Head Study #103

This is a portrait of the Japanese singer Maki Nomiya of the band Pizzicato Five.  I could have raised it about an inch or two.

Paper: New York Central, 140 lbs, hot pressed, 11.5 x 15"

Head Study #102

While I waited for the larger pieces to dry, there was time to work on something else.  So, here is a portrait of Ruby Dee, an American actress.  I thought the photograph had nice smile for me to try to copy.  Paper: New York Central, 140 lbs, hot pressed, 11.5 x 15"

Head Study #101

Tonight I have another colorized charcoal drawing by John Singer Sargent of Mrs George Swinton in 1906.  I like the effect of less colors, leaving out the purple.  Paper: New York Central, 140 lbs, hot pressed, 15 x 22"

Head Study #100

Yay, I've done one hundred!  Ok, today's post is another colorized John Singer Sargent charcoal drawing of Beatrice Alice Fielden from 1911.  I've limited the color range a bit (leaving out the purple) and I think this works better.  Paper: New York Central, 140 lbs, hot pressed, 15 x 22"

Head Study #99

Tonight I present a colorized copy of a John Singer Sargent charcoal drawing of Myra Hess, a British pianist done in 1920.  And this time much larger then previous attempts, life sized.  In fact a little larger than life sized as it got away from me and I unintentionally made it bigger.

I come back to this picture every now and then because I have trouble with it.  I can't figure out why?  It doesn't seem complex.  Her hair style is simple.  I just can't get it right.  Paper: New York Central, 140 lbs, hot pressed, 15 x 22"

Head Study #98

Today I present a portrait of Moira Shearer, a Scottish dancer/actress from the 40s and 50s.  I've been using the hot pressed paper and now I've got new paints which are described "easy to wash out".  I'm familiar with the term "liftable" which means able to remove the paint by re-wetting the paint and blotting it out.  I took the gamble and ordered the "easy to wash out" paint and it's "liftable".  

So going back to the John Singer Sargent's charcoal drawings, he used an eraser to remove charcoal and I can simulate that with this new paint.  I thought it was going well and just stopped before I ruined it.  Also, one eye is painted with blue and the other in violet, it was an experiment to see what worked better.  Paper: New York Central, 140 lbs, hot pressed, 11 x 15"

Head Study #97

Today I present a portrait of my Mom from a B&W photograph taken in the 1960s.  Paper: New York Central, 140 lbs, hot pressed, 11.5 x 15"

Head Study #96

Tonight I present a colorized copy of a John Singer Sargent charcoal drawing of HRH Princess Mary from 1925.  This is on the new paper, New York Central, 140 lbs, hot pressed, 11 x 15"

Head Study #95

Here's another Louise Brooks.  My paper order arrived quicker than I thought and so I've declared this finished to start with the new hot pressed paper.  Hopefully I'll have better results.  Aches, cold pressed, 10.5 x 15"

Head Study #94

Well, I had some confusion with my paper supplies.  I had some hot pressed sheets of paper mixed in with cold pressed sheets.  I had thought cold pressed was hot pressed and vice versa.  But I've got it sorted out now.  I prefer the hot pressed because the cold pressed dries my brushes out really fast.  It just soaks up all the moisture.

Ok, here is one which is supposed to be Grace Kelly.  Arches, 14 lbs, cold pressed, 11.5 x 15"

 

Head Study #93

And another colorized Sargent, Lady Hazel Lavery (1923) wife of the artist John Lavery.  I still this this paper is hot pressed.  I guess I'll have to run through what I've got stretched and gripe about it here.  Arches, hot pressed, 11.5 x 15"

Head Study #92

Here is a colorized version of a John Singer Sargent charcoal drawing of Mrs Gilbert Russell, 1911.  I've been using cold pressed paper, but I think this is hot pressed.  It's a little bit rougher, but it seems to be very dry and drains the moisture from my brushes very quickly.  I may have had an old sheet lying around and it somehow got mixed in with my usual stock.  Arches, hot pressed, 11.5 x 15"