Figurative Experiment

I'm getting ready to take a figure drawing class on Saturdays, so I thought I would try my hand at a figure in pastels. I used the same technique that I used in Pynki, the elephant painting I did awhile back. The model is from website that provides virtual models called posespace.

 

 

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The Feather King

Well, it has been more than a week since I've painted anything, and my first attempt was a seascape with waves and cliffs and the whole shebang. Didn't work so I put it aside. I felt a little more comfortable with an animal today. Meet the Feather King. Male peacocks are so majestic, how can they not be called the feather king!

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Dunes of Cape Cod - SOLD

Well this is from the second photo reference I've used that is a scene from Cape Cod.
Maybe I should pay it a visit one of these days.  This photo reference was provided by wetcanvas user Nicola Boerer.

I was a little nervous about this one - wasn't sure how the sand and seagrass was going to turn out.
I also switched to a different paper for this one.  Art Spectrum Colourfix Coated Paper.  The color was Terracotta which I thought would compliment the blue sky nicely and aid the color of the seagrass.

Sunny Reach -- SOLD

Here is another daily from Karen Margulis' online mentoring class.
I'm not posting all of them, by the way, because some of them are stinkers.
Photo reference is from user "thalweg" from wetcanvas.com, and it was quite lovely, so thank you "thalweg".

Marsh Exercise

This was my first weekly exercise for the mentoring program. I received terrific feedback from Karen. The horizon needs to be straightened out, but over all, I was happy with it. We used her photo reference and were provided with set by step instructions on her approach. First I did a four value sketch with markers, an under painting with (Nupastel spruce blue) with odorless mineral spirits, let dry and then the painting.

 

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Tiajuana Estuary - SOLD

There is an estuary near the California/Mexico border. I made some changes to the shapes that appear to be trees in the distance. They actually are rows of houses, but I didn't want to get too fussy with it since the assignment is to limit the painting time to 30-45 minutes.

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Transparent Trio

My first pastel still life. The reference photo is from Wetcanvas. The only thing Wetcanvas asks of you when you use the photos is that you credit the owner. I didn't have any real tomatoes, but user Olika posted this gorgeous photo which I used.

Her photo:

There is an app I use to blur photos (versus squinting) to focus on shapes:

My painting:

5 3/4 x 8

Pastel on Schmincke Sansfix. Incidentally, I really like this paper, but it seems impossible to find online in the U.S.

 

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Frame Builder

Today I discovered an awesome app called Frame Builder. After seeing eBay artists display their art for sale in a virtual frame, I went on a quest to find a way to do the same. It's a great tool that allows potential buyers (and the artist selling his/her art) to visualize their potential sale in a frame or even just a mat. You can easily change the size or color of the frame or mat just by dragging a slider bar. You can even change the size of the bevel on the mat!

Take this painting I did over the weekend. I like the way it looked in person and even with a simple white mat over it, but the image alone? Not so much.

Enter Frame Builder, et voilà! Much better!

A couple of other examples:

 

Additionally, you can save "templates" so that you don't have to start from scratch. Coolio!

 

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Pink Callanques

I tried to paint this scene in oils not long after I returned from Marseille in July. I was a bit rusty as I had not painted for a while, wasn't happy and thus put it away. Here it is on my largest pastel to date: 8x10. 98% of the pastels I used were Terry Ludwig pastels with a sprinkling of some very soft Scminckes for some finishing touches in blue? I followed Karen Margulis' recommendation for doing an under painting with a dark blue hard pastel (Nupastel) and mineral spirits. The support is Ampersand Pastelboard. I'm happy with this one!

 

 

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Capri Cove II and Roussillon Cliffs

I am still painting that little cove in Capri with my Terry Ludwig Pastels in Littleton, Colorado. Also painted the ochre cliffs of Roussillon, France from one of my vacation photos this past summer. I am still painting small as I am only 1 month deep into the pastel world. Capri Cove II is 4x6 and Roussillon is 5x8.