Roses, Marlborough Buildings

Roses in Marlborough Buildings Allotments are the initial dip ink drawings to be painted later this week. The pen I use is a piece of bamboo that I whittled in Australia when I first began drawing outside using inks. One of the benefits to using dip ink pens is the opportunity they allow for mistakes to occur (the act of making a happy mistake is called serendipity) such as ink drops or ink trickles.

Above Roses in Marlborough Buildings Allotments, A3 Ink on Paper

The soon to be white roses in Marlborough allotments.

American Museum, Bath

Cowboys is set in front of the American Museum, just outside Bath. The museum often has reenactments taking place in the grounds that lend themselves to some fun compositions.

Cowboys A3 ink on paper (above)

Emily, Portrait

The portraiture class was relatively quiet today with only three people, which is why there is so much floor space. For the last few weeks I have shied away from painting proper portraits, instead depicting interiors. This leaves my teacher to work on his own drawings skills which is why he is sitting opposite drawing the model.

An empty protraiture class in acrylics and charcoal (A3)

Royal Crescent, Bath

The Royal Crescent is Bath's largest and most famous crescent. I have included the steps leading up to finished painting from the initial drawing. This will be my last blog for a week or so as I'm going away, so will catch up later.

The final picture. A2 ink on paper.

After the first wash has been added.

The initial drawing made with a variety of dip ink pens.

Girl in the Hat

Another Wednesday portrait painting class completed and here are the two results. The class lasts for 3 hours which, after breaks is around two and half hours of painting time. The first couple of hours I spent on the larger horizontal picture, drawing in charcoal then working back in acrylics finally finishing with charcoal lines over the top. The second picture was done in the last half hour. The model was actually a beautiful young girl, but the portrait makes her look old and frumpy, albeit with golden shoes.

A3 portrait. Charcoal and acrylic on paper.

A4 portrait. The sitter was actually young and beautiful, although you could never tell from this : )

RAIN

Here is the first picture for Paris's inch by inch project this week the subject is rain. To find out more about inch by inch follow this link.

Rain 3 by 3 inches ink on paper as part of inch by inch.

The Parade Gardens, Bath

The English Summer. Optimism on a Stormy Day. This ink painting depicts the Parade Gardens, Bath, at the height of a British summer. The weather has been very hot here, so it provided a good opportunity to take some photos of packed parks. I decided to give this picture a twist with the dark sky and red triffid like plant shaking in the foreground. The loose fast brush strokes give the impression of something brewing.

The English Summer. Optimism on a Stormy Day. A2 ink on paper.