Porn?

Firstly, I would just like to say that I am very happy with the execution of this painting. It was the first time I used 100% cotton paper (Arches Rough, 300gsm),  and wow, what a difference it makes. It is so much easier to paint on high quality paper.
The only problem I have with this painting is the subject matter. Why is it that a naked person who looks you in the eye, feel pornographic? Why do naked models who look away from you or have their eyes closed feel like classic art nudes? I have a problem with this, Lucian Freud did not but then again, he was not exactly glamorising his subjects either. The next nude I paint will have a cloth over her head, let's see how that feels!
I paint, I learn and I paint some more...

Autumn, 38 x 76cm / 15 x 22"

Two naked hands

I managed to draw and paint two hands during my lunch break today. I'm quite happy with them, it's difficult to paint on such a small format. I feel that my watercolouring skills are improving, this feels very rewarding.

Naked hands

Lunch sketch painted in my mini-watercolour Moleskin.

Introducing The Naked Hand

I try and do a sketch or a painting during my lunch break at work as often as possible. I really would like to practice my figure painting but having pictures of naked people on my computer screen is a bit of a sensitive issue to say the least. So, I have found the solution - hands! Yes, naked hands! Nude hands! It's genius, I can practice my watercolour skin tones and hand drawing at the same time. Only I see the naked truth.

The Naked Hand (24x32cm, Canson 200 g/m²)

Watercolour sketches from Corfu

I had big plans to do a whole bunch of watercolours on my sailing trip. In reality it was almost impossible to concentrate for any length of time in the 35-36 degrees of heat. Still, I had a wonderful holiday and my batteries are charged. The sketches are A5 in size approximately.

Reversed perspective. ( It felt right at the time! )

Home from Corfu

Here are a few more A5 pencil sketches from my holiday sailing around Corfu. The sketch book was a present from my son. :)

Sailing around Corfu

I have been sailing around Corfu for the last week. 35 degrees, almost too hot to do anything, even sketch. ;)

The big French challenge

Paimpol, Brittany, France

Yes, I finished it, the biggest watercolour I've ever painted, 56x76cm or 22x30".
I'm proud that I stuck with it, I learned so much by the endless mistakes I made. As a complete painting I am not totally happy, it is stiff and the uncertainty in my strokes is clear to see. Too much white gouache for highlights almost ruining it in the end. But, I learned so much by not giving up.
Buy good watercolour paper, the one I used was very poor, not cotton, it was closer to toilet paper in quality. I ran out and bought Arches 300g because of the poor nature of the paper I used, so I learned. There was one million things I had never experienced; like how does one paint stones walls? It's really hard but it will be easier next time. Flowers, I had never painted them before either, not seriously, they were also difficult to master. Ah well, on I go to the next pigmented challenge ...

Moleskin ...

I have a watercolour Moleskin (A5) where I practice my watercolour nudes. I'm trying to do at least one a day. It helps me ignore the real task; finishing the large watercolour that is such a challenge and sits there beside me waiting ...

A5 watercolour figure painting

Taking a break ...

Currently I'm working on a large watercolour, it's a real challenge, I've never worked in so much detail before and I'm pushing my technical limits to the maximum. So, it was necessary to take a little break and paint this little watercolour nude. I like the freedom of the way the colour pigment illustrates the figure.

Nude 20130719. Moleskin, A5, watercolour notebook. 

Mucha inspired ...

I found a wonderful model - posing beautifully. I will eventually paint a full sized homage to the image at a later date. I spent today doing two sketches, one watercolour with a Mucha inspired frame and the other in pencil. Both are about A5 in size.

Watercolour

Pencil

Mega Mucha

On the third day of my visit to Prague I visited the Veletržní Palace to see the Slav Epic by Alfons Mucha. Twenty massive works depicting the history of the Slavic people. 

Having a Mucha weekend

I am having an amazing weekend in Prague, so much to see, so much culture. We visited the Municipal House, which is an Art Nouveau master piece. There, they have Ivan Lendl's collection of Alfons Mucha's posters, which is the most complete collection in the world. Amazing! Don't be surprised if you start to see thick dark lines around my nudes! :)

Mucha, Prague

Today I visited the Mucha Museum in Prague. Wow, his talent is totally inspiring! 

Nude in Red Armchair

I am on holidays, which means I have the opportunity to paint at last. Time, such a hard treasure to find.

Nude In Red Armchair, 30 x 42 cm (A3), 11 3/4 x 16 1/2"