Monday, October 28, 2013

Calendar painting - step by step

"Snow and Blowing Snow" Watercolour, 13.3 x 21.5 inches.

 Painted for the 2014 Sharing the View Calendar. This is a project organized by CBC, Information Morning, Halifax and Sydney Nova Scotia.
All proceeds from calendar sales and the online auction of the 12 original paintings by 12 Nova Scotian artists are donated to Feed Nova Scotia. Calendars go on sale November 15 and the online auction begins. Check out the CBC info morning web site for details.

I am thrilled to be part of this project and thought that i would share some of the process that went into making this painting.

 Drawing number 1 - I am working out the composition

Drawing number 2 - this is better

Getting ready

getting the drawing on the watercolour paper

The final outline - ready for paint

The first wash

starting on the buildings

ready for the foreground

adjusting the value on the barn 

adding the final details and it is done

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

More Drawing Class


The people in my drawing class are doing a great job and I see so much development!
A big Yahoo for all of you.

This week we examined some of the challenges of working from photographs. These pictures of some of the demonstrations I did during the class, some of the prep work that I did before the class and my home work - the piece that I started during class and took home to finish. I know every one is working on their finished landscape drawing.

The charcoal drawing of Reggie (above) was a demonstration of taking measurements, proportion and sight lines on a photo just the same way I do it when drawing from life. The difference is that the dog sits still in the photo.

This charcoal landscape was done before the class. I did another similar one as a demonstration.

 There are a lot of interesting elements in this photo. I chose to focus on the shadow pattern on the oil tank. The windows and doors are another subject for another drawing.

This is a very charming subject but the values need to be adjusted to make the elements make sense.

Last is my "homework". I got as far as laying in the main value pattern in the class and made some changes and added the details and textures the next day.