Last Night At The Portrait Drawing Session

LtoR: Caroline Rudge, Chris Draper x2, Sue Webber, Chris Dunn, Isla Russell

Yesterday I spent a great evening sketching with a small group of artists in Biddestone, Wiltshire. It was the first of hopefully many portrait drawing sessions organised by Chris Draper, he also got his friend, Dave, to model for us. It was his first time and I have to say he did an excellent job, he hardly even blinked.

Captain Ratbeard

Captain Ratbeard

Watercolour & Gouache

24 x 31cm

Ahoy m'hearties! Shiver m'timbers and host the main sail (blimey I don't I'll keep this pirate talk going), if it isn't Captain Ratbeard and his pi-rat-ical crew (get it?). I nearly had as much fun painting the Captain as writing this blog post. Here is one of those few examples of when the finished piece is very similar to the fleeting image I had in my mind's eye.

The sea spray was achieved by flicking masking fluid with a toothbrush and a lot of the glossy highlights were with prussian blue and white gouache. I struggled with the wet deck but by studying lots of Wyeth and Howard Pyle pirate paintings I eventually found a simple way of suggesting a thin layer of water. 

Cheetah Chase (Past The Finish Line)

I recently finished two paintings, here's the first.

Cheetah Chase

Watercolour & Gouache

24 x 31cm

I had a right old time trying to get just the right colour in the stonework, I think I painted the column about 4 times. I have always struggled with lighter values in watercolour because there is so little room for manoeuvre when you use the white of the paper to act as your pastel white. Darker values are much easier as you can keep applying lots of layers until you get it right but lighter values are often a one hit wonder.

Overall I am pleased with the result, the cheetah has some nice reflected light on his chest (not that you can see it at this jpeg quality) and the dust cloud spurting from his hind leg was very enjoyable to paint. I'm also satisfied with the amount of characters and their facial details I managed to fit in such a small painting.

Next post... the other painting, brace yourselves!

Captain Ratbeard

This is a bit of a jump from my previous post 'Cheetah chase' (more on that later). Below you can see a detailed rough of the next animal painting to go with my recent series of work.

I've decided to call him Captain Ratbeard, his long beard is braided but unlike Blackbeard it's not smouldering - I didn't think his hairs would stay lit in such a terrible sea storm. I introduced a tilt to the composition to add a bit of tension (see Dan Dos Santos post on tilting), I especially like the fact his body is counterbalancing the roll of ship as any good pirate with sea legs (or leg) would do.

The rat in the background, ropes and swinging lantern also provide a contrasting diagonal to the lines of the mast and wooden deck deck. I am yet to decide which direction the rain will be falling, with the wave or opposing.

The strongest contrasting in value will be focussed on Ratbeard's face. He'll provide a strong silhouette with his dark fur and hat against the foamy wave beating against the stern in the background.

Above is the transferred and outlined pencil drawing on watercolour paper ready to be painted. Below you can see it is on the same piece of stretched paper as 'Cheetah Chase' which is why I have not scanned that finished painting and posted it on the blog. Instead I have taped a plastic sheet over it as protection and been very careful to cover any gaps that might let in stray watercolour as I paint Captain Ratbeard.

'Cheetah Chase' Progress

I took this photo on my mobile a couple of days ago. I'm now close to finishing but I have to wait until Monday before I'm back in my studio rummaging in my drawers for gouache paints. *Frustration*

Apes Chasing A Cheetah In Ancient Greece

No I'm not having 'an episode', it's the detailed rough for my next watercolour painting which I developed using my perfectly 'rational imagination'.

Cotton House - Marlborough College

My first house portrait completed, although it's not a private home but a boarding house instead.

Cotton House is named after George Edward Lynch Cotton a well known victorian bishop and former headmaster of Marlborough College. Bishop Cotton left the college in 1858 to take up the office of Bishop of Calcutta, India. While in India, Bishop Cotton organised for shipments of clothing especially socks to be delivered to the poor Indian children he encountered on his travels. He would bless the crates of socks as they came in which gave birth to the phrase 'bless his/her little cotton socks'.

The original is now in the ownership of the current house master.

What's On My Drawing Board?

The preliminary drawing for a watercolour of Cotton House in Marlborough College of course, I can't believe you didn't get that!

Peacock Arts Trail 28th Sept - 6th Oct

I'm getting all geared up for my open studio.

I have over 100 pieces of art, all available to buy at seriously low prices. I will be tweeting individual pieces regularly so you can get a flavour of what I have to offer so please follow me @chrisdunnillos to be in the know.

I am based at the Pound Arts Centre, Corsham SN13 9HX, next door to Penney Ellis and Claire Baker who are also taking part. My opening times are:

Sat 28th    10.00 - 17.00 (I will not be present but you will get to meet my wife, Suzanne)
Sun 29th   10.00 - 16.00
Mon 30th  10.00 - 17.00
Tues 1st    10.00 - 17.00
Wed 2nd   10.00 - 17.00
Thurs 3rd  10.00 - 17.00
Fri 4th       Closed
Sat 5th      10.00 - 17.00 (I will not be present but you will get to meet my wife, Suzanne)
Sun 6th     10.00 - 16.00

Link to Peacock Arts Trail website

Night-time Reading

My wife was browsing through my website yesterday, it didn't take long before she started to exclaim, "where's the mole in the library?"
"What do you mean?" I replied.
"You know," then she gave me that look I only get from her when I'm being particularly dense. "The painting of the mole in a library, it's not on your blog."
"Isn't it?"
"Well, I can't find it"
"Oh, I thought I'd posted that already." I'd better point out I have a notoriously bad memory.
"You'd better do it before you forget - again."
"Yes dear" 

Surely not many married couples can have this conversation, normally it's where are the car keys, or have you put the bin out. However I'm glad Suzanne spotted my lackadaisical approach to blogging, so after a lengthy build up here is that mole in a library painting

Night-time Reading

24 x 31cm

Watercolour / Gouache