The messenger

After Rubens 

So got a first pass completed on the old gal.  The plan to complete these by doing successive layers was somewhat abandoned.  I didn't have any zinc white to hand only titanium white which is too opaque for glazing.  I also figured out I was not going to make it to the anything like the finish of the original progressing with glazes without the white so I compromised.  Regardless the grey layer really helped and after the colours were mixed the painting too no time at all.  
I got a second pass on bearded guy and here the glazing did help pick up the hue.  
I think it would take quite alot of playing around and adjusting to get a good process down. I have a few more panels prepped so I can continue .
  The last image is a copy of ALFRED VON WIERUSZ-KOWALSKI   the messenger.  Did this study because I liked the massing of dark and light.  

After Rubens 

 After ALFRED VON WIERUSZ-KOWALSKI  The Messenger

Mask

Mask Inktober 31 

 The last of Inktober is here.  I spent more time on them than last year and tried some different inking techniques.  The most useful thing from this year was coming up with the design in a more systematic way and drawing practice. The ones at the start of the month went straight to ink but by the end I was pencilling then drawing.  
Did a selfportrait for Nov 1st but kept it straight forward.  
I also kept working on the series of paintings using the Flemish method.  I have 3 running simultaneously now -all copies to focus on the process. 

Found Inktober 30

Selfportrait

After Rubens b

After Rubens a

Climb

27 Climb Inktober 

Managed to keep up the Inktober.  Cannot deny it has been a time sink but I think it has helped with my approach to the early ideas and planning.  The casualty has been working on finishing the current open work.  Only one completed study and no painting.

24 Blind Inktober

25 ship Inktober 

26 squeak inktober 

28 fall Inktober 

29 united Inktober

Figure study 2 

On the Trail?

Inktober  22 Trail

Led off with an Inktober sketch.  That goat is me clinging on, travelling the less obvious route.  

After Rubens  

 Managed to get the next layer done on the lady.  Came out ok so far.  Not so good on the dude.  I have no idea how the tinting layers should be done for this.  There are a few scant sources on youtube.  I am going to use some older texts to help guide on this and see if I can figure it out.  
I will prepare a few more panels.  There are a few days to week between layers so  I will keep working.

 After Rubens 

Inktober  17  graceful 

Inktober 18 filthy 

Inktober 19 Clouds

Inktober 20 Deep

Inktober 21 Furious

Inktober 23 Juicy 

Fierce

Fierce  Inktober 14

A bit more effort put in the Inktober sketches this week. Tried out some contrast and ink washes with varying results.   Did some digital studies alongside these.  I had hoped to get back to the oils as well but yet.  

Inktober 10

Inktober 11

Inktober 12

Inktober 13

Inktober 15

Inktober 16 

Figure Study 1

Guys with Beards

Material Study 

 After trying a couple of characters I want to do some more studies to improve material rendering and get a better process.  Alongside this I have kept up with the Inktober.  Doing the sketches is fine but I have failed to post them regularly.   Alongside that I returned to the oil portrait and added the next layer. 

Inktober 3

Inktober  4

Inktober 5

Inktober 6

Inktober 7

Inktober 8

Inktober 9

After Rubens - Dead layer 

Ink and oil

After Rubens portrait oil 2 layers

Went back to oils last week.  I wanted to try the Flemish method and copy some portraits.  This is the first.  After laying in the first umber layer.  It is too dark - not because of the umber layer but the overpainting which I did in acrylic to save drying time.  The downside was that I could not wash it to knock it back which would have been the case for oils.  I will continue but I have started a second - below.  Because of the drying required between each layer I will follow these 2 up with 3 more to keep momentum.  

After Rubens portrait -oil 1 layer

Last year was the first time I participated in inktober and I realised how poor my draftsmanship was.   I did a lot more work in pens through the year.  
Here is the start of this years.  The ink sketches and studies  have been about 30 min each.  
I will continue to do those but for the inktober work I will give myself no time constraint. These were about 2 hours - planning to completion.  

Inktober 1

Inktober 2

The ink studies for last week are below. 

This is an ink study - messed up the eye so went into photoshop to amend.  

After Reubens portrait ink-

After Edward Seago, South Bay Quay, Singapore

 Photo study.

Urchins ink

After Frazetta ink

From life 

Plant ink