A portrait in washes

Timing is crucial to create washes. I enjoyed colours and washes in this Helen Chamberlin and show the process below. I saw Helen checking my manuscripts for a children's picture book story with a pen. She looked shy, but very passionate about her job. My image of her background is very bright. Washes are great fun! I put, "Splish, splash, splosh," and got high on watching the paints spreading on a paper. I got thrilled and excited.   

My portrait always has one focal point. In this work, Helen's face expression and a mood is the theme. Without a background, it looked like below. 
It was good that an image of her background came up my mind from the beginning. After making the background, I partially emphasised her red dress to blend in the washes. At the same time, I checked a "depth" of washes in work. I hope I will create good depth in washes in any work. 

Black and white is mainly by a graphite and some, by a pencil. A black and white drawing is the simpler, the better, in my loose style.  

Do you enjoy washes in portraits? I will! I'm busy between projects, research and study. But I always enjoy sketches and watercolour like a daily jogging. 
I hope you, too, have fun in washes. 
Friends, Happy painting! 

  

A portrait in washes

Listen to Your Drawing

Sydney Sketch Club, we sketched a pretty house and I drew one member, too. Another member so much inspired us at lunch. "Listen to your drawing. What does your drawing need to put in?" I've realised that I tried so hard to apply new approaches to a subject and did not work well. Apart from an experiment of a new methods, I need to well listen to what my drawing needs. Otherwise, I will mess up the work. His say sounds like upside down though, it convinced me so much. I want to feel what my drawing wants for. What do you think, Friends? 

But it is certain that we cannot grow without stepping out of a comfortable zone and try something new or different. Experiments are fun and pain, which depend on outcomes. I'm interested in a background for a portrait. This is the portrait of a sketch club member. I felt a blank background was empty. I wondered if the portrait wanting for a background and added a simple background. It seems I like bright colours, hahaha!? Any feedback is welcome. Sometimes, an image of a background's colour comes up from the beginning of live portraits on spot. Sometimes, not. Or I might be a deaf and cannot listen to my own work's cry. Or that work does not want anything more and enough. I should leave it alone. Technically, it's hard to resume watercolour in my style, because of edges and washes. I prefer to finishing up work in a short time on a same day.  

The member who enlightened me was a former architecture teacher at an art school and an artist. He always gives me something interesting and generously helps us in need. That's the beauty of group activities and Sydney Sketch Club. 

The pretty house was on Queen St. We had fun on Queen's birthday. Another member commented, "Nice painting, Sadami. I see that yours is a lot more accurate." Until his say came, I did not realise my architecture drawing was precise. I always start from accurate "dessin" in a traditional drawing learning methods. Then, I can loose up or other techniques in watercolour painting. Ultimately, -- another artist taught me -- a person's techniques cannot go beyond her drawing ability/skills. "So, Sadami, draw!" he said. I've kept that advice for ages. Btw, I used a hake brush in this work to create a background. It was fun. Not completely satisfied with a result though, an interesting and good lesson. I'll try it more to enjoy hake.  

How do you interpret this "Listen to your drawing"? I've got that it means in a more profound and general way. It could mean "Look at your work objectively," in my interpretation. I hope I will grow as an artist. 
Friends, let's enjoy our art journeys. It's wonderful to have company in journeys. Thank you for your friendship. 
Happy Painting!!    

Listen to Your Drawing

People At Work : Clockmaker

Sometimes, we get lost on our journeys in art. Me, too. I doubt my ability and drawing skills. Fortunately, mentors support me well. Ann James says, "Sadami, you capture real people, real life and real moments in a very special way. Just be content that you are you. The best possible thing to be!" Oh, thank you, Ann! Even in exploring new techniques, it's important to hold an individual stance in a personalised style. Probably, it relates to the beauty of working people. Especially, craftsmanship is divine. I post the sketches of clockmakers. 

I love to look at a clockmaker working. His every movement at each moment fascinates me. My curiosity is like a little kid! All other adults go around for shopping and will come back to the shop to pick up watches except me. When I ask a clockmaker for permission to sketch, my say puzzles him and he gets surprised. In my experience, working people are shy and friendly. I sketched this clock maker a few days ago, when I put a new battery into my watch. His concentration was impressive. Each clockmaker's face expression and body language interests me most. 

This clockmaker uses a magnifier. Tiny parts, sensitive tools and a rubber dust blower are on a desk. It seems that each clockmaker can choose a different colour of a rubber dust blower (*I saw red and green!). I could not interrupt his work and did not ask his motivation to become a watch specialist. Simply because he liked it and he chose the occupation? I smiled at him silently behind the counter.  

"Originality and uniqueness," I always seek and find it in working people. 
Each clockmaker's face expression and body language interests me. So far, I like this image most in the collected clockmakers. Working people are shining and special. 

Ordinary people's ordinary scenes are extraordinary. An individual is "one and only." In my eyes, ordinary people's ordinary lives are heavenly beautiful. People at any occupation look marvelous.  
...if so, I hope myself to be content to myself and others, when I work on drawing. While I draw working people, I think of myself. Btw, do you like an hour glass? I like it, sometimes I watch it and think of many things. I can see "visible" time in the sand clock.... I hope I will keep on capturing real people in my own way. 
After a long weekend of Queen's birthday, we'll get back to a routine. 
Friends, Happy Painting! 

People At Work : Clockmaker

Australian landscapes in wash study

I post copied two Australian landscapes paintings for "wash study" and one for fun ( *a wild weather, heavy rain, a flood in a storm last weekend!). How to interpret oil paintings into watercolour is a good challenge. It's fun to create "losing edges" vs "hard edges." Probably, softened edges and transparency in watercolour work are the most differences from medium oil. Technically, timing is crucial to put paints on wet papers. 

Which landscape image do you like? I put my own favourite colours on the works.  

Eucalyptus trees -- we call "gum trees," -- create beautiful scenes in a very strong sunshine. It's cool under the shade of gum trees, even it's more than 30' (*although we're in winter now). I always wonder why gum trees are peeling off trunks ... like a banana!  

Study of Frederick Leist "Landscape." 

Australia has very flat lands that do not have rigid mountains. Exposed red lands make a strong contrast in colours in quite a dry weather. I love white sands along the beaches and relax myself on sands.  

 Study of Howard Ashton "Through Sunny Meadows" 

I'm getting the timing of washes for landscapes. In my view, washes are "calculated spontaneity" and a person who can control water is the winner of washes. Although there are many watercolour painting techniques and I will study them, I want to keep simple methods for myself.    

Another is just for a fun. I love bright colours. A red section reminds me of strawberries. Mmm..., yum, yum! I may use this outcome for strawberries in a loose style. 

Now, I'll get back to my projects. 

Friends, Happy Painting! 

Australian landscapes in wash study