I've been busy at work, and tired (my DW's been away, see secret 4 below!) and I'm fed up with it raining all the time! So, I haven't been very inspired to do anything creative for a couple of days. But here are a few quick things I did get time to do. Let's hope summer starts again soon!
Bloggers everywhere are doing their bit for the search for the missing child, Madeleine McCann. The story of her abduction is reported by the BBC here. Here is a photograph of her. If anyone has any information about her whereabouts, they should get in touch with the international Crime stoppers on +44 1883 731 336.
I've just been tagged by Robyn of Have Dogs, Will Travel. Thanks, Robyn, it was fun! I expect you're familiar with this; you have to tell seven secrets that most people don't know about you and then tag another seven bloggers. The former is fairly easy; finding seven people who haven't already been tagged is more of a challenge! Here are my seven secrets:
I've not had time to do much drawing or painting today, just a quick sketch of some stocks that I bought a couple of weeks ago and are still going strong. This will be my entry for challenge 76. They have a lovely smell, but I haven't yet come up with a way of capturing that in a drawing! This is ink and Derwent Inktense pencils.
I've just been tagged by Robyn, of Have Dogs, Will Travel, so I'll have to start thinking of seven secrets! It's not going to be easy. And, of course, I'll have to find seven new people to tag, so watch out!
I think I'm going to call this one finished. I've darkened the middle of the mouth, the nostrils and the right ear, but otherwise it's not much different from stage 3. There's lots more that I could do to it, but I think not without changing it into a completely different style of drawing. Those of you who were kind enough to comment and said you liked dog drawings, you owe it to yourself to check out Mike Sibley. Now there is a real master of realistic graphite drawing! But I'm quite happy with my drawing; I think it captures the personality of the dog. I'm really going to have to practice those noses, though!! Thanks again for the advice and encouragement.
This is getting close to being finished, if only because I've got to send it off tomorrow. I think the darkening of the inside of the mouth has really helped (thanks for that advice!), though it might need to be taken a bit further in the middle. The nose is better, but perhaps still not quite right. The nostrils could do with being a bit darker, maybe. Anyway, the next post will be the final version.
This isn't going as well as I'd hoped, probably because I'm trying to work too quickly. That nose is driving me mad...I just can't get it to look right! Only tomorrow left to work on it!! I've adjusted the right eye, which wasn't round enough, and have started to suggest the hair around the right ear. Suggestion is all there is going to be, I think, given the time available. Still, I'm reasonably happy with the overall impression of the dog's personality.
After the bright colours of the last post, it's back to graphite today. I'm doing a drawing of an English Setter called Grady for a friend's birthday. I would have been tempted to try to paint him, but the birthday is on Saturday so I can't afford to make mistakes! In fact, it might well not be finished in time, but it should at least look reasonably good by then. Plus, I'm working small--it's about 18cm x 12cm. Plus, this will be my entry to the current EDM challenge (118), which is to draw hair. Dog hair counts, right?
I think this is done, though I'm tempted to put some more darks on the tree. What do you think? This is done on a quarter imperial sheet of 140lb NOT Bockingford paper, using W&N French Ultramarine Blue, Permanent Rose, Burnt Sienna and Raw Sienna. And as luck would have it there is also an EDM challenge to fit this one too: number 15 -- draw a tree!
I decided to do a painting of a cherry tree in blossom, but didn't get time to finish it today, so I thought I'd post it as a work in progress. I'm afraid that the middle part of the background has gone a bit muddy, but I'm going to add some detail in to it, so I hope it will still be OK. Time will tell!
Here's a line drawing of my keys, which is EDM challenge # 37. This is a sort of modified blind contour. Each key is drawn blind, but I looked at the paper to place the pen for the start of the next one.
I always expect to be able to enjoy some quality time with my paints at the weekend, but it rarely seems to work out that way. This weekend is turning out to be no exception, though with tomorrow being a holiday, perhaps there is still hope! However, I did manage to get out in the garden to do a bit of sketching. Pen, ink and Inktense pencils (which I'm getting to like more and more, by the way).
The weather this spring has been so warm that we've already been eating outside in the garden a lot, and I've already dug the Chinese lanterns out. Seemed like a suitable subject for the EDM challenge: draw something round. One of these is done in common or garden graphite (.5mm mechanical pencil with 2B lead) and the other in Inktense pencils.
I think I'm going to call this finished. I'm reasonably happy with it. It is by far the most challenging pen and ink drawing that I've attempted. Compared it to the drawing I did of Flatford Mill 18 months ago, for example. Always nice to feel that one is making progress!
At tonight's art class, the teacher set up a drapery study for us to do. The extra challenge was that the drapery was translucent! I do enjoy this sort of challenge, once in a while, anyway! It will take quite a long time to complete -- this is two hours work so far -- and I may not have the patience or time, but perhaps posting it here as a WIP will give me an incentive!
I've always enjoyed doing blind contour drawings. There is something liberating about not having to worry about what the end product is going to look like. Also the works that really inspired me to try my own hand at drawing were line drawings. I've always loved line drawings; there is something especially magical about producing pictures out of simple lines. Of course, there is nothing at all magical about my blind contour drawings, but they are fun. This is a self-portrait. You'll have to decide for yourself if I really look like this!
I haven't done much portrait drawing or painting, but doing studies of bits of faces seems like good practice. When I do try to draw or paint faces, I generally find the mouth the hardest part, so I decided to do some studies of a mouth. It also happens to be the subject of Everyday Matters challenge number 53, so that's another one crossed off the list!
This is a sketch of something green -- Green College, Oxford. This is the Radcliffe Observatory, an 18th century building in the grounds of the college.
It was a very quick sketch that I did while I was waiting for a bus; that's why it's a bit wonky! Anyway, that's my excuse, and I'm sticking to it!
Irises are my favourite flowers, but I find them very difficult to draw or paint. But I figure there is only one way to get better! So here are a couple of studies, one in pencil and one in watercolour. Anyway, I needed a change from the country cottage drawing before I go back to finish it off.
