More Posters

Poster studies (color studies) 5" x 7" of Raven, Rose, Still Life and Wayne.

Poster Studies 2009

Finally photographed all of the poster studies I did since February. Didn't realize it was so many! These are all 5" x 7" and done in oil.

Ashby Portrait

Ashby, aka Wayne, sat for the Ryder Studio for a two week intensive portrait class. Although I didn't finish this during the class, I was able to get him to sit for an extra day. Oil, 8"x 10"

Raven - Finished and rephotographed

I retook the photo after using a bit of retouch varnish. Came out a bit better than an earlier post.

Raven sat 6 weeks for this portrait. Oil 14" x 16". A bit larger than I'd been doing before.

Figure Drawing

In the Ryder Studio, on a "normal" day, we work on our portraits in the morning and figure drawing in the afternoon. During the last two weeks, I've been working with Randy in incandescent / halogen lighting. These are the two pieces I completed.

Another Randy oil sketch

Randy has a whole suitcase of costumes. Sure makes it fun to paint! Quick 3 hour sketch. 9 x 12

Alla Prima Week - Randy

These were from our alla prima class (and some extra sessions outside) each one is a 3 hour pose, 8 x 10 (except the one above which is 9 x 12)
It was aerobic...oil sketches.

Alla Prima Week - Raven

We painted a number of quick portraits, generally about 2 1/2 hours when you count the model breaks. Changing costumes, background and lighting made it fun!
These are all Raven, and 8 x 12.

Understanding Modern Art

Last week we spent the whole week working on our own still lifes. As always, I set up still lifes a bit more complicated than necessary. I'm calling it "Understanding Modern Art". Somewhat tongue in cheek, that is the name of the book in the still life. 12"x12"

Final Rose

Finished Rose last week. Refined some of the forms and tried to bring the light up in the hair.

One more day!

Today was supposed to be our last day working on our portraits of Rose. But, yippee!, we get to work one more day next Friday. So here she is. Next week, I'll work on getting some sparkly highlights in her hair and some minor tweaking all around.

Getting Closer

We are down to the last week of form painting. So far it is coming together. Photo shows a bit of drying in (matt areas where the oil from the paint has sunk in) which will be taken care of with a bit of retouch varnish. Using a small round nylon brush with opaque mixtures of oil paint. Sometimes I'll use a tiny bit of medium when the paint is stiff and doesn't spread easily. We are working on oil primed linen canvas as our support. Mine has a bit of texture, others' are very smooth.

Continuing Form Painting

This week Tony did form painting demos each morning and we worked on our paintings in the afternoon. I've continued working up from the dark in Rose's face and spent a day on her hair. I still need to bring up the lights in her hair as well as the rest of her face.

Working up the neck/throat

Continuing the form painting of Rose. Should have stuck to the dark area but couldn't resist working into the light on her throat and chest.

Form Painting Started

After finishing the wash-in color underpainting, I've started the form painting. This entails working small areas with a small acrylic round brush. Working thinly, from the dark to the light. In this photo, I've form painted the background and part of the dark part of the hair.

Washing in Rose

After inking in the drawing and wiping off the charcoal, I've started the "wash-in". This is a color underpainting using oil paint thinned with solvent, starting in the dark area and moving toward the light.

The beginning of Rose

The first portrait of the year! This photo is showing an oil "poster study" where we explore the effect of the the light and the canvas with drawing. The canvas is 10"x 12" and the drawing was done in charcoal followed by an "ink-in" done over the drawing with a very diluted paint. Today I will wipe off the charcoal and use the drawing for the next step; a "wash-in" color underpainting. So glad to be back at it!

Critique

TREVOR PORTRAIT by Trevor Burrowes

For a long time, I viewed easel painting as meaningless. When the real world was there to be explored, what good was a flat representation of it that hangs on a wall? I wanted to do practical things with the world you could touch and feel. Perhaps I should have studied architecture and not painting.

Although I had modeled for many portrait painters, professionals and students, no reproduction of my likeness produced in me more than academic interest until I modeled for Tony Ryder’s students late in 2008. One student produced an inspired pencil drawing that I treasure. But what really changed the way I look at paintings was a painting of me by Deborah Allison. It also changed how I view myself.

Someone said of the pencil image that it was noble. It was a good likeness showing me in the most flattering light, a three-quarter view from slightly below that could be of any great hero or knight on a horse. Noble , strong, thoughtful. But the painting by Deborah Allison was something quite different.

As it proceeded, I thought it expressed sadness and I wasn’t convinced that I would like it. It was a tight painting and there’s nothing worse than a tight, detailed rendition that is drawn wrong. It took me some time to realize that this was drawn right. Very right. So right in fact that it redefined the way I see myself. It is what I now look to to provide clarity and stability about my image.

I wasn’t trained to do realistic painting but I know enough about it to appreciate how this work follows the rules of painting. One senses the exact texture of the hair, eyebrows, eyelashes and beard. While a novice would be distracted by trying to depict each hair individually, Deborah has convincingly depicted these features through daubs of paint. This takes great skill and learning.

Despite the filtering out of non-painterly detail, the representation is relentless, It has no interest in flattery, yet it is not unflattering. It allows my countenance to speak for itself.

It is me at ground zero. The previously mentioned equestrian knight might fall off his horse and feel shame, but Deborah’s Trevor has no horse to fall from. He’s firmly planted on the ground. If he’d been brought up to feel soft and helpless, or that he must overreach to gain acceptance, this image tells him something different. He is strong and durable, even stoic. While imperfect, he is quite adequate the way he is. I now look for this persona in the mirror

When I study this picture I can hear the sound of my voice…as if she found a way to paint that too. Time has pressed against this face, yet it endures with considerable beauty – the beauty of time itself.

Trevor

Just realized I hadn't posted the last painting of the class; "Trevor" sat for us for 6 weeks. A joy to paint! 10" x 12" oil.

More Drawings

Recent drawings of Raven and Donna.

Finally Finished Donna

This is the final image of Donna's portrait, finished last week.

Encore Raven

These are two of my drawings of Raven with graphite and white charcoal on colored paper.

Donna

Artist and model, Donna, sat for us for 6 weeks. Sure was a joy to paint her. 10"x12" oil.

Melissa

Melissa is a model from San Fransisco. We only kept her busy for two weeks, but I feel like it was a productive 2 weeks.

Cinzia

We've used Cinzia as a model for many figure drawings, but this was the most relaxed we'd seen her. Must be due to the big comfy chair!

Larine

Each portrait takes from 5 to 6 weeks, 5 days a week, 3 hours a day. This requires tremendous patience from the model and persistance from the artist. Larine is a fine artist when she is not modelling for us at the Ryder studio.

Cherished

Goodness the months are flying by. We are halfway through the nine month course with Tony and still painting like crazy. This piece "Cherished" is 10"x10" in oil and is a composition of the books and objects that mean a lot to me for various reasons. I painted it across the canvas, so the format is not a normal square.

Raven In All His Glory

Two Figures in Studio 16"x14"

Raven 12"x10"

Raven sat for both portrait and this double figure work. Two figures and two sources of light at the Ryder Studio. It doesn't get better than that!