Showing posts with label figurative art. Show all posts
Showing posts with label figurative art. Show all posts

Sunday, September 17, 2023

Chess Game - Original oil pastel portrait drawing

oil pastel portrait, loose, colorful, expressive

 Kind of intense game between these two and I had to make my move while I could.  I'm always so happy to have models even if that's not what they had in mind!  I scribbled this one on 16 x 20" Canson Mi-Teintes board with Sennelier oil pastels.  It was so rewarding to draw quickly without thinking - just one's reaction to the model(s) is really deeply satisfying.  Same way with the "Seated Nude #45"  that I posted a day or so ago.  Somehow looseness (is that a word?) in artwork is so gratifying for
me.  Thanks for visiting my blog!

Tuesday, November 23, 2021

Flamenco #17 - original oil pastel drawing


woman dancer oil pastel drawing loose gestural


Here's a quick drawing that I loved doing on 12 x 9" Strathmore mixed media toned blue paper, using Sennelier oil pastels.  Nothing like the movements of dancers and the fun of my attempts to capture them!  Of course there's a lot of memory drawing whether dancers or bull riders or athletes because the "pose" is quickly and constantly changing.  I'm such a believer in life drawing whether it's long poses or gestures  and I do it every chance I get.  
Thanks for stopping by and Happy Thanksgiving y'all!
  

Tuesday, August 11, 2020

Lost in the Tango - original oil figurative painting

My little dancers are back and wasting no time!  I tried a more blue background on this painting, with bits of green. I love the way this guy is so in control, which when reflecting on my teenage ballroom dance lessons, is the way it's supposed to be! This one was done on 7 x 5" Gessobord.  Thanks for looking!

Sunday, January 05, 2020

New Year's Jive - original figurative oil painting

Starting 2020 off the right way, this little jive couple keeps the dance going on 6 x 8" Gessobord with lots of brushwork describing their energy.  Thanks so much for looking - and Happy New Year!

Thursday, October 10, 2019

Nellie's Red Hat - original oil pastel figurative drawing

Totally love those flappers!  And the delight of not having enough time to make it an actual "finished painting" so it remains loose and more of a drawing.  Of course when is it a drawing and when is it a painting?  Some of my most successful drawings have been done with oils and you probably can say the same.  I was reading the other day about alternating between paintings, which I do, but always setting a timer for each one so there's a freshness for each piece.
I sometimes set a timer, but then get hung up on some little something and turn it off.  And then the overworking sets in.  Memo to me - obey the timer!  This drawing is on smooth Colourfix paper.  I bought two packages - one fresh grey and one black - great for lots of media - 12 x 9".  Thanks for looking!

Wednesday, October 09, 2019

Two-Stepper Sketch - original oil figurative sketch of dancers

Cowboy dancing with woman in red dress while looking at her with small smile
Every summer I go to the rodeo dances here in Junction and draw and take photos, just like I do at the rodeo that precedes the dance.  I have tons of drawings and photos that I can draw upon (pun intended) through the winter months.  There's just nothing like the way people move, plus their expressions - endlessly fascinating, I think.  Like this guy and the way he was looking at his dance partner - I keep wondering. . . .  I'll be posting more two-steppers in the days ahead - have been looking for two-step instructional videos for those of you who are interested in learning, but most I've seen are so corny.  Will keep searching, though.  This one is 14 x 11" on stretched canvas.  Thanks for looking!

Monday, July 29, 2019

Three Nudes - ballpoint pen sketch

One of those drawings I like to do at drawing groups - putting three figures over each other.  I like that there's no time to fix things, but just record my response to the model.  When I do these kinds of drawings, I always leave with a sense of accomplishment - even more than when I've done a fairly successful painting.  Not sure what that says about me and am not going to try and analyze, but just go with it.  I matted this to about 10 x 7".  Thanks for looking!

Wednesday, June 19, 2019

It Begins with a Gesture - original charcoal figurative gesture drawing on toned paper

Well, at least for me, it always starts with a gesture.  I think gesture drawings are almost as individual as fingerprints and I love seeing how other artists approach their drawings and often, ultimately, their paintings.
Some artists draw from the inside of the figure (or subject) and sort of "feel" their way to the outside of the figure, but others do the exact opposite, working from the outside in.  I have even seen a few artists who put down a single line with few or no 'searching' ones.  Whatever works for the artist is the perfect approach to drawing gestures!
Those starting lines can be so beautiful and I think it's important not to erase the lines with which the drawing is begun - those 'exploring' lines give a bit of life to the drawing.   When I forget that, and  erase a line I think isn't working, I'll often accidentally put it back in the same place, and then it can be too dark and the paper may be roughed up, so I usually try to keep the eraser far from my reach! 
Gestures are such a stream-of-consciousness endeavor.   Some days I think I will just do gesture drawings only from now on - and yesterday was one of those days.  Great things can come from gestures, but even if nothing fantastic develops, we still have an interesting record of what we were seeing at that moment in time!
This drawing is done on Strathmore 8 x 6" toned Mixed Media paper.  Thanks so much for looking!




Tuesday, February 13, 2018

Woman with a Cell Phone - oil pastel figurative

This one is really from memory - a young woman I saw checking her phone.  Maybe it will end up as an oil painting, but somehow when I do that, I just don't have the same passion for the second version.
I drew it on Sennelier oil pastel paper, 9 1/2 x 6 1/2".  Love that stuff!  Thanks for looking,

Thursday, October 19, 2017

On My Easel - Woman in Red Dress - Torchsinger - acrylic figurative in progress

Much to work out here - I hope without doing too much modeling of the figure.  I love torch singers and am thinking that may be what she is, with her scarf/handkerchief in her hand (needing work).  I took the pose from Nude with a Fan, posted earlier on my blog.  First, I covered the 12 x 12" canvas with black gesso and started from there.  Don't know if I will keep the little picture on the wall, probably not.  And her arms, especially, need work - who am I kidding - it all needs work and that's the fun of it!  Thanks so much for stopping by my blog - when I'm finished with this painting, I will post it.

Monday, October 02, 2017

Favorite Thing - original oil figurative painting

This is the sort of thing I've painted many times - probably because I just love to settle in with a good book.  And I love painting on the square surface.  All around good fun for me.  Thanks so much for stopping by!

Monday, June 05, 2017

On My Easel - Tina's Album - oil pastel figurative

Even though it's a million miles from finished, I'm posting so it doesn't seem that I've dropped off the face of the Earth.  Actually, we were in far west Texas - Alpine, Marfa and Ft. Davis.  It was so nice and cool - loved it!  I did do some sketches of plants there, plus people, of course.  Much fun! This piece is on Colourfix paper and I used almost all Sennelier oil pastels.  It's 12 x 9".  Thanks for looking!

Tuesday, April 25, 2017

Sketchbook Ink Nudes - ink drawings of nudes

Here are some pages from one of my sketchbooks in which I was practicing some mapping and crosshatching.  l really think I need some more practice, plus it's a lot of fun to do!

Wednesday, April 12, 2017

Three Gals on Green - original acrylic figurative

Just a fun thing I did while cleaning my palette - it's on 8 x 8" cradled panel.  I love greens  - cool greens mixed with warm greens and I really love those made with black and golds and yellows.  The greens on this piece, though, are straight from the tube.  They're nice to work with, too.  Thanks so much for looking!

Saturday, March 11, 2017

Woman Reading - original pastel pencil figurative drawing

This pastel pencil drawing is actually on bluish Art Spectrum Colourfix paper, but for some reason, it looks kind of beige here.  Otherwise, the colors are correct.  I love having a model for even a short time, so didn't work on the chair at all - just concentrated on the model, because all models do tire after awhile.  And sure enough, she finally had enough and that was that.  It was great while it lasted, though.  Years ago, I used some CarbOthello pastel pencils in art class and I loved them, but haven't used this medium since.  Got to thinking about them and just hauled off and treated myself to a whole set of CarbOthellos.   They are delicious, plus I think changing one's medium from time to time is good for the soul!  Thanks so much for stopping by!

Sunday, October 23, 2016

Cowboy Love - original figurative oil painting

I love doing this one because of the gesture - it's just the way I saw it.  If you get the gesture, you have the drawing.  Everything builds from that.  Well, I'm obviously counting my chicks - time will tell how it actually turns out.  Don't mean to sound so pessimistic, but I am always getting to this stage and then killing it.  Will see tomorrow or probably the next whether this turns out the way I want it to.  Thanks so much for stopping by!
Update:  Finished!


Wednesday, October 05, 2016

Geisha on Aquamarine - original charcoal portrait drawing

The paper is actually a slightly warmer shade of aqua, but it's difficult to get it to display perfectly.  This drawing is on Fabriano Tiziano aquamarine, about 8 x 8".  I love different kinds, colors, brands, etc., of paper and have such fun learning the qualities of each when I use them for my drawings.  This one has a slight tooth, and the color - ahhhh the color - is so gorgeous! Thanks for stopping by!

Thursday, September 29, 2016

On My Easel - Gallery Visit - original oil figurative painting in progress

Not finished with this one, but probably won't finish it 'til late weekend - maybe move the floor down, plus finish the model (who isn't a model,  but a girl I sketched).  It's on 10 x 10" canvas.  Thanks for stopping by!

Monday, September 26, 2016

Cello Practice - original oil pastel figurative drawing

This was a fun drawing to do, but I won't return to it to "finish" it - I love leaving things "unfinished". It's 14 x 11" on Pastelbord.  Thanks for looking!

Thursday, July 28, 2016

Country Love - original oil figurative painting

Nothing like a little two-step romance on a Friday evening at the local dance hall.  I've had folks  from the Washington D.C. area, where I used to live, tell me how romantic the two-step looked to them.  Having grown up with that kind of dancing, I never thought about it, just took it for granted, but now I realize it is pretty sweet.  Who'd have thought a bunch of Texas cowboys could be tamed by songs like "Crazy Arms" or "Faded Love", but the music and the two-step work their magic every time.  This painting is on 8 x 8" Gessobord.  Thanks for looking!
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