The weather is suddenly more promising so I’m off for an afternoon painting outdoors. I’m naturally drawn to the Tamar valley and want to get right down in the marshes as the tide come in. I’ve promised a gallery a series of Tamar pieces and having been trapped by weather and workload, am making a run for it later today. I have done one looking down through wintery tree onto the mudbanks below Holes hole (real name!) and want to continue that theme. Here’s one I started in broad washes with more to do but consider it work in progress. I’m also taking photos for the workshop, to show how it’s done and what painting outdoors really entails. My photographer advised wellies and a warm hat but I take that as essential kit, along with my field palette and rough sheets of Not 300gsm. I’ll let you know how it goes.
Towards Pentillie stage 1
Simple facial proportions
Last week at the workshop, we looked at some illustrated celebrity faces in a magazine. I did a quick but passable one of my own face as a demo (the result is on Facebook). There are some simple rules that can help drawing faces; this doesn’t detract from the maxim that it’s best to draw what you actually see, not what you think you see. If you’re putting figures in a painting for composition purposes, it’s also handy to have a basic understanding of human proportions regardless of scale. I’ll cover this in more detail but as some of my students are wanting to do portraits and figures, here’s some pointers for faces.
Most heads, despite obvious anomalies, are much the same when it comes to proportion. The devil is in the detail and that’s the portraitists art, but for most of us a head is a long circle bisected laterally by a line for the eyes – ie: they come halfway down the front of the head. Everything above is hair and brains; everything below is face. The nose and mouth sit at comfy thirds below the eyes. You’ll probably know that the eyes are spaced with a one-eye gap between them, but did you realise that your nose usually sits in the same line, nostrils vertically below the inner corners of the eye? If not absolutely accurately, I bet its pretty close. The outer corners of the mouth are in line with the centres of the eyes. Ears – one each side – are usually in line with the whole nose. It’s true that ear lobes keep on growing but as a general rule, ears are nose sized. I have to make up a lot of figures in my book illustration job but I find these simple guides work even in cartoons and light illustration. If you’re looking for the differences then study your subjects. Its the differences that make us interesting and there’s nothing like drawing from life, however, for quick references a few guidelines will help.
Self portrait - proportions guidelines
New watercolour papers in stock. Waterford 300gsm HP and Not. Our favorite Arches 356gsm satine 25.5x40ins and now the sumptuous 850gsm(400lb) deckle edged Not.
I’m trying the Saunders Waterford for the workshops but the Arches remains my favorite paper. The heavy weight 400lb is going to be a treat. I’ve sold one sheet already but I’m inclined to hide it away for personal use. It’s destined for some big free wet-on-wet pieces but the feel of it has to be experience to be believed. Prices to follow soon but all available at the studio.
This is a demo I did at the watercolour workshop this week. Admittedly, it’s from a photo I took recently but my point to my students was; if I was field sketching in the open, this how I’d approach a quick reference with a handful of pencils and a brush. Pencils, especially water colour ones, offer a great way of getting quick information down. I established an horizon line and could see from my vantage point on a hedge, that my whole landscape lay below it. These colours are vibrant and almost abstract but it’s what I had to hand. I fancy this composition as a bigger piece in paint but will uses this one as a rough starter.
The Tamar from the fields above Weir Quay
We had a good session at the watercolour workshop this week. A couple of painters had made an early error of judgement in their project pieces and had gone some way without first thinking, where is my eye level in this; what am I looking at and where’s my vanishing point?
It’s not necessary to do this every time; wide landscapes can be excused but if there are buildings or structure of any kind in the scene, a little perspective comes in handy. Find your eye level if the actual horizon is not clear. Use a ruler or anything straight as a guide and find two edges in your landscape that are parallel; roof ridges and gutters for instance, and connect them to a point on your eye level. This is all in your head, not on paper yet. Find an object; a tree or even a shadow that’s close and use that as your constant. When you’re drawing, keep referring to it.
perspective exercise, Cotehele
This is a quick sketch from memory. The sky is always backlit and the rolling clouds from the west always suggesting rain. This is a prequel to a much bigger watercolour. I have a double elephant sheet of Arches satine stretched and ready.
Low clouds over the Tamar at Weir Quay
It had to happen; I’ve had two inquiries about printing from ipads. One artist called having bought one recently and hadn’t put it down. Another well known painter said it was so good, he felt he had to keep wiping his fingers on his jeans. I was duly sent an email with the attachment and printed a proof just to see. We were all amazed at the quality. Seems our big giclée printers are made for it. Colours were true (to the ipad) and detail impressive. Even the canson-like “paper” background all came out. It’s not just David Hockney; we can all produce high quality digital images on our various pads and platforms. I’ve done it myself on a Wacom tablet but the revolution in relatively affordable, portable, digital workstations is changing the way we think about art. My own images did sell, one or two, but when you explained it was produced digitally, people visibly cooled off. Not so now. Everyone, whether on smart phones or pads is doing it. Well, if you want them printed, let me know. We’re all tooled up and ready to roll.
Over the last few weeks, we’ve been looking at winter colours and cold landscapes. Here’s a few rough paintings from the sessions which may be worth working up. I especially like the idea of moorlands and rivers and it would make for a nice series. I leave you to judge.
Dartmoor, over the rooftops
Flete, from the Mothecombe footpath
Pluvian, presque ille sauvage, mixed media sketch
We’ve had a busy new year with new project from some of our existing clients. Boddingtons Berries, in Cornwall, are expanding their range of conserves to include marmalade and apple chutney, both in 340g jars. This entailed new labels from us, including new fruit illustrations. Estate agents, Kivells have also asked us to amend, or develop their logo to include their acquisition of Hussey’s of Exeter. We’ve created a new logo and press headers and will be looking at exhibition material.
We’ve added these and other new images to the website.
New 340g marmalade label for Boddingtons Berries
Boddington Berries 340g Chutney
logo for Kivells and Husseys
Here’s a painting I started at a demo class today. I was talking about limited colours and winter landscapes and here’s how it turned out. Rough scan only, nothing too clever. I built up the glazes and rubbed back the hazy distance before adding the orangey reds to try and capture the end of the day light. It’s still winter though and I wanted a cold picture despite the glorious brackens. See what you think anyway.
Watercolour - February dusk
