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
Monday is portrait class over in Aiken. Can’t remember our models name. She has. A few issues. Forehead too high. The dent to the left of her eye is too deep but maybe her cheeks too fat. And the right shoulder needs some definition.
First break. She looks like a ghost. NO PENCIL sketch. Eeek. Always makes me nervous. But it can be done. Onward and upward.
Second break. That ghost is still there. I do t seem to make much progress drawing the beginning with paint. And it definitely stresses me out that I can’t erase it.
Third break. I get tired of poking about and slap the paint on.
I lifted bits of white to the left of her left eye but think it may be a bit too much. So I will stare at her a while and decide.
Colors used. Charles Reid palette. Used a lot of opera pink since she had a rosey glow with a mix of cad red light and cad yw light for flesh. Cerulean cobalt peacock blue burnt sienna on the face
Hair is a wash of cad yellow light first. Then yellow ochre burnt sienna cerulean mixed with burnt umber and finally cobalt mixed w Burnt umber. Her hair like a lot of blondes has a lot of greys in it cerulean makes a great grey.
Oh and that black dot on her right cheek is NOT a mole but where I touched it w my dirty pinky knuckle. Sigh.
Top is yellow ochre burnt umber alizarin and cad yellow light.
Margaret who has a headache from stressing over the painting. What we do for fun. But the sinister grunge seems to be gone. Hurrah. Xoxoxox
15×22″ Spent two and a half hours chasing Chelsea as she would turn from full frontal to the right. As soon as she relaxed a little she would loose the pose because she was twisted in her seat.
First break. NO pencil. 😵😵😵Rough block in on Co fluid watercolor paper. 140#. The paper is really a bargain for great paper. Six full sheets for $24 on amazon. Always dries just about flat no matter how soppy wet I get it. 
Second break not making a lot of progress. Adding more darks and the blouse. Lack of progress I think that was due to the continually rotating head. No excuse for that left eye. But an easy fix on this hp. Most hot press would not let you move it at all. One shot and you are done. 
Last break. That left eye shoot me. But I brought it around. Add more darks to the hair which was ultramarine and burnt umber or van dyke brown. Also I didn’t want to get the shadows dark since that would age her. She has quite a very young face. Deep shadows age people in portraits especially babies. For now. I have a to do to her list. May or may not do them. BYTW her blouse was painted in two shots with my size 16 Cheap Joes sable. First was a glaze of very watery cerulean and burnt sienna. Then after it was dry lines of the black hair mix.
Colors used Quin gold French yellow ochre burnt sienna burnt umber ultramarine cerulean vandyke brown. A hint ifocad red light
Margaret ready for a nap. Xoxoxox
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The divine Miss Kate from last week. I added some
Darks to the stool and under her feet. A bit more dark purple to her silk drape.
Hot press fluid 140 lb
Isa Belle from Dr Sketchys last month. She has not gotten quite finished in the 30 Minutes we had to draw her. 10×15″ Canson artboard
And a bit more torture for Miss Macy. Shortened a foot added some Drapery. Just played with the sketch some more. Added some lead drawing pencil down watercolor pencil.
And I tried to lift that horrible blue drip. Half sheet fluid hot press. 140 lb
Margaret putting her feet up. The pollen definitely playing havoc with my lungs. Xoxoxoxo
#fluid #hotpress #watercolor #art #painting #artist #painter #aquarelle #southcarolina #aiken #artist #drawing #sketching #charlesreid #lifemodel
At New Moon. I know. Not my usual page but it’s fun. And I like it. That’s what counts right? It’s actually a journal page. My friend Tom and I blundered into the 10th Annual Hoofbeat Parade in downtown Aiken.
Only Aiken would have a horse parade with costumes.
I drew my late lunch at New Moon. Yummm. Their Downton mess Aiken style is sooo good. Pimento cheese which I always hated as a kid and grits and ham. Yummmy.
Anyway not what I intended to post. Been a crazy day. 
Bought a new sofa at laZy boy to go with my chair. This sofa is one I actually thought about buying when I bought my current den sofa. Oopsey. Should have saved the $$$ and bought it.
I was going to draw at lazy boy but no wait time. Oh well. Lots of interesting things to draw in that place.
And old furniture listed on Facebook and Craigslist so hopefully gone soon. Fielding inquiries. It’s priced to move it out ASAP.
Margaret Xoxoxoxo putting her feet up and coloring in her book.
It’s Saturday and Miss Emily is our model.
Slathering the paint on like cake icing. Lots of impasto. A little hippy and busty?! I moved that right arm at least three times. Scrapped it off and started over again and again and again.
At the first break. 4o minutes in.
Kathe playing with my caran dache neocolor ii and some charcoal. 
Not sure who drew this. 
Fred Mr Mondigliani Baker. A Fred funny today. Asked Dr Fred what do you call a liar a sociopath?! He said a Billionaire re our president. Thought that was great.
Jeremy’s. Gorgeousness 
Al Beyer’s huge oil 
Coaches great charcoal.
And that’s all folks. Still contemplating St comeys halo.
Ttyl Margaret. Xoxoxo
WIP – Ilenia – 30″x 18″
Acrylic on board
I have had…or should I say 24 hours?? ALL my iphoto pics disappeared around 11 pm last nite and my iphone died today…supicious I have a virus…guess I will download some antivirus…but in the meantime its day 471 and I have to post a blog dont I??? As you know its Saturday…which means life modeling at USC Aiken….I had originally intended to go urban sketching downtown but did not feel up to it with the bronchitis I have had…hmmm do you think my computer caught it???
Tom offered to drive me and I said yes…I think I may have turned the corner finally!! HALLELUJAH!! BUT back to life modeling..you arent here to hear me natter on about all my viruses lol…
HARD BOARD – what is it? My friend Drew cut up a sheet of hard board for me. It is sold near the peg board at big box stores at $14 a 4×8′ sheet. Hardboard is what we used to call masonite…slap some gesso or house paint on it and you are good to go for acrylic and two layers of gesso for oil. ALOT of board for the price…try matching canvas with that cost! NOT happening. Like plastic bags it will be here long after we are all gone. If you drop it on the corners it tends to chip but otherwise great stuff…I have some that I painted on in collage that still is in great shape years later.
Brushes were 1/2 hog bristle and a 1/3″ filbert and a cheap house painting brush for the background. THe house paint brush is the kind that sheds hair…you get about 8 of them for a few dollars at michaels or lowes…great fun to paint with.
SO how did I paint Ilenia?? Colors used cerulean, Golden Nickel Azo gold, titanium white and pyrrole red with a dab of ultramarine blue…thats it..nothing else. I made the flesh by mixing the white with pyrrole red and Nickle Azo Gold. Cerulean was used to make the greys and lavenders as was ultramarine blue. The black and dark browns are ultramarine blue and pyrrole red.
I drew her first with the Nickel Azo Gold with the smaller filbert. Measured her and she stands 7 heads tall…her legs and feet could use more work…maybe tomorrow or maybe never lol..
I drew her head first..then marked the seven heads noting where each head length ended. I also dropped imaginary plumb lines off of her chin to see where her body lined up…also horizontal lines to check on her arms..I had one elbow much too low for a while….I also checked the negative spaces between the arms and how the one leg hit the chair, where the chair seat lined up with the right leg.
So what more is there to do…her feet could use some work. The background needs to be darkened…probably ultramarine to make her pop. Today I was into having fun with the paint…trying to be accurate but if I wasnt I didnt care…
11 days till we leave for Paris!!
THanks for reading!!!
Margaret xxx
Margaret McCarthy Hunt Art 