Monkeys

[artbyjune]

Cheeky monkeys!!

A chance to paint those cute monkey characters. Any species; any style welcome.

I want to see your monkey pix!!



Monkeys appear in many styles of art:-
in natural history illustration; monkeys in children’s books, monkeys in fine art history.

Sometimes monkeys used to poke fun at grandiose human behaviour. Satire in art.

Monkey is seen as a holy animal in Chinese art, symboliing intelligence, health and vitality.

[artbyjune]

Here are some from art history:



Chardin



Chinese art



Frida Kahlo



Rosalba Carriera



David Tenniers, younger.

It seems women like to paint monkeys...from the above!

[jacquip]

I don't think I've ever drawn a monkey. This should be interesting, they are cute little fellows

[trafford]

I've never done any monkeys either. This should be fun.

[azulparsnip]

same here - never drawn one but they are enchanting now that I think about it!!!

[trafford]

OK, here's my first ever monkey...collage, acrylic and pen and ink on old painting scrap:

[artbyjune]

A lovely pic Janet. I love the Japanese feel of your collage painting-scrap work! Its just right for animal paintings. In this one, the monkey's eyes have a wonderful intense monkey stare. Also he/she has marvellous fingers!!

[jacquip]

Janet I like your monkey collage.

[artbyjune]

Acrylics, 8.5 by 11.5 ins. Study of mother and baby vervet monkey from a photo on paintmyphoto.ning.com

I did this study today and may do more vervet monkeys later. Those black faces surrounded by white fur are rather dramatic to paint!

[trafford]

What a lovely sweet painting, June. Love the colors in the background too.

[gakinme]

Such a neat subject, June. Thank you. That Chinese art piece reminds me I have to try some in color with Chinese brush. Your mommy and baby monkeys are perfect. The mother has such a soft and contented look to her.

Janet, your first monkey looks very oriental in setting.

I have one old one from a couple of months ago.

Chinese brush


Here are two apes, from Rise of the Planet of the apes trailer, I did this weekend.

This was a very mangled piece of watercolor sky and I overpainted it with Stabilo Woody 3 in 1 first, then Caran D'ache Neocolor II, and then for the background, some cheap powdery Michael's pan watercolor.



Charcoal and 2B graphite stick

[trafford]

Hi, Sandra...Your first monkey is a good drawing and cute expression. The other two look like they don't trust man...probably rightly so. Good work!

Here is another monkey collage (these are getting to be fun) I found this image on Google images, but when I went into the link they didn't tell you what kind of monkey this was. I liked them anyway.

paper, pen and ink, colored pens:

[azulparsnip]

WOW - loving this work!!

Sandra - that background you kept working on is wonderful.....your chinese brush work ooohhh,, I've promised myself to get back to that soon and this is a good nudge. Very expressive faces

Janet - LOVE the green eyes and the quasi feel.....uhummmm.. are- these- monkies-- really- there type feeling that is freeing......love it. The first monkey looks like -" humm, I'm on the ground....now what.....a little wrestling with the "buds"...some foraging.....huuuummm" all the space in the piece lets us move into his mind. Come to think of it....alot of you work has space.....

June - such love and tenderness in your work......it is a blessing to the soul, healing and true.......

I love this topic and hope to get something done

[Marmsk]

This is an interesting thread and there are many excellent examples already. I got really close to a monkey in India and from my photo I painted this picture.

[gakinme]

Janet, your collage is so cute. It has all the right elements and color to balance these chimps.

Eileen, wow, that's a drop dead gorgeous portrait of a pensive monkey. So pretty!!! But what medium is it? Watercolor? How big is it? What type of paper?