Cat paintings

A couple of cat paintings I did for a friend in 2018. The first was a work in progress. I don’t have a photo of the completed painting. I love painting cats, and any other animals. I’ve got a dog painting in progress then I’ve got to paint some purple crabs, that might be interesting! By the way the pink is a chair cover, not part of the paintings.

My style?

A torch shines. It’s light illuminates a running figure. A trail of blood shows its steps.

This was a transformation we had to do in our illustration workshop this afternoon.

How to show up the image? I used post-it notes to show the shape of the surface as the figure is running across the floor. If I hadn’t had just 20 minutes I would have added a chequerboard pattern. As it was it was fun to do.

Transformation

First take an everyday object or scene. Then redraw it but change it. That’s what I’ve done here. Coming up with different ideas in twenty minutes. So I give you a lighthouse, graffiti torch, a torch to see fingerprints (which might be leaking acid) and changing between straight lines and curves. Fun workshop. I’m going to work more on lines and shading.

Tonights sky landscape artist

Subject, the millennium bridge in Gateshead.

Tonights landscape artist of the year was from Gateshead in the North East of England. The subject was the Millennium bridge. Nicknamed the winking bridge as the structure tips so the curved support moves downwards while the bridge part lifts upwards.

Instead of looking for an image on my phone I watched the programme and glimpsed various views of the bridge so it’s quite sketchy and I used up the green grey acrylic paint that I’d been using as a base coat for a painting.

Books in the post

Books for college. A great many words arrived in the post over the last couple of days. A book called visual methodologies by Gillian Rose, illustration research methods by Rachel Gannon and Mireille Fauchon. Beginning Theory by Peter Barry and Picture This by Molly Bang. I hope the information in them will sink into my brain. Such a lot to look at and try and understand. It’s hard to take in so much, and this is just a small piece of the puzzle. I must improve my knowledge of crytical analysis. To go from descriptive to forensic. That’s hard. Generating new ideas and opinions without being opinionated. I want to try not to be cruel or condescending. To be honest and to use understandable language because some of it just feels selfish and snobbish. Hmmm.

Dorothy Clive Garden day

I was out today with a local group of artists called the Orme art group. We went to the Dorothy Clive Garden and enjoyed a warm if sometimes cloudy day painting the views. These are my three. All watercolour paintings. A3 size on a watercolour paper pad.

Can I say I was shattered after doing these? But I do feel guilty saying that after a lovely day out in splendid surroundings.

Seedpod collage tonight

Seedpods

Abstract of seed pods, made with spray ink, off cuts of post-it notes, bits of black monoprint and a fine line pen.

I made this during our singing class tonight, it’s just a bit of fun. I’m playing with different ideas and the circles of monoprint looked like blueberries or seed pods. The coloured bits of paper are there to add highlights in pinks, orange, and yellow. I like the chaotic complexity of it.

 

House?

Old digital drawing I did of House, the actor Hugh Laurie.

I remember him from his comedy act with Stephen Fry, and also his appearances in Blackadder with Rowan Atkinson (who also plays Mr Bean).

I’ve watched most of the episodes, I’m fascinated by his characters ability to diagnose the most unusual diseases, and his inability to socialise with people.

Drawn at the old Sketchfu website several years ago.