Steps to creating a caricature for commission – Part 2 –completing the painting.

Last week I was relating how I’d had an “Urgent” Commission.

I explained the general process. The most difficult stage is really the composition and initial drawing. Sometimes ideas pop up with each draft, the next draft can then be used to work these ideas out. movement lines are especially. There are certain rules which must be applied, such as movement lines must not touch the “moving” objects.

After inking in the pencil lines, I set the picture aside to dry before rubbing out the pencil.

Next stage is painting, which is fairly straightforward. Sometimes I will use  French ultramarine and paynes grey to under-paint the shadows on the face. Before going over them in burnt sienna, yellow ochre and a touch of Alizarin Crimson.

With a gift caricature there is always an element of subterfuge. Usually it’s the client who has to weave complex plots and distraction to facilitate the picture. This time I needed a picture inside the school, but how to do it without being spotted. I had a window of opportunity while the school was at a church service. I was a little concerned sneaking onto school premises with a camera. Fortunately it’s a small village school and people know me! Why the need? Well there is a fabulous wooden train around the back of the school and it was too good a subject not to include.

What do you think? Here is the finished caricature.…

Most subterfuge relates to communications, often in code with false appointments or arrangements. I stop short of actual lies, but sometimes I struggle, especially if the subject is well known to me.

A recent caricature I undertook was for some friends. The husband was the subject and plans were well underway. I happened to strike up a conversation during which he’d discovered I created caricature paintings. He asked if I’d be able to do one of his wife. I soooo wanted to laugh out loud at the irony. It was all I could do to contain myself! But was unable to enlighten either partner with the truth!

Fortunately such instances are part of the joy of being an artist!

How’s the best way to get yourself noticed as an artist?

Use a broad range of styles or one unique style?
Recently, I’ve spent far too many hours wondering how to promote myself. I’ve come to a conclusion my problem is direction. Specifically the lack of it!
I enjoy creating art, and I love to experiment with new things, so the tendency has been to be a “Jack of all trades”. But this leads to confusion amongst the art buying public. Or so I understand from what I’ve read and learned from other sources.
How can you be recognised for a style if your “style” keeps changing? Now, if you put it like that, it all makes sense! Doesn’t it?
Do one thing…
do it lots…
and do it really, really, really well!
Conclusion? I need to focus on the art I’m good at and not worry about repeating myself. well not too much, anyway.
I have a dilemma then! What is “MY style”? Looking back at my work. A style seems to have emerged…
And I think this one sums it up quite nicely.

It’s a piece I created in February but struggled to name. “Head over heels” possibly.  “Stricken to the core” no, it’s about love and stricken isn’t right. “Truly, madly deeply” Hmm, that’s a film isn’t it? “The power of love” – song title,
No wait, it’s 3
this one…
this one…
and this one?
“Emotional support” - I think I’ll go with that for now. Something better might evolve but it’s fine for a working title. Please add a comment if you do have any suggestions.
So, where am I headed with the artwork? Oh, I think one style has to be the way!
You should always do what you know and do it well!

How to promote Art – getting my paintings seen, finally! But Windows 7 file management sucks!

What’s the point of creating art if it just says in a cupboard somewhere gathering dust? It could be out on display – gathering dust! There comes a point in every serious artist’s career when they must address this thorny issue. It’s an issue close to my heart. I stumbled on Art Business.com I like this chap. He talks sense and how could you not be interested in an article which says How Not to Succeed in the Art World? Anyway, I’ve found the articles really interesting and, dare I say it , useful.

The etsy shop is taking shape, I’m trying to get a quantity of work up then I’ll look to promoting a few items. I’m having a real problem with Windows 7 though. I had a great system with my old laptop linked to a remote storage facility and the Operating system was Windows NT which worked really well. The file management program in Windows7 is excruciatingly, painfully SLOW. I’m talking 5-10 minute per file open slow. The older “slower” machine took seconds. I want my old laptop back :0(

I’ve been focussing more on the blogging to try and make my site more interesting. Hopefully that’s working.

Anyway, I’m pushing the boundaries and little by little chinks are appearing.

Tuesday sees the formal opening of the Stowe Exhibition. I will have the following three painting on show

…“Reveal”

… “He became sin for us”

and “Praia do Castelejo”

There will also be the launch for the Buckingham Art Trail at this same event. I’ve nothing in this 6 week block but I had a piece in the Art trail pilot. And I’ve a few pieces which have been proposed for the next block starting in May.

Online, my art has also been featured on the Deep Time Threshold Art Movement site known as DTTAM for short. A little bit more exposure, always a good thing! It’s a new movement based in New York. We’ll see how it develops shall we?

I think I’d better create some more art now!

Art headlines – what’s in a painting’s title?

Think of Damian Hirst’s “For the love of God” the image may or may not come to mind of a skull studded with diamonds. Whatever you might think the artwork itself, the name provokes thought. I can’t claim to be a Damian Hirst fan myself but you have to admire his promotional skills. That art courts controversy is nothing new, but it’s that very controversy which catapults such artists into the media limelight, rightly or wrongly. Would it have evoked the same reaction had it been called “Diamond skull” or (my personal favourite) “Glitterball”? Quite possibly, but I think the nuances would have been very different. One suggests laziness whilst the other a crass indifference to death and mortality. It’s mocking in it’s implication. This is one piece where the title makes it an artwork, as well as voicing the thoughts of many who view it for the first time.

I’m not going to go into a debate about the value of these types of art at the moment – another day perhaps. Suffice it to say I am more concerned by someone buying this artwork than I am by the fact it was ever made. I question whether it’s really an original concept – I remember seeing gold skulls with emerald eyes as keyrings as a child and many other similar trinkets. But…another day!

Until recently I never bothered with titles but I’m increasingly seeing there importance. It’s hard with some pictures to come up with more than the visually obvious e.g. “Buckingham Old Gaol” It’s functional, it says what it is on the tin! Others evoke nostalgic memories “Ewan on a swing” or “Party balloons” But supposing I’d called them “Striving for the unobtainable” and “Essence of life”? Those titles make you think! Probably that I’ve finally lost the plot and I’m living in cloud cuckoo land, but THEY MAKE YOU THINK! Maybe that’s what defines a work of art from a painting? Help, I think I might be learning to appreciate Damian Hirst’s art?

Naaa, it’ll take more than that to convince me!

So, I will leave you with a semi abstract piece.

The real question is, what will be the title? “Naked Woman standing and stretching” or “Vulnerability?” I know what I think, but let’s leave it in the air for now!

Sketches of Buckingham in the sun – suffering for art?

Sometimes I think I’m a bit “schizophrenic” when it comes to my artwork. (Although, to be precise, that should be a multiple personality disorder rather than schizophrenia – 3 years of Occupational therapy training wasn’t completely wasted! ) By which I mean I have warring urges relating to the type of artistic direction I wish to pursue. I started this blog to promote caricatures – lets call that “Style 1”. I always had the intention of portraiture alongside the caricatures, so we have “Style 2”. Then I started doing landscapes – “Style 3” and still life work “style 4”. Then, I discovered a style of abstract art that suited me, “Style 5” emerged! Finally I enrolled on a life drawing class which led to “Style 6”. Sometimes I desire to work in a realistic style, but it all seems to have been done before. I’m not an artist who enjoys reinventing the wheel! But then I think “I know I can do the realistic work, what’s wrong with that?”.
So it was, last night I was painting abstracts and this morning I found myself sitting under a leafless beech tree. ( I feel I ought to  stress that beech nutshells are NOT comfy to sit on.) My fingers turning a little blue with the cold (NB sunshine does not always equal warmth) sketching one of Buckingham’s historic buildings – I think it’s an old coaching house but I need to investigate further. My result is fine. Better than my shaky sketches of people on the train yesterday, which, in places, resembled seismic readings more than drawings. I now have a dilemma! Abstract or sketch, what is it to be?

A…

…n Abstract (sorry to any Lynn Truss fans out there, your inner pedant must be screaming!)

I think I’m going to call this one “Points of View” I was thinking about perspective and constraints on growth as I was constructing this.

Semi-abstract painting of a woman in a dynamic post

I’ve been deliberating what to do recently. The dreaded artist’s block creeping in I fear! I’m pondering using some of my life drawing sketches as a basis for some abstracts, a bit like this one which is called “Woman” I know really original and profound. I was hoping to link to a previous post here! The painting was completed some months back and I thought I’d posted it. However, I can’t find it on previous posts, so I’m assuming I’m mistaken. My apologies if I did.

The pose itself was an interesting one, not just from a visual aspect but also from the fact the instruction was  “imagine you were in a scene from the Hitchcock movie “The Birds” “. If you think that’s odd, the previous pose was to “imagine you were using a sword to severe your links with God”. I wonder about the tutor sometimes! I also used a syringe to apply the masking fluid. It’s not a precise method of fluid application but it certainly has an interesting effect. The browns do make her looked very tanned and the blue green background just serves to emphasise her skin tones.

Pink meets purple – the battle of the circles.

After yesterday’s mega productiveness I’ve really struggled to do any art today. Partly due to getting to bed last night and being really tired but mostly due to allowing myself to be distracted by trivia…fatal! I managed a sketch while on my way back from town – only had a short time so it isn’t finished. Otherwise nothing.

I shall therefore upload this image which was finished yesterday. Still not title for yesterday’s but I might call this “Communication” and I haven’t re-photographed either of them yet, so blurriness prevails. Having said that this is better than yesterday’s.

Manga cartooning

I went to a workshop today at Canvas art store run by Emily Brady. It was Creating Manga art using Inktense pencils. I felt a bit old to begin with, other than Emily and myself everybody else there was under 20! And Emily is not that much older herself. At least I understood some of the references about films which made me feel less old but many of the names were Greek to me. Anyway, a good time was had by all and this is my Manga creation. I can’t claim much originality, except perhaps for the hair, as I was using a book as reference. I changed the direction of the face, nose and mouth and the body was a composite, but I like it.

You can just see some of Emily’s demonstration drawing showing the principles of Manga faces in the bottom right hand corner!

Afterwards, I was planning to do some sketching in town, but needed to get home- it was later than I thought. Instead I continued to play with my Intense pencils at home. I did a quick sketch of a picture in the paper. I’ve also seen a fabulous body pose which I might have to Cartoonify for reference!

Orange lily painting.

It’s been a funny old day today. This morning I had a real problems with a creative block – no ideas were forthcoming at all. So, I decided to take a shower and inspiration finally set in. I’ve been busy painting this afternoon but this is the only “finished” piece I have. I’m not quite sure whether it’s finished yet. There’s something niggling but I can’t decide what it is yet.

I’ve also been jotting down some other ideas for pictures whilst they were in my mind. I find it helps with days when the old “Artist’s block” sets in! Although it didn’t help today.

Photographing paintings workshop.

I’ve spent most of today fiddling with websites and domestic chores. Worked a little on a canvas work I started last week, but not a lot of artwork created.

In spite of this I’ve had a good day. This evening was a BAFA meeting about photographing your work. VERY useful! I’ve learnt a few tricks and more about my camera and image editing software. Now to put them into practice.

However, I have a picture for you – another abstract. This one’s called Expanding universe.

Core values – a circle based abstract in blue, red and silver

I’ve been nursing 3 sick children today, but still managed to do the odd sketchy thing and even play with the acrylics. I emphasise the play, it’s not a piece I think has any artistic merits.

So, in the time honoured Blue Peter tradition, “Here’s one I did earlier”

This one’s a bit metaphysical it’s called “Core values”. The circles are layers of our personality,  the spikes representing parts of our character which penetrate our very being, transcending the layers of daily routine behaviours and thoughts becoming more complex as we reach our ‘centre’. The blue and red colours reflecting competing desire of passion and calmness. I know, far too deep for a blog about cartooning. What can I say, I’m evolving?!?!?!??

I’m now going to ruin it all by saying I keep thinking of ice cream when I look at this! The red reminds me of raspberry ripple!

Buckingham Old Gaol Watercolour Painting

I’ve finally finished my watercolour of the Old Gaol. I’ve been meaning to do it for ages and decided "now was the time" last week. I may need to touch up the painting in places, but generally I’m happy with the result.

I decided to miss out some details such as the information sign but wanted to keep the market mess in to give it a modern feel. I’ve already spotted where I need to touch up!!! It never takes me long when I’ve uploaded an image. I think I’ll get the acrylics out later, although I may have the pastels out before that.

Yellow Daffodils in the abstract form

Ever have one of those days when things seem promising, but in the end are a disappointment. Well, that sums up my artwork for the day. The picture I did yesterday hasn’t turned out as well as I’d like so I’ve tried working some pastels into it. It’s definitely better but there’s still no Wow factor yet. I’m going to post it and then leave it for a while, see if I’m inspired. This was supposed to be a lovely bunch of abstracted daffodils in a vase. Lovely isn’t quite the word I’m using yet, but we might get there!

I’ve played with pastels today, working on 2 pictures. One portrait of Siobhan, that’s going well but is going to be slow, she can’t sit for as long as I’d like, but it’s looking good! The other, of the daffodils again, is not going at all well!

Valentine’s day card – cartoons of the non icky kind!

Much as I love my hubby, (Hi dear!) we tend not to go all gooey over Valentine’s day cards. This is my Cartoon creation for him today – he loved it! Artistically it’s not my best, and if I were doing it again I’d alter a few minor things but overall, I think it works well. The joke does, at least.

The web frustration continues…but it seems to be all working now, finally!

My daughter got bored today and stuck these balloons on the wall using static. I’d just taken them down – only 2 weeks after her party, or is it 3? Yep, it’s 3, never mind. I like balloons and couldn’t resist a picture. Such lovely primary colours.

 

Last night I started a sketch of an eagle  – I’m going to finish it and might create something else new for tomorrow if I get nothing better done today. I’ve created a cartoon figure as well, but he needs a little redrawing and some ink in my pens – time to hit the bottle I think. Of ink I mean, of course!

For now, you have balloons and a Valentine’s day card. What more could you ask for? Did I hear flowers? Hmm we’ll see, if you’re good, VERY good!

Falling – acrylic painting and looking for inspiration

I seem to have Artist’s block again. I’ve finally got the time to paint, all the materials I need – but don’t know what to start! I should go back to the “street skater” and I fancy doing so relief work in acrylic. I need to sort out a studio easel as my current one's are too wimpy for the task. One’s a table top style and the other’s a field easel. Fine for small work but nothing bigger that 20”. They keep moving when apply pressure any harder than a butterfly’s wing! Or the pictures bounce off when I paint too vigorously.

I spent some time on the “street skater” and some body poses for caricatures. This is the other abstract I finished yesterday. Another blue and silver creation. There might be a few circles in there. ;-)

Abstract cross painting more mixed media

A better day today, at least I’ve some pictures to post. Today’s painting is another abstract cross design. I felt like mixing up the colours today a bit of green here, brown there, some splashes of blue and a heavy dose of orange to give it some kick. There might even be a hint of gold – I love acrylic inks. All set against a contemporary watercolour background. This blog is definitely sounding more and more like a catalogue. I can’t decide whether that’s because I’ve been writing too many shop descriptions for the website shop or just because I’m trying to talk more about the art.

I met up with another vendor for the art trail and then did some sketching at the Garden centre coffee shop – I was waiting for a friend.

I sill have the evening, so we’ll see what I create tonight!

It’s gone, finally. Completed caricature and Happy client…my work is done!

So, I’ve finally finished the painting I’ve been “working on for months”. I was not working on it for all this time and it wasn’t terribly complicated, but there were an awful lot of delays in communications and the initial photographs used were not a good likeness. After the initial delays I started procrastinating as I had no deadline to work towards…fatal!!!!!!!! Anyhow, here it are two charming redhead girls on the swings and slide at a park overlooking the beach. Oh, and they’ve just finished a snowman who is starting to melt…poor guy! Oh and the doll is a favourite doll which has been decorated by the child and is never clothed!

This is the first time I’ve used Hot pressed watercolour paper for a painting. I’ve tended to use Bristol board but it has a very shiny surface which doesn’t take the paint very well.
I’ve been thinking it might be time to revisit some of my earlier caricatures, especially Richard Hammond, I think I can do so much better now.

Better Beyonce Caricature Painting

So, I thought I’d have another crack at painting Beyonce. The last one wasn’t really to my satisfaction. A top of the world, space theme seemed a good setting for a caricature of a successful singer. A why not give her a glass of wine to celebrate her success – pity she’s spilling it. I was going to make it champagne – hence the cork - but I thought there was too much brown already and against the darkness of the space she needed red wine! (or it could be VERY pink champagne?) Then it occurred to me,  why stop there? So, I gave her a red dress to match.

I finished a sketch and did a couple of rapid people whilst waiting for children leaving schools and getting off buses.

This morning I met up with another BAFA member and we went around potential vendors for the art trail. Had a really productive morning with most people signing up and those who didn’t were willing to meet at another time. Then I came home a fiddled around on the computer trying to redo my website. The current one is OK but I need to add some features that Google sites won’t permit!

Right, I’m off to continue redesigning before I go to bed!

Geometric artwork. It’s abstract but it looks like I painted a darts board!

Yesterdays painting went well and I have this lovely abstract as a result – I removed the masking today and managed to rip the paper only once. Unusual for a complicated picture and, knowing how I tend to rush,the trick is not to remove the masking before the paint is dry. You also get lovely coloured fingers – green and brown with a slight iridescent effect in this case! So Voila, my abstract…

 

The trouble is, now all I can see is a darts board, whichever way I look at it. Is it a good thing? Hmm! not sure, probably yes although I’m not a darts fan… anymore. OK, I admit to chucking the odd few dozen darts as a teenager – far too close to my Mum’s piano for her liking! No longer, I have cast off this pointy activity in a pointed way! Maybe I should view it as an attempt at self hypnosis, although, if that were to succeed, how would I bring myself around? I’m off target now –hah just realised the pun there! Unintentional, I assure you.

Now, what should I paint next? A caricature, portrait or return to that streetskater?

Having a distinctly blue/green day today!

Well I’ve had a lovely day today. Lots of painting done. This one is called “Points of focus” more lovely circles –I’m a bit circle obsessed – expanding outwards from their origins. I had to resist doing everything blue/green as I feel I might be getting in a bit of a rut with my colour choices. It’s a shame the iridescent colours don’t show up when I photograph these.

The BAFA meeting was interesting but not a practical,not as much fun as a result and we finished early.