Wednesday 31 August 2016

Afghan WIP

Still getting a few moments to continue the Afghan



The rest of the time I'm either editing books.... or .....

Sunday 28 August 2016

Onward and Upward

On to the next portrait; this is another Afghan. This chap is a holy man who spends his life living in poverty. I've sketched him in and started the under-painting.



Saturday 27 August 2016

Finished Portrait

Not particularly the best portrait I've painted but the best I could do with the ancient photoref ............ and little ability.

                                                M. Maachi                               John Simlett
10 inch x 14 inch
Acrylic on Canvas


Monday 22 August 2016

Portrait WIP

Still trying to dig him out of the canvas ... he's in there somewhere. The face is so small that the slightest error in a paint-stroke changes the whole face. I like to paint big. 

I didn't realise I could produce so many variations of grey/gray using Mars Black, Titanium White and Raw Umber. I found that if I got the wrong combination on the canvas, the 'whitest' looked blue. I'm learning as I go ... talk about a limitless limited palette!!!!!!

Here's my progress so far














Sunday 14 August 2016

Underpainting

Djafar's dad
Acrylic
14 inch x 10 inch canvas 


Sketched him and blocked him in. Just about to start the underpainting.

Saturday 13 August 2016

Portrait Time

I've started a small portrait of my niece's husband's father. If it works out OK then I shall attempt a larger and 'proper' portrait of him. Here's the rub, Jeff's dad is dead and there is only one inferior photograph of him available from which to paint. I think he was Chief of Police in Algeria at the time. Here it is:


As you can see there are few shadows and next to no details: folds in the cloth etc. 

I'm going to cheat a little and try to copy the shadows from a photograph of His Majesty King Faisal of Saudi Arabia, who is standing in roughly the same position and wearing similar clothing: 


Should be an adventure!


Tuesday 9 August 2016

Don't look now but ....!

I'm finally doing a painting - a portrait in fact of my nephew-in-law's dad. To make it more interesting he is an Arab, and dressed in traditional costume. As the reference photograph is rather old and in mono, I shall paint the portrait in black & white ... which kinda makes it a bit more of a challenge.

As the boat I'm building is starting to look like a boat, and launch day becomes a real event rather than a vague dream..

The Seagull  the 15 foot wooden Maine Lobster Boat I'm building
...Pat thought I should learn how to 'sail' one and so she's signed me up for a course with the Royal Yacht Association for two days of power-boat training.

Lots of interesting places along this coast line to take a boat into for a quiet picnic. Here's a touch of the local area: