Category: Portrait Painting
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Party of Four
Back to batching and the collection of canvases in various stages of completion. I worked on these four today, and I enjoyed swapping them back and forth after bringing them on a little, it was a nice change of rhythm after a lot of focus being on one canvas. The bottom right one is probably…
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Finished, for now
I think she is finished, but then again I might go back in to the face a bit more, I will know in the morning. The face wasn’t the interesting part for me, it’s the foot and the hand that I focused on here. I considered leaving the face very minimal and abstract, and I…
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Back and Forth and Forward
I’m still pushing and pulling between the earlier versions and playing with colour. I did come up with a luscious skin tone blend that I’m going to have to make a proper note of, because it’s making me very happy. I am terrible for not making notes and then looking at a painting and have…
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Painting Over Safe
The first thing I noticed when I walked back into the studio last night, and again this morning, was that yesterday’s painting on the canvas looked very safe compared to the three previous versions of the pose. There wasn’t anything wrong with it, it just looked safe. I’ve been trying to get myself painting on…
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Figure on Canvas
I’m supposed to be finishing some 30×30 boards, so obviously I went and did other things instead. I painted this in acrylic on a 16×20″ stretched canvas. I am not sure if I am going to keep the flesh tones like this, or go off on a tangent inspired by yesterday’s oil stick piece. I…
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Oil Sticks Unwrapped
A long time ago I bought what I believe are the original version of oils in stick form, the W&N Oil Bars. I mean it was so long ago I could probably sell them as “vintage art supplies”, definitely last century. I probably used them a couple of times, and they are unlikely to be…
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XL Charcoal XL Paper XL Toes
I was feeling like some big mark-making, so I pulled out one of the XL paper sheets (A1 size) and one of my XL charcoal chunks. They are water-soluble, but I didn’t play with that aspect for this piece, because once it was on the page I liked the way it looked. The only thing…
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Homeward
Travel day today, and I have my four-legged lodger for the night, so a quick turn re-acquainting myself with my studio. Compressed charcoal and clear gesso and marvelling at how strange the easel feels after a week away. Til the morn, Suzanne 642/700
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Yaaaaaaas
not my usual subject, a moment worth the paint 🏴⚽️🤸♀️ Til the morn, Suzanne 641/700
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Pan Pastels Sketch Spread
Both these pages were prepped before I travelled, and let me just say I was not in the mood for yellow, especially with limited supplies. It’s a fun reference, though, so it’s in the sketchbook as a first go. I am used to standing for painting, and I was really struggling with sitting to work…
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New pose monochrome
I have been wandering about in the woods today, so didn’t get as in-depth with this pose as intended. An acrylic sketchy under-layer finished off with pan pastels. Til the morn, Suzanne 639/700
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Feet Dangling
Starting the day with in-person art supplies shopping is better than coffee. Starting the day with excellent bargains on good quality sketchbooks, and half-price canvases is better than, well, coffee with cream. I also bought some thick foam for making stamps, and a bottle of clear gesso. I didn’t bring my clear gesso, but I…