Painting Challenge 1. Sketch - Second Phase

I've done another sketch. I wasn't too sure about the first one because I felt the figures were too large. I am not too sure about this one either. I think there was a better dynamic with the rendering and positioning of the painter in the foreground of the first sketch, but the background is more resolved in the second and there seems to be more confidence with the drawing of drapery as well. We'll see. I can't do any more today but I have given the canvas one coat of oil with Liquin. This will serve as the basis for the glaze I am going to put over the whole format. The light is going and even though today was brilliant as the sun was just shining in, I cannot do any more. In fact, after reflecting on this second sketch, I think I am going to base the painting more on the first sketch. It is amazing what one has to work through to get something clear. It's also good to see so many new sketches on the Drawing Vault in two days after such a long absence. I hope to post more sketches tomorrow and start the painting itself. Then, I shall be posting my progress over on my other blog, the Painting Vault. I just hope I have enough time to finish the project to send it in by 4 March. Time is very tight and I have complicated things out of all proportion. Ambition is good, but this.....?! T'was a Good Day Today.

Second Sketch.

Painting Challenge 1. Sketch - First Phase.

At last! Some real sketches for the Drawing Vault. An explanation of what they are 'for' is required, because they don't stand on their own; they are sketches of a painting I intend to send into a competition/challenge in a couple of weeks. I posted the full story on my other blog, Painting Vault, yesterday.

I have accepted a challenge to paint a picture, send it in to a website and have it published. Well that sounded prosaic and dull, but luckily for me there is a fantastic and extremely generous artist in the USA who has started a blog 'challenge', open to all, where a photograph is put up every two weeks and anyone can create a painting based on that photograph. The basis of the challenge is to be 'inspired' by the photograph and use it as a basis for our art. The photograph is extremely challenging in itself as a subject - a shot of a window display for wigs! Who would have thought of issuing such a challenge to artists? Here is the photo:

So what on earth can one do with such a subject? I would never have noticed this display and I guess that's what this challenge is all about; stretching oneself. What flashed into my mind after staring at this picture for ages, was something probably a few steps too far from any real recognisable representation of the photo above. Here's what I am going to do: I am going to create an 8"x10" oil on canvas of myself painting a fresco, partially finished, with these heads and wigs turned into either minstrels or angels. Okay, well, that's the idea and I had to get home tonight to do a rough, very rough, composition of what I wanted to create. These are give below. You can see the development of the rough idea with all its tentative, pale marks, developing into something a little more confident and resolved. I have also learned a lot from doing this sketch which took about an hour inbetween serving dinner and making tea. I hope to post more sketches tomorrow. The only problem I have is that I have two weeks to complete this painting and I only have weekends. If only it was high Summer with available light after work...... Apologies for the photography....it will get better soon.

First tentative sketch.

Figures more resolved and the addition of myself.

Mapping in the oval as a compositional device


Random Sketch - Close Up


Close up of detail


Key Figure emerging on the left.


Close Up of Key Figure.

Drawing Vault: No 2 Link on Google Front Page.

Yay me!

Today I checked on Google's front page and 'Drawing Vault' was No. 2. As I said before, those two words are hardly the most searched-after keywords on Google, but it is fun watching it go up and up and up. Now off to get some drawings done after my earlier rant.

No. 2 Link on Google Front Page Today!

Time For Drawing Has Been Zero

I just need to write this here to calm myself down. I have been longing to do some really intense drawing for weeks, but work has overtaken everything else. This has got to change. Maybe next weekend? If I wasn't so tired now I would turn this blog entry into a full blown rant. I don't even like looking at the Drawing Vault as it has hardly any drawings on it at all. This wasn't supposed to happen. A thought came to mind recently and that was I should just photograph all my sketches and record them here. I'll think of that, but I wanted to retain this site for some really good work. We'll see; rambling over. Ish.