Oil Sketches

I was preparing to create some small canvas panels, but instead decided to just partition the scored sections with tape and use the whole sheet as a multi-sketch board. This was a real time-saver for me as these are just quick sketches, and it was easy enough for me to quickly rotate the canvas to a blank section to start a new sketch. :)  (Fisher boat reference provided by fa-stock)

Sleepyhead

Oil on canvas (claessens #13)

Stoic

Dramatic shadow and light practice. I started by completely blocking in the shadow sections over the drawing with raw umber and cad red. For the flesh tones in light I used burnt sienna, ultramarine, ochre light, cad. red and white. The turban is cerulean, veridian and titanium white. On the shadow side of the turban I applied a glaze of cerulean and black using linseed oil. (This great reference was provided by Magnamity27). Oil on canvas.

 

Started with a burnt umber sketch 

For the love of God, stop right there!

Okay folks, this is a failed painting that I'm posting to remind me to never do a personal project where doubt is present. It started with a few items we have around the house "wouldn't it be a great idea to use these to do an "Easter themed" still life"? No it wouldn't!! Not for me, anyway.

 As I was composing our little knick-knacks, (not painted yet was a brass ornament that would have been on the upper right side of the painting to balance it out; this was to go in last as it would have to be drawn and painted over the finished background wall) I started to feel like I had no connection nor excitement for the arrangement. I am not a fan of "commercial Easter" and this was the epitome of it. Even as I started to draw it, I had a bit of an uneasy feeling in my stomach. But I continued on, I added some local colors and began to focus on the Mommy and Daddy bunnies... cute, huh? At this point I was so dissatisfied with the painting that I grabbed a rag soaked in turpentine and scrubbed out all of the color. I kept doing this the whole night... something wasn't working. I got up, took a deep breath, looked at it and figured out that it wasn't the painting as much as it was that not one ounce of my heart was in it. I took one final picture of it and scrubbed the whole canvas down.

 I'm glad I was able to cease and desist. I'm sure if I were to finish it, the going rate would have been 30 pieces of silver. :(

Old Drawings and Paintings

I decided to post this set of some older pieces; most of these are from my old blog (love them portraits...huh?). Seeing them together like this, it is very apparent how all-over-the-place I am with style and technique. I continue to try to find my natural way of painting, but unfortunately none of these jump out as "my style." Of course my hope is that eventually my paintings will become more cohesive in style so I can grab onto it and spend the rest of my life trying to perfect it. For now, all must suffer the wrath of my indecisiveness! :)