Some New Studies and a Finish

So I haven't posted much of anything in a while. But it's not because I haven't been painting at all. I have, just not as much as usual. I've been busy with other things. Life mostly. But I still try to get into my studio to paint, even if it's only for an hour or two at the end of the day. Even if I'm dog tired I still find that I want to get back to it and it usually revives me. I'm a little OCD these days when it comes to painting. I very much do want to get better and so even if I'm not actually painting I will spend a lot of my day just either thinking about it or researching great paintings and artists on the web that inspire me.

One thing I discovered in my research that some may find interesting is a live stream of a drawing demo that takes place on Friday nights. The demo is put on by Jeffrey Watts, an excellent artist from California who has both an online atelier and a brick and mortar school where he and his talented staff of instructors teach. You can check out the demo here:

http://www.wattsatelier.com/friday-night-live-workshop/

I know. Not everyone's idea of a rocking Friday night. But for art geeks like me it's pretty cool. 

Sheesh, I need serious help.

Anyway, here are a few recent efforts. Each has a different level of finish, but I think that's okay because my objectives were different in each one. This first one is of a co-painter at Bay Arts. We had no model that day so he offered to sit for us. A great model he was too.

This study is quite rough and loose but I did try to keep it a little more impressionistic. I don't think I'll be trying to refine it. I'll just file it in the back of my head as I think I know where my problem areas are in this one. Still I think I managed to capture a fair likeness.

The next one is also one of our Friday models. I took this one home and worked on it a bit but not that much. The photo is a tad dark as you can't even see the highlights I put into her braid. Yes, she has a braid and not just short hair. also, the color is a bit off as the light color in the background is a somewhat brighter blue. All in all fairly satisfied with this one. I played with softening the features in the face as well as keeping some of the edges softer in strategic spots.

This last one is of a beautiful young girl of Indian descent who posed at the workshop I took in Scottsdale. I did a color study while there and took some pictures too so that I could go home and finish it up. I'm not unhappy with this one but I think I may just take another crack at it and try a slightly different approach. You'll have to wait and see.

 Thanks for taking a look.