Let's Hear it for the Boys

Painters love to paint and every week I am thrilled just to have a model to paint. Our models are all ages, shapes and sizes -which we love; however, most of our models are ladies. In the last few weeks we have had the luck of being able to paint young men, a change and challenge that we all enjoyed.

 One of our college-age female models brought her friend Colin to a studio session. Young and handsome, costumed in a renaissance shirt, he was straight out of an Austen novel, I loved it. We painted outside that day and I used a small canvas to capture his image (unfinished). I was happy with the results which I felt captured his features (I am really focusing on  feature likenesses lately). I hope that we book him for another session.

For Colin the sun was up and to the viewer's right. I need more contrast in the light and shadow, so will have to lighten the sunny side. Also Colin's eyes are narrowed because the sun was bright. I really just want to go back in and add more contrast, other than that the feature sizes and placements are fairly accurate.

Today our model did not show up (this happens sometimes). Luckily, a fellow artist had her grandson in town. At sixteen he still has a young sweet face with full cheeks (he would dislike that description but it's true). He was a great model, and again I thought I captured him. In real life he looked younger and somehow I made him a little more grown up, but even his Grandmother said that I got his likeness--Yes!

Look at all that hair, reminds me of a retro style --all long on top and shaggy on bottom. His eyes are light and bright and the light was hitting his face beautifully. I just want to say "Ahhh youth."

I've always worried about painting men and have thought about how to get their head proportions down correctly. I feel that my Figure Drawing classes and Portrait Workshops have really helped me to "See" so that I can get the correct widths and features down.

A Study of the Face

I See Tris in You

Only once the painting was complete did I see the resemblance to Tris of Insurgent. In reality our model is the same age and has similar coloring;however, I believe the bright light led to the parallels to Tris.

I am very happy with this painting as I have been studying portrait drawing and features. I do not want to create generic faces or features. An artist mentor recently said that eyebrows and asymmetry ("the little things") do make a difference. That thought was in my mind as I studied our model's eyebrows, curve of nose and corner of mouth.

Intentionally, I chose a smaller canvas (9x12) so that I would not be distracted by extraneous information. My model time is limited to a few hours and I really had to focus.

The model's hair is tied up and goes off the top of the canvas, the front pieces reflected the blue light brilliantly. Dark brown hair was being hit with direct light and it glowed almost white the way the light hit.

"What can I leave out?" I've learned is a question that is as important as "what do I put in?" Here I only imply the eyes as all I could see was the dark downcast lashes - no eyeball, no whites of eyes. Still, the viewer knows the eyes are downcast...

I have also been working on jawline. The darkness under the chin and the curve up toward the ear are important and width and curve matter. I feel that I captured the size and width accurately.

Note the light hitting the top of eyebrow, the eyelid, the nose, the lower lip and the chin. Such bright blueish light on the face meant that the shadow side was warm and deep. Much of her right cheek (facing her) is in shadow as is her top lip and part of chin.

I have captured something here and am pleased with the outcome of this face study.

Finding the GOOD in your ART

TODAY the Light

I dedicate 3 days a week to art. One day is a figure drawing class, two days are painting (models). All days are ARTporunities - art opportunities in which to learn and improve.

Sara with Summer Light Hair

I am happy with the way this portrait painting turned out. I really loved the light on the face and the way the light created a shadow on the right side of the face (facing model). And, I loved the light hitting the hair, turning it beyond blonde. The hair is a bit "whoa" but yes it is full and with the light hitting it, it was that blonde. The model usually has more caramel and red-ish hair on top (still darker on bottom), but due to summer, her hair has lightened.

The features aren't quite perfect but I like the light hitting the nose and the lower lip. Also I am pleased with the shadow on the neck as it reads shadow but it isn't too strong.

The eyes are imperfect as painted; in a future painting I would spend more time perfecting the right eye, maybe even making the shadows darker...

While I didn't start out saying "I am going to focus on this today," I do see that I was studying the light. The warm yellowish light was above left (facing the model).

In the future (and I do work with artists who do this) it would be a good idea to tell myself, "I will focus on "X" today." A very smart way to focus one's art.

DIA: Diego and Frida Special Exhibit

Rivera Murals

Perspective-TALL murals in Rivera Court

Right now there is a special Diego and Frida exhibit at the DIA which I highly recommend and which would be less meaningful in another museum as Diego and Frida spent a year in Detroit. After attending the exhibit we walked downstairs to view the DIA's Rivera murals - we are lucky as most of his murals are in Mexico.

Unfortunately I could not take photos of the special exhibit, so the pictures below are of Detroit Industry, the Rivera Court murals which focus on factory and industry.

These mural shows factory workers whom Rivera studied at the Ford Rouge River plant in the 1930s.

Having only seen Rivera's DIA murals (a must if you visit Detroit), I was excited to see his additional paintings and studies. I enjoyed the bright colors and the simple forms and compositions of Rivera's paintings of his Mexican people (everyday working). I wish I had a picture I coudl share, I noticed and loved that Rivera painted feet as rectangles with circle toes! Simplistic but somehow lovely.

I'd seen Kahlo's work before and not understood/appreciated it. Frankly it took this exhibit for me to understand her and to "get" that she transitioned her pain into her art. Her miscarriage at Henry Ford Hospital led to her famous hospital bed painting, an ugly but truthful painting, which some say was a catalyst to her art career. Her paintings were tiny as compared to Diego's large murals -the hospital painting maybe a little larger than 11x 14? The miscarriage also led to a change in the DIA Rivera murals as well. Instead of an Agricultural mural (we saw Rivera's agriculture sketch for that mural in the exhibit), Diego painted a baby in a womb. I had wondered why there was a baby amongst the industry and factory murals.

Additionally, I loved seeing Rivera's preliminary sketches - one of which filled an entire wall. I would guess the image was 10 feet tall by 30 feet long (where does one get such large paper)? The image of the man lying on his side was HUGE, covering the fulll length of the 30 foot paper! The actual image on the mural is very high up so you would not ever know how large the image is in real life. The dark figure in the top right is the one from the sketch, but you cannot tell how big that figure is, can you?

How extraordinary that Diego Rivera created the murals 83 years ago in a mere 11 months! The murals are incredibly large and complex. Today I would assume that an artist would command more time to paint this grand room. The exhibit also showed photos of the Court walls pre-mural - boring! Now, with the murals, the walls are huge historic works of art that are interesting and unique.

If you go to the special Diego and Frida Exhibit, be sure to buy tickets in advance (it was crowded), also be sure to plan time to go downstairs to Rivera Court afterwards! Go soon, the special exhibit ends in early July.

52:75!

52 Weeks of Art: 75 Paintings!

May 20th will be an Art Celebration for me as it marks one year of being a part of an inspiring and supportive art group! I appreciate my fellow artists who are professional, encouraging, award-winning artists! Thank you!

1.Started with the Ballerina.

Twice a week for 52 weeks (give or take) I have painted at studio (live model) sessions, creating 75 paintings. Some paintings are failures, some are successes, some have been wiped out (wipe outs were not part of the 75 count), all were valuable to my learning.

2. Plein Air Model Session

On May 20th, 2014 I started with a ballerina (left). I struggled and she remains incomplete to this day. The ballerina model was 6 feet tall, so her body and limbs were long! And, I have learned that beautiful people are harder to paint! I keep many of my paintings even those I don't love because I like to look back and review my art improvements.

The second painting (Plein Air Model session) was a challenge as well. I had to paint quickly outside in bright light. I needed but did not have an umbrella , so I had alot of reflection on my paints and canvas. I struggled to paint the sunlight on her face that came through the hat. Also, once home, I realized that I made the dress much too big!

Renoir-ISH plein air.

I actually love the next few paintings. The model on the stool (left) I consider a nice "study." The next painting was another plein air model session. And, I liked the Renoir-ish look of her. I was happy with how this one turned out.

Fresh loose painting, a favorite!

A top favorite is the next painting, it was loose and fresh and not overworked. I felt that captured the model and her features. And I was thrilled that this was not a struggle, it was a rare success, one that I did not have to continue to work on at home.





I wish there were an easier way to share my paintings here (for this blog I struggled with inserting and placing images). I would love to show all images across in rows but am unable to do that, please scroll through. I am posting many images below, a blog gallery of some of my work  (in order) from the last year..

 

One Fabulous Hat

Back to painting after a vacation, I was anxious to see how quickly I could get my groove back. I paint at a friend's studio and boy did she pick a fun costume this day! The model had on a deep blue robe and lime green hat against her pale skin and umber hair! Hat inspiration was instant and off I went.

The hat was a fun almost Triangle shape which I loved, but I was really inspired by the bright lime hat color. The hat also created a shadow across the face on the forehead and over the (facing model) left eye. The light was coming from the left above the model so there are dark shadows under the hat and in the hair along each side of her face.

The model does look a bit serious, I am not sure what I would/could have done to change that... She was looking out toward those of us painting her...I am happy with the eye in the light as it looks like it has depth and the color is fairly true to life. The other eye was in shadow so that was more of a challenge to paint. The light on the nose was strong and bright as was the light hitting the left side of the mouth. I am pleased with the face overall, despite the serious look.

I was also pleased with how the braid turned out. There was quite a bit of light hitting the braid, particularly on the braid from shoulder to chest, nearest the skin.

Overall I am happy with the painting, but maybe someday I will paint her again -- with a Mona Lisa smile!

Anatomy - Stepping Out of the Comfort Zone

My Binder for Anatomy Lite, handouts & notes!

There are some artists who do not believe that artists should take classes. I have even heard a few "I already know how to do that" art attitudes. And, in history, there are a few Self Taught  Artists who have become very successful. However I have an opposite view, I  have much to learn about art! Often I find myself asking other artists questions and gleaning their thoughts and ideas on ways to approach or improve paintings. Another artist friend strongly believes in the necessity of life draw ing. Even though she has perfect life drawing skills she has rearranged her schedule in order to take a life drawing class, it is important to her.

Hand Bones: My drawing of the hand bones.

My passion is painting and I have taken several painting classes and workshops. However,  I hear over and over how important it is to have drawing skills. Having taken Portrait Drawing, I felt the strong need to learn figure drawing. I believe that learning life drawing can only help my paintings.

For winter I took a life drawing class and I really enjoyed it and learned quite a bit. I feel the value in the class and in having a passionate and fantastic instructor. This semester, we are studying "Anatomy Lite". I have never taken a class like this and I find it fascinating. We look at a human skeleton and get a lecture overview of structure (i.e. rib cage) and then look to a live model, keeping the underlying structure in mind. There are so many bones in the body and I probably will not commit them all to memory, but I love seeing and learning and reading about the structure of us!