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.

Quick Self portraits in charcoal

Self portrait

Charcoal on light grey murano paper

16x12 inches

Wanted to get some drawing practice in so decided to have another crack at the portrait and since I'm the only one who's willing to model- it's me again!

This one was done in about an hour and a half

This one took about 30 mins- considerably faster sketching, again charcoal on light grey Murano paper

16x12 inches

Portraiture really is one of the hardest disciplines there is. Trying to acheive a likeness is tough work, but a great challenge.

I'm waiting for some oil paintings to dry on the easel and enjoyed getting some drawing practice in meantime!

Cheers

Ryan

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

Early morning light over Bass Rock

Early morning light over Bass Rock

Acrylic on canvas paper

16x12 inches


I think the summer (what little we had here!) is just about over, so glad I managed to get out for this plein air sketch. This was from a clifftop walk down by Dunbar called Belhaven bay. All in all took about 2 hours.I was excited by the yellow band in amongst the purple/violets/blues going on in the sky.


Ryan

Safe Haven

Safe Haven
Soft pastel on Murano paper
16x12 inches

This was a sail boat moored up in Musselburgh harbour along the road from me. Made sketches and took some reference shots. I've simplified the scene (removing other boats that distracted) and played with the composition a little to make sure the placement of horizon and mast sit on the 'golden mean'.

Plan to work this up into oils later

Haven't posted in a while as my PC finally died and had to be replaced!


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.

Fiona back view

Fiona back view

Acrylic on board

6 x 8 inches

A small painting worked up from my previous ink sketches from my recent life class (see below). Mixed marble dust and a little impasto medium into my acrylic for this to add a bit of textural element to the brushstroke.


Ryan

Cliffs at Dunbar, a plein air sketch

Cliffs at Dunbar, a plein air sketch

Managed to get down the coast at the weekend again (the sun is being very kind). Found a great spot on the beach at John Muir country park near Dunbar, a small fishing town on the East Lothian coatline.

Really enjoyed this one. Was using Acrylic again for PA this time I was armed with some retarding medium and a water spray gun to stop it drying out too fast. This worked much better than the PA I did at Newhailles house (previous post) as I felt much more in control.

A cool thing that happened was the breeze kept blowing sand into my paint which really added to the painting!! A Scottish artist I really like must do this, as this is the effect he gets and I wasn't sure what he was doing. His name is Davy Brown, if you want to google.



Finished Sketch

Cliffs at Dunbar

12x8 inches

Acrylic on board

(~1 to 1 hour 30)

Cheers
Ryan

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

View to Cockenzie, Evening Light

View to Cockenzie, Evening Light

Oil on canvas

18x14 inches

Painted this mostly with painting knife and a little brushwork. Not a traditionally beautiful scene for a painting- dirty big coal burning power station!! That made for an interesting challenge. This is a view along the East Lothian coastline from the beach where I live. Had really interesting colours and hazy effect going on that I wanted to capture.

Ryan

Life Class sketches

Life Class sketches

I just did another Life class through the National Galleries of Scotland- which have been really excellent.

For the first 1/2 hour we go up into the gallery and look at the master paintings, with our tutor pointing things out. Then we have a 2 hour life class working on the techniques discussed.

There is a great exhibition of on at the moment of drawings, which were the studies for major paintings. Edgar Degas, Seurat, Raphael, Poussin all are represented here. I was taken by a sketch by Poussin done in ink and wash, the finished painting was also on display. (will try to get a link)

Here were my attempts in this medium- quickly done ~5 mins each. We used sharpened willow sticks to dip in the ink and draw. The wash of diluted ink was applied with sponge. These unusual implements really made you consider line and mark-making. First one on the left I put down to learning the marks made by the tools!! I think they improved!


15x12 inches

Ryan

Bass Rock at last light

Bass Rock at last light

Oil on Canvas

1meter x 1meter

Applying the final touches!

This was a really challenging painting due to the size, composition and colour strategies. It has forced me to really study the Bass Rock and get to know it intimately. All the other studies that I've done certainly paid off as painting the final parts (the rock and sea) were done from memory/imagination and previous paintings.

Ryan

Female Life study

Female Life study
Soft pastel on Ingres paper
12x15inches

A painting I've worked up from my recent Life drawing classes

Ryan

Next installment of the WIP

Next installment of the WIP- re-worked the sky colours as I wasn't entirely happy before. I'll add some red/orange to the underside of the clouds next (when this layer dries a bit!)

Bass Rock (work in progress)

Bass Rock (work in progress)

This is a large painting I'm working on at the moment in the studio (1 x 1 metre). Its easily the largest I've atempted and it a subject I love to paint (as you can see from previous posts!), for these reasons I really excited about this one!

At this first stage I've decided on my composition. The horizon is placed on the traditional golden mean (dividing the canvas in roughly 2 thirds sky and 1 third sea). I've placed the rock off centre to the right hand side also. At this stage I've very loosely blocked in the rock itself using burnt umber and ultramarine blue, thinned with turps, this was done with my handy 2 inch decorator brush (felt like Rolf Harris at this point!), then my favourite 1 inch flat brush.

Next stage I blocked in the sky and sea. Again very rough at this point- not worrying about detail or anything, just want to get rid of the white canvas and try to establish the rest of the composition and tonal range.

Well this is where I'm at now. I've been working up the sky, trying to get the colours and tone right as this will define the light for the rock and the sea.

More to follow.....

Ryan

Plein air tree study, Newhailles House

Plein air tree study, Newhailles House

Acrylic on canvas

16 x 12 inches

(~1 hour)





At last the weather is changing for the better! Have a gloriously warm weekend and managed to get to do some plein air painting- first of the year!!





Thought I'd have a go at acrylics (haven't used them for a while), thinking that the quick drying time would make for easy (and mess free!) transport home. This is undoubtedly a great advantage as the painting sketch was completely dry within minutes. The downside is the drying time being so fast! I'd gotten so used to oils where you can mix colours on the canvas, scrape off etc!





It was great fun though and I might try to get some of the mediums for acrylic that can slow the drying a bit.

Ryan