painty bits

So last year in November I decided to teach myself to draw.  I found an awesome website called Wet Canvas and started picking up tips and tricks there.   I think about January I decided to paint and got a set of acrylics.  My first paintings were okay but er... not fantastic.  I got quite frustrated with one because I couldn't get the white to quit looking so matte and chalky and put it aside when I got busy with other things.

In September I got the itch again and joined in a Different Strokes challenge.  This kitty was the result... my 6th painting.  A4 size on canvas pad using titanium white, black, ultramarine, cad red med. (Finished.)

I followed the kitty up with starting in on this handsome lad.... Ch. Combee's Bearfoot Silver Magnum, an old Aussie who was very interesting. Same size, medium and but with chromium green oxide. (I am in love with that green... LOVE I tells ya!)  He's still got a little ways to go before he's finished as his jaw/cheeks area is undone and he needs glazing and tweaking of his bone structure at the top of his head (above eyes) and some more creamy colours tucked into his cheeks. (Work in progress!)

Then I played with a quick study of an rabbit that had lots of white and painted these two as a quick attempt to start to figure out rabbit fur.  (Obviously still have a ways to go on that...)  They are supposed to be Poppy and Violet, two rescue buns. 8x10, acrylic on board, same everything else. (Finished.)

At the same time I started these I started one of Verity, shown here in it's first layer of colour.  I'm working on it very slowly as it's very emotional.  It's 8x10 on gallery wrapped canvas. (Work in progress!)

I started this one, which is about halfway done, of an Isa Brown chook from a WC reference photo in one of the challenges.  She's 4x6 wrapped canvas so just a little bitty thing. (WIP)

I'm still working mainly on finishing up Magnum and Verity but needed to take a break from looking at them.  I am also working on understanding a lot of other aspects in painting and decided to do a quick study that I'd have to be convincing with out being able to obsessively tweak for detail and work with a very limited palette.  Sierra was napping in deep shadows that she almost seemed to fade into while the light that shone on her lit up her head and front with very high contrast and became my willing victim.  A4 using only burnt sienna, ultramarine and white, 1.5 hours. (Finished.)

That was so much fun I sketched up this one... no paint on it for now though.  A very obvious work in progress! ;p