PROJECT 4 MOVING ON

Drawing 1

First part of this exercise is to do four charcoal drawings A3 at least, the first two from one space or room into another, the second two from one space into a large (outdoor) space.  Above is the first one, done from inside of workshop towards the window.  Best I could find, and I need to make the drawings there because of doing a painting further on.  Quite enjoyable, and always surprising how little I see at the first look, and how the interaction with subject develops. This took me about 2 hours over 3 or 4 days.

I am finding it very good to be working in this exact and traditional way, particularly after the effort of doing the book last year and using up my reservoir of visual knowledge.  Need to replenish and this looking is a great way to do it.

Drawing 2  Looking through a door

Drawing 3 Looking out into a larger space

Have now made 3 drawings A3 size, blood sweat and tears.  I like taking the time and really looking.  #2 the best so far.  #3 not great, felt low in energy.  So far not really inspired to use any of these for a painting.....

Drawing 4

Greyscale photo

Photo

 

 

 End of stage one of this Project.   Mixed success.  Complicated subjects. And I have not got the tones right in drawing 4.  Tho I like it. 

PROJECT 4 PERSPECTIVE AND THREE DIMENSIONS PART 2

Flower painting 2 first sketch

Light bad today, only had time for a bit of this, established drawing, tho table should be a bit lower down.  Hope for more time day after tomorrow and beyond.  Lighter touch:)

Day 2

 Maybe lost it a bit with composition, make more of table top at base, but basically it is much better, the blanket getting right, also the cloth at back.  Did not really concentrate on this, felt bored, so surprised that it works at all.  Most interesting to me is the tonal pattern as translated into colour.  Felt impatient with it, and laid into it a bit, that definitely seems to have worked on background cloth.

A bit more to do on tablecloth and marigold probably enough, add a bit more tone to the bottom area to balance it.. Thinking about mixing up the main colours and doing a very loose version.  It would be fun to play around with the colours, just retaining the tonal pattern as well.

Final version

 Still felt a bit bored by this one, particularly the table cloth and blanket, but it was ok to leave it unfinished according to my book.  Might do another quick version with the main colours before continuing to next project, which looks very complicated (30 hours work)
Felt pain and despair doing this, maybe it is bringing back emotions from teenage years, but have to work through that.  Realised I am getting more confident if not better, and understanding more how to approach this for me.  Also realised I could now tackle that racehorse picture with more understanding.  AND that I may be needing to move into colour. LOL.  Next day, flowers had fallen apart so I dismantled still life and did this follow up version using final version for info.  I had that idea through using the still life for scarf designs (see below).
I tried at first looking at main shapes and working fast, but decided it looked very conventional especially with the flowers, so I scrubbed over it and liked the effect.  Worked into a bit, might do more.  Anyway it is on to next project now!  Next day: still did more with two no look sketches below.  But have mined this image to max, I think.

Scarf version!

 

Follow up play version

 

PROJECT 4 PERSPECTIVE AND THREE DIMENSIONS

Started by doing some simple perspective drawings of book, very instructive.  Realising how LAZY I am.

Then made quite a few apple drawings.  Here is one on A3 size papeer.  Also instructive, a difficult exercise to try and pick out the tones and the forms in the apple.  Made a guess really, I am afraid to say.

Then made a little painting 20 cm square.  Feel as though I have never painted before, it is a week or so since I did the still life.  But the drawings were helpful, I made some guesses, and found the background cloth more interesting than the apple.   The photo shows the lines on the surface rather badly, but apart from that it does not look bad! Next a plant painting.

Starting on next part of this project, a still life of a plant in room.  Here is a photo of the set up plus two initial drawings.

Long narrow colour sketch started today.  Needs more looking re shapes and tones and so on. Blue background not right, also other bits of background, but it has a surprising feeling of light and life!!!  Will do another session on this, then start on "proper" version.

Greyscale photo of subject

Weighed in immediately and impulsively on arrival in studio today, decided it needed to be redrawn, changed size and position of vase down slightly, this gave more room for the cloth at the back, got the perspective of window sill and table better, maybe got tones better.  Did this in two sessions first moment then later on for half an hour.  Light less good today, seem to have made everything lighter in the painting now.  Composition problematic and I am squashed in a corner.  Think in next study I will think in a more abstract way, top left corner could be darker, and I need to look again at the colours in the cloth on the table.  I like the way the window sill has now come out, also the table, and the shape (though not tone and form and colour of the blue cloth in background).  Vase and flowers OK for now.  As usual need to try and go more slowly.  Looking at the greyscale photo the shadows on the blanket are quite dark, and that would make for a better composition. The blue turquoise nearer light is about right

Sketch final version

 This suddenly came right today because I got the blanket colour a bit better, toned down the vase and added pattern (HUGE DIFFERENCE), also got wall on rh side better.  Now to do another one.