and Waterlogue can be very helpful providing you don't become over reliant on them. 

Yvonne Harry

Jan Weeks

Jo McKenna (not watercolour)

All in all an enjoyable sesion. Next week it is `glass/china !

Another Portrait

This attempted portrait was originally done as a possible entry in the Bathampton `end of term' Spring project. In the event I missed the final meeting last week.

Judi Dench - 15" x 11" Schut Vivace 115lb Not.

The likeness is about 80% correct and I used my normal `Charles Reid' mixes of Cadmium Red  Light/Cadmium Yellow Light/Raw Sienna combinations with Cerulean Blue added to darken in places. I've been looking at Charles new video `Figurative Watercolours' and realised I'm not quite doing things correctly so some reappraisal is in order.

My brushes tend to be much the same in recent paintings, the two Isabey retractables for fine detail, with the Isabey No 8 6228 Kolinsky for most of the other work. I also use the DaVinci 44 Size 2 Artissimo Kolinsky mop, roughly equivalent to a size 12/14 round, and either the DaVinci or Rosemary Size 6 Kolinsky. I like the Schut Vivace paper used above but it doesn't seem to be available any longer and in any event obtaining Schut paper is difficult and expensive.

This is my last post this month. I shall be starting May with the `April Challenge' painting . This was a really tough one, two prominent white chairs in a garden. It's my turn to pick the May challenge so I'll get my revenge, only joking Mick.

The subject at this Thursdays AVA session is `animals or birds'. This is pretty broad and having done three moderately successful paintings of moorhens and a snow leopard. I'm planning to try some larger animals. I have been looking at the animal paintings of several artists and in particular the Chinese artist Liam Quan Zhen. I urge you to look at them at www.lianspainting.com/  He isn't specifically an animal or bird painter, they are just one of his range of subjects, but his paintings are amazing. If you go onto YouTube and type his name under `videos' ,there are two short films. one of him painting elephants and the other grapes. They are an absolute eye opener because  the way he does it goes against all the conventional painting methods yet  fabulous results ensure.