Finding time to draw - Portrait of a sleeping baby

Ever wonder where the time goes?
Me Too! I’ve had a week dominated by art promotion and IT development, and even then I’m not happy with the results. So creating art time has been at a premium. Fortunately evening classes mean I usually get something painted each week. I also get to try out new ideas and techniques I might not automatically choose!
Last week it was, my shiny baby in charcoal and chalk.

Sometimes you need to go back to basics and studies help.
With caricatures that means you go back to faces. You need to be able to recreate a face accurately, before you can really play around and make a caricature. Sometimes you need to eliminate colour and focus on shapes and tone. So a return to monochromatic images, seemed in order. Or, in this case, a small bust of a sleeping baby! Or a very shiny baby in this case.
Children and young people are notoriously difficult to get right. Lines age the image, smooth blending and accurate placement are the key!
I love my art classes. I know that whatever happens. At least I’ll be creating something new in the evening!
My other motivator is my sketchbook, and I’ve just signed up for the Sketchbook Project 2011, more details next week.
So, what do you do to motivate you to create art?

Barack Obama – the world in his hands Caricature

Yesterday I started this caricature drawing of Barack Obama. It was progressing well, until I decided to use grey pen for his skin. I know, I know, I’ve said this before, when will I ever learn. I should have used a Copic marker pen, not a pigment pen, sigh…

Anyway here’s Barack, the skin tone is too dark, I know, but it was that or leave him even more blotchy – I didn’t like that option!

As I haven’t done a caricature for a while, I thought I’d post him. I’ve also finished my abstracts. Two have worked really well but the third is so-so. Still debating the Summer exhibition entry, no decision yet. I can have a maximum of 2 entries, so they need to be right. I suspect they need to be fairly traditional but looking at the judges that might not be the case. Don’t you wish you could read minds sometimes?

Stan Laurel

Finally had a good drawing day after my lack of focus since Wednesday. Alright, strictly speaking it's yesterday. Managed to do some sketching in the morning, finish of a sketch of the living room - started yesterday - and this caricature of Stan Laurel. It's not the one I started the other week - I inadvertently threw out the picture before I had chance to finish it. He's far too easy to do, but very satisfying.

All this and fit in an eye test, visitors, feeding the family and watching an episode of "Merlin".

Now... I suppose I ought to do one of Oliver Hardy.

Waiting

I haven't been able to progress with the caricature so I've focused on abstracts and monoprinting. This is my favourite of the monoprints. The abstracts aren't finished yet. Maybe tomorrow!

Inspiring day!

After yesterday's non starter today was much better. Wednesdays is always an active day, relatively speaking where structured activity allows little time for portraits and caricatures. Not surprising that I didn't get much done until this evening's life drawing class. Not my best work but there are some good bits. This was a 20 minute sketch. It's a bit blotchy because I overdid the fixative.

I've also had some ideas for new pictures - all duly noted. I've learnt the had way that you should always write your ideas down when you have them, and still I get ideas in bed at night that I don't write down and now I can't remember what it was..gnash, gnash, gnash!!!

Averting disaster

Now, you may need to sit down before you continue...

But...

I've actually...

Done a portrait!!!!!!!!!

(Firework display overhead , lots of cheers and champagne corks popping)

So here it is, Blue boy (Adam) mark 2

I left you yesterday heady from solvent fumes after spray painting and I greet you today heady with fumes from pastel fixatives. I may possibly have mentioned entering some pictures into an exhibition at Stowe school next week. Well, yesterday I went to frame the pictures and discovered I'd inadvertently put one of my pictures onto a recently oiled paint palette. The picture is effectively ruined. As I had already specified the picture details on the form I am not able to submit any other picture, so I've had to redraw him. Actually, to be honest and though it pains me to say this... I think I prefer this one to the original, (below).

I might need to touch it up a little, but me likey!

I decided to take a break from the RA entry as I'm feeling more than a little resentful of the time it's taking, and jaded with constantly looking at it. That and I had illness issues with children, well child to be more precise, but nothing that a pep talk and calpol couldn't fix!!!! The drive to and from his school ate into my painting time quite severely.

I have 4 pictures framed! Only 3 more to go!

Self portrait

Last night we took part in the Earth hour. If you haven't heard about it the idea is to improve awareness about climate change by everyone turning off all electrical devices for one hour - all at the same time. There didn't seem to be too many people supporting it locally, and we still had street lights.

Anyway, between 8.30 and 9.30pm we were plunged into candlelight. To pass the hour I decided to try a candlelight portrait. Apart from the fact I hate the way I look and never like self portraits, this is a good likeness. The speed is improving as well. This was virtually done in an hour. (And all managed without singing the paper.) When I started this blog I was dubious about it's value, but looking back over past posts is helping me to keep plugging away.

Progress on the Royal academy entry continues 9 days to go and counting... The end is in sight and I might even finish the picture. I've never done a picture this large (76x120cm) and ambitious before and it's my first acrylic. Consequently, I've had several technical problems to iron out.

Blue boy #2

I'm beginning to think I should rename my blog "Drawn to Portraiture" as I seem to be posting more regular portraits rather than the funny ones. This is another of my nephews, the likeness isn't quite as good on this one but there is some similarity. My son, Dominic, thinks they're creepy because they're blue. I quite like them - but I'm biased. I've mixed feeling about this one. I like the effect but the likeness isn't too hot probably only a 4 out of 10.

Mixed sums up today on the whole. This morning the forms for the Summer exhibition arrived -now I've just got to complete the picture. The painting, however, didn't go well and I've decided to paint out what I did today and start again - sigh!

We were also celebrating Andrew's sister Judi reaching 40 - so generally in a good mood. Then we had news that their elderly aunt died this morning - she was in her nineties. It was expected but she will be sorely missed. RIP Doreen.

Let's hope tomorrow will be better

Blue boy!

I'm going through a blue phase. This was a quick sketch of my nephew Adam. I decided to keep it monochrome blue mainly due to the restricted drawing time. That and it's good practice to stick to one colour from time to time. I've managed to get a likeness. I was after a sketchy style and it's worked.

Lots of time to paint today - I finished my big caricature with 4 people in it. I should be able to post it later on in the week. Don't want to give any details for the usual reasons. I'm really pleased with the likenesses. Marks out of 10 for the day? Oh I think it's an 8 or 9.