Vincent

Last year I started an online course, Studying Under the Masters – Portraits. Here is the Intro and part one and I also got part two done. I started part 3, but then skipped ahead to part four. Then I got super busy, then Christmas, etc etc and have only now had time to go back to the lessons.  So I am still working on the first Master, which is Vincent Van Gogh, part 3 was to make a sculpture of him.

This is how I made mine..
I began with a wire armature, I filled the head with tin foil.


I then added more tin foil to pad out the general shape.

I then wrapped the shape with masking tape, this holds the foil in nice and tight and makes it feel more solid.

Next I made a batch of air drying clay. The recipe I use can be found HERE.

I began by moulding a basic shape of head and shoulders. This was where I got to last year, it was put aside to dry out and I just never got back to it..

So I finally had time to make more clay, and I started adding the features..


I set it aside for a while, took some photos and decided he needed more clay in certain areas.

I left him to dry out, then added more clay, because this wet layer is being added to a dry layer you need to add a little white glue first, so the new layer will stick. I refined the features and made his hat brim thicker.

I then painted his face with Fresco Chalk Acrylics 


I then worked on his hat and coat.


He doesn’t really look like Vincent, but that’s ok. I had fun making him and I kinda like him.



Finally I added a coat of Satin Glaze , this finishes him off nicely.






Darcy x

Studying under the Masters Week 1.part 4

yes I have skipped a part.. 

Part 3 is sculpting, and mine is started, but I am waiting for it to dry before I can carry on. So in the meantime I am doing...

Part 4. This was an exercise in drawing faces, getting proportions correct and using a specific blending technique. 

The first part involves drawing a face in charcoal (shudder, I really dislike charcoal)

{After a black crayon sketch by Van Gogh 1885}

Then we were to blend with gesso. Not a fan of this outcome at all, I have no idea why. 

I have done this blending technique many times before, but using neocolor II crayons and blending them with white acrylic. 

So I decided to draw the old peasant woman again, but this time give her some colour. 

Drawn out with 2b

Blending the skin tones of neocolorII crayons with white acrylic. 

I kept the colours simple and muted, after all his paintings of the time were all dark and murky, it wouldn't have been a good representation to to her in hot pink clothing lol 

So apart from the skin tones and white acrylic,  I only used Sepia. 

I could have added so much more, .. more layers , more washes, gone back in with graphite or finished it off with coloured pencils. 

I didn't want or need this to be a finished piece though, this is merely a blending exercise, so I am leaving it as is.. 

She looks much older in the colour version, this is I think down to the initial sketch. it was finer, and so I was able to make her face slimmer in the colour one. In the charcoal one, the charcoal spread a lot and made all her features more chubby, making her look younger. 

I do prefer the colour one. 

as a quick experiment, I also tried blending 6b with gesso, a pitt pastel with gesso, and a stabilo pencil with gesso.. 

The pitt pastel blended away into nothingness, the 6b and the stabilo, once blended were almost identical to the charcoal/gesso combo. 

*twiddles thumbs while clay dries*

Darcy x

Studying Under the Masters {Portraits}week1. Part 2.

Week one. Part Two. 

For this exercise we were asked to choose one of Vincent's watercolour paintings and recreate it. Vincent was in part a mixed media artist, he loved layering different mediums. Often using watercolours with graphite, chalk, charcoal and inks. 

I chose a piece titles Schevenigan Woman Sewing. 

I began with a sketch using a regular hb pencil. So far so good. 

Now to start painting, watercolours are so out of my comfort zone. I used a combination of  a Koh-i-noor set and a Winsor and Newton Cotman set. Here I just blocked in the shapes and added a little shading to the flesh.

Now to add more layers to create the shadows. 

Refining of shadows, and then going in with a graphite pencil to add the details. 

Finally adding some droplets of paint on the right as Vincent had those in his painting. 

I am glad I attempted this one, I found it quite hard. 

Next up is some sculpting, that should be fun.. Though I would like to go back and do a few more pen and ink sketches... decision, decisions.. 

Darcy x

Studying under the Masters{portraits}week 1. part 1.

Week One. Part One. 

A while ago I was intrigued by  a link that Jane Davenport promoted, the link led to her blog on which she talked about an upcoming class that she was taking part in.. as a teacher. The class was to run for 6 weeks, with 6 teachers, and would focus on portraits. However not just any old portraits. Each teacher would pick a well known artist, and would construct their lesson around that artist. Teaching, in that artitsts style. This sounded fascinating. 

I am not a fan of 'the masters' I find those old painting dark and dirty, grim and miserable... I just don't see in them what others see. That has frustrated me somewhat. So I decided to sign up for this course and see what it could teach me. 

The course is hosted by Jeanne Oliver, she has a Ning site where you will find over 30 courses. The course that I have signed up for is Studying Under The Masters {portraits and self portraits}

Click HERE to read more about the course content and the teachers. If you go to THIS LINK you will find a short intro video by Jane Davenport, where she talks about the 'master' that she chose to use in her lessons. 

We are coming to the end of week one. Our first lesson was all about Vincent Van Gogh. Jeanne Oliver has been teaching this lesson herself, and has provided a wealth of information for us to digest. Not only are there inspirational photos and quotes, but also a great list of references and links. 

Jeanne has also made 19 videos for this lesson.... how's that for good value. Wow! remember this is only lesson 1. 

I signed up and paid for this class a while back, and I am so glad that I did. For a few reasons. Mainly because I am feeling like I have art burn out at the moment, and I am struggling to create anything. This class is forcing me to focus and just get stuff down on paper. Hopefully it will be the kickstart that I need. 

So in lesson one we are encouraged to do all kinds of exercises in different mediums, inspired by Vincent Van Gogh. 

The first exercise looks at his sketches, and we are told to really examine them and look for the types of lines and mark making that he used. i was struck by how many patterns he created using simple lines. He really was the original 'zentangler'

We were asked to pick out our favourite line patterns and coping them into our sketchbook. 

Here I used a regular hb pencil to copy the patterns. 

Then I switched to a Lamy pen and black ink. Van Gogh used pen and ink in many of his sketches. 

Finally I used an oriental brush and brown ink {Winsor and Newton, peat brown}

see what I mean about the 'tangling' 

As well as researching the art, we have learned so much about 'the man', his life, his family. All so very interesting, and actually moving. His life was definitely strange by our standards, and more than  a little sad. 

Our next assignment was to pick one of Van Goghs ink drawings and try and copy it, paying careful attention to the lines and patterns that were used. 

I chose 'Peasant of the Carmargue' and this is my rendition. 

Our next exercise uses watercolour paints, which frankly scares the pants off me... so we shall see what I manage to produce... 

Darcy x