Weekly OP Sketch Thread Jan 12-18

[christinemlr]

ROBERT I can't critique your large crystal (how large did you make it btw?) because I like it. The strong, energetic strokes of black in the background echo the thrust and internal strength in the crystals own dynamic thrust. The simple mainly black and white colour scheme shows off the crystal's coloured tip really nicely. The brown, for me gives some colour balance. but I could be wrong on that. The only thing I question is the grey base, it looks like a coil of plasticine is wrapped round the bottom of it. Can you explain what that is?

SHIRL I like the frog one. That hint of moist shine on its back works so well against the foliage, and I like the different types of foliage you've got round him.
Xina

[robertsloan2]

Originally Posted by christinemlr

ROBERT I can't critique your large crystal (how large did you make it btw?) because I like it. The strong, energetic strokes of black in the background echo the thrust and internal strength in the crystals own dynamic thrust. The simple mainly black and white colour scheme shows off the crystal's coloured tip really nicely. The brown, for me gives some colour balance. but I could be wrong on that. The only thing I question is the grey base, it looks like a coil of plasticine is wrapped round the bottom of it. Can you explain what that is?

SHIRL I like the frog one. That hint of moist shine on its back works so well against the foliage, and I like the different types of foliage you've got round him.
Xina

Xina, you're very close. It's a wad of kneaded (putty) eraser that I use as a mount to make the crystal stand up instead of laying it on its side. It won't balance that way by itself. Seems like I painted it accurately if you mistook it for a lump of plasticine, the texture and color are probably similar.

It may appear again in other rock studies just because it's convenient to use it as a prop, but it's realy just an art supply pressed into other service.

[christinemlr]

YUSUKE that briefcase is wonderful, I like the onions but the briefcase is special, its something so flat and plain but you made its surface texture make we want to touch and feel it. How did you do those tiny little stiches? Did you scratch out with a pin or something? How long did it take you?

Xina

[gakinme]

Thank you, Yusuke. Your paintings as always is inspiring. It could easily be a photograph, that leather case.

Robert, I was visiting your website. Thank you for putting so much information on it. And your stones are all so varied.

[Scarefishcrow]

Yusuke, Both these sketches are "fancredible" and "intabulous" (I'm trying some new words of praise since your sketches long ago depleted my entire invetory. I am "magwhelmed" by their "overnificence"!

I'm curious. I can't remember ever asking, but do you ever do larger works and compositions? Or is the small sketch genre what you prefere to work with. I love them all, and was just curious as to what led you to a style I still think of as "visual haiku" (by which I mean saying so much with no extraneous additions to detract from the core of what you are depicting. You have truly refined the "sketch" to an incredible level that "sketch paintings" is really more descriptive.

I hope that makes some sense.

Bill

[gakinme]

This is the second time I did this image from the Southwest Arches Challenge, the first time I did it with collage. This time I'm trying out oil pastel again and lost momentum by the time I finished the sky. I really like the sky. I think I'll try this with color pencil later on and pen perhaps. Oil pastel is quite tough.

[Scarefishcrow]

You didn't do as badly as you probably think, Sandra. The basic structure is fine. Perhaps some additional blending of colors to smooth them out and tweaking some of the modeling on the plants would improve it.

It certainly takes time to adapt to a new medium, but I think you have to give it time. I understand the momentum problem as I tend to get to a point where I want to rush to finish something or it tends to slip by the wayside! So I know what you mean!

Just keep working on it!

Bill

[Pat Isaac]

This certainly is a beautiful sky, Sandra and I think Bill is right. the structure of the mountains is just fine, add a little more OP.
You are doing just fine.

Pat

[robertsloan2]

Originally Posted by gakinme

This is the second time I did this image from the Southwest Arches Challenge, the first time I did it with collage. This time I'm trying out oil pastel again and lost momentum by the time I finished the sky. I really like the sky. I think I'll try this with color pencil later on and pen perhaps. Oil pastel is quite tough.

Sandra, the sky is great on this and the distant hills are gorgeous. The clumps of sage and desert are good too. I can make only one suggestion -- study the photo of that foreground tree and develop it more. It looks loose and sketchy when it seems like a focal point that could be emphasized with more detail, careful shading and a combination of soft color gradations and sharp shadow cracks and lines.

Those bare twisted trees are a great study in themselves, a lot of fun. I've done them in several mediums and they are challenging but so rewarding if I get them right -- and "right" isn't so much "perfectly accurate" as generally curving, twisting and shaped the way they tend to be.

[gakinme]

Thank you, Robert, for the pointers. I'll try it another day. Today, I put some watercolor on the present piece and am surprised that it went on because I have sprayed it with fixative.

[Yusuke]

Thanks, Pat, Shirl, Xina, Sandra, Bill and Robert.

Xina,
I just used the edge of OP sticks for stitches this time. I used only white and burnt amber for them (burnt amber is for shades). But I often do sgraffito for this kind of details. It took around 40 minutes.

Bill,
Ah, you have such a vocabulary! I am also "nomenwhelmed" by your "overclature".
Well, as regards larger tableau, I usually paint in oils. My largest painting is 162 cm x 130 cm. I produce only small sketches in oil pastels such as the ones I post in this forum but I'd like to try larger ones someday. I like the term "visual haiku", thank you for compliment with such a lovely metaphor.

Sandra,
Nice work, you worked so well on the sky. I often have difficulty with expressing pale skyblue when painting landscape in oil pastel.

Robert,
Abalone shell! Sounds really interesting to paint. Looking forward to seeing your work. you have a good friend. As for your shells-rock conglomerate, if it includes recognizable shells among pebble-sized particles, I don't think it is original conglomerate... it could be an artificial thing like a rounded concrete block. Anyway, that is worth sketching I think.
Faber-Castell is hard typed (inexpensive) oil pastels and I used to use them before I get softer ones like Senneliers and Holbeins. Harder ones are suitable for underpainting because you can cover with softer ones over it without incising the lower layers. That is the main reason I use them.


I have sketched a birthday cake very quickly (actually, 15 minutes). Monday, 19th is my son's first birthday and we had a party in this weekend. Only Senneliers used on a brown paper.

[Scarefishcrow]

Originally Posted by Yusuke

Bill,
. I like the term "visual haiku", thank you for compliment with such a lovely metaphor.

Yusuke,
It was "ply" "measure"!
Great cake and congratulations on your son's birthday!

Bill

[robertsloan2]

Originally Posted by Yusuke

Thanks, Pat, Shirl, Xina, Sandra, Bill and Robert.

Xina,
I just used the edge of OP sticks for stitches this time. I used only white and burnt amber for them (burnt amber is for shades). But I often do sgraffito for this kind of details. It took around 40 minutes.

Bill,
Ah, you have such a vocabulary! I am also "nomenwhelmed" by your "overclature".
Well, as regards larger tableau, I usually paint in oils. My largest painting is 162 cm x 130 cm. I produce only small sketches in oil pastels such as the ones I post in this forum but I'd like to try larger ones someday. I like the term "visual haiku", thank you for compliment with such a lovely metaphor.

Sandra,
Nice work, you worked so well on the sky. I often have difficulty with expressing pale skyblue when painting landscape in oil pastel.

Robert,
Abalone shell! Sounds really interesting to paint. Looking forward to seeing your work. you have a good friend. As for your shells-rock conglomerate, if it includes recognizable shells among pebble-sized particles, I don't think it is original conglomerate... it could be an artificial thing like a rounded concrete block. Anyway, that is worth sketching I think.
Faber-Castell is hard typed (inexpensive) oil pastels and I used to use them before I get softer ones like Senneliers and Holbeins. Harder ones are suitable for underpainting because you can cover with softer ones over it without incising the lower layers. That is the main reason I use them.


I have sketched a birthday cake very quickly (actually, 15 minutes). Monday, 19th is my son's first birthday and we had a party in this weekend. Only Senneliers used on a brown paper.

MMMMM Yusuke, your son is a lucky boy! This is gorgeous. Reminds me of my grandkids' first birthdays. Kitten has a tradition of baking them a chocolate cake and instead of cutting it to serve as for adults, letting them play in it and eat as much as they want with their hands while we snap photos of chocolaty happiness. This looks just the size for a one year old boy to eat, wear and remember!

[robertsloan2]

Sandra, that's interesting to know about watercolor over fixative. I may have to try it sometime. Thanks!

[christinemlr]

YUSUKE Many Happy Retuns to your little son. Thank you for sharing the cake! It is delicious, I can't believe it only took 15 mins. Oh the practiced hand!

Here is a sketch that looks like it didn't take so long, but actually took about 40 mins. It was an exercise in doing scratching out and mark making, but I need much more practice. Its from a picture in a garden magazine. Unfortunately I don't have a garden so I'll create garden pictures instead.



It was done with Neopastels on Murano paper, (salmony pink colour)
approx 6 x 6"
Xina