Derek WIP

Hi All

Here is a work in progress of Derek a friend. It is drawn on Drafting Film and I am using Polychromos Coloured Pencils.

Here is the reference photogragh:

Dr China in Chertsey

Hi All

I have loaded here a picture that I completed recently of 'Dr China' in Guildford Street, Chertsey, Surrey.

It is a pen and ink drawn on Bristol Board, the size is aprox. 12x14

Jake

Well I think I have been busy these past few weeks. I have now drawn my first child, completed on Drafting Film with Polychromos Coloured Pencils.

The colours look very bright which is in some part due to the back lighting of the scanner. This has brightened the eyes and skin tones. Anyway here he is:

Lola

I have completed a horse called 'Lola'. On watercolour paper with Coloured Pencils. The finished size is 16 x 12.

I have given her a light background in the stables which I think does not detract from Lola.

Finished Simon

Well I have at last finished Simon the Cat. Put a little more depth in the ears and put a little cold colour into his body and used the blue as a background. I also like the way it 'fills the frame'. This was completed on Drafting Film with Polychromos Colour Pencils.

Simon the Cat WIP

A little slow in doing some pictures lately but here is a coloured pencil drawing that I am in the process of completing. The is drawn on Polydraw Drafting Film and Polocromos pencils.

I need to finish the background and the rest of the body.

More - Sketch Book

Here are some more pics from my sketch book.

Chertsey Bridge, Surrey, UK

Corfe Castle, Dorset, UK

Albert Hall, London, UK

St.Peters Square, Rome, Italy

Carew Castle, Pembroke, Wales, UK

Carew Castle & Bridge, Pembroke, Wales, UK

Found Old Sketch Book

I found this old sketch book today of sketches that I drew in circa 2000. Obviously sketch means sketch but these are the best ones. I was very prolific with a certain style in those days. Here are some in Wales.



Views from Tything Barn - Wales


























A boat in the channel at Tything Barn











A view of an old sunken boat at Tything Barn












Two views of the swimming area Tything Barn

Plein Aire Oil Painting - Tything Barn

Well after so much rain this summer I decided to go camping and yes you guessed it rain. Nine days camping, 7 days rain and 2 1/2 days sun. I was able to do this painting of one of the lakes. The sun was directly overhead when I started so there wasn't too many shadows. The sun was bright but there were still clouds in the sky.

This is the 1st PA oil painting I have done so in that event I am a happy man - been waiting for soooo long to get out in the UK to paint due to the amount of rain we have had this summer. I am a little disappointed with the picture as when I look at it on the computer screen there is very little depth of field and it appears to be flat. It is also shiny which precludes me to think I may have used too much linseed oil.

Still one hopes I can only get better!!

The painting was done with Winsor and Newton oil colours on 10 x 12 canvas on board.

Another visit to Italy

Another great visit to Italy and the area of Lake Garda. Weather reached 30C+ in the week we were there and it was hot.
I did some painting en plein aire and here are the results:

This is the house that my daughter and her husband live in. The last pick was taken from a photograph, this one was painted in situ. I like the depth of colour and the shadow lines.
I had taken some time in drawing this as I had mis-counted the number of windows in the line 6 instead of 5. This is watercolour paper 16x12 300gm hp paper

This is a pencil drawing of Maria Callas home on Sirmione, Lake Garda - although it is now a block of expensive apartments.
I had a lot of fun with this drawing making sure that I got every little bit of detail. I wish I had time to paint it but that was not to be in the time limit I had. The next day I went it was too hot for me to sit in the sun. I will paint it at home and show you when it is completed. This is watercolour paper 16x12 300gm hp paper.

This painting was seen as I walked around a bend on a walk along the banks Lake Garda.
It is a scene of a pier owned by a hotel on Sirmioni, Lake Garda. As you can see it is partly hidden by grasses and trees but I will expand this picture into an oil painting. This is watercolour paper 16x12 300gm hp paper.

There was one other painting that I was doing at Salo, the home of my daughters pianist and coach. This was coming on quite well but the paint was not dry enough when I wanted to add the shadow colour to it. It was ruined by a big splodge of colour that completly ruined the painting. The moral of this story is make sure that the watercolour is dry first.

I enjoyed this week in Italy not least seeing my daughter and husband but for the painting that I have done. The worst bit was at the house of Maria Callas. There were so many people looking at my drawing, but no-one commented but someone asked if I minded taking a picture of me drawing it - that was praise indeed.

I am next in South Wales near Pembroke Dock and I hope to complete some oil paintings there, if this rain will ever stop!!

Still Raining

We have come away to Norfolk for a couple of days hoping to catch a few moments plein air painting but it hasn't stopped raining for 3 days, since we have arrived here. We are going home now and there is still rain albeit a little drizzle. I hope it stops soon as I need to go out and paint!!

Front of House - Italy

Well just finished this one, the front of my daughters home in Italy.

This was completed from a photograph on Saunders Waterford 300gsm 16x12 paper. I am pleased with this renditioning except for the front door when I should have stopped , but ......

A new painting - at last

A watercolour with ink, Saunders Waterford 16x20.
It is ages since I last posted and since then we have been to our daughters and son-in-laws in Italy, Castellaro Lagusello, near to Lake Garda.
I took this photo of where they are living and completed it when I returned home in watercolours.

On my way to Plein Aire!

Well it has been several weeks with nothing to report, but now I have a Kent Box Easel to take with me on my paint outings to paint scenes in my area and abroad. I am gathering all the items I need.
I am travelling to the beautiful area of Lake Garda, Italy next week to see my daughter, but I will also to do some painting. I have done drawing and painting outside before but only in areas where my family and friends have been around but this time I will be exposed to the general public, but at least I wont know what they are saying - I cannot speak Italian!!
My painting of a Blue Iris I am touching up again. I put the painting on www.wetcanvas.com and I was given some advice to put mauve/maroon on the flower, I tried this and I didn't like it so I have gone back to the blue and done some blending and hopefully it will look even better. I will post it soon.
I have a couple of paintings to finish, a copy of a photograph of a town in Tuscany, a still life of table decorations with flowers, glass and china plates, on a green table cloth and a light coloured background. I changed the background to dark though as it looks better - I am leaving this one to get a fresh eye to see where I am with it though.
So lots to do over the next few weeks.

Montana

A pen and Ink of a friend's house by the sea called 'Montana'.

Pen and Ink on Watercolour paper 16x12 inches

Boyse and Bella - 'Where's that buscuit'

Boyse and Bella completed in Coloured Pencil, Waterford watercolour paper - 16x12 inches

More white paper showing than in the other dogs.

Blue Iris

My latest Oil Painting is number one of a series of Iris paintings, this one called Blue Iris. Oil on Deep Canvas

My main problem was the background. I started to paint long thin leaves greens and yellows interspersed with darks but this did not come of. I eventually painted the all green colour.

Acrylic Paintings

Some of my acrylic paintings are:

A view of Citta S'Angello of Torremanella, a vineyard in the valley.

Titled 'I wandered Lonely as a Cloud'

Titled 'Sunflowers with Leaves'

Coloured Pencil 'Paintings'

Here are some coloured pencil drawings of animals. I have found animal pictures drawn in coloured pencil easier than in any other medium.

Alfie. My 1st coloured pencil drawing

Angus. My second coloured pencil drawing

Sorroco. Also coloured Pencil

Some recent oil paintings

Hi, I thought that I would post some recent oil paintings that I have painted to start this blog.







This is an oil painting on stretched canvas, of a vinery in Cita S'Angelo, Pescara, Abruzzo, Italy. The also grow like olives most Italians .






Easter Cross. Oil on canvas covered board.















I have two more, finished this week that are drying, which I have to photograph. I will add them soon.