Mom’s Fav – The cello

May 2, 2023May 2, 2023Leave a comment

Day 15/30 portrait challenge #jyportraitchallenge Spent too long drawing the portrait around a bit. Mostly quin gold@and quin pink with cobalt turquoise and burnt sienna for the face. Hair is raw sienna, raw umber, and burnt sienna.
Mgraham watercolor may easily rewets but think its time to reload my palette. Thanks @judithyaws and @jaksics_judit_reka

The lovely photo. Mom played second chair violin in high school. She kept a cello for years but never learned to play it. I love cello music esp YoYo Ma buy have never aspired to play one.

The sketch took longer than the paintjng. Took a while for her to show up for a visit as i call it when i finally get the drawing right.

The face and hair. Really meant to do the background before i got this far. Oh well. The background of cobalt and Maroon Perlene which i cut in with my big cats paw brush. I also brushed it over and into the hair which i think lost the edges. The light streaks of hair where done with my fingernail. Something i am not fond of doinf because it makes your nails a mess but does make great hair.

Margaret who kinda wishes she has done this on watercolor paper. Oh well. Hmm i may go back and make the background a dark chocolate brown ultramarine. It would make her pop and the cello blend in.

Loosing edges

May 1, 2023Leave a comment

Day 14/30 portrait challenge #jyportraitchallenge Clueless as to why I posted this painting on ig earlier taken w my iPhone instead of my ipad pro. Duh is all i can say. She is so much brighter than the pic my phone took. Spent about a half an hour twitching the portrait around a bit. Lifting the green shadows on the right arm. Adding a few more dark blue greens and finding her chin again. Wonder where it went?! 8×10” Stillmanandbirn alpha. Mgraham watercolor easily rewets. Thanks @judithyaws and Amanda @queenamanda25

This is the iphone photo. Always looks greyish to me. So i decided to take an iPad pro photo to post on ig. Sat on the sofa and looked at all kinds of small problems. I wanted to loose the edges of her hair and paint the background first. i used my cats paw brush which is very big esp for this small picture. But as Mary Whyte says use the biggest brish you can. Got me into trouble when i brushed over her arm with it. Then some of the green ran down the same arm and across the shoulder shadow. Lost any edge which isnt bad in the shadows but too much here.

The twitching began. Cleaning up those green shadows. Took another photo.

Still not happy. Worked on that green shadow some more but finally gave up. It would not lift. Sap green. Not suppose to stain. Oh well. . And added some blue and green in the background aka negative painting.

Anyway. Color me tahred but still wondering what Judith will post for us to do tomorrow. Margaret xoxoxox

Busy busy

April 30, 2023Leave a comment

Lovely sweet photo for Day 13. Thanks #jyportraitchallenge and @ latestqq Stillman and birn 8×10” Alpha always a nice size to draw on. Not too big and not too small. Really got loose with her clothing and finally her hair with my Cheap Joes scroobys loose goose saber brush.

Pencil sketch spent too long fiddling with it. Abt an hour

What can i say love the shot of turquoise. Used alot of indian Lake on her. Or is it Indian yellow mixed w quin pink for her skin. Never can remember.

Then i decided to give her another try just painting. No drawing. i quit shortly as too annoying to deal with.

I couldn’t resist painting this awesome photo of Jessie @rextion_arts instead. Somehow i missed there were two options yesterday.

Not perfect. The face is a little fatter but alot looser which i think is due to the lack of a drawing. Anyway like this one alot despite its imperfections.

Margaret ready for bed. G’Nite xoxoxox

Tahred. Busy busy day

April 29, 2023April 29, 2023Leave a comment

And tomorrow is the same. 12 Days done. Woke up and checked my phone to see Judiths post at 1:45am. And there he was. Day 12 #jyportaitchallenge. And still going strong.

Jesse! Thanks @judithyaws and Jesse @rejextion_arts Love the hat, the scarf and the tude. A fun look. So hard to draw. He looks like i got carried away with the beard on the left! And I think he’s slightly crosseyed the way i painted him. Oh well.

Working on getting looser which isn’t easy and loosing edges. Stillman and Birn alpha which usually loves watercolor but think my hands were greasy so it repelled it somewhat. Note to self NO hand lotion when you use watercolor. Mgraham watercolor which always rewets was not happy with the bits of grease. Or was it hand lotion?!😵🧐

The sketch. Was a pain. Took ant half an hour. The angle on his head was difficult to do. Then i painted for abt an hour and a half more.

Something to remember from my dear friend Ruth Pearl on fb and britpeach on Instagram.

Todays #jyportraitchallenge The longer you spend the more details and alterations you need to make but at some point you have to call it a day. Thank you Jesse @rejextion_arts – and yes, his neck really is that long!

What??! Two. Probably would have picked this one darn it.

Mary Whyte palette colors Stillman and Birn Alpha.

Margaret xoxoxo

Triple threat I mean Treat hmmm…

April 27, 20232 Comments

Three people instead of just one. 😵😵😵😳 This watercolor painting was done without a pencil drawing.

First i eyeballed the placement of the faces on the page and painted approximateshapes with cad yellow and quin rose.

Then i started painting the left guy. Probably went to far but never done the no pencil technique this small or on three people in one painting. Usually do it on a half sheet. Cobalt, UB and browns

So i got too detailed and moved onto the other two. Should have listened to Charles Reid who said never paint a face smaller than 4”

Doesn’t look bad but does not look lie the guy in the photo. Trying to loose some edges. Should have left the teeth like this one. Ez fix.

Hmm i know this is different but clueless how.

Still not happy. Left face is off. The woman is a bit too fat. Oh well.

Really don’t like his teeth. Think i need to lighten the lines a bit. I also fattened his face a bit. Anyway took way too long. But good to be doing a wc portrait again. Stillman and birn alpha w the Mary Whyte palette colors.

Margaret who painted too long on this 8×10 xoxoxoxo

A few more portraits

April 26, 2023April 26, 2023Leave a comment

Day 8. #jyportraitchallenge on ig. Loved her w her respirator “hat” but oh my was Sandra a pain to draw.

The sketch. I actually drew her twice. Was going to do this as a watercolor but got a really bad headache and didn’t. Shes still in the ether. Maybe tomorrow.

My iphone took this one. Colors are so off.

So I took one with my ipad pro. Colors are better. I tried hard to keep the pencil lines so they didnt show but somehow the phone always does even when they dont. 😵😵😵

Coming along. I almost wish i had stopped here. Love the loose lines of her clothing. Colored pencil and prismacolor artstixs in a Stillman and Birn Alpha.

Margaret ready to put her feet up xoxoxo

An odd choice

April 23, 20232 Comments

Trying to loosen up some. Posting the process of this drawing. Day 5 done. #jyportraitchallenge! @mychorrhizal_arts #stillmanandbirnalpha #prismacolorartstix #portrait #portraitchallenge #portrait #dailydrawingprompts #peoplesketching #sketchingideas #challenge

When u arent invested in the subject its a good chance to loosen up.

Hmm. As i said not invested and hanging loose.

Almost done. Really should fix the ribbing on this sweater but why?! Rather play with the beard and udon’t want to spend too much time on this sketch.

Calling him done at least for the moment. prismacolor art stixs faber Castell watercolor pencils and 1 white prismacolor pencil. Where oh were are they ?! Stillmanandbirn alpha 8×10”

Worked on her some more trying to get rid of the yellow. Used a prismacolor pastel stick on her teeth. How dod i not notice i didn’t center her teeth on her nose. Duh?! The neck is not that dark. Chalking it ip to the stupid iphone.

And doesn’t this photo of my grandmother remind you of the sketch of Emily metalksin Will repost it below!

Grandmother always did think she was a vamp.

Margaret done for the night. xoxoxoxo

30 day portrait challenge

April 21, 20232 Comments

Judith Yaws @judithyaws is doing a 30 day portrait challenge on ig @jyportraitchallenge Shes posting awesome photo references for the challenge. Thought i would join my friend Ruth @britpeach in this challenge.

Day 1 done. 10-15 min drawing. 8×10” stillman and birn alpha w prismacolor artsticks #jyportraitchallenge #portraitchallenge #prismacolorartsticks #stillmanandbirnalpha Thanks @prettywackbeats

Day 2 Done. Did i say i started out three behind?! Hope to be caught up by Saturday. Took too long on this one but she is interesting so fun to do. Hard to maneuver the artsticks which are conte crayon shaped prismacolor pencils no wooden case. No sharp edges on them. Hmmm gotta be a way around that. Thanks!@artzkt83

Cant wait to do this one tomorrow. Love her look.

Using these prismacolor artstixs. Hard to tell where the flat edge is so that causes problems. Wondering of breaking them into pieces would help?! Might just get out my colored pencils and use them when i need a straight exact line like for the eyes or the edge of the face. Now where did i put my colored pencils. Hmmm.

These are done by drawing the large shapes first then the details. I am bad abt starting with the outline and details then filling it in like a color book so trying to change. If Mary Whyte can draw the big shapes first so can i?!