Character Sketches -Gouache

Character Sketches -Gouache

After the portrait practice tried out some characters from imagination in gouache.  On the whole an ugly bunch. 

Oak Grove after Shishkin

Oak Grove in a Grey Day after Shishkin

A landscape study after Shishkin. Lots of different temperature greens.  

Zebeck After Haag- Gouache Study

Zebeck After Haag- Gouache Study

 Tried another gouache study copying Carl Haag again.  Like the ease of establishing edges and unlike acrylic can go over dried areas and rework.  

City Hall -Gouache Study

City Hall -Gouache Study

 Another gouache study from a photo.  Did something architectural.  The photo is of San Francisco city hall after the 1906 earthquake.
 Looks like they rebuilt keeping some of the major features.

Mountain Top

Mountain Top 

A practice piece to try and get some atmospheric perspective going.  

Portrait study 28

Portrait study 28

Some more practice.  Did these a while ago.  The reference was from pixellovely.  I did them just before the site went down -  a result  of an attack.  Glad to see site is back up.  I think these were from a 2 hour class. 

Archer -Gouache study

Archer -Gouache study

Another gouache study. This one done from photo reference.  

Study Gouache After Carl Hagg

Study Gouache After Carl Hagg 

Trying something different.  
James Gurney has been running a series of articles on his blog about gouache. As part of that series he launched a competition to paint a gas station using black and white gouache.  I bought the paint but missed that deadline.  I haven't used gouache before or watercolour so I thought I might study first before trying something more challenging.  

Servant and Master

Servant and Master

Another character study.  
When I started trying to practice more seriously resources to help were numerous - folks had started livesteaming, Conceptart.org was a buzzing place.  Seemed like there were lots of people learning together. Over the past few years it has got a lot more fractured and harder to get that constant nag to work and get better.  There are still lots of resources - free and to pay for but it feels like you have to pick your was through things to find whats useful at the right time.   
Someone who was active getting better backwhen I started and has reappeared streaming is John Silva- you can catch him streaming on  twitch. 
I was listening to his stream when I started noodling with this.  He gave some advice to someone he was critiquing - keep your values close.  That was what I tried to do here. Thanks John.
 

Falls

Falls

Not happy with this one but time to move on. 

Retreat

Retreat

Built this up from a photo base. Nothing much left of the photos except the colour scheme and some texture.  

Roar

Roar

Got back to some portrait sketches. Have some practice work to show later.  This one is of Andy Murray who is playing in a Wimbledon semi final today.   

Swamper

Swamper

An illustration where I tried to keep the colour palette in check.

Park

Park

Some lasso and textures put to work. 

Stopping

Stopping

Tried a different kind of character study this time.  

Duel

Duel

Playing around with some different techniques. 

Fishing Outpost

Fishing outpost 

A piece to cement some of the stuff learned during the last bout of landscape studies.  

Trees 2 Landscape study

Trees 2 Landscape study 

 Another landscape study.  Trying to practice a process.  Study was of a photo I took in Yellowstone park a few years ago.  Weather looks great in real contrast to the lashing rain and gale force winds (floods predicted)  we are experiencing for our June bank holiday.

Canyon Study

Canyon Study 

Another landscape study.  Used the same kind of techniques as last time.  With the limited palette trying to sell the perspective. 


Image was from a screenshot.

Playground Study

Playground Study 

Back to studies.  This study was done using the power of the lasso tool.  Not something I use all that often but will try and do a few more of these.  

Balanced

Balanced

Started out as a creature.  Added the rider and then included the environment.  Probably suffered from the fact I didn't plan it all out at the start.

Shopping

Shopping

Something a little bit different. Started out with a line sketch for a change.

Sand Racer

Sand Racer 

While working on the character stuff which went on for a while I also worked on some hard surface stuff.  This is one that I finished

Guy versus World 3

Guy versus World 3

Third and last of these. Used them as an exercise which was useful.  

Guy versus World 2

Guy versus World 2

The second installment of three. 

Guy versus World 1

Guy versus World 1

This is the first of a series of 3 images. 

Ice Station

Ice Station

Another icey attempt.  Went through a few iterations.

Fix it

Fix it

Tipped away at this for a while and it has reached the point where doing anything to it probably wont change it for the better.  This evolved from taking one of the earlier images and doing some cutting,  pasting and arranging.

Bunny in a basket

Bunny in a basket

Worked om this one in between the last set of studies. I suppose it is a little bit seasonal with the bunny and sheep. 

Portrait Study 27

Portrait Study 27

 The last one of this series of studies. Still struggling doing these but developing a method. 
Another still from Downton Abbey.

Portrait Study 26

Portrait Study  26

ANother in this series of studies.  Still From Downton Abbey. 

Portrait Study 25

Portrait Study 25

Another study. A screenshot form Downton Abbey. 

Portrait study 24

Portrait study 24

 In the midst of finishing a lot of personal work I have gone back to some studies.  Really enjoyed just ding these. Started this one on Livestream.  This one is a still from Peaky Blinders. 

Landscape - hopper

Another  doodle I pushed a bit further. Trying to reduce the number of things I am working on.