Painting without Drawing ...

... or, Sketching with a Paint Brush.

Whichever, I was outside swimming on a beautiful day off (yesterday, Saturday) and didn't want to go inside. But, I *did* want to paint, so I brought out a #12 brush and one paint palette and did this fast one of an interesting litte lantern that's outside on the patio. (You can put a candle inside.) The angles are a bit wonky but for no pre-drawing and a large brush, I didn't think it turned out too badly.

This is a great exercise to loosen up, paint spontaneously and to not agonize over a drawing. I love to draw, though, really I do.

Approximately 12" x 8" on Arches 140 CP.

Rain Man Sketch Finished ...

This is as finished as it's going to get! One of my problems is that I spend way too much time on the drawing. (But then again, I work out a lot of problems while drawing so maybe it's not half bad.) I'm not too crazy about the figure but .... this is a learning experience for figures. The buildings in the background are going to be distant and fuzzy in the painting. The tree will be bent over more to show high winds.

If you've just stumbled onto my blog, I should add that four friends and I are all painting the same reference picture (shot by Dmitry, DZZ and posted at Morgue File). If you click on Ann and Rhonda's blogs, you can see their progress too. Paulette and Teresa don't have blogs. Yet. ;-)

We're doing this for the learning experience of painting rain and figures.

First Sketch of The Rain Man started

I didn't get the entire thing done but a lot of it was started.

I cropped Dmitry's original reference shot to show the man and the tree. When sketching in the tree, I made it bending in the strong wind. Same as the umbrella the man is holding. It looks like it's being flattened in the wind and rain when I look at the pic so I wanted to emphasize that, too. I didn't quite get the flattened look I wanted on the top of the umbrella so I'm going to work more on that after work tonight. I think that emphasizing the wind like this will relate a lot of the motion I want to show for the rain. Think I'll put more branches and leaves on the tree, too. (You can't really see the work in the outstretched sleeve, but it's there.)

I have also found that there is going to be one heck of a lot of perspective work in those buildings in the background! lol.

Some great news!

Yours truly won first place in the EBSQ Art's "Repurposed: Art from Recycled Materials," an online art show to benefit Environmental Defence. Half the 'kitty' went to the first place winner and the other half went to Environmental Defence. Jeff McIntire-Strasburg, of www.treehugger.com was the juror. A lifetime membership to EBSQ Art (value of $650 US) was also part of the first prize along with $570! Jeff did a great write-up of the contest here and while you're there, you can browse around treehugger.com - it's an awesome environmental site!

The artwork entered had to be made from things otherwise destined for the trash. For a description of the winning piece, you can click here.

So, I'm now a lifetime member of EBSQ Art, which is a great site to belong to! If you'd like to check out the 'zine article on the contest, you can click here.

The Rain Man

How can we be in June already???

I guess this is my first official entry of my new blog. (I actually started it a while back but never got around to writing anything.)

I'm coming out of a seriously long artist block. The Pals group and I are all doing a painting together so that's going to be my kickstart! I feel like I've almost forgotten how to paint. But that is about to change! I'm attaching the photo reference we've chosen to do. It's a shot from the Morgue File and as soon as I have the photographer's name, I'll post it. It's not your everyday kind of inspiration but we all want to do some figures and thought this one would be particularly challenging - a figure and rain - how much more challenging can you get? I've decided to crop mine to the shown shot and plan on calling him The Rain Man.

I'm off to start drawing now ..........

Edited to add the photographer's name - the shot was taken by Dmitry (DZZ) from Russia. It's posted at MorgueFile. Hopefully, Dmitry will be following our progress as we (Ann, Rhonda, Teresa, hopefully Paulette and myself) paint his photograph. Thanks very much, Dmitry, for posting such a great shot at Morgue File!