29 Faces in February - Successfully Completed!

First, thank you very much to Ayala Art for the great 29 Faces in February challenge! It was definitely a challenge and a stretch but now 29 faces exist in my sketchbook that didn't before. It was very enjoyable, I tried a number of experiments and I think my face sketching ability has improved as a result. 

Thank you very much!

This is my last face, one of my faves and the final in my scientist series. 

Wernher von Braun by EVA

These scientists were inspired by this special issue of Discover magazine - interesting people and interesting faces. In addition to it acting as muse, I finally finished reading the issue! (A year old now...)

Here are 3 collages of my February efforts:

The Scientist Series

 Every Face

The non-scientists (or so I presume...)

(double-clicking should enlarge these...)

I haven't been able to visit everyone who participated every day (or even most days) due to time and frustration with word verification, but I will try to over the next few days. From what I did see there was AMAZING work done by this group! Wow!!

Sunday Sketches and Days 25 AND 26 of 29 FACES

Time for Sunday Sketches with Sophia of Blue Chair Diary! And since I have continued to work on my face sketches for Ayala Art's 29 Faces in February, I actually have something to show this week...

First up is another in my Scientist Series:

Marie Curie by EVA 

This next one I sketched just using watercolours but no pencil - but I really messed up the amount of water and damaged the paper where I was trying to add shading.         :(          Oh well - this is all a learning experience!

I'll be dropping by throughout the day to see your sketches. Have a great day!

Paint Party Friday - Week 50 - Winter Fields finished!

THANK YOU for all your comments last week about how to finish off my landscape painting. I really appreciated them all - so many great ideas!

I added a little blue to the snow and silver to the Moon and the trees to the painting. Here is the final finished painting:

"Winter Fields" 

Left Side

Right side

And I started a new painting - very much still a WIP (work in progress) though...

I am also still working on Ayala Art's 29 Faces in February challenge and this is face #24 - another in my series of scientists...

Stephen Hawking by EVA

Hope you have a great time at Paint Party Friday! I look forward to visiting you!

29 Faces in February - #21 plus Scribbling... for PETZ

OMG - what fun has Sunshineshelle started?! A few days ago she linked to this cool digital doodling site and ... well I had to try it!

PETZ.    But friends?

I had no idea that this is what I would come up with - but once complete, it seemed like a fun submission for the Butterfly Effect's theme of PETZ this week!

Here is my 21st face for Ayala Art's 29 Faces in February challenge. Another in my scientist series. this is my attempt to capture Linus Pauling.

Linus Pauling by EVA

29 Faces in February - #18 and #19

Continuing with my face sketches for Ayala Art's 29 Faces in February challenges, I played with those (challenging to me) watercolour brushes for #18...

Day #18

And for today, I continued with my scientist series, trying to capture evolutionary biologist and author Stephen Jay Gould.

Stephen Jay Gould by EVA

... 10 more days to go!

29 Faces in February - #15

Jane Goodall by EVA

Another in my scientist series for today's face #15 in Ayala Art's 29 Faces in February... Jane Goodall primatologist who did incredible work living with and learning about chimpanzees.

We're halfway there - yay!

Sunday Sketches and Day 12 of 29 FACES

For Sunday Sketches with Sophia, today I have another in my scientist series of faces that I am intermingling in my 29 Faces in February with Ayala Art. I'm trying to get used to adding shading to my sketches...

The "Green Revolution" in agriculture was largely started by this Nobel award winning scientist:

Norman Borlaug by EVA

Will be by later to visit you!

Paint Party Friday - Week 48 - The Nutcracker Quartet

I think I am finished! (Yay!)

First, THANK YOU!!! I really appreciate everyone's comments last week as to how to fix/improve my backgrounds, etc.

Clara's hair stayed blonde and I added the raw sienna and other high/low lights that people suggested to her hair and eyebrows.

Lots of you liked the copper - which was actually before the beige (not after - I probably wrote my description poorly). I had immediately painted over it as it looked so ghastly (photo didn't do it justice). Because so many liked it though I wondered what else similar I could do....

Stephanie suggested all the backgrounds be the same and that was my thought (but poor execution) too.

CarlaRey suggested stamping holiday symbols or music notes on to the background and that idea leapt out at me and said "Yes!" ...though since I didn't have such stamps, I spent some time painting music notes on the backgrounds (in my rather shaky and imprecise hand). Then I added a thin coat of gold paint and another of bronze (NOT copper). Now I am much happier plus they coordinate well with my living room!

Here they are!

The Nutcracker by EVA

Professor/Herr Drosselmeyer by EVA

Clara by EVA

The Mouse King by EVA (whiskers added after rest of the photos below were taken)

Together - leaning near where they will eventually hang (more separated) during Christmas season...

With their models...

...and in an assortment of groupings...

 

Whew!!

Thank you all for your help and encouragement! And to Heather, for making me laugh saying how early I was on my Christmas painting when I was thinking I was SO late! Love your attitude! ;)

Oh! I guess I should sign them...

I also have continued my efforts on Ayala Art's 29 Faces in February and today's is another in the "scientist series"...

Sir Arthur Eddington - astrophysicist

Have fun at Paint Party Friday and see you over the weekend!

P.S. Brandy just finished her pages for my Travelling Sketchbook and they are AWESOME!! First time in a while since I've seen any of the work done in my book. Wow!!

29 Faces in February - #8

Today I am continuing my face sketches of scientists - using an old special issue of Discover magazine for inspiration. Day 8 of Ayala Art's 29 Faces in February - 25% complete!

Kurt Gödel

There are more interesting faces (people) for later this month. (And I am finally reading it as I sketch - something I have been meaning to do as it has sat on my reading pile for far too long!)

Sunday Sketches and 29 FACES in February

I'm sketching! And it's Sunday! Time for Sunday Sketches with Sophia of Blue Chair Diary as I finally have a sketch to show as I also work on Day 5 of Ayala Art's 29 Faces in February challenge.

Richard Feynman

I am back to using a Discover magazine on Genius (scientific) for inspiration and Richard is one of my favourites.

Looking forward to seeing everyone's sketches and faces!

Paint Party Friday - Week 47 and #3 of 29 Faces

Finally! A productive week and a great way to start February. (Already?? How the heck did that happen??) Inspired and encouraged by your responses to my pages in the Travelling Sketchbook last week, I decided to get my act together and work on the Christmas paintings I started in December. This is a foursome that will eventually hang together in a grid - at least that's the plan...

I think I have finished the Nutcracker. I need some advice though...

Nutcracker - finished??

I am uncertain about the background for these. Last time someone suggested underpainting it red and green. I think that helped. Then I thought copper might be nice...

then I didn't...

This painting (below - my favourite by my now-deceased sister) will come down and the four paintings will hang here over the holiday season. (I decorate with paintings too -  is that weird?)

The wall is a creamy colour with a hint of yellow and I want to co-ordinate with that. 

Clara - WIP

Clara is the second in the series and for Clara I also need some help. Again, I'm unsure about the background, and I know I need another coat of paint on the nutcracker... but what about her hair? I think of her as blonde but might black hair be more effective? What do you think?

Clara - WIP - with her model nutcracker... (against that wall)

I also did a bit of work on the remaining two paintings:

Mouse King - WIP

  

Herr/Professor Drosselmeyer - WIP

Any recommendations are appreciated!

I also started Ayala Art's new challenge for February - 29 Faces. Great inspiration - especially if you are like me and want to practice "portraiture".. (Doesn't it sound fancy saying it that way!)  Here is #3...

(Charles Darwin)

Want to join in? 

Hope you have a great time at Paint Party Friday or creating Faces in February!

29 Faces in February - #1

Ayala  at "I Love to Paint" has a new challenge for February - 29 Faces. 

I have been wanting to sketch more faces and have procrastinated dreadfully and haven't made much progress so far.   :(   So this is a great challenge for me! I am starting by trying to sketch from photos in magazines...

Do you recognize him?

29 Faces - a great idea and hopefully an achievable goal. Posting every day in February? Not so sure - mine may be intermittent posts with multiple faces.

Looking forward to seeing your interesting faces!