portraits

May 24, 2013 by Tara 3 Comments

A couple more sketchbook portraits, drawn from reference images. With liberal use of my new friend the blending stick.

And this quick pencil and pastel sketch without a reference. I got annoyed afterwards because all my non-referenced portraits look the same. I’m slowly working my way through Misty Mawn’s Face to Face class and hoping the practice and assignments will allow me to expand my methods for putting a face together.

And this is my niece Amber with new puppy Frank. I wanted to make a really beautiful portrait and surprise my sister with it, but this first attempt, although I’m happy with it as a portrait, doesn’t actually look like her daughter. I’m thinking of trying it in a few different mediums; capturing the essence of someone’s spirit is hard! It’s all in the eyes I’m finding. Get them slightly off and you’ve drawn someone else.

I’m also working on a painting today that I’m really looking forward to sharing with you. Yay!

April 27, 2013 by Tara 6 Comments

Not literally ONTO the sofa, obvs. I’ve been finding the nature of my retreat lately means that in the evenings I’m mostly becoming one with the sofa, watching tv series on Netflix or Lovefilm, and often with the itchy fingers that tell me I want to create but not to haul my ass up to the studio to do so. So I have my makeshift coffee table art studio, and here is what’s been happening:

This has mostly come about because I’m taking Misty Mawn’s Face to Face class. Here are a couple of bits I’ve done from that:

practising heads tilting at different angles

drawing from a reference ~ fortunately i don’t think this was about getting an accurate likeness

Filed Under: art class, art development, portraits, sketchbook, sketches Tagged With: misty mawn face to face class, portrait sketches, sketchbook faces

April 10, 2013 by Tara 4 Comments

The thing about working at night is that your progress shots are all dark and shitty. But then they make the final image look better, so swings and roundabouts I guess.

profile sketch on paper

I’m finding Instagram to be a constant source of inspiration lately. I am not a fan of direct copying, mainly because it’s not cool but also because anything I try to copy exactly will inevitably disappoint me. I’d rather put my own spin on things.

Adding watercolour

Besides, I want my work to be mine. But I will pick up a style, technique, colour scheme or shape, that catches my eye, and gradually the things that have struck me will weave together to become a piece on their own.

Going in with black pen

Like this one. I started with a profile sketch, really simple, after seeing one randomly on Instagram. I didn’t copy it, I just felt like doing a profile after seeing it. Then I wanted to add some Alisa Burke style flowers, as I did here. The inspiration for that came from here. Yes I am on a bit of an Alisa trip currently.

Beginning to define the flowers, and darkening the blue background

The whole thing evolved over a few nights while watching movies on the sofa. I didn’t have any plans really, just picked up things I liked and put them together.

Flowers in Her Hair
Pencil, watercolour and pen on A3 Bristol board

I like how she’s turned out; I like the contrast of the simplicity of the face next to the hectic vibrant flowers. I’m not too confident with shading but ‘fortunately’ I’m happy with the facial minimalism.

I kind of want to give her a name. Any thoughts? I’m thinking something graceful, self contained and aloof, like Agnes {the French way}, or Magdalena.

Filed Under: art development, drawing, painting on paper, portraits Tagged With: flowers, painting on paper, portrait, profile sketch

January 8, 2013 by Tara 5 Comments

You should know that I am drinking wine while creating this post. Just sayin’.

Wine is also on the list of healing things. Yup. Temporary healing admittedly, but sometimes a plaster is more appropriate than a heart transplant. {And cheaper.}

Also healing: Marianne Williamson’s ‘Letting Go and Becoming’ talks. I have listened to them a bajillion times, and each time I am comforted, amused, interested and reminded {why do some things just not STICK?}.

{pastels and charcoal on acrylic background}

And of course: making art = healing. So far my promise to myself to spend some of each day in the studio is not only proving successful, it’s also making me DO ART! An obvious correlation perhaps, but when I had art supplies on my coffee table I didn’t use them every day. I guess it’s partly the intention and partly because there aren’t any other distractions up there.

This portrait is inspired by someone else’s work, which I’m sorry to say I don’t have a credit for. Didn’t someone say something about imitation being the highest form of flattery? {Personally I think that’s bollocks but it’s useful in this moment.} I’m really happy with how she’s turned out. Pastels: so awesome.

So after an exceptionally shitty day, wine, art and Marianne are pulling me through. Also my mum, who is amazing, and endlessly patient. And you guys, for listening.

Oscar speech and rambling over. Think I’ll get back to my wine.

Filed Under: portraits, sketchbook Tagged With: face, pastels, portrait, sketchbook

October 23, 2012 by Tara 2 Comments

Today, in what may or may not become a new feature, depending on my whim and what I find that inspires me to try a technique or idea, I am sharing some drawings I did after being inspired by another artist. In this case, Rebecca McFarland.

After seeing Rebecca’s one line drawings, I thought, YEAH, I could definitely do more little things like this to keep my creativity ticking over. Since I don’t feel like engaging in an obstacle course every time I want to paint in my studio, {still full of boxes while I wait to move}, I have been setting up art camp on the coffee table some evenings.

Sometimes I just doodle or colour in, but sometimes I want something at least a bit more challenging and focused to get my teeth into. These one line drawings are perfect for when you don’t really know what to do but want to make marks and use colours.

Well my efforts do not seem to be the elegant and enigmatic portraits that Rebecca has produced. Mine all look either like they had a worrying accident or like a child with access to only very bright colours did them. Actually I hate them {although the dog’s quite cute}. The faces seem crude and sinister to me.

BUT, I enjoyed the process of doing them, and I can definitely use the one line drawing technique in future paintings.

{crappy lighting alert. better get used to this for the next however many months.

especially since my most artistic time is night time.}

Filed Under: art development, creativity, drawing, portraits, sketchbook Tagged With: dog, doodling, drawing, faces, flowers, one line drawings, portraits, quote, rebecca mcfarland, thoreau quote

April 5, 2012 by Tara

If you’re a regular round here you’ll already know I love Canada based artist Maria Pace-Wynters‘ vibrant, beautiful paintings. I was recently so inspired by her style of portraiture that I was moved to create a painting of my own in a similar vein.

Like many of us, she has been making art since childhood, and also perhaps like many of us found that growing up led her away from the natural spontenaity and non judgement of childhood creating, that ‘life’ just sort of took over. Thankfully she didn’t let it stop her! She includes this quote on both her website and Etsy shop profile as a great reminder:

Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.
Pablo Picasso

Apart from the glorious colours, I really admire how she has perfected the balance between loose lines and colour patches, and detailed focused areas.

Also her heavenly, voluptuous flowers and foliage, particularly poppies. There is something so luxurious and decadent about her paintings.

As a mother her daughters are clearly a source of inspiration to her ~ many of her paintings feature impish young faces. The circus is also a common theme.

She has plenty of options available in her Etsy shop, from originals to postcards and art print blocks.

Filed Under: art, artists, love it, portraits Tagged With: love it, maria pace wynters, mixed media artists, portraits

March 24, 2012 by Tara 9 Comments

This lady appeared on Thursday. She is heading in the direction of the faces in my head I talked about yesterday. In the interests of full disclosure I am including the image that inspired her; as you will see it’s pretty similar. I’ve loved the Maria Pace Wynters painting below for ages ~ colours, composition, style, elements ~ and wanted to understand with my own hand how to capture that kind of loose but powerful image. I didn’t set out to copy it as such, but in the end I did use her painting to inform how and where I put colour down, mainly for the face.

So here is Maria Pace Wynters’ visual feast, titled ‘The Spanish Poppy’:

And here is a step by step of my version, which I’ve called ‘Drama Queen’ as it just popped into my head and seemed fitting:

I taped some of my lovely new A3 360gsm paper to my desk and started with a rough sketch.

I used the principle I saw on the Agnes-Cecile video of working from light to dark; it makes total sense and puts certain paintings I’ve done in the past into a new perspective {ie. ohhhhhh, so THAT’S why it didn’t work!}! I realise this is probably one of those fundamentals of painting that just passed me by…

I had totally forgotten how liberating painting on paper is; psychologically I can be freer because it’s not as ‘important’ as a canvas. And while I’m trying out new things it allows me to do so without feeling they must all be perfect. That, people, is progress. Not to mention that when you take the pressure off, lo! The paintings seem to come out better!

I did have to go back in and completely redo her eyes; she was so cross eyed! I think it’s better now but the painting doesn’t seem to photograph as well as it looks in actual real life.

Anyway, here she is:

I may add some further details but I’m happy with her as she is for now. Very happy actually. Yay.

Filed Under: acrylic painting, art development, painting on paper, portraits, process Tagged With: drama queen, face, maria pace wynters, painting on paper, portrait, turquoise

March 23, 2012 by Tara 7 Comments

I have a secret wish to paint faces. Good ones I mean. In my head I know exactly how they would come out, but outside my head they tend not to…

This video has me mesmerised, not just by the end result but by how the painting comes together apparently effortlessly, layer upon layer, light to dark. I love the combination of loose and drippy and tight and perfect. I tried something similar myself after watching it; suffice to say no human being will ever lay eyes on that one!

You can see more of Agnes-Cecile’s beautiful faces here.

Filed Under: art development, artists, painting, paintings, portraits, techniques, youtube Tagged With: agnes-cecile, faces, portraits, watercolours, youtube

October 10, 2011 by Tara 2 Comments

It’s all I can muster just now, from my favourite corner of the sofa.

Filed Under: portraits, sketchbook, sketches Tagged With: faces, pastels, portraits, shells, sketchbook

October 7, 2011 by Tara 3 Comments

There are so many words, out there in the world, and in my head. And none I really want to say, or hear, or hear myself saying. I’m shifting and growing and it’s uncomfortable and unpredictable. I have a feeling of wanting to tear my skin off with the antsiness and the not knowing of it all; a good metaphor really as I am most likely shedding another layer. The only thing that calms me and brings me any sense of peace and joy is the sea, so I spend most of my hours there and will do until I’m, well, whatever it is I’m going to be next.

And if any or all of this sounds negative, none of it is.

Filed Under: drawing, journey, portraits, sketchbook, sketches Tagged With: discomfort, face, growth, portrait, sketchbook