two new portrait studies this week from Federal 402

O. Chen and glasses from life and touch-ups when I got home to make the light more glow-y.  Note to self, others, I will look in the mirror - if others look inside themselves for where beauty truly resides.

The above - Natsu - is a work in progress. Updated ( mouth needed work!)

My Academy of Art Analysis of Forms Class !

I wanted to share some of the works from my Analysis of Forms class.  I had such a fantastic time with all of my students and truly enjoyed the time I spent with them this past 15 weeks.  It is such a short amount of time but I think they got some good things out of their time with me.  I know I learned so much from them.  Thank you - to all of you - Kevin W's Fall 2011 Analysis of Forms class!   Take a look at some of the amazing things my students did below.. there are so many but I selected a few to share here.  oh yeah this is all, simply charcoal on paper..  rock on with your bad selves!

Jacqueline Berrios' excellent Still life - just fantastic!

JB with her final still life..

Samira Rashidi's excellent still life - Figs, Hookah and Silver plate.

Jennifer Kim's lovely still life - great work!

Some of the fine portrait homeworks from  (clockwise from top left) Sadie Rose Schwarzmiller, Seth Massey, Jacqueline Berrios, Samira Rashidi, Megan Taylor and Jennifer Kim

My class saying "fromage"..

There's usually one student with bright colors (most often Kevin Garcia in Yellow)! but everyone

else: subdued and cool!  This was on our 2nd to last day of class.. everyone is toast but they have all developed/progressed during class.  I am slightly happy !

.. class in groups preparing critique presentations of each other's work

Kevin G, Samira and Big Jon working through critiques..

Sadie Rose S and her excellent Portrait final!

le danseur cachés  ( mme' dottie j)

et elle repose.. avec les torsions du corps..  (mme' S)

I keep working and learning..

Benjamin - about 2 hours oil on canvas from life

Here is the first version of this back in 2009:

Tony, Alfred and Norman - the KW Basement revisited - this will be part of the 402 Collective show in Half Moon Bay, CA at the Garden Gallery - beginning December 17th.  This painting began as a quick study and I have come back to develop it while keeping the painterly feel intact..  hopefully! I will post more information about the show shortly!

A model I have not seen before - "Jeslyn" (thanks Dlihca) - from The Academy of Art University - her hair is dreads with green, red and purple!

Above - two point perspective drawings from within Grace Cathedral during my class field trips this week.  I keep them simple and look for the beauty in the shapes and the perspective..  my class did some beautiful work!

In the midst of a tableau.. perhaps a plateau even - I keep on thinking..

It has been too long for me to post but I have not been feeling the work of late .. and then things click a little.. all from life except the worker guys ..    It's great to see ( by the way) that so many of the folks who view my blog are - after the USA - from Russia and the United Kingdom! (then, in order, Canada, India, France, Brazil, Germany, Spain) - so for now - : До свидания - (Dasvidaniya) - Thank you for visiting!!

Laney, who is beautiful but quite challenging for some reason.. so happy with this simple, 2 hour study from life..

S - about 2 hours a few weeks' back now..  on not very good "Beverly's" $ 1.49 canvas..

Richard quick graphite study from life.  about one hour and then worked from the thumbnail later ( see below).. via sketchbook..

Thumbnail ( ok a more fancy thumbnail)....

Really enjoyed drawing Quetzal - although she is about 4'10" she had this defiant feeling that I really wanted to capture..  like "I am the queen here - got it ! -- something like that..

Thumbnail of dottie that I liked better than the drawing!

working bigger ( 30" x 40" from life is a new struggle/challenge).. not there yet!

These guys re-built my street a few months ago..  so I did this quick sketchof them in oil piants..

As someone wiser than me once noted: 'New shiz has come to light'..

I have almost never worked on nice paper with different types of charcoal - mostly I am a newsprint ( smooth please) and charcoal pencil figure draw-er - but I am learning some ways to let charcoal be more like a painting.  The result above is my second attempt at this method or manner- About 7 hours over two sittings - 18 x 24 on Strathmore drawing 400.

 This morning, these two "guys" were catching the sunrise just.. so..   and - my easel in the more horizontal shot below with my current graphite figure in 2-value mode.  We'll see where it gets over these next to Saturdays!

The Avengers - the Women..  First in a series.   This is a quite young Linda Thorsen who played Tara King ( following Dame Diana Rigg among other fab stars in the P. McNee/Steed sidekick role). She had a great twinkle-in-eye way about her.   Still does! Acrylic on paper - about 8 x 11.

The Crane Wife - cont'd

Joanna - about an hour from life - Charcoal on newsprint.

Benjamin - 20, 40 and 10 minutes - from life.

The Crane Wife - and other stories..

This is Anna Netrebko - Russian opera singer.  Acylic on panel - quick study.  about 5 x 8" on gessoboard

Kristin about 40 minutes 18 x 24"

Carey about 20 minutes (left) and 5 min gesture right..

 

This is what got me thinking about "The Crane Wife" - a song I love by the Decemberists.

Bob ? Meet Richard and, well, Bob!

Road work part 7: some items from Liberace workshop in Washington State

I spent the last week at a figure drawing and painting workshop with Rob Liberace at Carry Jurrean's WIFAS in Whidbey Island Washington.  Getting to two workshops with Rob this summer has really helped me re-focus on some key things and seeing his intelligence, vigor and artistry is never anything but a positive wind in the sails!  We worked on his twin Rocker paper ( thank you Flora Ling!) in what feels like a very old process but the results are really cool.  Also, his oil process is super smart and begins by simplifying.  I will continue to work in that vein!  Thanks Rob!

Day two drawing - About 4 hours or so - Serena.  Red Verithin pencil on Shellac'd Twin Rocker hand-laid paper.  It's a pretty cool surface and I hope to try some more on it!

This is Kate - my red pencil drawing from day one. The monitor for our workshop - Laurine, bought this drawing at the end of that day - thank you !   Both drawings are about 19 x 15 inches.

Attempted a painting on the shellac paper.. it needed more shellac!  here is the block in.. (Nikita is the model).

Nikita - last day head/bust study.  The painting felt..  Russian to me - which might be good for a Russian model!  On gessoboard. About 8 x 10.  4.5 hours.  Oil Paint.

Above Nikita - a 3 x 20 minute quick painting sketch..  oil on some crap vinyl-like canvas that I will not use again!

Head studies from Travis Schlaht and Ted Minoff (and) Colleen Barry workshops

I had a great experience with Travis, Ted and Colleen B!  Each of them is an excellent artist and a confident and inspiring teacher as well.  A great two weeks in NYC at GCA!  Thank you to all of the teachers and I have lots to continue working on ( mostly, as ever - the drawing and values!).  All of these heads are about 6-7" in size and I painted on linen panels and prepared gesso boards.  Most heads were about 4 hours total time give or take I think.  Oil paints and a few graphite studies of Connor D at the bottom.

Isabel on linen panel

 Anna Nina on Gesso Board

I will get her name - first model for Colleen Barry's workshop - very distinctive young woman!

Katie W, our monitor and an excellent artist, subbed for the model ( this was a short painting 1/2 day so about 2+ hours as was Anna Nina above - both on the same day) who misplaced the date!

Gabriel - first model day for Colleen's workhops ( week two)

Ernesto - Day two or one Colleen's workshop (now I am confused!)

 Steampunk man - one of two paintings that did not survive my wipe-out cloth.. oh well.. it was almost there.. but not!

Some quick graphite head drawings from the first day of TnT before painting began on Tuesday.  This is Maria ( I am intimidated! and Connor our monitor for week two ( who sat in the first week to draw and paint and model!)