"What's Wrong with This Picture?????"

I am having trouble with this. Yellows are notoriously difficult to get credible shadows. I am stumped as to how to make this look better. The only thought I have is to put in an extremely dark background, something I originally wanted to avoid. Hm ...  any ideas???

This was one of the demos I started in class last week. One of the new students [and her husband] have become fascinated with watercolor - YES - and would like to continue with this next Saturday. So ... more lobster ...

I used the idea from this painting I did a few years ago. Yup, there really are yellow lobsters, though they are extremely rare.

This was another class demo. It makes me want to be in Venice again, so I could take photos and draw and paint to my heart's content!!!

Took the dogs out for an early morning walk. Little did they know that it was actually a photo shoot :)

This was one of the images I took. Some of the students want to try poured watercolor, so I headed out today to get some photos with strong value contrasts. 

This is a close-up of the shed from the above photo. It is full of antique farming equipment.

That's about it for now. I'd like to get out early to play with His Lordship before it gets too hot ...

Thank you so much for dropping by!

The Big Guy and Me

Yes, I really do ride. Had a lesson today, and my trainer's friend was there, and kindly took a short video. I felt like a sack of potatoes in the sitting trot, but apparently we looked good. I felt Bruno was beautifully soft and relaxed, and using his hind end well, so he liked what I was doing in the saddle.

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Paintings on the Go ... Three Works in Progress

This started out as a class demo last Saturday. I was showing different ways of applying pigment. I dotted the branch with clean water, and then dotted in some color - quin. gold, quin. burnt orange and cobalt blue. I liked the look, so I worked on it at home ...

The leaves and stems all got a wash of aureolin. Then I used quin. colors for the leaves and softer, non-staining colors for the stems.

Here it is - thinking it will look good as an 8 x 8 in. varnished work.
The markings on the petals is a quin. pink, and the grey for the shadows is a lavender made of quin. pink, cobalt blue and aureolin.

reference photo
I was heading to the park to walk the Maggot, and these apple blossoms at my neighbor's house caught my eye. The light was early evening - just perfect.

This was another one started in last week's class. Almost unrecognizable ... OK, it IS unrecognizable!  It is a Venice scene, very faint at the top, darkening to some gorgeous warm greens and browns at the bottom.

Did a fair bit on this one before I got my camera back from repair.

I am here now, trying to get those shadows in the yellows dark enough. I think yellow is the most difficult color in which to create credible darks! I think I may have to use the oranges.

That's it in my part of the painting world for now.
Thank you so much for dropping in!!

Done Dog

This is the recently completed 2nd version of Drake. I had debated whether to just leave it with the 1st version. But I am glad I re-did the painting.  I tried some effective techniques for creating the impression of soft, fluffy hair, so it was a great learning experience.

This is version #1.

Thank you so much for dropping by!!

FLASHBACK

Clematis: In My Garden
30 x 35 cm. image
46 x 51cm.  frame

Cool Cows
36.5 x 27.5 cm.
63 x 53 cm. frame

Tourists in Tuscany
33 x 24.5 cm.
57 x 50 cm. frame

Pink Passion
16 x 11 in. image / framed

Barn Study
10.5 x 10.5 in. image / framed

Somewhere in Greece ...
20.5 x 9 in. image/ framed and hanging in my sister's place

I was going through some older paintings I'd had framed. I am taking them to the gallery at the center where I teach, and hopefully they will find a new home! But when looking at them, I realized how much more I like my older work. It seemed easier to create them in those days, and was more fun, too. I believe I have let myself get too caught up in the  competitiveness of marketing. Time to let that go, and find my love of art and drawing and painting again!!!

I haven't posted in a while as my camera has been in for repairs, but soon ...

Thank you for dropping by!

So ... You Want to See How It's Done???

Aureolin and quin. burnt orange applied w/w

Then a w/w application of a brown/black mixture, with some lifting while it's still damp

Another wet black application, with some thin orange in the lighter area ...

More lifting, this time getting serious with the Magic Eraser

Start the eyes - it looks so bizarre at this stage!

More on the eyes and nose - using quin. burnt orange, quin. violet and indanthrone. For the tongue, I am using quin. burnt orange, permanent rose and cobalt blue.

Starting his hair colors, working primarily w/w  - mostly a steely grey...

Looking a bit like Drake. I am about 3/4 of the way done.

Reference photo for pose

Using this photo for reference for the shapes and contours of his face

... and this one for colors.

This is what I am working on right now. I have to remember to take breaks, and step WAY back to look at the overall effects. One does get a bit squirrelly working on detailed painting using blacks.
I also must decide what to do with the background for the cowboy - something minimalist, maybe in soft grey-greens and yellows.  And there is a landscape I started as a demo in class ... and some azalea blossoms dying to be painted ...

Thank you for dropping by!

Captivated by a Cowboy ... a Work in Progress

Reference drawing

Before we continue, here's a word from our sponsor, Maggie, wondering why I am not taking her with me. 

Back to painting ...
Thin washes of aureolin + quin. burnt orange for hat, cobalt blue for shirt, and quin. sienna, alizarin crimson and cobalt blue for skin.

Quin. sienna and alizarin for shirt, splashed in w/w.

More of the same ...

Some shadowing on the face and neck with a thicker mixture of orange, crimson and blue, and some extra crimson and orange for Scott's sunburned skin.

Shadow on front of hat and a bit of reflected red on the brim, too.

Deepening skin tones, and starting on moustache and goatee, using aureolin, crimson and blue.

Touches of detail on hat, and still deepening skin colors.

I am here right now. Scott's hat, glasses, moustache and probably ear need a bit of work, but on the whole, I am pleased with how he has turned out. 

Reference photo

About a month ago, I talked my farrier [he of the Two Bums painting "fame"]  into getting into his cowboy gear, and doing some modeling for me. I took at least 50 photos of Scott posing on the ground and on horseback with his dog, Sadie, and his girlfriend's horse [his own horse needed too much cleaning up]. I wanted to do a relatively small, fast painting to warm up before starting a large painting of him with dog and horse. And this is the result.
I have known Scott for about ten years. He has taken care of Bruno's shoeing needs, and that has been great, as His Highness has a penchant for removing shoes. Bruno was actually stabled nearby, at Scott's barn, when I first met him. Scott has also helped me with some heavy work around the barn. He is just a sweet, generous man - a good friend!
He really is a cowboy - worked in the rodeos for years until he had a whopper accident. He still does volunteer work with local rodeos.

Thank you for dropping by!