OLD SKETCHES CAN BE INSPIRING

 I had forgotten so many sketches I’d done…and then pulled out my favorites.  Here is another and the painting that was inspired from it.

 

FROM WATERCOLOR TO GOUACHE

 After watching another video on gouache portraits, did this one.  

The model came from a photo on the Museum App that the Sktchy folks use all the time.  Interesting face.  Then added the bird alongside with the back becoming his shoulder.  (The teacher put a crane going through his head and in the upper right but I did not like that at all).  The bird is from a photo from Sweetie.  

So - first step is the watercolor underpainting.

Then the gouache over the underpainting (did not add to the great white heron except to bring back the highlights with white gouache).  I liked the man but didn’t think the heron popped enough so added a background.  

 

FROM SKETCH TO PAINTING - 2

From a life drawing open session long long ago…Just a sketch done in about 1 1/2 hours, I think, with conte crayons.

And what came from the sketch…in my mind, a bit of fun with the hair…and then…

A FEW GOUACHE ATTEMPTS

 Just a few more done while watching online lessons.

This handsome doggie started with a watercolor underpainting and I liked it more - went too dark on this and too warm.  I might try it again more blue and grey and softer colors.  

The watercolor underpainting - should have left it here but still learning about gouache and how it works.  

I like this, but it’s just a section of the face so…hope I have learned more about facial structure and shapes from all the watercolor portraits I did back when.  This was done in a freebie quick lesson from Artefacto online.  

One thing in gouache’s favor = you can go over and reshape and darken parts without it looking overworked because that’s what you do with gouache.  I haven’t learned to go in with thick paint yet and probably wouldn’t like that technique, anyway.  

GOUACHE INTEREST?

 It seems like every spring I’m in the mood for something new and turn to printing with acrylics or painting with gouache.  I have 2 books on how to learn and use gouache but haven’t really delved into it enough to know what I’m doing.  So take a few online short courses from Sktchy or Domestika every now and then.  And got a good 40% off on this lesson by a girl in Spain doing gouache portraits (also animals).  

She is not the greatest teacher and I thought I’d missed an introductory video but, no, she doesn’t talk about the colors she uses, the paper she paints on, or the type of brushes (but I learned that in other lessons so no big deal unless you’re an absolute beginner).  So I watched her paint swatches of color on the portrait she did and then did my own, using my colors.  

Her painting is light and candy-colored and mine…isn’t! Ha ha

But I don’t hate it.  Not finished yet - need to darken the left side of his face so it’s more shadowed (esp. the eye) and move on.  Next is a lion, which I won’t do because I don’t like it very much with all the colors…but I will do the 3rd one she is offering = a dog.  For some reason, I think dogs are ok in lots of colors but lions deserve more respect!

So what have I learned?  A lighter first layer is best and you can still use all the colors you want.  Shape the figure with the 3nd and 3rd layers and look for those darkest darks, lightest lights, and hard and soft edges.  Whew!  Plus, gouache dries differently…I think, if I remember right, dark colors dry lighter and light colors dry darker so…hard to keep that in mind while doing everything else, but I might be figuring some things out.  

FROM SKETCH TO PAINTING

 Another painting done from inspiration in my sketchbook.  Years ago, I took an open life drawing class (not structured lessons but a teacher there to help you and answer questions about your drawing as you went along…where I learned to sight measure for a figure drawing).  So I have several large sketchbooks of things done in the class.  Taking those out, I picked out a few to inspire me to do future paintings…here is the 2nd one.

The sketches and then one of the sketches changed to eliminate the legs and flatten the face (I mean, mermaids wouldn’t have large noses because they don’t breathe like we do, right?)

 Then, the painting.  I liked the way the Lunar Blue (Daniel Smith) created the interesting texture in the tail and hair. 

SPRING ON YUPO

 Over on my Facebook account, I started doing little things and calling them March Madness.  Just the painting or sketch without descriptions.  This is one of those, on YUPO and letting the paint flow.  

Have a good weekend!

FROM SKETCH TO PAINTING

 Another sketch I did a while back…I have a large sketchbook full of drawings done in a Life Drawing Class and other odds and ends of sketches done while watching TV.  

So the sketch is there, I trace it and then begin painting but I had to real plan for this other than making large and small sections of color.  And when you don’t really plan, you often get things you don’t want…

And you sometimes get happy surprises…like the fact that the sections/blocks of color at the lower left made me think of a colorful dress she was wearing…

Not quite done but…where do I go from here?

Sorry but the paper is very buckled so can’t get a straight-on shot, especially when it’s still wet in areas.  (Is the bright red at the left side too distracting?  What colors should I make the white arch…or, should I paint white in another area and leave that arch there - the white of the paper?)

Did add white (acrylic) and I think it’s done…

BACK TO ALMOST BLACK…BUT NOT QUITE

 

Just a little black crow looking at his reflection in the water.

I’m trying to work on something every day in March and calling it March Madness (cannot do the 100-day challenge thing…too intense).

GRANULATING ROCKS IN THE TURQUOISE SEA

Just working on some things using the granulating colors and trying to get some good texture.  Looks like my horizon line is skewed…just needs cropped differently.  The first painting is when I really worked with the granulating colors and water drops to get the textures, then I darken it a bit while still adding water drops to make the colors separate.  Tilting the paper helps the pigment and water move and separate.  Fun (small painting, only 1/4 sheet). 

 

CAN YOU HAVE TOO MANY MERMAIDS?

 Yes, you can.  I totally ruined the first one and even took a set of POSCA Pens to it…ugh.   (The mess is not shown here.)

So I started over…after revising the sketch again (the sketch was done in a live drawing class many years ago so the model did have legs).  

Just a little tweaking…