Pink and Blue to Summer Arrival

The self critique helped me to "fix" the painting.  The name of the painting was changed from Pink and Blue to Summer Arrival.  The hollyhocks were not all that pink.  The painting on the right is the finished one. 

The critique post was a couple of days ago.  https://jocastilloartblog.blogspot.com/2020/02/pink-and-blue-in-oil-paint-and-critique.html

I haven't been painting regularly and this was apparent.  I was excited to get the oils out and smoosh around the paint.  I just dove right in.   I failed to do a sketch or two for perspective and light which is so important.  You can see the errors before you start and find a good composition.   It is much easier to paint from a good plan than to try to change it as you go.

Summer Arrival

Oil on canvas panel, 9 x 12 inches

Maybe the name should be Summer's Last Stand?

I made a hand-out for Elements of a Good Painting in 2008.  I should take my own advice.

https://jocastilloartblog.blogspot.com/2008/05/elements-of-good-painting-pastel-demo.html

Ladder Ink Sketch

Gene's ladders are out in the garage hanging on the wall.  I used the hood of the car for a (slanted) table and a Prismacolor 05 fine line pen/marker for my tools in the big book.  I did a quick freehand sketch.  The nib on the pen is wearing out so the lines are a bit fuzzy.  Interesting to me.

Number 6 ladder - you get two for the price of one.

It is a beautiful day again.

Sunrise was sort of a blue sky.  Lovely.  It is 64 degrees now, pretty perfect, right?

The Longhorns played baseball at Rice in Houston last night.  I forgot to listen!  Can't believe I missed the first game.  The Horns beat the Owls 7-4.  Hope I remember for the 5:00 p.m. game today.  I think Rice will stream the game but our internet is not great and it will re-buffer so I'm not paying for that. 

I'm adding a section of sketches and studies to my website where you can see and maybe purchase them.  A chance to have an original at a much lower price.  We will see how it goes.

Jennifer Rose that comments here is doing life form digital drawings daily and putting up a short video with each sketch.  Fun to watch.  You can also see her Christmas sketches on the blog, just go back in the history/archives. http://fuzzydragons.blogspot.com/2019/12/vlogmas-day-24.html Those are really nice. 
Her Fuzzy Dragons blog:
http://fuzzydragons.blogspot.com/
Have fun.....

Back to Handy Sketching for 621

Forefinger was an item on the list to sketch today.  I put hand or digit often on my lists.  The model is handy and I don't have to search for the item.  Lazy scavenging.  It was also good that I had on a flannel shirt so I had the buttons and button hole handy as well.

The big book called with the Lamy Pen as a tool.  These are both handy also.  The book stays on the coffee table and the pen is on my desk or by the book.  Perfect for today.  It is still pretty cool, a little below average at about 55 degrees.

Number 5, forefinger and Number 6, button with buttonhole.

On my screen it looks like the red of the Lamy pen reflected on the white.  Do you see that?

Pink and Blue in Oil Paint and Critique

The Southwest and Western Forum on wetcanvas has a monthly challenge to paint Southwest photos.  We share the hosting and February is my month.  I chose photos from our travels around New Mexico, Arizona and Colorado.  Artists can choose to paint as many as they want in any medium.  Photos can be combined, cropped or used as is.  It is fun.  Come join in!

Pink and Blue

Oil on canvas panel

9 x 12 inches

Southwest Challenge February http://www.wetcanvas.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1476633&page=2

But wait!!! ..... something went wrong.

I used M. Graham oil paints made with walnut oil.  They have no odor and I can used them with no allergy problems.  I get a headache from regular oil paints which have linseed oil in them.  The paint doesn't have quite as much body, but it has good color and is easy to clean up with just the walnut oil and paint brush cleaner.  I use Ugly Dog Brush Soap and have for years.  In fact it is the same old container.

I always work quickly.  I painted this in a few hours, a la prima, as they say, all at once.  I get bored if I have to work on a painting for an extended time.  This sat overnight and I changed a few things.  The roof is a bit saggy ... well, it is old, right?  Rarely do I go back.

After looking this all over I am using it as a practice piece.  In my photo you cannot see the sky at all and the wall with the window should go back at more of an angle, that is why the roof and window are so slanted.  There is a corner at the end of the blue roof on my right so the shadows are completely wrong.  The photo was all in the shade and I made up the shadows.  Be careful when you change a photo so drastically.  Be aware where the light is coming from.

The other thing I see that is my mistake is the front wall.  I placed the curve right at the corner of the wall which makes them look like they come together with the "kiss".

This is more the shape I had in mind.

This would have been the composition, more or less.  Much better. 


I do like the colors and the Hollyhocks.  I would like the window to be bluer as well.

I hope this self critique will help you when you decide how to handle painting from a photograph.  Thanks for putting up with my practice and thinking out loud.

Hunting 621 A-Z Sketches

A new Hunt is taking place.  The list is alphabetical.  I am the host and do an alphabetical list because there are 26 items on the list and 26 letters in the alphabet so I do not have to count.  X, Y, and Z are the hardest to find a variety of things.  We have used x-ray, xylophone, zipper and zebra many times.

I found xanthopetal, a flower with yellow petals and chose zigzag for Z.  Of course, I have no yellow flowers and none outside at the moment.  Will have to use a substitute or buy flowers.  We don't buy flowers usually.  Come and try sketching with us.

For Scavenger hunt 621 February 9 - 17
http://www.wetcanvas.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1476996

Number1, relish - I planned to look for something I relish but instead just picked a jar of pickle relish.  Cute with a Texas shape on top, Made in Texas.
Number 2, ginger - I thought to look for something ginger colored, but went for the obvious.
Number 3, seasoning - chose Ground Nutmeg
Number 4, jellybean - substituting a piece of Twizlers

Value and Color.  I have a couple of posts that give ideas on this.  You can click on instruction at the bottom of my blog and find many tips and ideas for good painting.  Much of my instruction blog posts were before I used categories, so you can find more info by putting the word like value, under painting or colored pencil in the little search box at the top of my blog.
 
https://jocastilloartblog.blogspot.com/2007/12/more-on-value.html

The best advice is just paint!