Grace Completed

I'm reasonably happy with the painting. For a second attempt at oils it has moved me along the road a stage further.

When the paint is dry I shall scan her in for a better picture; photography tends to reflect from the paint and does the painting no favours.

I shall paint a Daisy and a Lily next... not flowers but great granddaughters!

Grace 4 - WIP

Almost there ... despite poor photography!

Grace WIP - 3

Getting beyond adding base skin tones, now started on hair and warming the face.

Grace WIP - 2

Here are my two stages of Grisaille

Grace - WIP 1

Well here's Grace. Sketched, then blocked-in and under-painted.
  Oil on Linen Canvas 12 inch x 9.5 inch.

Imogen 5 - Complete

As a portrait I'd rate this 3 out of 10. The likeness is poor and too many features are wrong(ish). This isn't false modesty, rather, it is a practical assessment.

                                      Imogen                           John Simlett

14 inch x 10 inch Oil on Canvas

Having said all that, I am happy with the painting as a stepping-stone. I've never painted in oils before and the whole purpose of Imogen is to learn the techniques. My errors, and lack of attention to detail - because I ran out of patience -  are acceptable, as I now feel confident to move onto the next stage:  Grace.

Grace is a very young subject with a very difficult auburn hair and associated complexion.  Should be fun.

I'm purposely choosing 'girlish-complexions,' to really test myself, as I prefer to paint more rugged subjects.   

First Husband

It's our Wedding Anniversary on the 19th. Despite being married 57 years, Pat still introduces me as her First husband... says it keeps me on my toes!!

Yes, we got married in the 1950s (just, by three months). The first dinner we sat down to eat together was on an old steam train; but of course they weren't old in those days, and all trains were steam.

In the dining compartment it was all a bit daunting to a young shipwright and his new wife... 

          ... for here there was more cutlery at each
 place-setting than we had in total at home.

   There was a lady sharing our table and we decided to follow her lead ... as she looked a bit posh. 
 The first course was soup.
 She picked up a spoon, and so did we. 
 She took a spoonful of soup, and so did we.
 She slurped the soup noisily, and so did we ... at which point we both burst out laughing! The die-was-cast: we've done things our way ever since.

Tomorrow, I have reserved lunch for two on an old steam train on the now restored Gwili Railway (railroad) about an hour from here.

On our Anniversary, on Monday, we are off to the Southampton Boat Show for two days ... should be great fun 

Imogen 4 - Adding Skin Tones

The battle with oils continues - nearly lost it two or three times: I keep painting the drawing out and then struggle to get it back.

   Tried using the same brushes, but two sizes smaller, seems to help.

I'm using a Zorn Palette: A Titanium White (alkyd), Ivory Black, Pale Yellow Ochre, Raw Umbra and Cadmium Red

Imogen 3 - Grisaille

I'm told that Grisaille is a method of painting in grey (gray) monochrome used in the under-painting.

Imogen 2 - Blocking In

I've got two portraits going as I get bored waiting for the oil paint to dry. I'll show you the other one when it's pencilled in.

   I'm using a low odour solvent to stop me getting banned to my workshop :)

Imogen 1 - Drawing Out

I've taken a 14 inch x 10 inch cotton canvas - linen would have been preferred - and put an acrylic base coating on it, from mixing Burnt Umbra and Cadmium Yellow Light together with Titanium White and a little Mars Black. I like the resulting green-grey.

Next the pencil sketch of Imogen which I have sprayed with a pencil fixative to stop it discolouring the oil-paint.

Another Afghan

This portrait is Acrylic on stretched canvas and is 14 inch x 10 inch. 

Next step is into Oils ... should be fun.