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| KIM Watercolour on 300gsm paper. Time taken: 2 hours. |
Yesterday it poured with rain so those planned jobs to do outside got put on hold and I actually thought that I might have a nice restful Sunday. But oh no, it didn't quite work out that way. Getting ready to go out for our usual Sunday morning trip to Aldi, when I got the car out, it didn't feel right. In fact it had a puncture on the rear wheel. So having fished out the space saving wheel from the boot and hauling the trolley jack out of the garage, there I was bending over in the pouring rain trying to free the wheel nuts! Once this was achieved, you would think that all that remained would be to take off the wheel and replace with spare. Yes, that would be right only the wheel remained stuck on the axel, and no banging, hammering or levering from me was going to get it off!
So I put the wheel nuts back on and all my stuff away after deciding to try to inflate the tyre enough to get me down to our local Kwik Fit, but getting enough air in the tyre while it was gushing out past the nail which had punctured it was a lengthy business. Good job I have an little electric pump that connects to the auxiliary point in the car. Down at Kwik Fit, I was told that the puncture was too near the edge of the tyre and could not be repaired - oh and the other rear tyre was almost down to minimum tread depth. End result - a very wet and disgruntled Frank forked out £200 for two new tyres, oooooohhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!
Anyway, the only thing all this has to do with the painting, is that while it rained, I did find time to do this portrait of Kim. I am actually quite pleased with this, well up to a point. I suppose none of us is ever really pleased with our efforts. The source photo was quite hazy and smaller than I've done her here, so more of a challenge than usual. Also the light on her face was almost full on, so I kept the facial tones pale. As usual I struggled a bit with the mouth, taking three goes to get it something like. In fact I ended up squaring up the small area around it. I still haven't mastered hair yet either, but I'm getting there. The background in the photo is of green bushes but I thought this would clash with her blue top and eye shadow, so I used a neutral colour here - in fact it's a mix of all the colours used in the painting with a little grey added. Kim is a very pretty lady and I hope I have done her justice with this one.
One thing I know though, is that I am back in the groove as far as painting goes, and it feels great!
I was wondering when you were going to post something Frank. I have no photo to go by but going by your painting 'Kim' IS very pretty and I'm sure you have done her justice. I think that this is your best portrait yet :0) The blue eyes are sparkling and the top she is wearing really helps to bring them out. The glasses are very well done too. I like the subtle skin tones which have remained really fresh and clean. The light hitting the face really heps to bring the portrait to life! I expect she will be really chuffed with this! It sounds like you had 'one of those' weekends. Still, at least you picked up those brushes again!
ReplyDeleteFrank, you have done me more than justice in this portrait, in fact, I think you have made me look much better! I thank you for that. I also enjoyed reading about your day in the blog. I can just imagine you talking to the people you meet as you deliver your milk. It takes me back to a simpler time in the USA for, you see, we have lost that personal touch over here. Your gifts and talents in art bring joy to all of us and you have kept me encouraged to NOT give up on trying to figure out watercolors! Thank you again for the wonderful portrait! I am honored. Kim
ReplyDeleteHi Frank .... I think you've captured this lady's very pleasant personality in this portrait. Her sparkling eyes and softness are conveyed very well.
ReplyDeleteThe car story is a classic .... they can be so frustrating sometimes :)
@Sandra - thanks for the compliments, because of the haze, I could not see any pupils in her eyes so just painted what I saw. No doubt Kim's eyes are much better in real life.
ReplyDelete@KIM - thanks for looking in on me and for the lovely comment at the end there :)
Your own portrait work is improving considerably on JKPP, but if you don't mind me mentioning, teeth go into deep shadow in the corners of the mouth - this will stop them from looking overpowering in a portrait.
Alice - thanks for commenting. I've always thought that cars are fine when they are running properly, mine does usually run OK; I guess getting a puncture is just one of those unlucky events.
ReplyDeleteFrank, thanks for the tip. I am very humble in my artistic abilities so I welcome any advice. In fact, I greatly appreciate it! I am an absolute beginner-even in just sketching. For some reason I just love the look of watercolor so I decided to try and figure out what I love. I know it will be frustrating, but I am going to make myself stick with it. I checked out the JWJarts site that I saw the link for on the side of your blog and it was very encouraging for the beginner. You are very kind to take the time to help me in my journey! Hope you have a great day! Kim
ReplyDeleteFrank, I've only been following your art for a relatively short time, since you went back to classes briefly, but over that short time you've come on leaps and bounds. This portait is probably your best yet ... and you just get better and better. Kudos.
ReplyDeleteThat was really nice of you to say John.
ReplyDeleteTo be honest, I think we are all to some extent helping each other with these blogs: we show our work ant write about our experiences, meaning we either learn from or are influenced by or inspired by our fellow bloggers.
She looks beautiful Frank, what a lovely smile she has! And you've painted her so clean and fresh too. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Crystal, I think I used a little too much grey in the background on this one - my tutor has warned me about grey a few times, but do I listen?
ReplyDeleteThis is a wonderful portrait, Frank! I agree with your recent comment, perhaps a bit too gray in the background, but overall it is very successful!
ReplyDeleteRaena, yes, you know the minute you have done something wrong with watercolour, but there is no second chance with this medium. To apply another colour wash over the top would run a significant risk of overworking it.
ReplyDeleteI have a stack of ruined watercolor paintings in a bin under my desk. Mostly from doing just that!
ReplyDelete