Pastels?

After finishing my first children book, I'm thinking about what shall I do for the next one. Our next story is ready, and I would like to try something new, artistically. I'm experimenting mixing oil pastels and watercolors.

For the piece below, I started with a saturated wet in wet wash, then once it has dried, I used pastels to finish it up. I kinda like the result, I've never done something so saturated in my life. Using pastel is making me realize how weak or pale my watercolors are, and there is a much bigger range that I've barely touched yet.

For the pastels, I'm using sennelier oil stick. They are gorgeous to worth with, fat, greasy, they glide on the paper with such an ease and grace.

Having a break

I took a mental break this afternoon from my current project.  Mixing colors for dark complexions still puzzle me, I should try an auto-portrait someday.

 

 

Bat Dog

- Alfred, have you walked the dog?

The Tank

 

The Scout

 

Illustration WIP

Something I've been asked to work on. I will show the final stage a bit later, and explain the purpose :).

San Francisco #3

Still in SF, I attended a life drawing on thursday, it was great with a costumed model.




Saturday, I walked and found myself neat Civic Center, the day was nice but super windy.
I want to add the golden details on the dome, with gouache, but don't have any at the moment.

Then I sat at Grand Cafe, on Geary, I sketched while drinking Hendrick's Gin and eating oysters.

 

Movie studies

I've been doing some movie studies, practicing color mixing. I'm learning a lot doing this, especially how deceiving a color can be when juxtaposed with another. You might think something is blue, because you perceive it as blue, but in reality it's a dull green.

The name is Bond... err I mean Audran...

My neighborhood harbor many embassies, as I walk often nearby, I always thought their fixed security guard would make great subject to sketch/paint. Let me tell you the story of this little watercolor.

I was out, dying winter, the light was awesome. I was in no hurry, and of course I had my full watercolor set in my bag. I was hunting for a subject. I walked past an embassy, with their guards standing like statues. Now is the time I thought. So I walk around it to find the best subject of em all. My gaze stopped at the little one. He was in the light, nicely cut and define. I quickly glanced around, and found on the opposite sidewalk a nice place to seat. So I sat... pulled my pad and pencil out and started sketching. As my drawing was progressing, I realize that the little one wasnt still anymore... he was using his walky-talky. uh-oh...and he was looking at me. hmmm problably nothing I thought. Then he went still again, but not for long... he walked into the cabin behind him and use the phone... still starring at me. Ok, it's about me... should I pack and leave!??!? no that would look too suspicious... they'd probably shoot me in the back. A dark man, thick black beard, black fisherman cap, in black clothing, with piercing deadly eyes, in front of a europeen embassy... any law enforcement manual would grant them the right to shoot on sight. No keep cool I thought... I unpacked the rest of my gear, just in case they wanted to have a closer look before opening fire. One guy came to talk with the little one... they talked...looking at me. On my left I could see another guy coming, he had crossed the streets, and was walking toward me, a hand on his holster... This is the time you wish you have Ninja SmokeBomb in your pocket. I didnt. He was smiling and that was creeping me out. Trigger happy kinda smile. At last something was happening in his day, and maybe today he'll have to open fire on a deadly threat. As he was getting closer, I wondered... should I raise my hand in the air like in movies? very slowly... and avoid any brusque movement. No my stuff could fall on the ground. He was now close enough to see my full arsenal. Brushes, pencil, paper... and colors... he sighs, and shout to the others, "TA HUA!!!" (he is drawing). The little one rushed to the phone in the cabin... came back and wave at him. A little "ni hao" came out of my mouth. "b-bye" he replied. The little one went still again, I could continue my study. At the end... I folded my stuff, and gave him a little military salute. He nodded back. I hope nothing happen at this embassy in the near future... They probably got plenty of satellite imagery of me, I must have been followed and my photo is probably hanging in a Chinese Secret Service Agency for a full background check. The name is Bond Audran... Audran Guerard.

Focus?

When it comes to plein air painting, the most annoying part for me, is how to deal with curious people. I know I shouldnt feel that way, because in the end, they are just people interested in art and curious to see the process. From my point of view, onlookers are a concentration breaker. Where I'm pulled out of my bubble, and start being too concern about how the painting look at every stage. Anyway, this time, I tried to stay focus. The crowd was just getting bigger and bigger. Like a flock of seagull around a McDonald trash bin. at some point I had to ask the people in front of me to clear out, because I couldn't see the landscape I was trying to paint. Anyway, I think it's a good school, if you need to learn how not to care, Shanghai is THE place to do your plein air painting.

San Francisco

Two quick studies I've done while I was in SF, the 1st one is the EA campus at Redwood, and the second one, is a dog on Haight street. I went to Napa, but by the time I started painting, the sun disappeared on the vineyard and I couldnt finish it. :) Too bad because it was a beautiful sight, at Whiterock winery, the wine tasting was quite nice too. One thing that strike me everytime I reach California, is the quality of the light. The sun is much brighter than everywhere else I've been. Very similar to south of france type of sun.

The New Pigments

I've often been deceived by watercolors once they dry out, they loose their saturation and a bit of value. I've read this almost in every book and blog, I thought it was something normal inherent to the medium, and that I was supposed to live with it, Until now... Few weeks ago, I was browsing dickblick.com, I was about to order papers and some new tubes... then the question came... I've always used Holbein since the very beginning, sometime W&N, Schmick but mostly Holbein. It was recommended by the famous Charles Reid, the price was cheap and it was made in Japan. All 3 elements to convince me this was good stuff. I got curious about other manufacturers, ended up my search on handprint.com. So I decided to try out M. Graham & Co. My stuff finally arrived, I threw out the old pigment, put all Graham in my palette and started painting. I was under the impression that the colors were much brighter than usual... but I wasn't sure... afraid of being under the placebo effect. But the next day, without her knowing that I had changed anything, my wife commented on the new painting, she talked mosltly about the unusual bright colors. Bingo! M. Graham & Co succeed the wife test.

So today I have 3 tips,

Watercolors : M. Graham & Co

Art Webstore: DickBlick.com

Information about pigments: handprint.com

With new pigments, come a new approach :) I just wanted to do some fun stuff, I like doing little stubby characters.

5x7 Study

I was walking down FuZhou Lu, and found this skull in plaster. 22RMB(4USD), I grabbed it, it was still wet, not fully dry. FuZhou lu is probably my favorite street in Shanghai, it harbor many art shop, and books stores. For a tenth of what it could cost in any other city. I also found a Kazuo Oga art book. When I look at his stuff, I feel like trying some gouache.

5x7 Study

The more I do it, the more I realize that it's only now that I'm really serious about painting. Alla Prima's book has taught me things I wasn't even aware of. My biggest challenge is to identify value and hue with accuracy. I think I'll make myself 5 punched card of 5 different values, from white to black. So I can evaluate on the scene by looking thru the punched hole, what is the range of the value I'm seeing.

This is our Hotel Apartement.

Shanghai Shanghai

Here are some of the little studies I've been doing recently, walking down the street until something get my attention, but then again, it need to be a suitable spot to sit or lean on something to paint. On my palette I'm carrying, Ultramarine, Phtalo Blue, Cadmium Red, Alizarin Crimson, Yellow Cadmium & Yellow Lemon. Big focus on temperatures, I've discover interesting ways of making greys. I'm using a little block, Fabriano, 5x7 inches, 140lbs, grana fina, cp. 2010 is a year of progress for me, encouraging for what is coming next.

Some recent stuff

So I was exploring different things, new pigment, such as hooker green & mineral violet. I also tried to fix the elephant, while I think it's a more successful sketch, there are still  many things that annoy me about this piece. But as Robert Henri said, never throw a piece until you understand what isn't working.

Daily WC with Jin

Yesterday It was the first of a series with my friend Jin. We are encouraging ourselves to do at least one watercolor per night after work, and mms it to each other. The taxi driver was yesterday's one. Today I made this one, after a failure. Not really a failure, but I wasn't satisfied, especially when I saw Jin's. A beautifull render of Bob Marley. I was jealous.... so I went back to my easel. I allowed myself to use reference, Sam Riley from Franklin. I didn't watch the whole movie yet. My palette is Ultramarine Blue, Phtalo Blue, English Red, Cadmium red and a very tiny hint of Cadmium yellow. Fabriano Paper 140lbs, 24x32cm.

Yielding power

I was on my way home few days ago and quickly sketched this old taxi driver. Depleted by an entire life of hard labor, yet holding the wheel with a firm grip. His arms, pure nerves, yield the Toyota Crown thru the busy streets of Singapore. Safely arriving home, i folded my pad with the firm intention, to constantly wield my brushes the same way, with confidence and intensity. Few days later, I took the sketch and applied watercolors to it. Phtalo Blue & English Red(schimcke). I use a hake brush for 3/4 of the job. I forgot how much I loved this brush. Size is 24x32 cm, on 140lbs Fabriano paper.

Sentosa

Sunday I went to Sentosa beach, the sun was all out, and the distance was very hazy. It was hard not to squint. The wind was blowing, and it was hard to keep my equipment at one place. Ants and flies came in helping me adding textures. None died in the process. The original size are 9.5 x 12.5 inches, my scanner is slightly smaller so they're a bit cropped. My palette was Phtalo Blue, Ultramarine Blue, Burnt sienna, raw sienna, some yellow cadmium & very little cadmium red.

My Friend Venturi

I promised a long time ago to do a portrait of him, the first one doesnt look like him, but I like the painting itself. the character behind. The second one is minimalist but efficient, the neck gesture and the mustach is all i needed. The hand add a groove. Bob Marley was singing all along.

One regret i have, I should have done the hair wet in wet, to soften the light on the top of the head. the cut feel very abrupt. I fought the urge to go back in, thank god. It would have been a terrible mess.