Fast and Furious

 No. 1

These oil sketches were done very quickly (approx 15 - 45 minutes a piece) on paper as skin temperature exercises...subtly shifting and exaggerating the warm and cool to create more interest and help aid me in my figure work.  I did about 4 of them a day -- each one is approximately 14 x 11" and were referenced from either photos or previous pencil sketches.  I have more that I will post at a later date...

No. 2

No. 3

 

No. 5

No.6 

 No. 7

No. 8

 

 No. 15

Back in a Moment:

o/p (12x16)

We've always kept photo albums in my family, but I've never seen a pic of a relatives backside (let alone a naked one, thank God). Photographs are usually always from the front -- smiling, but there's something intriguing and mysterious, even beautiful on the flip side of the human body...

pencil (8x6)

These of course are just studies, but for artists they're important to do. For one, it's information they need to know to understand the whole form of human physicality and two, studies help develop an understanding of the varied types of backsides of the human body while developing shape, line & value practice as it pertains to figurative rendering...

pencil on newsprint (20x16)

The illustrator and instructional art book author, Andrew Loomis once said the back is "a tough old bird" -- memorizing it's myriad amount and function of musculature is worth going over and over again. After all, even chiropractors and surgeons are still learning the depths of the human torso...

Your average portrait painter may never render a commission from this angle, but nevertheless there's as much character & interest back here as there is in the front... if you look for it.

More Life Drawing...

Heather (oil pastel 16x12)

Kira (charcoal 12x9)

Happy Mother's Day!

Sun Hat (20x16)

Heading up to the Seattle area for the Howard/Mandville Gallery anniversary show opening (and mom's day getaway) tomorrow, but was able to do this study yesterday... this model, Quinn has posed a few times for us before and I've always been happy with the results. Sometimes no matter how good the model is, you just can't keep up (which is why I don't post everything) but I got out of this session what I was after; interesting strokes and texture, lighting and edges... working information that contributes to the next painting.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!