My attempt at contour drawing!
I attempted the contour drawing excersise today to see how I would fare.
There are a few things that I would do differently.
I set up a simple still life with a desk lamp lighting it from the back. There was a bit too much ambient life to emphasize the shadows dramatically enough, a stronger light would have been better.
Marking a border inside the edges of the page was helpful. I sketched the basic shape of my objects and the shape of their shadows, but instead of refining the various shadow and highlight areas with more contour lines, I started filling in the shadow areas from the lightest to the darkest.
I used my eraser extensively to get rid of unwanted lines and I also used it to smudge the pencil and create a smoother texture. Later as I went darker with my B6 pencil, I erased the lightest areas to make sure that they were not smudged over. I spent about one hour on the drawing.
It was a good excersise and one I will try again!
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paintings progress _ 2
perhaps too yellow?
too pink
in progress
slowly getting there
in progress
almost there, needs a focal point
also needs a focal point
in progress
perhaps this one is finished?
preparation and play
coming along nicely
coming along nicely
something will come out of this
following intuition with this one
interresting development
coming along nicely
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Hello 2014
Firstly, I wish you all a blessed 2014!
I have been blessed to have visited one of the most beautiful places in the mountain kingdom of Lesotho a few times. One of the highlights while being there is to venture out and do some “plein air” drawing and painting. The people and especially the children are very curious and surround me while I am sitting near their homes drawing. They love to test their english, “how are you” is one of the first questions, followed by “I am fine, how are you?”.
Here are four little watercolour and pencil paintings that I think came out quite well.
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Watercolour Saturday
In our latest session we had a great time experimenting with various watercolour techniques.
There is so much to learn and experiment with that we will have to do another session on watercolour.
The brief was not for traditional landscape watercolour, but to design an eastern inspired patchwork of patterns.
The results were all very interresting and colourful!
Fine brushwork
Layers of diluted colour one upon another
Limited palette.
Lots of coffee consumed for inspiration!
Painting away.
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Whats been happening?
It seems that summer has arrived at last, heralded by the Cape Doctor.
I am presenting another art workshop this Saturday, 26 October. The theme is “Eastern Magic”. We will be painting with ink and watercolour on paper.
Now, about my own work: the featured image is of one of my finished oil paintings on canvas. As inspiration I am using photos from a road trip we did to Namibia.
Here are a few more, some finished, a few still in progress.
I hope you like them!
Old abandoned car with cactus growing from engine.
Another beautiful old car, unfinished. Oil on canvas.
Kolmanskop: unfinished. Old car, unfinished. Both oil on canvas.
Almost done! Oil on canvas.
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Fourth art workshop
In the latest art workshop we did something new and something old. Charcoal drawing always goes down well, and the ladies and gents made some fantastic drawings. Another excersise was a pen and ink design inspired by arum lillies. The results are nice and colourful.
Join us next time and let me know if you want to receive email updates on when the classes are.
You will find my email address at the bottom of this page.
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Experimental scribble drawing-paintings
This afternoon we are leaving on a road trip to the Karoo town of Sutherland. I love the Karoo with all the open space, textures, colours and shapes. There is sure to be some inspiration for artwork there!
I have been doing quite a bit of work which each started as a random-scribble-drawing. Here are some of the more successful results.
I think I am at the stage now where I have enough new friends to make up some “snapshot” stories.
Or what about a colouring-in book for kids?
I would be fantastic if you could help me make clever and humorous captions for my pictures. Bring on the comments!
pencil scribble drawing
please give me a name!
George will soon go on his first adventure.
I also want a name please …
old drawing redrawn with pen and ink and embellished digitally.
there has to be better names …
dressed in her nicest frock, she sets off on her scooter.
for now he is called “Spot Two”, surely there is a more original name?
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My Tonto-girl!
Tonto is a big part of our household. She thinks she is our boss. Her world revolves around food (any food!), a stick that can be thrown, chicken, barking at the postman, walkies, waiting for food and sleeping. She is amazingly active for a doggie that is almost 12 years old, it must be the Border Collie and Terrier mix! Lately we have had some hot dogs (literally) as a result of the hot summer weather. When Tonto is totally relaxed, she shuffles and wiggles on her back and and makes growling sounds.
Bollie relaxing on rolled-up carpet
Betsie sitting on shelf on the stoep
As far as the cats go – their world revolves around eating and sleeping. Occasionally as entertainment for Pepsi.
I did do some work this week! Here are some pictures: it is a bit of a mixed grill and I think that a little exhibition in a few months time would be good. With Snacks and wine of course.
This little man needs a name, ideas?
This is a bird-chicken and she is also in need of a name.
Spending some time working at my sister’s house, a change of scenery is always good.
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