inktober 2016

Every October, artists all over the world take on the InkToberdrawing challenge by doing one ink drawing a day the entire month. Jake Parker created InkTober in 2009 as a challenge to improve his inking skills and develop positive drawing habits. you can check out his work by clicking on the link below.

The Inktober Initiative - Mr Jake Parker

mrjakeparker.com/inktober

This October I  decided to work with walnut ink,which has a lovely warm tone.   I was asked to do a

 series of Sepia tone drawings for a commission and walnut ink fit the bill for that as well.  

"Charlie"

walnut ink

9" x 6"

"Klaus" 1,2, &3

walnut ink

all 9" x 6"

"Daisy"

walnut ink

5" x  4"

'"Clover"

walnut ink in sketchbook

"Anny"

walnut ink in sketchbook

So far this October I have stayed on the subject of dogs but I have squeezed in a portrait or two as well.  ( Last September I did only portraits, of my daughter, using walnut ink.)

Whatever the subject, it is always good to get back to basics, and polish those drawing skills!

Maggie the Bloodhound

"Maggie"

11" x 14"

watercolor

Maggie the bloodhound was commissioned as an anniversary gift.  The couple is celebrating their 14th wedding anniversary and the  traditional gift was ivory, since deemed unethical, so now it's just animals.  As Maggie is their beloved pet, a portrait was the perfect choice. I just love how regal she looks!

If you are interested in a custom pet portrait of your dog, send me an email at cindymcd73@gmail.com.  I'd love to paint your pup!

Days 3 through 16...

The past 2 weeks have been very busy with getting the kids back to school and fall sports schedules, and me catching up with all the housework that I neglected while they were home over the summer.  So I have been painting daily, but not posting here on the blog... so here is a shot of days 3 through 16.

I have been jumping around from drawing from photos to drawing from life, enjoying both.  I just need to remind myself to slow down at the start of a piece and have a clear idea of my intent, being mindful of each mark I make, no matter the medium or style.  This is an experiment of sorts and I need to give it my all to actually get anything out of it.  Here's hoping the last half of 30 days brings me closer to my goal.

Day 2

Day 2

Stopping here on this one. That is always the struggle for me, knowing when to stop. But I liked this point of the painting and also ran out of time... So here is Day 2!

 initial pass...

final

* the colors are wonky as I work out some technical issues!*

and now for something new...

6" x 6"

walnut ink

On Sunday, I had the pleasure of going to the Worcester Art Museum to see their annual "Flora in Winter" Flower show.  What a nice change of scenery from all the snow around here!  The show takes it's name from one of the museums's sculptures of the same title.    I absolutley loved the floral arrangments inspired by the artwork (more to come on that later...) by I am always drawn to the busts.  When I used to teach children's art classes at the museum, I would always bring them into the galleries to see these beautiful sculptures.  Sometimes we would draw from them and  I always loved seeing the children's interpretations!  This was done from a photograph of a bust in the European Gallery.  I have it from a few differnent angels and so I think I'll do a few more of him.  I somehow managed to make him look a little older than he should be.  But, I am happy that I managed to get the reflected light in there. 

Challenge Finale

"The Dogs of January"

30, or so, Paintings in 30 Days Challenge

Well, I may not have finished 30 complete paintings (I think I did 27, not all of which made the final cut...) but I certainly learned a lot about watercolor and started a good painting (nearly) everyday routine.  I hope to continue painting nearly everyday, though I am anxious to start different subjects, and eventually get back to acrylic.

Here is what I worked on yesterday...

I can't wait to get back to working from life, maybe more portraits, and I'm really liking ink washes right now.  So stay tuned to see what's next...

Zorn

Liam
5" x 7"
acrylic on gessoboard

This was an attempt at using the Anders Zorn palette that one of my  favorite painters, Sarah Sedwick, uses often.  However, I think my reference photo was a little washed out, and so I didnt have the opportunity to try and use the depth of color that she can get from this very limited palette. 

long time no see

20 minute pose
18" x 24"
vine charcoal on toned paper

Over the summer I did some figure drawing.  It was a nice change of pace from working from photos or still lifes. I enjoyed the shorter poses, even feeling 20 minute drawings were too long.  Given the opportunity to have the model stay in the same pose, most times I decided to start anew.  Call it impatience or lack of stamina, but I think I was just trying to capture a freshness and not overwork things.  Also I think there is something to be said for starting slowly and getting everything in the right place before you polish thing up. 

Signature Look, or Finley #1

Signature Look/Finley 1

6" x 6"

acrylic on panel

Finley is a Border Collie mix with the softest fur imaginable.  Her signature look is one ear up, one ear down.  There was a lot I liked about this little painting, but also a lot of drawing problem that I could not fix without losing what I liked, hence the #1... There will be more attempts at Miss Finley.

Happy

"Happy"

6" x 6"

acrylic on panel

 I need try this one again.  Too much fur, not enough structure. Or I need to pay more attention to structure...

Sunning Himself

"Sunning Himself"

5" x 7"

acrylic in gessoboard

This is my Clover, again, sunning himself on the back porch.  I think it's one of his favorite spots.  I liked the way this one was coming along, but then I laid in some colors in the shadows that I did not like and but did not want to cover them up because I was trying to keep the darks thin.  So, I decided to leave well enough alone and there you are.

Anyway, I came across this quote on another artist's blog and I think it pretty much sums up why I paint...

"In order to be happy," said Winston Churchill, "you need to find a task that requires perfection, is impossible to achieve, and spend the rest of your life trying to achieve it."

Painting #4, Day #13...

8" x 8"

acrylic on panel

Okay, so I have not been keeping up with the challenge.  It is day 13 and I have only completed 5 paintings (one I will post later tonight).

I thought this one had a lot of promise when I started, but it didn't turn out how I would have liked.  I blame the too large of a panel... Too much room to noodle around!  Also this was a two-sitting painting and I think the second time I went at it I wasn't quite thinking along the same lines as the first time.

Anyway, it makes me think I need to stick to alla prima (all in one sitting) and to get back into painting daily.  It's not that you will create a masterpiece every time, it is that you will be exercising your painting muscles so that when you do have a little more time to spend with a painting, you will be ready to go.  Easier said than done, but...

Day 10 - Brewster

"Brewster"

4" x 4"

acrylic on panel

This little guy is a gift for my best friend Suzy.  She has never been a "dog person" but I think she's a Brewster person.  How could you not be with that face!

Morning on Hanover Street, take 2

acrylic on panel, 4" x 4"

It has been far too long since I was able to sit down and paint.  But today I did just that!  (I think the last time I painted was back in June when they were still in school.  The big kids started camp today, and the little one actually took a nap so I had a nice quiet, calm house...)

I came across this snapshot when I was looking through some old photos.  I have painted it before, on a much bigger scale, in oils, about 15 years ago.  It is of my husband back when we lived in Boston, pre-kids.  I've always liked the light in this one and thought it would be strong as a small study.

I wanted to try out a new color palette, the Zorn Palette, of Cadmium Red Light, Yellow Ochre, Ivory Black and Titanium White.  And I was using a Cadmium Red Medium ground so there's that in there as well.  I like the glow of the Cad Red(s) against the neutral grays, but flesh tones can get too brown.  Not sure how to fix that but I will have to play around with it and see. 

 

Working with the photo upside down, and under tracing paper (to obscure the details) I tried to block in the major shapes of light and dark first.

 

 

As I work, I try to take a few progress shots in black and white to check the overall values.

 

 

Once I am sure I have the values and larger shapes right, I flip it over, and then take off the tracing paper to work on the smaller, more subtle shapes and color/value changes.

 

 

I'm not happy with the flatness of the background so maybe I'll go back into it... As long as there are parts of a painting that I like, I feel I have learned something.  Just happy to have been able to send the afternoon painting!

 

 

 

toned down

I added a wash of ultramarine blue over the left side of the head and I think it toned it down nicely.  Still not in love with this painting but I'll try again, trying to keep it looser and work on getting the color more accurate and  fresh. 

color and contrasts

Playing with color and contrasts of warm and cool. 

The shadows are reading way too warm right now, and I need to darken the hair and lessen the contrast between the hair and the dark side of the face.  Maybe a wash of ultramarine blue will solve both issues...

knowing when to stop

I think I'm stopping on this one before I overwork it.  I don't think it's all the way there yet, but I'm afraid it's going to get murky if I darken the face any. So...I started this...

Still a lot to do, this is just the first few layers.  I'm going to try and not overwork this one, so I have to remember to have a light hand and think before I paint.  I'm use to oils where I can layer and layer and layer, and cover up.  Not so with watercolors!  I'm learning...

playing with contrast

I'm still trying to play up the contrast of the warmer/darker flesh tones against the cooler/lighter sky and foliage.  Just need to keep movin' along....

the third and last stage and the start of something new

So I think I'm done with this painting, not because I think it's finished, but because I can't fix it.  I am used to painting with oil and being able to push and pull things around till I get it right.  With watercolors I feel like you have to have a clear idea of where things are going from the start.  I sketched this in quickly and there is something not quite right with the drawing of the eyes, something that can't be fixed with slight tonal gradations that I keep layering on...  Oh well, it was a good learning experience and I will try this one again. 

 For now I decided to start a new painting.  Here it is in the very early stages...

I don't want to even think about the drawing this time, so I just traced an enlargement of my picture on the lightbox.  The photo itself is quite blurry anyway so I can't get caught up in details.  It is a photo of my son at an apple orchard in the fall and the colors are so crisp and clear that I thought it would a good choice to work on color with, especially since I'm using my daughter's kiddie watercolor set with it's ummm, "limited" palette.  My new paints will hopefully arrive soon!

I am trying my hand at watercolor...this is stage one. 

...and this is stage two.  I'm not sure I like how it's coming out but I will continue to work on it because I have nothing to lose.  Stay tuned for stage three!