This portrait is from one of the classes I’m taking at Acrylic University. I painted it weeks ago and just haven’t been focused on either this blog, or painting at all.
beginner
52 Mini Paintings Challenge: Week #16
This is the week 16 painting for Jed Dorsey’s Mini Painting Challenge at Acrylic University. It’s called “Canyon Shadows” and is based on a reference photo by Jacob Jolibois, supposedly somewhere in the Grand Canyon area. 6×6 canvas panel.
Surprisingly straightforward, although when I looked at the reference and my painting in gray scale, I had to adjust my values for the cliff at the left, and the sky just above it. As well as the distant canyon walls.
Portrait.. After Lauren Rudolph
I’ve been taking a couple of Lauren Rudolph’s classes at Kara Bullock Art. This portrait is not part of the class; I found it on her website, and found it at least as interesting as anything in the class.
This was done on an 8×10 stretched canvas. The value on the ear is completely wrong; I need to go back and fix that.
Cactus in Bloom… After Teddi Parker
I have some epiphyte cactus flower photos I want to paint so I decided to try out copying a similar painting by Teddi Parker. This was done on an 8×8 gessoed wood panel.
“Almost Home”… a Nocturne after Aimee Erickson
This painting is from yet another mini challenge at Acrylic University, and this one is based off a work by an artist named Aimee Erickson.
I did this on a 6×6 birch panel, and I did the complete sky — orange to red-orange to purple gray to black. Then I added the tree, the light posts, the buildings and the cars.
Red Onions… After Vicki McGrath
I discovered Vicki McGrath on a “Learn to Paint” podcast, and then followed her on Instagram. After my first attempt at the red onion from my Acrylic University lesson, I attempted to copy Vicki’s work, although I changed the background from green stripes to a solid mint green via phthalo green yellow shade. She paints in gouache on watercolor paper; I used acrylic on an 8×8 canvas. Her version is available as a print here.
AU: Simple Shapes… Week #4
A few weeks ago I signed up for an 8 week class at Acrylic University called “Simple Shapes” taught by Dianna Shyne. I wasn’t overly interested in painting the still lifes for the first 3 weeks, despite watching the videos and downloading the reference photos, but I did want to try painting the red onion.
This was on 6×6 acrylic paper (SoHo brand). The first time, I put too many of the colors Dianna used, and the result didn’t look much like an onion! (Hers did, mine didn’t.) So the next day I painted over what I had before, and tried again. I think the second attempt is much improved. I also used smaller brushes, especially for the onion roots.
Goldfinch.. After Dianna Shyne
This painting of a bird came from a bonus class at Acrylic University. While I’ve drawn or sketched birds, I’ve never tried painting a bird so I decided to give it a shot, after watching the 25 minute video. This was done on a 6×6 panel with only the primaries, and white as my colors.
Cherry Tree… After Dianna Shyne
Last week, the instructor Dianna Shyne led a workshop on the “Colors of Spring”, which included her painting four small studies of flowering trees and spring flowers. I was struck most by her field of daffodils, and this flowering tree. (I’m guessing it’s a cherry tree.) I did my own version of the reference photo, and here is my result. (I took a photo at a distance, because in some ways, the painting looks better from afar.) 8×10 stretched canvas.
Colors used: Titanium White, Quinacridone Magenta (PR122), Naphthol Red (PR112), Cad-Free Yellow Medium, Ultramarine Blue and Raw Umber. I toned the canvas a few months ago with Raw Umber and Titanium White.
BetterLateThanNeverArt 