Negotiations for paintings

Posted on October 21, 2020October 21, 2020 Posted in Fine Art, UncategorizedTagged A fair rate?, Acrylic or watercolour, Art, Commission, Group portrait, Life, Painting, Portrait, Should I question this?, What should I do?17 Comments

I’ve recently been commissioned to do a large family portrait for a friend of a friend, but I’m concerned about what they want to pay for it? They also sent me a great many photos in different conditions with lots of different groups of people on them. The problem is I can’t make a coherent image or composition using them.

I replied ‘That’s twelve portraits for £50?, it would have to be a small painting or a watercolour. Please can you choose the best photos that I can work from. I will do it but it will take a while. Possibly a couple of hours per portrait which works out at a cost of £4 per portrait or £2 per hour. I would normally charge £50 (normally £60) for one portrait, but I understand you might not be able to afford any more and I don’t want to ask too much. I want to do a good job for you and as you have already got a couple of my paintings I will consider only asking for a small amount for the painting. But please can you choose the twelve images you prefer as then I won’t get it wrong. “

I want to paint for people, but I don’t think they realise the work that goes into things. I would Never overcharge, but on the other hand I’d like to be paid at least the minimum wage for it!

How would you respond? Should I have questioned the request or refused it?

Note * I’m now just doing a very small painting, but I do wish people understood how hard it is to paint something like this, it’s not a snap!

Postcard from a friend

Posted on October 20, 2020 Posted in Fine ArtTagged Fransesco Montemezzano, Lamentation, Oil painting, Old master, Painting, Visit, Yorkshire, Yorkshire Church2 Comments

The Lamentation of Christ by Francesco Montemezzano

The photo is by Clive Lawrence.

My friend visited a church somewhere in Yorkshire and saw this. Apparently he’d been the week before but it was closed. Last week he found out who he needed to speak to to get access to the church. I’d like to visit it one day. The ainting was apparently very black until it was cleaned. Unfortunately my friend didn’t tell me the name of the church or where in Yorkshire it is

Orme does Picasso

Posted on October 12, 2020 Posted in Fine Art, UncategorizedTagged Abstract, Art, Autumn challenge, Colours, Cubist, Drawing, Fun, Orme Art group, Painting, Picasso2 Comments

Orme arts autumn challenge. We agreed to attempt to reproduce a Picasso weeping woman painting. We did one or two panels each. I drew the top and bottom middle pages. The top on was mainly marker pens, but I could not get the purple colour so I used a mixture of white, blue and magenta to try and get it. Not right though. I also did the bottom middle panel. In that case I used watercolour paints then a black marker pen over the top.

Even though a number of artists put this together I think there is a good coherence and the squares are well matched. I’m pleased with the result.

Side window view of neighbourhood

Posted on October 11, 2020 Posted in Fine Art, Sketching, UncategorizedTagged #bandofsketchers, Abstract, Art, Autumn, Female artist, Fine Art, For sale, Fun, Nail varnish, Neighbourhood view, Shine, Staffordshire, Urban sketchers Stoke on trent, Woman artistLeave a comment

You know when you just want to do something different? My view out the side window. Including pink orchids. Started out with white chalk on a black background and nail varnishes I don’t wear anymore. Then felt pens, metallic marker pens and more nail varnish including a clear coat…. Messy but fun! Next one might be painted…. Neighbourhood (1). Bit whiffy, I can smell the nail varnish from the other side of the room. As long as it doesn’t crack it should be OK. I think it’s absorbed into the paper. I shall use it on a few more abstract pictures, I used to wear mad colours to work but my nails went manky!

Cat box

Posted on October 6, 2020 Posted in Cat, Fine Art, UncategorizedTagged Art, Box, Cat, Fun, Life, Mat, Memory, Oil paint, Painting, Parquet, Stool, Years ago4 Comments

I painted the leather seat if this stool/box about thirty years ago. It used to hold all my old oil paints but they dried out years ago. I unearthed it recently. One of the problems with being an artist I have found, is collecting art materials. I have stuff that goes back years. I tend to think one day things will come in handy. Is anyone else here an artist? Are you the same? Materials cost so much its almost a sin to throw things away.

This is a cat on a mat on a parquet floor. As you can see even then I loved patterns. It’s varnished, but you can see where I must have left a thinners can on the surface that left paint rings…

Winter man painting

Posted on October 6, 2020 Posted in Fine Art, UncategorizedTagged Acrylic on canvas, Art, Green man, Ideas, Life, Memories, Painting, Sold, Woman artist2 Comments

2014 acrylic on canvas. I’d painted tree spirits previously and was trying to create something with the branches. My friend, who is a sculptor bought it off me because she said she might use the design to create something in three dimensions. I might do some more paintings like this to go with my Green man pictures. Plus I want to include autumn colours. X

Black and white art…

Posted on October 4, 2020 Posted in Fine Art, Sketching, UncategorizedTagged After Picasso, Art, Black and white, Challenge, Copying, Design, Fun, Layout app, Learning, Life2 Comments

I’ve duplicated the Picasso copies I did and put them through a black and white filter.

That way you can concentrate on the mark making I’ve made. I think there are some aspects of the marks I could have looked at better, but I also think I’ve got a bit of my own style in these. Plus you know me and pattern making. I can’t seem to stop embellishing things, so Picasso ‘speaks’ to me….

Is tthere any artist you would like to reproduce yourself….? It’s an interesting challenge to copy other people’s art, especially something you would never usually do. It helps you look and learn.

After Picasso, section 8

Posted on October 3, 2020 Posted in Fine Art, Sketching, UncategorizedTagged After Picasso, Art, Can you tell which painting it's from, Challenge, Cubism, ffun, Group painting, Orme Art group, Watercolour, Watercolour sketch2 Comments

I’ve just done this… It is my number 8,
I’m not happy with it but it’s the best I can do… Its a bit too tall…..
I could do it again? This is in watercolour.

When I try and copy something I don’t square it up or try and measure the proportions, which is a bit foolish. I just ‘go for it’. I could do with running this through photoshop so I could alter its proportions.

Anyway I’ve basically given up. Top is the picture I was copying. I will post the Orme Art Groups image when everyone has finished.

Jenni Murray watercolour

Posted on October 2, 2020 Posted in Fine Art, Sketching, UncategorizedTagged Art, BBC, BBC radio 4, Cartridge paper, Jenni Murray, Painting, Portrait, Tricia Youkevich photo, Watercolour, Watercolour sketch, Woman's HourLeave a comment

Jenni Murray, who has presented BBC Radio 4’s long running Woman’s Hour for the last Thirty three years, retired from the show yesterday.

This painting is based on a photo by Tricia Yourkevich in the Guardian newspaper today. The painting is approximately the same size as the photo.

I hope Jenni Murray doesn’t mind me painting her. I have followed Woman’s Hour for years and have always found her to be an intelligent, warm and humourous host.

I also hope Tricia Youkevich doesn’t mind me using her photo, If she wants me to take this post down I will as I would if Jenni Murray objects.

I don’t do many watercolours and this is a quick sketch on on white cartridge paper in a small A4 sketchbook.

Attempt at a bit of Picasso

Posted on October 1, 2020October 1, 2020 Posted in Fine Art, Sketching, UncategorizedTagged Almost right, Art, Autumn challenge, Hand eye coordination, Life, Orme Art group, Permanent markers, Picasso in felt pensLeave a comment

With felt pens and a bit of watercolour. I can’t get the purple right, I had a purple felt pen but it’s too dark. So I tried some silver on it and when that didn’t work. I might add some brown to the blacks… With brown paint. This is part of a painting by Picasso that the Orme Group of artists are taking a section of for our autumn challenge…

Mostly finished….. But so many wrong bits!

Mallaband-Brown

Category: Fine Art