Head study

A two hour session, painted after arriving late, and missing all the best places to pitch an easel, I ended up at the side, and at some distance from the model, first time I tried a ground of cadmium orange and yellow ochre. I asked the model if he was a painter, after his  questions on technique etc "only model trains and stuff"...

Self portrait

This was a disaster after about an hour's painting, and I wiped it, but I couldn't leave the studio without trying to rescue it and get something that i was happy with, so i started again and worked this in about twenty minutes, I can't be sure but I think it looks a bit like me ...

Oil on canvas studies from the model

A two hour long portrait sitting; the first time with oils, a tentative start, hope to work bigger next time

Oil studies

Oil on canvas studies of a piece of flint, in the studio for hour long shifts over a couple of mornings, perhaps the colours have become a bit blue.

St ives school of Painting drop-in life drawing

A weeks holiday in St Ives and the opportunity to draw at the famous St Ives school of painting, just up the road from the former home of mariner and painter Alfred Wallis. A real work out of a class, all short  (ten minutes, fifteen minutes) dynamic poses, a great model, good atmosphere, with some amusing banter, and a cup of tea to boot, sorry about the shadows on the drawings...

Newer drawings and a painting

A couple of recent drawings, and the result of a day painting from the model,

Pencil drawing this weeks model

We all thought the model was Scandinavian this week, turned out she was from Belgium, I was surprised that she started the two hour session with a smile and a gaze that looked straight out at us , blimey she won't hold that for two hours, I thought, but she did, and I think the steely determination shows.
One student wondered how to paint the colour of her hair,
"You will have to ask my hairdresser" she helpfully quipped, before adding
"It has highlights" ... bringing up the difficult problem of colour versus tone  

Latest drawings from life

 A different model this week, an element of the young Paul Weller I thought at the time, not immediately obvious from this drawing, but it was what I was thinking as I drew him. He was reading a book which was propped on a chair in front of him, he asked for a book on Freud, Lucian I presumed, but none could be found so he is gazing intently at a book of Klimt's paintings.

Pencil drawing

 Drawing from John Gustard's  portrait classes, a good relaxed atmosphere, this is the second drawing i did in the two hours, the first one was too small and tentative, the usual thing with joining a new class..    

My daughter Bella

 Born prematurely on March 10th she is putting on weight and growing in strength, these are some of her more placid moments. with love from Daddy