Back to Fruit for Number Four

Decided to set up my still life this time with just the three pieces of fruit. I figure that i'm having enough trouble learning all prima painting that i don't need to jump right into more difficult subjects. Besides, this is only number four.

And this is what i came up with. I didn't succeed in putting down paint and leaving it alone. More blending this time, less painterly. In some ways i feel better about this one that my previous efforts, but i also feel like i'm losing something. I'll have to reread Kevin MacPhersons books to see if i can absorb some more pointers on technique.

I did extend my limited pallette. To the Cadmium Yellow Light, Alizarin Crimson, Ultramarine Blue and Titanium White i added Cadmiun Red Light, Thalo Green, and Chromatic Black. I use very little of the Chromatic Black, so i don't think i can blame the addition of it to my more subdued colors.

Number Three

Continuing in my Paint 100 Challenge, here is number three. It took me a while to settle on the still life objects and their composition. I added and subtracted a tea kettle and a tea canister, and ended up just with the pot and mug.

After all that, i ended up spending less than an hour and a half painting before running out of steem. So endurance is another thing that i'll have to build up before taking on plein air subjects. My major error this time was not completing the painting of the pot before adding the detail of the pattern on the pot. Therefore, the whole shadow side of the pot is too light. Drawing errors crept in too; the mug is too narrow compared to the reference. And i didn't manage to get in the brightness of the reflections in the mug. I am not producing masterpieces, but i sure hope that the lessons learned from these studies will make my paintings better by the end of the one hundred. Another of those errors is to step back sooner-- maybe that will allow me to correct some drawing errors sooner.

Second Painting

Well, here's my second of the one hundred. Took me two hours, including making sketches before i started to paint. The drawing is better than the first one. Matching colors is something i have to work on. The kiwi should be a lighter green, and the reflected light in the shadow of the cut apple is too light. The highlight on the whole apple disappeared at some point.

No photo of the still life. I ate it.

Don't Know What to Think

Attempted my first painting of the challenge. I guess its done-- i went as far as i could. Don't know what to think about it. I was very uncomfortable painting it. I tried to think in masses of color, getting my values right. I tried not to mess with my paint strokes after applied, other than to correct errors. I had to fight to not paint the local color and just darken the shadows. Its a first attempt, so try not to be so critical, i tell myself. In a weird way, it is successful. It is a step towards loosening up my painting style and becoming more comfortable with color and values, though my drawing could still use work.

So this is what #1 looks like.

And this is a photo of the still life i painted from.

My Paint 100 Challenge

I seem to remember making a resolution at the beginning of this year to be more creative, specifically to create outside of class, and to post the results here. I was unsuccessful.

This year is coming to an end, and another will soon start. We shall see if i can be better with a similar resolution. Between now, December 20, 2009, and December 31, 2010, i shall paint a minimum of 100 6 x 8 paintings. It is my intention that the majority of these be from life, whether still life or en plein air. I will call this my "Paint 100 Challenge." To keep me honest, i will post the works here, successful or not.

Fellow students turned me onto the books of Kevin MacPherson, specifically  "Landscape Painting Inside and Out". While i was at it, i also bought "Fill Your Oil Painting with Light & Color". Having read both, i have become inspired and challenged.  Challenged to take on plein air painting, and inspired to work up to that by trying the techniques first on simple still lifes. If i did a painting a day for 100 days it would more closely fit his suggestion, but i know that i will be spending time away from home so that is impossible for me. I want to acquire a more painterly style, but just reading about it doesn't do it, one has to attempt to do it.

So there you go. Thats my challenge for the year. I now have to set my mind to carry it out.

Small Steps

I've been printing off a photo from the drawing and sketching weekly challenge, but this is the first week i've actually tried to work on one. This is an unidentified leaf in charcoal on 9x12. I used charcoal pencils in addition to the willow, and they did not blend well. This represents almost two hours work and i feel like its still rather crude. But i worked on a drawing today.


That's after i painted this small 6x8 in oils yesterday. I used a bigger brush than i normally do and painted alla prima (in one session) in an attempt to loosen up my painting. My instructor recommended this exercise. I'll have to see if i can do more of these. They might not be good but they are rather fun.

Finally, Something New

After ages without creating other than in painting class, i did a pastel sketch. I'm hoping that it will end up a painting. Anyway, here it is.

The background looks a bit childish and the buds look bad, but i did something. My pastels always seem to look childish. Maybe if i would do more i would figure out how to make them a bit more polished.

Now if i can just keep this up and get some more practice in.

Spoke Too Soon

Yep, i spoke too soon. I said i was sketching again, and here its been, months. I've done nothing outside of my classes. I really need to get my act together, start creating, and then i'll really have something to post about.

Nothing more to say or show now.

Drawing again

After making a resolution to not go so long without sketching/drawing, i went over a month. Finally did a wetcanvas challenge today. A portrait, which is definately a challenge for me. The poor girl turned out looking more like a boy, but when i tried to polish the drawing it got worse, so i stopped before things got any worse. Charcoal on 14x17 sketch paper.