Tuesday, November 1, 2022

THE END

 


Day 28 Challenge

Teacher - Kyle Legaspi









Day 29 Challenge

Teacher = Rik Reimert









Day 30 - Final Day Challenge

Teacher = Wira Faryma




This was frustrating, challenging, fun, and I learned so much from the various artists who took they time to provide 1 hour+ lesson plans and share they techniques.  


Saturday, October 29, 2022

COMING TO THE END OF THE SKTCHY CHALLENGE - 30 FACES IN 30 DAYS!

 

 Day 25 Challenge

Teacher = Lorraine Simonds










Day 26 Challenge

Teacher = Peta Harvey









Day 27 Challenge

Teacher = Alyssa Wolber




Thursday, October 27, 2022

MORE SKTCHY CHALLENGE PAINTINGS - ALMOST AT THE END

 


Day 23 Challenge

Teacher = David Tenorio









Day 24 Challenge

Teacher = Charlotte Hamilton










Tuesday, October 25, 2022

ALMOST BACK ON TRACK WITH DAILY CHALLENGE


 Day 20 Challenge

Teacher = Wira Faryma









Day 21 Challenge

Teacher = Dritan Duro

(You should see his version - it is fabulous!). Mine, well, she looks sunburned but I kinda like the unusual look to it.







Day 22 Challenge

Teacher = Kirsten Britt

I think I am getting the hang of her style - she does her paintings on small blue mixed media sheets and then adds white pastel pencil at the end to bring back the whites but I just painted mine on watercolor paper.  


Sunday, October 23, 2022

GETTING A BIT BEHIND

 


Day 19 Challenge

Teacher = Rik Reimert

He painted the girl with her sweater a cobalt blue and although I love blue I wanted to match that bright red lipstick with her sweater so made that change.  I seem to want to change from just what the teacher does, trying to make it more my own as I do more of these.

Normally, I’d share 3 portraits, but I’m behind now after getting a flu shot and having headaches and nausea (from the headaches) for 2 days.  Better now but it’s supposed to be warmer this weekend so may go hiking for a while.  I’ll catch up later.


Friday, October 21, 2022

MORE PORTRAIT CHALLENGES

 


Day 16 Challenge

Teacher = Peta Harvey

This one was supposed to be done on tea-stained paper using sepia watercolor but I just got out my walnut ink and painted (using just a rigger brush) on white watercolor paper.  






Day 17 Challenge

Teacher = Alyssa Wolber

I like all of her lessons so far and think she’d be a great teacher, lots of information as she paints, good photos of models, and fun.







Day 18 Challenge

Teacher = Kyle Legaspi


Wednesday, October 19, 2022

SKTCHY CHALLENGE CONTINUES

 



Day 13 Challenge

Teacher = David Tenorio









Day 14 Challenge

Teacher = Charlotte Hamilton









Day 15 Challenge

Teacher = Lorraine Simonds 



Monday, October 17, 2022

MORE SKTCHY PORTRAITS

 


Day 10 Challenge

Teacher = Dritan Duro









Day 11 Challenge

Teacher = Wira Faryma










Day 12 Challenge

Teacher = Kirsten Britt




Saturday, October 15, 2022

SKTCHY CHALLENGE - 30FACES30DAYS - STILL WORKING

 


Day 7 Challenge

Teacher = Alyssa Wolber (the photo is of her daughter - about 10 year’s ago) and she wanted us to do a monochrome in just 2 blues (you know I love my blues so that was fine by me).







Day 8 Challenge

Teacher = Kyle Legaspi

I made this one my own by keeping his eyes very golden and giving him a golden shirt (just Quinacridone Burnt Orange with water dropped in as is was drying to create the texture). 






Day 9 Challenge

Teacher = Rik Reimert

I’m finding that I want to make these paintings more mine by changing things from what the instructor does.  I thought he looked like he was looking up towards something - guidance, assistance, perhaps sending a prayer up.  So I left that light block there.  The teacher had his black all around and made his face much darker but I like my version with the light shining on him.  


Thursday, October 13, 2022

30 FACES 30 DAYS CHALLENGE ON SKTCHY

 


Day 4 of the Challenge 

Teacher = Charlotte Hamilton









Day 5 of the Challenge

Teacher = Lorraine Simonds 









Day 6 of the Challenge

Teacher = Peta Harvey (she wanted us to put a pattern in the background so used my crow stamp).  









Tuesday, October 11, 2022

SIGNED UP FOR THE SKTCHY CHALLENGE - 30FACES30DAYS!!

 


Day 1 of the Challenge

Teacher = Dritan Duro









Day 2 of the Challenge

Teacher = Kirsten Britt









Day 3 of the Challenge

Teacher = David Tenorio




Sunday, October 9, 2022

HERE’S LOOKIN’ AT YOU, CAT


 Here’s lookin’ at you, cat.

Another from Domestika and Sarah Stokes.  Learning how to paint eyes and a little fur.  








Worked on it a bit more and it looks better but wish I had used a white gel pen or thin liner pen to make the whiskers because they are too thick and obvious…oh, well, still learning.



Friday, October 7, 2022

THE FOX IS BACK?


 A little fox looking away from you.  Another playful painting done while watching the Domestika course on painting animals - instructor is Sarah Stokes.  


Since I signed up for the Sktchy Challenge of 30faces30days, I am getting to the finish of the Domestika course as I have time.  Painting a portrait a day takes time and planning - and material - and watching videos, but is really helping me learn more about watercolor portraits, I think.  

Wednesday, October 5, 2022

I TAUT I TAW A PUTTY TAT


 From the Domestika.com course with Sarah Stokes on painting animals in watercolor.  Pretty littl Siamese kitty - although we had one in the neighborhood growing up and it was a mean thing!  It used to sit on top of the car and if you wanted to go somewhere in that car = too bad because it was not moving and would hiss and scratch out at you.  Not a favorite breed!

Monday, October 3, 2022

A COUPLE OF BIRDS


 The Sarah Stokes course on Domestika.com shared her way of painting birds.  These are my chosen birdies and my composition from photos I found online on a free site (no copyright issues but not my own photos).  Sarah likes her splatters so I did some splatters, too (might have gotten carried away).  The colors I used are in the left side.  I liked the ides of putting down the color palette and then sticking to it.





Saturday, October 1, 2022

THE GIRL WITH A FISH IN HER HAIR

 


This would have looked cleaner if I’d planned to put the clownfish in before painting her hair.  As it was, I lifted out a large section of her hair after it was painted, painted in the clownfish, then painting in strands of hair around it.  I think she looks happy to be a pretty girl with a fish in her hair = quite unusual! ha ha


I have 2 more Domestika.com courses to do (artist/teacher Sarah Stokes online course on birds and then another on animals).  I am enjoying these courses = little mini lessons that kickstart me into painting when I’m not feeling the inspiration inside and there are some good teachers and courses in Domestika - plus they are very reasonably priced.  I just got 3 courses for less than $25!!  You get to keep the lessons after you’re done, too, so you can return to them again if you need refreshing with the technique or style.  Now, I have been painting for years (not 20 years but quite a few years) so I don’t really need these lessons - but they are still fun and you get a chance to see how other artists work (especially if you are still not comfortable going out to an in-person class or workshop).  


Thursday, September 29, 2022

ADDING A FISH?


 Almost finished but I’m going to try to add a clownfish in her hair - we’ll see if it works or not.  Just experimenting, anyway.

Tuesday, September 27, 2022

STARTING ANOTHER?

 


Just the first layers on this one.  Love her hair and hope I can keep it that free and loose.  

I’m thinking I might take the Skechy challenge of painting a portrait every day in October but that seems like a lot of pressure to get it all done…maybe I’ll just do one every other day?  Or continue on my own with Domestika lessons helping me.  (I did sign up for 3 more Domestika courses and the one on birds is really fun and full of information although her pronunciation of gouache bothers me every time she says it! ha ha

It is wash with a g in front of it = gwash

She pronounces it goo-wash.  But maybe that’s her regional accent?  Sarah Stokes is her name and she’s a good, informative teacher.  I know these courses are not for someone who’s been painting in watercolor for years but it does kickstart me when I’m in a slump - and I always learn some little thing that’s new.  

Sunday, September 25, 2022

FINAL PARROT FISH GIRL

 


Added a bit and put in the background (wanted it to be like sea kelp).

Friday, September 23, 2022

PRETTY GIRL STAGE 2


 Bringing in more color and shape and the Parrot Fish to give her a little fish kiss. 

Now I have to slow down and take it easy, looking more than painting, as I finish her skin and hair and decide on the background colors.

Wednesday, September 21, 2022

PRETTY GIRL STAGE 1


 Started another portrait (from a free photo site).  This one is on Arches rough140# cold press block.  A lot more to bring her to life and add a fish (I have one in mind). 

Sunday, September 18, 2022

PRETTY BOY INTO A MERMAN

 

 

Yeah, I turned hm into a merman.  The little seahorse was added with gouache.  


Saturday, September 17, 2022

PRETTY BOY 2

 


Adding that dark hair and eyebrows (like feathers!) really changed it up a lot.  It amazes me how much one strong dark color changes everything.

I’m not that unhappy with it but still wish I’d left it at the first version before continuing to work on it.  Oh, well.  Maybe there is a lesson there that I should quit before I think it’s finished?

I think I’ll get out some dry media not and do a few touch-ups and move on to the next thing.  



I like Arthur Braud’s teaching style a lot and will look to see if he has any other courses through Domestika.com.  

Friday, September 16, 2022

PRETTY BOY

 


Another portrait course through Domestika.com - this time the artist teaching is Arthur Braud and I like his style and his teaching ability.  This is the first few layers of this pretty boy and I added some of my own touches (made the tattoos star-shaped instead of flowers and added an earring).  I wish I had stopped at this stage but I needed to go on to “finish” it.  I could have left it at this stage and called him a merman!



Tuesday, September 13, 2022

YOUNGER GRANDDAUGHTER

 


Before the background is added, she looks very red, but I think it’s done except for a dark background which might change the look.  









Yep.  Toned down the ruddiness (she does have very pink cheeks).  Giving you a kiss! 



Wednesday, September 7, 2022

STILL TRYING

 

I am enjoying the 3rd Domestika.com online course on watercolor portraits.  All 3 artists I’ve watched so far have different ways of working in watercolor, mostly they are illustrators so they paint lightly, pale colors, layering to get the look they want, and not against using any medium to get there after starting in watercolor - mostly watercolor pencils, graphite pencils, charcoal, colored pencils, etc.  I like the freedome that gives me to get the final result closer to what I want without saying, “Well, I ruined that one so start over”. 

This girl started as a regular portrait and then I decided I wanted her eyes to be very green and match with her hair (which, I admit, looks more like a scarf than hair because I made it too one-dimensional).  The course then goes to PhotoShop to add “motifs” to the painting after scanning it in.  I don’t have that program so…just painted the little seahorse in gouache over the top.  

Now, I need to catch up on my blogger buddies’ posts - I am behind due to this course, watching the US Open Tennis tournament in NYC (on t.v.), and some family health issues.  Will catch up soon, I promise.  

Thursday, September 1, 2022

PORTRAIT LESSONS

 A second online course through Domestika. com is by Ale Casanova, also a portrait painting course.  Not as much information as the first one, but still learning things.  Ale paints by lightly painting an underlayer over the portrait and building up the color and shape.  Again, too heavy-handed so the color was too intense right away.  Not sure I will ever learn to have a very light touch with watercolor or drawing.


I had to lift a lot of color from this one to sculpt the shapes (and still left that nose wonky!