Portrait swap

Karen Oil on canvas 8x12 inches For the past 3 years I've taken part in a portrait swap with other artists around the world. It's great fun painting another artist and getting a portrait in return from them. All along there's encouragement and sharing of techniques and ideas. This year I was swapping portraits with a New Zealand artist- Karen. Here's my portrait of her. Happy 2012! Ryan

Colour studies

Well I'm using my scientist brain to improve my artist brain!

Up until now I guess I've been buying paint tubes based on their shiny-ness, because other artists metion they use them, or whether they're on offer(!).

Well no more!!

I'm using my natural scientific brain (at last the day job comes in useful for more than the bills!)

I'm studying Suzanne Brooker's 'Portrait painting atelier' a lovely book I got for Christmas. So far I've been drooling over the masterful painting examples biding my time until I had more time to devote to artistic study (as opposed to the scientific type!). Also I've got a new digital camera (since the last broke I've been limited to what I can post)

Essentially the first exercise involves exploring the pigments on the pallete and learning control over the mixing capability of each colour.

Here's the first two using core earth red pigments and then contempory red pigments. For each I painted the the hue (colour out the tube) then experimented with tines, tints, shades, warm, cool and neutral mixes of each colour.





Doing this not only allows me to improve my colour mixing control and skill, but also allows me to directly compare different paint hues and variations between manufacturers.

I found these difficult as I have a red/green colour blind deficiency so mixing the neutrals caused me a bit of consternation (as I had to mix green into my reds to neutralise the colour)

Next up is the oranges and remaining earth colours!

Ryan

Keya

Keya

Oil on canvas

14x18 inches

Here's a portrait that I've just finished. Painted using classical glazing techniques to build up layers of colour

This is a portrait swap with another artist so looking forward to seeing her portrait of me.

Ryan

Eyemouth- plein air

Here's a great spot I found a couple of weeks ago down at Eyemouth- about 45mins from Edinburgh. I had a day off and the sun was shining so I decided to head down the coast for some plein air painting.

Cliffs at Eyemouth (sketch)

Oil on board
8x10 inches

Here's where I got to after about an hour and a half- though by this stage the light was really starting to change as it was hitting the cliffs. Since this was the main focus of the painting, I decided to call it a day. It's just a sketch, but something I could use for a studio painting.

Ryan

Welcome

Welcome

Linocut print

4x7 inches

My second attempt at linocut printing. Getting a bit more confident at this as it was quite challenging to get some of the detailled bits. Did an edition of 25 which was tough work without a press- as each one has to be hand printed using the back of a spoon to burnish the image!

On another note I got my portrait painting from Julie Mardell- I'm really pleased with it she's done a great job. The portrait swap was great fun- I'll definitely do another one. Anyway here is the painting!

Ryan - by Julie Mardell

8x12inches

Oil on canvas

Peter

Peter
Oil on canvas
12x16 inches

A recent portrait, using a limited pallette.
Titanium white, ultramarine blue, burnt umber, yellow ochre and raw sienna.

Trying to keep a sense of colour harmony as I did with Becka. Really enjoyed doing this one and am pretty pleased how it turned out. I wanted to capture the emotion in his face and am calling it a success.

Ryan

Becka

Becka
Oil on canvas
16x20 inches

Here's the final painting done from life. Finished it quite a few weeks ago but work committments have made posting tricky

Ryan

Oil life sketch

Here's the first part of a three-week project we're doing at night-class.

Becka (sketch)

Oil on paper 6x10 inches

We had an interesting approach to our colour pallette. first we made a 'parent' colour Yellow Ochre and titanium white. Then we mixed this into a range of primary (yellow ochre, Alizarin crimson, Ultramarine blue and Lamp black) and secondary colours (derived from mixing our primaries 50:50).

Then we were limited to this pre-made pallette for sketching out our composition idea for a final painting. This took 25 mins so have ready made colours helped from a speed point of view!

Over the next two weeks we are painting the final image

Ryan

Whisky in the jar

Whisky in the jar
Oil on canvas

8x8 inches

A small still life continuing my series (http://revanspaintings.blogspot.com/search/label/still%20life), with the light source coming from back right. I wanted to get some of those refelctions and shadows

I was aiming to get the right balance between suggestion and details

Quick still lifes

Had great fun doing these small pieces. Limiting my time so I didn't get fussy

Humble teacake

Oil on canvas
8x8 inches

Lemon and lime

Acrylic on canvas
8x8 inches

Ryan

New portrait, John

John

Oil on canvas board

12 x 15 inches

I've signed up for Leith School of Art- Figure painting and drawing so I thought I'd better get some practice in before I start in September.

Did this portrait over two nights about 3 and a half hours in total

Cheers

Ryan

Horse, Persepolis

I can't believe its been so long since my last post!! I did get married however so I have a pretty good excuse!!

Anyway here is my next offering inspired by Classical sculpture

Horse, Persepolis

Mixed media on canvas

16x20inches

Stormy seascape study

Stormy Seascape (study),

Oil on canvas

14x10 inches

Trying to improve my seascapes, I realised that I needed to study the movement of the sea a bit more. My coastal scenes tend to focus on calmer sea, and the sea in itself is rarely the focal point. It took about an hour and a half. I'm reasonably happy with the way it turned out and I definitely learned a fair bit from the techniques side of things. The one thing for me is that the pallette of colours doesn't really work here in Scotland as the blue and browns in the rock are too intense. The colours here are much more slate blue/grey for the sea and the rocks locally are a lot darker.

Next I need to try to put some of these techniques to use on original stuff from local scenes.

The beach at North Berwick, Winter sun

The beach at North Berwick- Winter sun

Oil on canvas

16x16 inches

January is a cold month for sure! The sky is usually like this, threatening to hit us with snow, sleet or rain- every now and then though the sun peeks through and lights up the landscape with warm light. Wanted to capture that contrast in this piece.

Ryan

Achilles

First post of 2008!

This has been on my easel for a while now as had a festive break while waiting for layers to dry. Finally finished it this week. I started this while doing my recent oil painting night class where the tutor was trying to get us to go more abstract. After much head scratching for ideas I came up with looking at the legend of Achilles and using classical art as a starting point tried to create a contemporary 'abstract' image.

It was a real departure for me as I mostly paint in a realist fashion- I have to admit I really got into and was surprised how much work was involved in it. I really got excited seeing what effects, textures and shapes I could get in there.

Achilles

Oil and gold leaf on canvas

24x18 inches

Stormy sky, Cockenzie

Stormy sky, Cockenzie

Oil on canvas
16x16 inches

Painted from sketches and reference shots I made the warmth of my car on the way back up the coast. I liked the energy an colours of the sky over the 'ugly' power station at Cockenzie.

In the distance further round the coast is Edinburgh with Arthurs Seat visible. Wanted to keep these elements subdued and secondary to the sky.

Ryan

Self Portrait in Profile

Self Portrait in Profile
Oil on canvas
20x28 inches

Had a real learning curve with this, portraits are tricky to get right and the head in profile can be trickier yet! Getting the shapes and angles right take a fair amount of observation. This one took a while as I waited for layers to dry inbetween painting sessions.

Ryan

The White Cup

The White Cup

Oil on canvas

16x20 inches

I've been doing an evening class working on still lifes in oil paint, picking up a few tips here and there. I do find still lifes a great training exercise for painting. Its a real challenge being presented with a new object and working out how best to render it in 2D.

The copper pot had great colours and shine to it and the different cloths and the weathered slate were also a challenge. I opted for the white cup being the focal point as for me it stands out from a busy set-up.

This took about 5 hours to complete over three weeks. We're now looking at more abstract work and will be working up another finished oil. Abstraction will be a departure for me so I'll see how it goes....

Ryan

Still Life Sunflowers with summer fruits

Still Life Sunflowers with summer fruits

Oil on canvas
12x16 inches

Fresh off the easel, decided to try out a still life as haven't done one in a while. Had just bought some fruit and decided to put it in.

Here is a photo of my set-up
And this is my rough drawing with charcoal onto the canvas. Trying to get the correct tone here.

Next its time to get painting- first blocking-in the main colours at the tonal values set down in my charcoal sketch

This was a fun exercise and I'm pretty happy with the results.

Lighthouse on Fidra

Lighthouse on Fidra, Scotland

Oil on canvas12x15inches

Fresh off the easel! From just a short drive down the coast, this wee island looks pretty spectacular. The author Robert Louis Stevenson (who lived in these parts) supposedly was inspired to write Treasure Island after being inspired by these little islands here- according to the tourist board anyway!

Ryan