Daily Painting Results

More practice from my class.  We work from photos that are offered for use on UNSPLASH.  Sometimes they are zoomed in, sometimes they are flipped, whatever is needed for the lesson.  

On a roll, found some time to do a commission portrait of a doggy.  Also re-sided and painted our solar/chicken coop shed.  It was left with the wire grid on it for stuccoing, but we wanted to side it with T-111 like the house is.  It was an eyesore, but NOT ANY MORE!  My painting ARM and shoulder are working overtime.  Fighting to keep them healthy right now.

charcoal, pencil and acrylic paint

charcoal

charcoal 

Derwent Inktense and acrylic paint

(love the nose ring!)

charcoal B & W

dog portrait process

 and here is the final, the color sure didn't read right on these previous photos from my iPhone. 

I had to Photoshop the color on the final to make it look like it really DOES.

Practice, Practice, Practice

loved this face - can't wait to have time to fully explore this one as a complete face..

eye in marker, acrylic washes, and pencil..

3/4 turns on the lips watercolor and pencil..

charcoal/conte pencil eye..

many eyes - charcoal with colored pastel, 

have this one along with all the others taped to the easel,

looking at me as if to say, "Get Busy!" 

(DH says it's spooky to walk in the studio now.)

Why am I doing this - when I already paint complete

pieces and commissions?  It's practice..

just like an athlete, to stay good at what you do,

one needs that practice and reviewing.  In this case,

it's right where I need to be, as I look to the future

to be doing more and better (to me) portraiture.

Distance Learning

Even as a teacher, one has to brush up on skills, technique and latest practices..it is no different in anything you do.  I am currently taking an online mentoring class with artist Tonja Sell, who's in Michigan.  I admire her work so much. I took a class from her last year, and my own 'crafting' ability leaped by miles.  This course is on Gesture Drawing and painting.  Here is what I have done so far - amongst the other daily 'have-tos' of owning a new place and fixing it up. After I painted the deck skirting outside yesterday, I got to paint and draw.  Here are yesterday's pursuits:

 Got out the old newsprint pad and charcoal just like the old days - feels good and I love learning and practicing!  AS you can see, we are practicing figures and face features - starting May 1:

showing action and movement

 not as easy as I thought, I feel really rusty on my gesture ability

this one was difficult as this woman is balancing in a handstand on two blocks, what strength!

Working on combining materials in ways I am not used to ~ is part of the learning too.

Here's looking at you!

I bet you can tell where all this practice will eventually lead 

with what my subject matter will be when I get back to 

finished pieces?

AS time allows, I have a few commissions to do as well.  

Will be fitting them in soon!