'Cracked Matador' Revisited

I wasn't pleased with the jpeg in my previous post. The colours were too desaturated for my liking so I've decided to re-post my 'Cracked Matador' painting and give you a bit more information on the process I went through in making it.

Penny's kind comment comparing me to Norman Rockwell was VERY flattering and wholly  undeserved! If I could have as much talent as Rockwell had in his little finger I would be a very happy man. However Penny must be physic because placed next to me during the whole time I painted 'Cracked Matador' was this image:

 April Fools - Girl With Shopkeeper by Norman Rockwell 1948

It's embarrassing placing my painting next to this amazing Saturday Evening Post cover but I thought it might be of interest. I used 'April Fools' mainly as a colour choices guide but I also incorporated a similar tiled floor and velvet curtain to that in Rockwell's painting. The lighting setup was also influenced by Rockwell. I loved the cold daylight from the left window which created depth in comparison to the warm top light which helped illuminate detail. I tried to suggest these two light sources just out of view in 'Cracked Matador' but still giving the same effect overall.

'Cracked Matador'

 18.5" x 23.5"

I finally finished my Bull in a China shop painting, or as I like to call it 'Cracked Matador,' yesterday. As always it looks a bit washed out when uploaded to blogger but at least you can see the detail better.

Overall I'm quite pleased with the final outcome. It closely resembles what I had in mind from the beginning which surely can only be a good thing, I just have to start coming up with better ideas and compositions now that my skills with a brush have increased.

Hope you like it!

My first ton with a Progress Shot

I suppose my 100th post should be followed by a lot of whizz-bangs and cheering but I'm afraid a simple progess shot will have to suffice.

I'm slowly getting through the detail in the china but I'll still have lots to work on once that is completed. Phewy!

What a load of... colour!

Here's a little bit of progress for you! I still have a lot to work on in watercolour before I move on to gouache.

A Small Value Study

It's certainly no Norman Rockwell charcoal value study but it's helped me to be confident in my colour values so far in the painting. The sketch was done with a standard Lyra Rembrandt charcoal pencil on tracing paper overlaying my initial line sketch featured on my previous post.

Progress photos will be making an appearance next week in the hope the watercolour will be worth showing!

Line Sketch for 'Bull In A China Shop'

Here's my composition plan for a large painting I am planning to work on and maybe enter into the Times Watercolour Competition. There is a bit of symbolism involved, can you spot it?

I have also done a small value study which I will post after the fixative has done its job.

*View the finished painting here*

I am a Deviant!!

I have joined the masses at Deviant Art. Click here to view my profile and small gallery. Other pieces of art will be added gradually and most of it will be personal work I expect.

Jacques' Rest

Well I came back from York to find that the studio elves must have gone on a short holiday too. The painting was in the same state as I left it but at least there were no cat prints on it! I got the paints out and got stuck in until I finished this morning.

There are aspects that have turned out better than expected in 'Jacques' Rest'. For instance depth of colour I achieved in the bottles using gouache to an opaque consistency and the overall colour harmony by using just yellow ochre, ultramarine, cadmium red pale hue and sepia. Unfortunately the jpeg sample looks a bit washed out in comparison to the original so my favourite parts have been diminished - typical (roll eyes).

On the other hand I could completely take my artwork apart in a critique, so to keep it short I've learned more about applying gouache over watercolour and I'll be on the lookout for problems in my detailed drawing before starting on the colour.

I don't want to sound negative because I actually like it - for now ;-)

Down Tools

Today I was hoping to find a smidgen of time to work on this but it was not to be. Above you can see how far I got with the gouache by the end of Tuesday. Unfortunately I won't be able to sit back at my desk until Monday so I'm hoping my friendly artist elf's will complete it for me while I'm away. 

Grappling with the colours

Further progress has been made on my Redwall painting, some to my satisfaction and some maybe not so. The top photo shows the first layer of watercolour which establishes the colours for most of the items surrounding Brian (the mouse).

The image above (yesterdays effort) is firmly in the ugly stage which at the moment I am struggling to break out of. The second and third layers of watercolour have gone down and I have started to dabble with gouache on the writing desk. Note I have left the bookshelf in the first stage of watercolour, this is mainly because I am undecided as to how deeply the chair shadow will interact with the books behind. I have plowed ahead with the other elements to create a point of value reference. I think its much easier to split a painting like this into sections and work on each bit until its nearly finished. That way you can take a complicated image one step at a time, however when it comes to vast open landscapes I tend to slap the paint about and hope for the best!

At the end of yesterdays work I was in a bit of a grump. Nothing seemed to be working very well and I had spotted lots of problems in the drawing like the eyes for example. However all was not lost because that evening I had a lovely curry in my belly and we had a friend over to see us after gallivanting around New Zealand, Australia and China :-)