Yesterday I made a copy of a portrait of a young man in Charles Reid’s book, Portrait Painting in Watercolor (pages 148-149). I was happy with the looseness of it, but the proportions weren’t very good. So I tried it again today and I like the results better. You can compare the two attempts below.
Two attempts at a portrait Read More »
In his book, Portrait Painting in Watercolor, Charles Reid includes some portraits that are just quick sketches, warmups in a way. They help keep you loose by leaving out some of the detail. Here are a couple of sketches I painted in that spirit.
I made this portrait from a photo on Museum/Sktchy trying to follow Charles Reid’s instructions on mixing skin color. I used Winsor red and Cadmium yellow pale (for warmth) with some cerulean blue (to cool it down). Also I tried to let some of the edges of the hair get lost, like in her left cheek and forehead. That way the border of the face isn’t just a hard outline, but has softness to it. Same thing with the loose brush strokes for her hair on the outside.
Skin tones and lost edges Read More »
While I’m on a roll, I thought I’d make another portrait. This one is also from the Museum app photos. I used color this time and tried to get the values right. I like the changes in the skin color and the light areas on the forehead. I find it really hard to get the dark areas of the face dark and make the transition from light to dark. But the shapes and values in this portrait are basically right.
Since I last posted, I’ve visited friends in Alaska and hiked the Aurora Ridge trail in Olympic National Park. So I haven’t been painting. But tonight I got back to the drawing board and made this portrait for the Museum app, using one of their photos as a reference. It’s good to get the brushes out again.
Portrait for Museum app Read More »
I haven’t been making watercolors because I’ve been busy with… well, life. I spent a couple of weeks working on Katy’s writing shed. I finished the drywall, mudding, taping, and sanding, and I laid the floor. It looks great. Then I went on two overnight hikes in Olympic National Park near Lake Crescent. So I’ve been busy.
But today I’m back in the studio, working on portraits. I made this portrait from a photo on the Museum app. This app is a platform where artists can upload their photos (“inspirations”) so that others can draw and paint them. It’s a young crowd, with lots of selfies.
I used the techniques described by Charles Reid in his book, Portrait Painting in Watercolor.
Portrait from Museum app Read More »
Today I took a break from hanging drywall in Katy’s writing shed and went to the Wednesday meeting of Poulsbo Art League. We meet on Wednesday afternoons to paint, draw, and generally hang out together.
I used Charles Reid’s book, Portrait Painting in Watercolor, to make this portrait. I followed the step-by-step instructions he provides. Charles Reid is one of the most famous modern watercolor painters, especially his portraits. He emphasizes that a portrait should have some hard edges and some soft edges. In other words, leave something for the viewer’s eye to fill in. Don’t paint every detail, but leave some room for the imagination. Try to capture the general impression of the person.
I started off with a light gray wash, leaving white paper for the highlights on the forehead, cheek, chin, and ear. In subsequent washes I added darker tones, scratching out some areas of the hair and blotting some areas with a tissue. Pretty pleased with the way it turned out.
Copy of Charles Reid portrait Read More »
I’ve been busy finishing the inside of Katy’s writing shed, but today I joined four other painters from Poulsbo Artist League for plein air painting at Roadhouse Nursery near Silverdale.
The nursery is beautifully landscaped with two or three acres of lawn, tall trees, ponds, raised gardens, and sheds. I focused on these carts that are waiting for a customer to haul off potted plants or potting soil. I found a patch of shade to paint in, but it was a warm, dry day. So I wet the back of my paper to slow down the drying time of my washes. It seemed to help.
When I was waiting for the ferry on Whidbey Island last week, I took a photo of the ferry passengers as they walked off the ferry. It’s a small ferry, so the passengers disembark on the car deck. It’s kind of a fun scene, with everybody striding off the ferry looking for their ride. Today I made a pencil sketch, then a watercolor.
Ferry passengers disembarking Read More »
When I was in Lilliwaup Bay a couple of months ago, I took a photo of a couple of old trucks parked at a cabin near the river. They just look so darn rustic. Yesterday I made a watercolor, but I wasn’t very satisfied with it. Today I added a wash of blue on the side of the landrover to darken it. I think this helped a lot by showing that side was in shadow.
A pickup and a land rover Read More »