Emergency acrylics

The next assignment for the course was predictably enough to paint a picture in post-impressionist style. The problem was, by the time I knew it was supposed to be done in oils and before what date, I'd already left the particular place where I keep most of my stuff, including my oils. I had brought with me acrylics, though, as they are far easier to transport, and an F2 canvas board (I have a preference for canvas boards, as they take up less space and are cheaper). So I set out to at least try to do the assignment anyway.
Once again I found myself troubled by the choice of what to paint. I wanted something from real life, but that proved unfeasible, and taking something from off the top of my head didn't work. But recently, via the blog of Neil Gaiman, I found at Dr Sketchy a session that had been dedicated to The Endless, from the comic series "Sandman" (which, if you haven't read it, you ought to). I found this, and was taken with how awesome Desire came across.
I used said F2 canvas board, my synthetic acrylic brushes and my paints, to which I'd added one more yellow. I previously owned only a Process Yellow, but decided that a Windsor & Newton Cadmium Yellow Light would be a good addition - in hindsight, I should have gone for something darker but, there you go. I didn't sketch beforehand, but started with a dark brown, mixed from I can't remember which colours (orange and green, probably) to get the outlines of his/her coat. I did try, I really did, to paint with inspiration from Rysselberghe and Tolouse-Lautrec but as you can see... I pretty much failed. I tried using their brush technique, and their eye for colour but bugger it all, I failed. I'm not about to give up, however! I intend to have another try once I get a hold of my oils again. Post-impressionism isn't my favoured style but I want to force myself to paint in ways I never would otherwise, to progress my skills.

I painted this in two sittings, and did the majority of Desire in the first, but the background and touch-ups the next time. A good thing, since also the light changed in the room I worked in, so that some colours that seemed like good ideas the first sitting, weren't actually, as it turned out in full daylight.

I tried not to shy away from strong colours and sharp contrasts, and to paint with small brushstrokes and thick layers of paint.

Drawings, with pencil and ink

The next assignment for the art course was drawing. Drawing with pencils, and drawing with something else - "experiment!" they encouraged us. So... I did. This is the medium I've been using the longest, and you can see the progress throughout the many varying drawing pads I've been using. But there are certain things that show it's an "Ellie". First out, a recent favourite of mine - drawing portraits! It's challenging and fun! The first I dared show anyone, I drew just earlier this winter. This, however,
is a portrait of Erik, reading the excellent book "Tigana" by Guy Gavriel Kay. It's made mainly with a 2B pencil, but 4B and 6B played important parts in making the darker parts, well, darker. Such as the hair. I used a stompf to good effect, too, but I think I might go back and revise a few parts. The stubble on the chin wouldn't look too bad being a bit darker. All in all, however, I'm happy with this. It took a good hour... two hours? I have no idea. I just go into mushin/munen-mode and come out afterwards. (That means, no-mind). I do admit I didn't care too much about the top of his shirt, or his necklace... To add too much detail would have drawn attention away from the main thing here. (That's as good an excuse as any!) I wish the light sources would have been a bit more interesting, as it was, I had a window from sort of behind-beside his head, and then a lamp from behind me. Would have liked one from above, to create more interesting shadows in the face, and show off the cheekbones a bit more. I did have to correct his head pose a few times; this is, I guess, one of the reasons why his lips and nose look a bit small and pointed, I didn't get the exact same angle every time I did.

For the next picture I figured I'd give myself a challenge, again. I set up a nice little still life, with a teacup, a character sheet from an RPG and some dice. And a pen.
And it turned out just as drab, boring and wonky as could probably be expected. So my eye caught a kimono on a hanger on a wall, and I figured... this could work. I started out drawing the first lines for it with my 2B pencil, and marking in some shadows. Next step was to pick up my Japanese calligraphy brush - not a proper brush, where I make the ink myself, unfortunately, but a ready-made one, with ink in the pen shaft. The brush was fairly dry, and I kept it that way, to have an easier time making softer shadows. There was no way I could properly capture the wonderful interwoven pattern in the dark-blue kimono fabric, but the obi decoration was far easier! I thoroughly liked working with the ink, and added a bit of my trusty, wonderful Stabilo Woody crayon/pencil. Mixing mediums is fun, even if it's not that apparent here. Also, I think that if I went completely to scale with things, there'd be nothing more than the kimono in this picture... so I shrank the distances to the doorways and the odd fan-thing above. Made it more interesting.
The walls are really a disgusting terracotta colour which I DETEST and cannot understand why everyone had to furnish their poor living rooms with, but there you are, and those living in said apartment, aren't really going to change it either. After all, painting walls is not half as fun as painting pictures, and it's a big bother too. No, causing your walls to have that terracotta colour is a lesser crime against humankind, I'd say. One it DOESN'T deserve.

The paper on which these were drawn was that old hate-friend of mine, an A4-sized one. The drawing pad is called "Teckning" which means "Drawing", and it's 40 pieces of paper, 140 grams heavy. Despite being a rather bleached white, it's supposed to be environmental friendly. My pencils are Derwent Graphic pencils, and, as you've guessed by now, I mostly use 2B. I started doing this after I read something about using that hardness for pre-watercolour drawings, and then heard John Howe (of Lord of the Rings drawing fame) say, during a highly amusing talk which I'm sad you miss out on but I cannot remember the url, that he'd recently upgraded from 2B to 4B. And I really like it. I also use a kneadable eraser, it's very useful, and of course an ordinary one as well. I am using a fairly small stompf, but it's much easier to get the control over smudges that I want, than with fingers alone.

I have, of course, drawn several more things. I might show them off, in particular, one or two profile drawings in pencil and with the Woody crayon. Also, I guess I should show you, how a table might look, after I'm done with a painting.

First time with oils

This post will be updated and made better shortly. However, I thought it prudent to show to you my latest project. Edit: There, done.

The instructions were to paint an oil painting in impressionist style. Later, the instructions changed, to, "use your favourite Impressionist painter as inspiration", however by then, I had already done my painting and had no opportunities to do another one within the timeframe given.
I chose to use a photo I seem to return to again and again. It is taken of the MacLeod's stone on Isle of Harris, in the Hebrides, Scotland. There are many photos of that stone, but this particular one seems to speak of me not only of timelessness, eternity, but also that there could be something unseen there. I plan on painting it many times in the future.

Once again, it proves difficult to transfer the painting from painting, to photo, to blog. The first photo shows a somewhat less edited version, whereas the second is a wee bit more true to colour, I'd say. In both cases, the paint is barely dry, and I'll probably upload another picture once I get the chance.

This was my very first time with oil colours, and I must say it was a very very interesting, somewhat frightening and rather exhilarating experience. With the audiobook "Harry Potter and the Prizoner of Azkaban" in my ears (read by Jim Dale), I set to work, in an old shirt, with rags everywhere and a lot of misgivings. It did prove to be a new and exciting experience, though, and I look forward to trying it again. It is possible to go back and mess with colours that would, with acrylics and watercolours, have tried long, long ago, and blending is a lot easier, as is modifying small details. One can even remove a spot of paint completely!

Whether the painting really is impressionist, I'm a bit hesitant to say. I will do over once I get a better grasp of that particular style.
Here then, we have the mostly-dry version! In a different light, but still. I say "almost" because, as I noticed, the white wasn't dry yet. After a week and a half. I do like oils, and this new thing about them NOT drying is... an opportunity, I look forward to exploring.