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Beach sketch

April 29, 2023

Cut off the parts you don't want to draw

Both the head and feet are missing from this image because I said nah, too hard. I swear I'm not getting into a colored pencil phase 🙈

April 16, 2023

Rings at Sunset

It's been quite rainy for the past few weeks so when the sun made a rare appearance today, I knew I wanted to squeeze in some time outside. It's still a bit chilly outside but it's always nice to fill another page in the sketchbook. I also got new window privacy screens that cast little rainbows around my living room when the sun is shining so I'm obviously obsessed with that.

April 14, 2023

The view from Main and Kingsway

Met up with some other sketchers and spent a couple of hours painting the view from outside a little coffee shop in Mount Pleasant. What a lovely way to spend the afternoon.

March 26, 2023

A portrait in black and white

Painted Dec 19, 2022. 8x10 oil on primed paper.

I'm still trying out different approaches for these sketchbook pieces — this one started with a grid drawing, then I basically painted from darkest to lightest. Working in just black and white helps me focus on value, which can be difficult for me. I did run into some trouble with overworking, especially around the eyes, and kept ending up with too much paint in areas that needed to be adjusted further, but I think I got close enough in the end.

December 22, 2022

Look ma, a grisaille!

Oil, 8x10

I wasn't sure if I was going to end up going over this with a coloured glaze but in the end I think the grayscale works. I wanted to capture the way the light is sort of dancing across the fingers. Happy with this one!

December 09, 2022

Quick and colourful

After more than a week away from painting, I wanted to try to do something quick and loose, just to keep the habit up. To that end, I picked a subject I have already painted before. Is it the most successful painting? No. Did I have fun doing it? Yes. So that’s what counts.

November 28, 2022

Scarlet Witch

Oil on primed paper, 8x10”

My faces are getting better, though this one turned out with a pouty mouth as well. Left partially unfinished because I got super tired of working on it. I guess the face is really the part I care about most right now.

November 15, 2022

Chris Evans

Oil on primed paper, 8x10"

This ended up being easily the most successfully rendered portrait I've ever painted, and I learned a lot. There are things that need work as far as color and value, and if I had any interest in spending more time on this I would definitely go in with another layer or two and get everything just right. But this took nearly 3 hours (including the drawing) and I'd much rather move on to another piece than continue laboring over one page in my sketchbook.

November 03, 2022

First Fruit

Painting an apple is sort of just one of those things that you do when you're practicing painting. It felt like an appropriate subject for my first ever attempt with oil paints. Loved every minute of it!

October 14, 2022