Black Spot's Sketches

[JFierce]

So far to me it seems you just need to find a middle ground between your traditional rendition and what your doing digitally. Before it was really sharp. Now it's really soft. I'd play with sharpening the edges and values. Looks like a solid start though. Since if you have issues with your starting point your going to have issues later that come up. But so far looks solid.

[iven]

WOW I love it, thanks for posting in my Sketchbook, what is this song about in your signature,
did you dod some sketches in this video,.........!?

[Black Spot]

iven - it's an old song my husband co-wrote 30 years ago and I had it cleaned up and made the animation. Yes, I drew everything in the video - most of it is in my SB.

tobbA - sorry, but I'm not going to post the ref, I'm mainly working from. She's my son's GF, very sweet and I'm sort of using seeing her and a ton of other photos I have of her.

Vinicam - do.

JFierce - thanks.

Cracked out the oils, so much nicer to work with than acrylics. I'll be on this stage for a lot of this week before putting it away to dry.



krysjez - yes, it is like that, but not quite - I still need to blend it a lot more to give more roundness. I'll be going back to the flower one when I've got to the point that this one needs to dry before continuing.

[Black Spot]

Bit more today. The mouth needs more work.

[bbwolf]

I really like how this is comming along and see it develope.

[Kerah]

I really like it how your painting is coming, tastes a little like chalk

[TASmith]

Blackspot, thanks for posting in my sketchbook, I miss these boards too. Seeing you work here is an inspiration. I wish I could get my students to challenge themselves the way you do. I've been very busy lately. I'm teaching art and literature in English this year, and I have to prepare all the materials myself - what students will read, the vocab, all the lectures, etc. Plus the usual English grammar and essays, etc. You know, you could help me. I'm supposed to talk next week about Great Britain and customs - any differences between Britain and America, any major cultural points, customs, tradiitons, attitudes. I've only been to London a couple times, I've never lived in the UK, so any advice would be great.

As for the latest portrait, I love the hair! That's the saving grace of any portrait, hair is always beautiful. Her expression is accurate, but there's something awkward about the angle of her head and neck. It'd be good to see the reference photo. I think her chin juts out just a bit too much, and her nose is just a tad slanted at an angle - try and turn it about 1.5 degrees counterclockwise. Try to shape the area of her nose between her eyes more, it reads a bit flat. Also, cut away a bit at the left side of her mouth (her right side). We should see less of that side as it wraps around to the far side of her mouth. Her forehead and cheeks all need more variation in value to bring out her form.

[Angel Intheuk]

Ooh Blackspot, that portrait is gorgeous!! Is she supposed to be smiling more like in post #1802, I think it softens her expression nicely. Lovely work!

[Black Spot]

This is the under-painting complete. I won't be working on it again until near Christmas; it has to be completely dry. I've also painted out a cheap canvas board using the same one to practice glazing on. Speaking of which I've been glazing window panes as well, like in removing glass, putty and beading.

[bbwolf]

I think its comming along nicely. I do not know if I´ve ever´d have the patience to let a painting sit that long.

[LtPlissken]

Mrs. Spot. Did anyone tell you that you have such beautiful eyes?
If not, I would like to tell you that you have. I do not know what have
you been eating like a child, but it definitely made you so beautiful and
your art also. A swift relaxing feeling of happiness raises in my mind and
soul, when you are tweaking certain subjects. Please everyone, take a look
at this painting, it is something like not from this world. Please everyone
look at it for a while and enjoy the warm feeling of reinforced renaissance.
I will be waiting so eagerly and full of desire Christmas to come, cause
that’s the time when you will continue your absolute dominance. This
painting will be remembered for a long long time Mrs. Spot.
There is only one like you, and I deeply appreciate your every step and
move. Be well, stay healthy and good Mrs. Spot.

[Ian Barker]

Very nice work so far, I'm looking forward to seeing how this turns out My critique is that I think the lips are off axis and there is too much shadow behind them. Also I think it might work better with a different crop? It looks like she's photobombing something now instead of the focus of the piece.. not sure if that makes sense Also the nose is a bit too hard I think

I did a paintover to show what I mean (though I feel like it's still not exactly right ):

[Umbravita]

I agree with Ian -- the lips seem a bit off. Beautiful, though.

[Pigeonkill]

The eyes are beautiful. I think the muzzle of the mouth seems is a bit forced forward. I hope you don't mind I did paint over to show what I mean. I tucked in the chin/mouth a bit.

http://gyazo.com/ac8382956d69819d375c90ed959ef938

[p sage]

Nice job on the hair.

[bish0p2004]

That's turning out really well Black Spot. I think the mouth is looking better although Ian Barker's paintover hits the mark. The hair looks awesome too. I couldn't imagine having to wait a month before working on this again lol

[Black Spot]

I did do some more work, but this is it - the paint will lift off if I do any more before it's dry. Any further corrections will have to wait. This is what's called the dead layer and there is plenty of room for adjustments later.

[vineris]

That's coming along well! Is that the same girl as in the flower pic?

[rem92]

Looking good, is this a drawing or painting? i would like to see more plane changes though.. specially in the eyes area.

[Black Spot]

vineris -It is the same girl - I'll be getting back to that.

rem92- It's oil on canvas and this is just the underpainting. Shadows etc will be done by glazes.

I wish people would read what I post.

[vineris]

Sorry. It wasn't entirely clear to me so I thought I'd double-check.
She has an interesting face.

[Black Spot]

Not you vineris. Any case I was feeling grumpy. That picture has been put away to dry and I've started on the next one. I'm going to redo parts of the face - currently it looks like she's got mumps. It's 32" x 40" charcoal on canvas, a bit big.

[vineris]

Not you vineris. Any case I was feeling grumpy.

No worries. I understand grumpy! I had a career in tech support, if I had problems with grumpy I'd have had to unfriend myself on Facebook and lose my own number.
And anyway you must have had a bit of a scare with your boys this week.

That stare in this last drawing is compelling, it's a great start. One thing about the raised hand -- it's good that there's variety in the pose, but I think the hand will have to be holding something or pushing it away so that something stops the eye from wandering out of the picture.

[Black Spot]

Moved her eyes as they were in the wrong place. The legs are being worked on (no paintovers please), the bust is miles too big - she's a bit flat chested and I thought I'd expand that area, but I've gone too far. I've changed the whole position yet again from my last digital posting and bits still need ironing out. Her hand will be caressing a petal or two.



Now I've got to get ready for Self Portrait Day.

[JFierce]

No point in it being a crit since you can already tell from the most recent posts how much the roughs change when you refine. But just watch the length of that arm curving around the knee, or at least the lengths of each section of the arm divided by the elbow.

I don't have the experience to say if it's always the case or just appears like it depending on the angle.

http://figuredrawings.com/Albert_Arthur_Allen52.jpg

(Crappy picture I know, it's late, there's a hurricane and google images isn't giving me what I want to describe lol)

But it at least appears that the section between the shoulder and elbow is slightly shorter than the rest. But once again depends a lot of the pose etc etc. Either way just be mindful of the area.



It's looking great though.

[Kerah]

Really like the face on that drawing. However, that knee... !

[iven]

It looks amazing, and I am working on knees and arms too, thanks 4 bugging me,
nice stuff. Let's see if you can fix that knee !

[LtPlissken]

Small patriotic low budget foreign screwdriver ,driven through wet
two layered sponge! Velvet worth never expiring experience
showcasing and surfacing at this right and current moment. Through
your drawings and paintings, a describable became indescribable. All
the delegates of the old artistic world could not solve some of your, much above
average puzzles. Just like ice burning under the pale blue violet radiated
summer sky, it became too obvious and inevitable, that you are definitely
here to stay and to make a strong and positive statement. Oiled up slippery
banana visible from the sewer hole, from behind the house, there will
be no more justice as this one, which was harshly reinforced yesterday.
Mrs. spot. You are doing it. Through the last drawing. Through her knee.
Through her every bit an portion. Moving eyes became your mid daily specialty,
beauty and unbeatable success is no more strangers to you.
Cheers big time Mrs. Spot.

[Black Spot]

Moved the leg about 20 times before I was happy.

[Umbravita]

Dang, love that expression on her face. Can't wait to see how it looks when you've worked more on it.