01-14-2020, 05:56 AM
Work from last week. I've been spending most of my time working on improving my painting skills. I've been reading through both of Harold Speed's books and found them to be really helpful and started working through the beginner painting exercises that he suggests.
Painting
I own a couple of casts so I spent my time last week working from them.
For the first painting of David's lips I followed Speeds advice in his drawing book. Started by first doing a block-in which I then keyed with a middle value and worked from my lights to my darks.
The second painting of David's eye I followd the same process as above.
For both paintings I was working on Frederix's canvas 9x12 and stuck to using filberts and a medium of linseed oil and turps like Speed suggests with Burnt Umber and Titanium White as my palette. Both of these I did after work and completed in one sitting like Speed also suggests. Roughly around 5 hours from start to finish.
Third painting I spent more time on as I was working from a more complex cast of Michelangelo. I spent much longer on the block-in for this one over a couple of nights. Spent more time than I probably should have on it but I wanted to do the best job I could. Probably 5 hours maybe 6 on the block-in and spent Saturday afternoon/evening painting it which was roughly 5 hours so 10 hours from start to finish. I didn't realise that my previous paintings took a few days to dry due to the medium I used. I'm used to my previous paintings drying over night so I could of spent more time on it but oh well. Atleast I know for next time I have more time.
Same materials as the first two but this time I followed Speed's advice from his painting book of painting in the background first and then lights to darks.
With the last painting things definitely clicked with me more, not sure if that's becuase I spent more time working on it but things like grouping my values and working strategically made alot more sense.
Portrait Class
Block-in from my long pose portrait class. I beleive the model was a samba dancer? She was wearing this head piece with a ton of feathers on top.
Life Class
Back at my regualr life class aswell.
Those two anatomy courses were fully booked by the time I made up my mind so I'll have to wait till April before I can start that. I decided on Scott Eaton's course in the end so when I can book for the Spring term I will. Not 100% sure what to do in the meantime though or what to focus on. I decided to not take any live streaming course this term at Watts and just audit one class so I can save money for Scott's class aswell as Edinburgh Atelier as I want to do another short course soon.
Right now I'm thinking of spending January on just painting, February on learning digital screen printing as I found some videos that will hopefully explain the process to me and do another poster design afterwards, then maybe March getting back into anatomy and just learning all the muscles I need to know in the standard poses of front/side/back like you see in the anatomy books which would then take me into April for Scotts class and then dive more into anatomy after that. That's what I'm thinking atm, I'm up for suggestions if anyone has them or if they agree with my plan?
Painting
I own a couple of casts so I spent my time last week working from them.
For the first painting of David's lips I followed Speeds advice in his drawing book. Started by first doing a block-in which I then keyed with a middle value and worked from my lights to my darks.
The second painting of David's eye I followd the same process as above.
For both paintings I was working on Frederix's canvas 9x12 and stuck to using filberts and a medium of linseed oil and turps like Speed suggests with Burnt Umber and Titanium White as my palette. Both of these I did after work and completed in one sitting like Speed also suggests. Roughly around 5 hours from start to finish.
Third painting I spent more time on as I was working from a more complex cast of Michelangelo. I spent much longer on the block-in for this one over a couple of nights. Spent more time than I probably should have on it but I wanted to do the best job I could. Probably 5 hours maybe 6 on the block-in and spent Saturday afternoon/evening painting it which was roughly 5 hours so 10 hours from start to finish. I didn't realise that my previous paintings took a few days to dry due to the medium I used. I'm used to my previous paintings drying over night so I could of spent more time on it but oh well. Atleast I know for next time I have more time.
Same materials as the first two but this time I followed Speed's advice from his painting book of painting in the background first and then lights to darks.
With the last painting things definitely clicked with me more, not sure if that's becuase I spent more time working on it but things like grouping my values and working strategically made alot more sense.
Portrait Class
Block-in from my long pose portrait class. I beleive the model was a samba dancer? She was wearing this head piece with a ton of feathers on top.
Life Class
Back at my regualr life class aswell.
Those two anatomy courses were fully booked by the time I made up my mind so I'll have to wait till April before I can start that. I decided on Scott Eaton's course in the end so when I can book for the Spring term I will. Not 100% sure what to do in the meantime though or what to focus on. I decided to not take any live streaming course this term at Watts and just audit one class so I can save money for Scott's class aswell as Edinburgh Atelier as I want to do another short course soon.
Right now I'm thinking of spending January on just painting, February on learning digital screen printing as I found some videos that will hopefully explain the process to me and do another poster design afterwards, then maybe March getting back into anatomy and just learning all the muscles I need to know in the standard poses of front/side/back like you see in the anatomy books which would then take me into April for Scotts class and then dive more into anatomy after that. That's what I'm thinking atm, I'm up for suggestions if anyone has them or if they agree with my plan?