bighappyaccident

Thomas Martin used to paint from movies back at Ringling..  its great to study color and composition..

this is from Before Sunset, and yeah the likeness is off…

schulgasse

Back in 2004 after Polar Express wrapped I went and wandered around central Europe for a few months… drawing and painting in a little water color book with some Japanese water pens and a set of guache.

villa

the prater

hostel

shonbrun

and one quick study from my own neighborhood, Hermosa Pier, California

hermosa

First, a painfully slow cityscape from angels flight down in the historic core of downtown LA facing east. (work in progress)

Second, a reworking of an earlier painting i hadn’t gotten around to posting yet.

Third, 7 little character drawings from the friendly fires’ show at the troubadour last night while I waited at the bar for friends to show up.

…

I brushed on a layer of linseed oil and dug into the details of Ali’s portrait.  I think it now needs one more loosening up pass… I sorta killed the live in the brush strokes of the previous version.

Started a painting of Al last night.  The idea here is to block in the colors rough and then try my hand a glazing once it dries to soften up the facial features.

week 7 and the f’d up left eye… I like the shawod colors in this one, but the drawing wasn’t there from the start. Below is a painting I started on monday… trying to use sean’s wood panel method.

I can’t say I’m all that happy with this week’s painting… The drawing was decent enough, but I killed it with a bit of overpainting in the lighter values.. way too many highlights.. confusing shadow shapes around the eyes.

First time I’ve ever done a portrait of a darker skin model in oils.  A bit more complicated than the lighter skinned folk,  The grey hair was a bit of a challenge as well.