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I managed to get a little more done than I thought I would today.  I have now put a couple more layers of white on to the bag and, with the brush, pushed some of the paint into lines to make it look like it has creases.  I have also started to add colour to the cooky, the colours that I used were burnt umber, yellow ochre and white, plus the usual splash of raw umber.  I have also started to colour the cherry.  Still haven't got the writing on the cup right but I will have to persevere with that one.

 
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It's Sunday and I've been working all morning on this painting.  It is destined for Ben's Cookies in Leamington Spa.  It is an oil on canvas 12" x16".  I am just about to start adding colour to the cooky as this is just the underpainting.  I have also got to get writing on the paper bag, which is going to be the most difficult part, I think.  I have decided to take a photocopy of the painting and practise on that first.  I have also got to add part of the name above Cookies on the cup as when I first put it on I got it in the wrong place and had to go over it again.  That's all for now will update again tomorrow.

 
 
 
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I think I'm almost done with this one now and will leave it for a few days to see if anymore needs doing.  It's been quite an interesting exercise for me and sometimes a frustrating one.  I hope that you like it. 
I can't be on here too long today because I have just started a requested one for a cafe in Leamington, I'll keep you posted on that.

 
 
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Right I've finished the sad painting and that's going to the framers now I've started something a little more jolly.  This is a still life of marbles in a hankerchief, not finished yet.  I have been looking into how some of the artists', that I really admire,  techniques and am attempting to work in that fashion.  It's just ok at the moment but that's because it's nowhere near finished, lots of layers to go.  I was going to start one of two Crspy Creme Doughnuts but I've eaten the subject before I managed to get started so cant do that one until I make a return visit to the supermarket!

 
 
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Carrying on now with the Iggy painting that I started a few days ago.  This painting has now destroyed three brushes, rendering them down to little stumps at the end of the wooden handle.  Or rather, I have ruined the brushes doing the paintings.  Still never mind, we all have our crosses to bear.  I have been adding colour to the body and head, the colours I have used are, yellow ochre, burnt umber and titanium beige and, not forgetting, a little raw umber for shadow.

 
 
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I think I'm just about done on this one, I hope that you can see the picture ok because I had a lot of trouble trying to get it to photo properly, there is some noise on it too but hey ho.  I've finally put in the background which has brought the face out to the fore more.  I have also added more highlights to the face.  Not too sure about the hair at the moment, I might add some bits of silver in it as I think it looks a little flat.  Hope you like it, I will be sending this one over to The Herbert for their perusal in March.

 

 
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I have continued with the face and still not yet started on the background.  Sometimes you need to put some background in so that you can find the depth in the face,  if that makes sense, but in this painting I have not needed to.  Will start it very soon.  I have put another thin layer of colour over the face and then started to put in the highlights.  I have also put in the track that a tear has left on the right side of her face.  I still need to put in highlights to show where the tear end and where the lights hits it on it's track. 

 
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Well today's work involved painting the face with another layer of dark paint.  My intention is to then paint a lighter colour over the top to give more depth to the face.  I've not needed to do anything with the background yet.  I will tackle that next I think. 

 
 



 
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Nearly forgot to post a blog today, that's age for you and, whilst I'm on the subject of age, who said "You can't teach an old dog new tricks"?  This old dog is definately getting the hang of using this website and it's only taken 2 weeks.
Started this new painting today, it's of an African woman and, hopefully, I can give her the emotion that I want once it really gets underway.  At the moment I have just done a basic sketch of where all her bits go and then started to block in with raw umber and titanium beige.  This will dry fairly quickly because it is very thin and then I can start putting in the shadows.  This is a bit of a different way of doing things for me because usually I will cover the whole canvas in raw umber and then sketch in the beige over the top.  This time I have tried to pay more attention to detail and get everything in the right place with a graphite stick first.  As usual still a long way to go with it but I will keep you posted.
I haven't forgotten the other ones I've started they are still drying and one of them I'm having to think about to see where I go next with it.  Bye for now.

 
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Well Iggy is almost finished, just got to do some finer whisps of hair but I cant do that until it's completely dry.  I hope that you like it.