In between an early Saturday evening-on the way to the pub-shot, and a late, on the way home one, are some pictures of my latest obsession (well one of them!)-oil pastels. Sgraffito-the Italian for 'scatch'. A fun, quick and slightly messy technique if you get the little shavings on your laminate floor (or your cat does!) I have put pictures of the whole process on the owl picture-I have more which I might put up tomorrow.
This was my first one, complete with scribbled notes about how to save a photoshop file-my Mum is teaching me to use photoshop which I have never got on with. Already I have learned loads.
I wanted a change from faces so I have used a Dover book-a really good one, '1300 Real and Fanciful Animals'. It has a great owl page. Recently I seem to have seen loads of owls around in blogs and elsewhere and they have got into my head. I liked drawing them as they have such smooth and flowing shapes. Some owls here, here and here. And here, here and here!
Stage one-sketch him in..
Stage two-colour over the different areas in black pastel-I think you should be able to buy boxes of just black-it is already half the size of all the other colours!
Stage three-scratch away! I used a palette knife but anything scratchy would do.
Then I thought I would see what happened if I covered it in gesso and painted on that.
You can still faintly see the scatching marks. I used watercolour paint for this part.
Finished! He has a nice bumpy feel in real life. I have done three owls so far. I fancy doing a zebra as that would lend itself to scatching. I have also started Misty Mawn's portrait class which is fun. I want to have different ways of drawing faces and not to get too stuck in a rut in the way I do it.
This was my first one, complete with scribbled notes about how to save a photoshop file-my Mum is teaching me to use photoshop which I have never got on with. Already I have learned loads.
I wanted a change from faces so I have used a Dover book-a really good one, '1300 Real and Fanciful Animals'. It has a great owl page. Recently I seem to have seen loads of owls around in blogs and elsewhere and they have got into my head. I liked drawing them as they have such smooth and flowing shapes. Some owls here, here and here. And here, here and here! 
Stage one-sketch him in..
Stage two-colour over the different areas in black pastel-I think you should be able to buy boxes of just black-it is already half the size of all the other colours!
Stage three-scratch away! I used a palette knife but anything scratchy would do.
Then I thought I would see what happened if I covered it in gesso and painted on that.
You can still faintly see the scatching marks. I used watercolour paint for this part.
Finished! He has a nice bumpy feel in real life. I have done three owls so far. I fancy doing a zebra as that would lend itself to scatching. I have also started Misty Mawn's portrait class which is fun. I want to have different ways of drawing faces and not to get too stuck in a rut in the way I do it. Today it did not get dark until about 4.30 which felt really lovely-like a little glimmer of Spring to come. Though I have a feeling I always think that at this time of the year and forget how long January and February really are! I have been buying a few little pots of bulbs-little Muscari, more Hyacinths and some little tiny Daffodils. I have not checked what is coming up in the garden yet but can't wait to do so at the weekend-when I am here in the light.
This is a very scary looking bus I think! It reminds me of the night bus in Harry Potter. Or something from the film Jacob's Ladder. All those indistinct heads on the top deck. We got a taxi home!
This is a very scary looking bus I think! It reminds me of the night bus in Harry Potter. Or something from the film Jacob's Ladder. All those indistinct heads on the top deck. We got a taxi home!
