Afghan WIP

Still getting a few moments to continue the Afghan

The rest of the time I'm either editing books.... or .....

Onward and Upward

On to the next portrait; this is another Afghan. This chap is a holy man who spends his life living in poverty. I've sketched him in and started the under-painting.

Finished Portrait

Not particularly the best portrait I've painted but the best I could do with the ancient photoref ............ and little ability.

                                                M. Maachi                               John Simlett
10 inch x 14 inch
Acrylic on Canvas

Portrait WIP

Still trying to dig him out of the canvas ... he's in there somewhere. The face is so small that the slightest error in a paint-stroke changes the whole face. I like to paint big. 

I didn't realise I could produce so many variations of grey/gray using Mars Black, Titanium White and Raw Umber. I found that if I got the wrong combination on the canvas, the 'whitest' looked blue. I'm learning as I go ... talk about a limitless limited palette!!!!!!

Here's my progress so far

Underpainting

Djafar's dad
Acrylic
14 inch x 10 inch canvas 

Sketched him and blocked him in. Just about to start the underpainting.

Portrait Time

I've started a small portrait of my niece's husband's father. If it works out OK then I shall attempt a larger and 'proper' portrait of him. Here's the rub, Jeff's dad is dead and there is only one inferior photograph of him available from which to paint. I think he was Chief of Police in Algeria at the time. Here it is:

As you can see there are few shadows and next to no details: folds in the cloth etc. 

I'm going to cheat a little and try to copy the shadows from a photograph of His Majesty King Faisal of Saudi Arabia, who is standing in roughly the same position and wearing similar clothing: 

Should be an adventure!

Don't look now but ....!

I'm finally doing a painting - a portrait in fact of my nephew-in-law's dad. To make it more interesting he is an Arab, and dressed in traditional costume. As the reference photograph is rather old and in mono, I shall paint the portrait in black & white ... which kinda makes it a bit more of a challenge.

As the boat I'm building is starting to look like a boat, and launch day becomes a real event rather than a vague dream..

The Seagull  the 15 foot wooden Maine Lobster Boat I'm building

...Pat thought I should learn how to 'sail' one and so she's signed me up for a course with the Royal Yacht Association for two days of power-boat training.

Lots of interesting places along this coast line to take a boat into for a quiet picnic. Here's a touch of the local area: