The City of London Sketch

I am currently at a web conference here in London. It's cold and wet, but I guess that's the way if should be. Anyway, I managed to squeeze in this watercolour sketch during the lunch break.

Chiswell Street, London

Margaret Bowland - Painter of beauty.

I like her choice of subject matter. Taboo breaking is healthy and refreshing. She is also a very talented portrait painter, which is the icing on the cake! Visit her web site here.

Painting by Margaret Bowland

David Bowie at the V&A, London

I visited the David Bowie exhibition at the V&A yesterday. I'm a moderate fan of his music so I wasn't totally blown over by what I experienced. If you're mad about Bowie then it's a must! 

Watercolouring at life drawing again

"It's challenging!" I think that's all I need to say about trying to paint five and ten minute poses. The ten minute watercolour below was my best attempt.

Ten minute nude

Two minute sketch

The Body Builder

Venue: The Swedish Academy of Realist Art (SARA)

I enjoyed this two hour session last Thursday, I took it easy and did not stress. I have been practising my skin tones in a watercolour-paper- sketchbook, I think it is starting to have an affect, all the practice I do. I'm starting to feel more and more confident with each stroke of the brush, practice, practice. 
I haven't been publishing much lately, I'm so busy with other things than art. Sweden is very much a place of two seasons, the ice has recently melted, I put the summer tyres on the car and this weekend it was the boat's turn to be put in the water and the mast put on. Summer is coming! :)

The Body Builder, A3 watercolour, 2013.05.02

Nude

I'm still playing around with these coloured pencils. I sketched from a photograph I found on the internet, I like the pose, it's hard to find erotic material on the net that is not too pornographic if you know what I mean. Where is the line between eroticism and pornography anyway? I guess that's up to each and everyone of us to decide for ourselves.

Naked on the internet, a study.

Portrait of Leonard Cohen

I took my time with this portrait, working on it several times during the last week.

Leonard Cohen portrait on A3 paper, coloured pencils.

Thursday's male nude portrait

Venue: The Swedish Academy of Realist Art 

I wish I could spend more time watercolouring, I mean, lots of time, even full-time. The month of April and May are the busiest time of the year for me at work, I have a number of fun web projects that I'm working on, but it keeps me from my art, life is hard.

Male Nude, Watercolour, 2 hours, A3, 300g paper, 2013.04.25

Saturday's Life drawing

Venue:  konstskolan BASIS 2013.04-20

I'm experimenting with coloured pencils on light-brown paper since last week. I like the technique, it is a quick way to create a more three-dimensional form.

Nude 2013.04.20

Nude 2013.04.20

Thursday's life drawing

Venue: The Swedish Academy of Realist Art  20130418

I actually turned up at the wrong life drawing session, I wondered why no one had arrived and then I slowly realised that I was at the wrong place on the wrong day! Luckily, I was half an hour early and so made it to the right address just on time. I'm stressed at work, I can blame it on that or maybe it's my age.

Pencils on coloured paper. Nude 2013.04.18

Composition

Useful compositional tips by Mark Mehaffey

Paola Troilo

Paola uses Photoshop and finger painting to create his works. His official website is, http://www.troilo54.com/.

troilo_handpainting from paolo troilo on Vimeo.

Raitune5 - Scuba ♪ Paolo Troilo ♦ 10.06.2012 from MigUel on Vimeo.

Thursday's figure painting

After one hour this painting was going real well. The pencil drawing was fine and the first watercolour wash felt good.

Then, for the last hour of the session I painted layer upon layer of bad decisions. By the end of the session I was totally frustrated at my limited technique. So I scrubbed a lot of the pigment from the model's face, dropped it into my carrying case and went home grumpier than a newly-woken bear.

When I got home, I took a large black pencil to the painting and what you see below is the result. I'm actually happy with it, but I still wish I could paint better, then I wouldn't have to use a pencil to rescue the portrait.

Male Nude 20130411

Life drawing hunger

Venue: Konstnärshuset, Stockholm.

I was not able to do any life drawing for a whole week! ... So I was very eager to sketch last night. ;)

Two minutes

Five minutes + two

Two minutes + two

Five minutes

Ten minutes

Five minutes

Barcelona

I visited Barcelona last week for four days. Mind food! It was so good for me to visit Miro's museum, Dali's resting place in Figueres and Gaudi's Basílica de la Sagrada Família.  We also trekked in the mountains north of Barcelona at Montserrat, what a view! Each evening we ate like kings tasting lots of Catalonian delights.