COLOURFUL CHARACTERS – ACRYLIC PAINTING

At the life sessions I decided to try and create form using warm and cool colours. This was my first attempt and I was quite happy with the result. Certainly happy enough to have another go the next week (last Wednesday) particularly, after having seen a programme on the Scottish Colourists.

My main problem is reverting back to tonality to define structure, rather than my aim of using colour.

Still, I was happy with the punchy qualities of these pieces and will probably develop them. This wont be the case with my ink drawing using a dropper, which I trialled at the same sessions. I have used a dropper loaded with acrylic ink for abstract painting in the past and found the results interesting. Interesting enough to apply it to a number of paintings.

However, trying to define subtle details with a dropper loaded with acrylic ink certainly eluded me.

These are quick sketches of the two models above, done without measurement and certainly, without comparison and correction.

I do like working with ink as it makes you consider your mark making – no going back, or correcting. The dropper though, deposited a lot of ink and using the residual for shading, I ended up in a mess.

In the past I used an italic nib and that did allow for extending the wet line for shading with a brush, without flooding the subject and losing control. I might go back to the nib in future as I do like the total commitment of ink.

But I’ll be dropping the dropper.

Other figurative paintings are available for sale on my website – grahammcquadefineart.com

PART (2) OF THE FURNITURE – ACRYLIC PAINTING

I posted a version of this a while ago and whilst I liked the concept there was something about it I had issues with. Part of it was the face. So I have grafted a new face in – though the problem could have been the way I painted the first one. I also tidied up the painting and really truncated the hair. The last change was unplanned; as I was going to complete the hair I thought that it looked a little intriguing as it was – so it appears as if she’s dropped in through a hole in the backcloth.

Well, it keeps me amused and off the streets – be thankful.

Other figurative painting is available for sale on my website: grahammcquadefineart.com

THREE FIGURES IN PASTEL

Easter was busy with visitors and I have a painting that needed a few revisions and is still not complete, so save that for next time. Meanwhile, here are some pastel paintings from recent life sessions.

Not sure about her right shoulder on the one above. I think the fabric concealed the back of it, but that concealment doesnt come across in the painting, though I liked the face with top lighting and the relaxed pose.

I was pleased to quickly get a good likeness on this, but the pose was uninspiring and the lighting was was very flat. You have to accept other people’s settings or finish up taking over the session and running it. So on this one I just bit my lip and was thankful for the practice.

Other life painting is available for sale on my website: grahammcquadefineart.com

SOME TIME IN THE LIFEROOM – ACRYLIC AND PASTEL PAINTINGS

These last few days I havent been painting much in the studio with admin taking it’s toll, although on Saturday I got to a life drawing workshop run by a friend of mine. I havent attended these sessions for many months (well, they are only held once a month) what with car trouble, christmas and holidays getting in the way.

So here are a few sketches: one from Saturday’s session (below) and other recent sessions I have attended, elsewhere.

It always amazes me the amount of work produced in one of these day sessions when all you have to do is paint and none of the interuptions like answering the phone/door, preparing food, tidying up – even talking to the wife, slow and eventually sap your enthusiasm. Part of the reason, I think, is that these sessions tend to be broken up into timed poses, when you are working against the clock trying to complete each piece. You stay focussed until the end of the particular pose. Then, take a break and start again on another piece, hoping to get that done within the timeframe.

Other life drawings are available for sale on my website: grahammcquadefineart.com

PART OF THE FURNITURE – ACRYLIC SKETCHES

As this is my last post of the year, may I wish all readers a happy, prosperous and healthy new year.

I end this year with a rework of a painting I originally did in a life session. I liked the pose and decided to sketch another version where I played around with colour. I was trying to find approaches I could use in future life sessions. I was pleased with the out of focus effect adding the blocks of colour gave and I think there is still room for further development.

I feel it was more effective than another reworked piece below, though this also could be taken further and might yield a more satisfying ending.

A few possibilities for the new year.

Other life drawing/painting for sale on my website: grahammcquadefineart.com

15 MINUTE LIFE STUDIES – CHARCOAL

In a life group I attend they insist on starting with a session of quick sketches. I do mine with pencil in an A3 sketchbook. This section ends with a 15 minute pose and I thought that I would up the ante and try doing this final one on an A2 pad with charcoal instead.

Before Covid, when I was attending more life groups, I did some extended pieces in charcoal and filled a couple of A2 pads. My daughter bought me a new A2 pad at the beginning of lockdown and it has lain unused until now.

All these sketches are done without measurements, just from the eye, making comparisons and corrections. Starting at the head and working down. That is why some of the feet are missing – although there have been times, on longer pieces, when all my careful measuring has not prevented a limb being lost off the paper.

And here is a case in point. I have started the head in the middle and have overlooked the fact that the figure extends over to the left – but that’s what happens when you dont plan.

Other, more extended figurative pieces, are available for sale on my website: grahammcquadefineart.com

THREE MEN – ACRYLIC PAINTINGS

In beween the outdoor painting I’ve managed some life drawing/painting. Recently we’ve had some good male models in. This guy above, particularly. I’ve been using a palette knife with the acrylics to do some passages.

Another good model who managed to perch on the edge of a chair without complaint. I started with lots of yellow on this and tempered it with blues and mauves. I also used a larger sheets of pastel paper to paint on, rather than the smaller and restricting acrylic paper I normally use. With the model sat fairly high on a podium, I got myself as low as I could to accentuate the elevation.

I wasnt as happy with the outcome of this one. I think a lot of it is to do with the lighting. This one was also on a larger sheet of pastel paper. I wanted to enliven it with additions of colour, but it comes doubly hard when you’re fighting a time limit and just trying to get the subject down. Though, I suppose working under pressure does make you look at the way you work and what slicker practices you can incorporate.

Other life paintings are available for sale on my website: grahammcquadefineart.com

LET THERE BE LIFE – ACRYLIC PAINTINGS

More from my weekly visits to the life room. Normally the model is sat bolt upright in a chair. This time we got a more imaginative pose with a strong diagonal, even if her expression doesnt exude enthusiasm – maybe it’s the music we play.

This guy never managed to sit still despite getting him to hold his waterbottle whilst he posed. He liked participating in the banter of the group which had his head bobbing around trying to follow the conversation.

This model adopted a meditative approach to get through the session. I went for the upper torso to emhasise her imposing presence.

Finally a reclining pose, this time in pastel, which gives a strong diagonal. I had to get right around the side of the model to get this view.

Other Figurative painting is available for sale on my website: grahammcquadefineart.com

SIGNS OF LIFE – PASTEL AND ACRYLIC

The commission is taking a lot of my time so here are some life sketches I’ve done in the last couple of weeks. The black of the model’s foot was a bit of a comment on the state of our studio floor. Last week a couple of members had a cleaning session and now dirty feet are a thing of the past – or until it gets covered in charcoal again.

This pastel was hastily done at the end of a session. I’m not sure why the end of her left knee remains unresolved – and I am the idiot that did it. Apart from that I was pleased with the simplicity of the piece.

I’m not overly fond of lying poses, but when most of the group migrated to the middle of the room as the model settled in, I took my acrylics to the head end to try and make the pose more compact with a little foreshortening. It turned into an intersting and demanding pose – made more so by mapping out the outlines with a paint and brush – not my usual approach.

Other life painting is available for sale on my website: grahammcquadefineart.com

WHERE THERE’S LIFE – ACRYLIC AND PASTEL PAINTINGS

As well as getting outside painting, of late, I’ve been trying to regularly attend life sessions. Here are some of the results:

The first one is a pastel. I have been jumping between pastel and acrylic as usual. So the second, third and fourth ones are acrylic.

I have been using a brush to define the outlines rather than charcoal drawing, adopting a more natural style rather than the blocked approach I used over the previous months and resisting the use of outlandish colours.

And finally the same pose by the same model, Eve, but from slightly different angles using pastel and then acrylic.

And on both I didnt manage to get her feet in.

Other life paintings are available for sale on my website: grahammcquadefineart.com