REFRESHMENTS IN VENICE -WATERCOLOUR PAINTING

This is the tenth and last in my café series. The myriad of passages in Venice have many small shops and cafes and this was one in a dingy and worn walkway that ran between the canals. On the outside the buildings look almost derelict, but inside they are immaculate – or at least the ones I went into. The numbering of the houses is also very strange. Numbering is not just for a passage, but for the whole district, so the numbers go down one side, come back up the other side and then continue into the next passage and the next one until you come to the perimeter of the district. It certainly confused me at first.

I will be putting this and the other paintings in my café series on my website:  grahammcquadefineart.com shortly

STANDING MAN – FIGURATIVE PASTEL PAINTING

Good to get a male model to paint and this one was willing to stand. Normally I just get stuck in and start drawing, but this time I was determined to get the whole figure in, so I spent some time measuring up and I adjusted the head three or four times before I launched on the rest of the figure. And I got him all in.

Other figurative work can be found on my website: grahammcquadefineart.com

WAITING FOR A FRIEND IN COLLIOURE – WATERCOLOUR PAINTING

This is the ninth painting of my café series. As I painted it I thought that it wasn’t going to work as it just seemed to be a series of rectangles. Then as I added the details the image started to look interesting. I also changed the colour of the central figure’s blouse which was blue and taken from another photo. I also added a glass of wine to start packing more colour into the central  area and it seemed to come out better.

LUNCH IS SERVED – WATERCOLOUR PAINTING

I liked the light cutting into this shady square in France at a high and low level, especially as it bounces off the parasols. I was tempted to put something or someone in the foreground as it looks a bit bare, but resisted. I hope it gives the feeling of the quiet you get in France when everyone is at lunch.

Other similar work is on my website: grahammcquadefineart.com

RED REPOSE – PASTEL FIGURATIVE PAINTING

Just playing around with pastels at the life drawing group. I got home and I realised that I left a box of my pastels behind: greys, blacks, whites, greens and purples. Hope I get them back. You build up a collection of them over time and you get used to all the shades and hues.

Other figurative work is on my website: grahammcquadefineart.com

AFTERNOON DRINKS IN DUBRONIK – WATERCOLOUR PAINTING

Another painting in my café series. I have done this before but tried a second version. This time trying to get a feeling of hustle and bustle.

BEFORE THE DINERS IN COLLIOURE – WATERCOLOUR PAINTING

This was a  painting I did some time ago and is on my web site: grahammcquadefineart.com. Now as I was looking for subjects for the Café series I thought that it was quite relevant, but the original looked a bit insipid so I thought that I would redo it. It was a hard job and this took me two goes. Looking at this it could still do with a bit more work. However it does capture the heat quite well, so I am moderately happy.

GIRL WITH RED HAIR – PASTEL FIGURATIVE PAINTING

A change of pace with a pastel life drawing painting. I was looking at a book by Harley Brown and thought that I might try his style of throwing a few colours onto the paper and then working the subject around the loose start. I tried to keep some of the original colours in the subject but sacrificed some of the contra jour effect because of it.

Other figurative work can be found on my website: grahammcquadefineart.com