SLIDESHOW…a mixture of MY work and STUDENT work

What a satisfied tired feeling after a great workshop (and guys tidying up did not take long but did anyone hide or accidentally pick up one of my favorite little blue handled teardrop brushes…2 “ran away” but I have located one).

We started with a little reminder on proportion …. watch  for big heads…… then on to Bob’s Blobs… a most fantastic loosener to remind us that there are a lot of important things that help with this type of figure painting but detail is not one of them. Great exercise to get the brush moving . Thank you so much Robert Wade for coming to NW Tas to teach us your magic many years ago.

On to a little more refined figures, but still loose… a bit of a look at other watercolourists work (Ron Ranson, Malcolm Beattie, Hazel Soan). Reference photos and silhouette references to help. A variety of brushes to try (we all find our own preferred) but all did well using the full body of the brushes with a little more refined drawing with the tip only when required.

After lunch a little mention of posture, balance and the lovely counterchange which adds so much light especially when adding the figure before the background. Finally a quick little landscape (graduated sky, water and a little sand) and adding a figure last, working on soft Fabriano paper so if desired some colour could be easily lifted from where the person was to go. I also gave each participant a  perspex sheet and demonstrated how to use this to aid with shape, positioning and size before committing.

A lot covered… some wonderful little pictures and lots of little stories told within them… find the windswept girl bracing her body against the blast, the “number one’ sweetie in a typical little girl stance cute, the fishermen companions, the lady leaning a little straining towards whatever she’ watching coming, the contemplative young fellow who is a little sad perhaps ….   great little stories with simple, uncluttered paintings.[slideshow]