Margaret xoxoxox
Time to draw
Category: USC Aiken
Update
Might have too many hard edges. Will see what my fav two critics say.
Portrait Society of America is currently meeting in Atlanta and running live streams on their Facebook page. The paint out TH a nite was awesome. 12 portrait painters painting four models live. Here’s the link.
Also a link to last years winners here. Tonite we think they will live stream this years winners.
Where’s my glass of wine? Kicking myself for not going. Darn it.
Margaret xoxoxo
Another Friday Another Life Modeling Session
Maybe I am on a roll?!
First up 2 min gesture sketches done w Caran d’ache neocolor ii on a big sheet of newsprint. 8×24”
Then it was off to the real race. Painting a king pose. NOT a fond of reclining poses. So much foreshortening which is always tough. Also not fond of all the empty white paper around them.
Everybody was going what are u doing. Never underestimate a little paint flinging for a fun release. Also a little brush rolling on the pillows for texture. May have to do more of that next week.
Margaret xoxoxox
Day 231 So many Spots!!
On the Farm down Florida way. Arches 280 cp. Nice paper. Scratches so well. Paint along with Vladislav Yesileyev
The photo
Vlad’s value sketch.
My sketch. Did get tired of drawing a jillion little cows and all those legs. 😜 My dad used to joke to us on trips to count the cows by counting their legs and dividing by 4. That was the best part of drawing a jillion cows. Remembering the joke.
First wash. Cobalt cad yellow alizarin dioxzine cad orange yellow ochre
My cows are too light I think. We shall see.
Painting the background trees. Still using the same colors and burnt sienna and umber. 
So I painted my cows a little darker grey. Cobalt yellow ochre and alizarin dioxzine mix. That mix will give you all kinds of grey.
Greens mixed with cad yellow cobalt and indigo. Oh and cobalt teal on water tubs.
Think this one is different but I can’t tell. Shadows under white spots? NOPE. Since these are Holstein cows painted lots and lots of grey and blackish spots made with that same grey mix. I think I added ultramarine and a dab of alizarin to mine.
Cows up close.
And adding in the foreground tree. Once again that green mix on the grey side.
Can I put my feet up now?!
Margaret xoxoxox
Day 201 Venice Canal Part Deux
Or should I say Duo?! 
Think it’s done. 
The way I left it Sunday after The paint along with Vlad Yesileyev. I was not happy with it and thought about trashing it. Aka turn it over and paint on the back.
I actually used a large 1″ bristle brush to wash this off after I taped it up. It lightened up a lot. Thank goodness. Hate to waste half sheet of Kilimanjaro. Down to about one sheet of it. Eeek. 
So I slowly stated adding color to it. Adding a lot of black and grey. Actually used ivory black. As well as mixed greys and blacks.
I also Added A grey unifying wash on the brown building on the left and across the bottoms of some Of the others.
I also added some blues-cobalt ultramarine cerulean and Andrews turquoise. And Browns burnt umber and burnt sienna mixed with blues and that darn Dioxzine purple.
Then I decided it needed some more black and some vague details on the right walk way. Oops I had forgotten them. Joes turquoise and grey to the rescue.
Subtle Changes so I didn’t kill it again. 
And this is it now. Really like it a lot.
Scrubbing off color was so much fun I decided to scrub this one too. It too has gone to the dioxzine side. Duh.
Look how light it is now. This one won’t be so hard to fix. Not as much to do.
Margaret listening to the news. Xoxox. Stay safe and wear your masks people. Hugs!!!
Day 164 Sweating in Barcelona
Another wild paint along with Vlad. Can’t wait for the next one Sunday. Painting boats. Love boat paintings
10×15″ Kilimanjaro 300#. I decided to use Kilimanjaro to see if it scraped like the nasty arches did.
The Arches scrapes great to do leaves, branches or grass. Maybe it will scrape for boat lines. Or I can use my dads antique arches that’s probably 20 years old. I know it scrapes great.
The photo. Kind of a nothing photo don’t you think except nice sunny light, umbrellas and a beautiful old building.
The value sketch
First wash- the water stage
Colors growing. Aka more first wash. Umbrellas really orange but odd it looks so red in this photo.
The second darker washes more pigment. The tea stage.
The last layers. Lots of milk. Aka thicker paint. I think mine moving be too thick.
And the way it is now. Kinda wishing I had not added the Browns and the grey trees on the left. Sometimes I get up in the morning and like them a lot better. We shall see right?!
Had fun drawing all over it with my white gel pen zip zip and always solid unlike white gouache.
Margaret ready for bed but has to watch one more episode of Schitts creek-my current binge. Soooo funny on Netflix’s. Watch more than one before you pass judgement. Xoxoxox
Day 162 Out My back door
Scribbling the birds eating and the lush greenery from all the rain.
No pencil in this sketch. Just using the Caran D’ache Neocolor ii crayons which are a lot of fun.
May hit this with water. The colors will really pop but it would loose all the scribbley lines which I like. What to do what to do. Stay tuned.
Caran d’ache Neocolor ii stillman and birn Alpha
Margaret off to Laguna Beach CA to paint with Vlad Yesilesev. You should come too. Get ready for paint to fly. Xoxoxo Have a wonderful Sunday.
Lifting a straight line
The easy way. The bar behind her was lifted by tapping it off and lifting with a swipe of a Mr Clean. The blue grey background was perfect for leaving a steel colored bar.
Oh and I added a bit of ultramarine and burnt umber along the bottom edge of her foreword leg.
Tossing her in the done pile.
Before
Margaret wondering how fast the wind is blowing on this cold blustery day.
Joya Steps up
Edited with Waterlogue
Our model was late so Joya nimbly volunteered to model for our gesture sketch session. 
The one minute poses. We tried to get her to pole dance but she said NOPE!!
More 1 min poses. She really did some interesting poses.
Three minute poses. We all loved drawing someone with clothes on. Especially the folds and wrinkles in them.
Five minute. I gave my sheaf of drawings to our model Joya. She quipped if I had known you were going to do that I would have given you( aka me) real paper(aka not newsprint).
Charcoal pencil.
Another one dumped into Waterlogue. Such athleticism!! The best she could do in the pole dancing category. 🤗
Margaret giggling at Young Sheldon. Xoxoxo
Neither rain nor sleet nor hail
will keep us from gathering at USC Aiken to paint. The weather predicted today was terrible (tornadoes and torrential rain) but we soldiered on.
First break. An all over wash of quin gold some burnt sienna alizarin a touch of mineral violet.
Coming along more of the same colors.
When I left Aiken
Now. I keep losing the edge across her arm and thigh where the drippy background meets the body but really liking the background. I can lift the burnt umber off the skin.
I also lifted her shoulder about 1/2″ to make her body more in proportion with her head which is a touch too big.
Added some more darks to her face especially around the eyes and the chin.
Really like the background which is a combo of all the colors used plus cobalt. Nice swirly look made mostly by splattering wet on wet.
Will post her again after I lift the spillover on her body. Have to let it dry first.
Highlights mostly lifted out now.
My favorite bit. Andrews turquoise and yellow ochre stripes. Or was it burnt sienna
Margaret watching the Super Tuesday returns. Xoxoxo
Margaret McCarthy Hunt Art 