Pinup

I'm back again with another pin up girl.  This one is sitting outside on a picnic blanket.  She has a basket of fruit a jar and a lollypop.

I'm totally stoked about the blanket, her skirt, legs, and the jar.  I had a bit of trouble with the color of the shadow on her arms and so it is a bit of a drawback for me.  Also, I like the shading of her top, and her bangs.

I tried really hard to make her pretty lifelike.  I think I really got it, save her face.  I know thats a somewhat important part of a painting.  I don't think it turned out too bad, just not quite right.

This one won't be my last, so stay tuned for more pinups.

Mermaid

So, I got on a little bit of a mermaid kick lately.  It started a couple of weeks ago, and has just about run its course.  This might be about my last one.  I really think her tail fin turned out great on this on.  Also, I'm really happy that the shading of her skin turned out pretty good.

Under her hair is darker than her face and chest.  Her left arm is darker than her right.  She even has a little shadow on one butt cheek.  Not too back on a little painting.

The hair didn't quite turn out like I thought, but it isn't too bad either.  I'm totally happy with this little painting.

If you want to watch me paint this, you can view the video below.

Weathered Statue of a Woman

It was cold in the studio when I painted this.   I've got bookmarks on several pictures across the web that I might want to paint one day.  I was thinking that if I painted a warm picture, that I might warm up myself.

The picture I took this from seemed like it was taken on a warm summers evening.  I convinced myself, after looking at this picture again, that painting it would definitely warm me up.

I used yellow ochre, van dyke brown and transparent orange oxide for the majority of this painting.  Those 3 colors certainly put a warm spin on this.  In order to cool it down a bit, I used a bit of payne's grey.  In some places I used it straight, without mixing, but mostly mixed it with the van dyke brown to warm it a little, almost like a sepia.

I used a lot of layers to build up the depth and detail on this painting.  I probably should have done a few more layers.

I did put a little spatter on this painting.  I used the same colors that I used to paint her body.  In hind sight, I should have done a little more of the spatter too.

I hope you like it.  If you have an interest in watching me paint it, I've provided a video below.

Sleeping Nude

I like to try new ways to paint all the time.  Recently, I was watching some watercolor videos I had collected a long time ago.  The video suggested covering the entire paper with paint as a base color, then going back and doing the same thing with the next layer, etc.  I'd gotten away from doing this because I never seemed to be able to paint quite right like that.

Well, with this picture, since I had just watches those videos,  I tried it.  Well, I hated it.  I painted this whole picture that way, and kinda got fed up with it and walked away.  Maybe I can't see that large a picture or something.  I went back over this picture with what I call "my way" and it got better, but sill not loving this one.

Maybe its because I have the attention span of a gnat (already had to take 3 breaks in typing this) or only the ability to think of half a thing at once, but "my way" is to paint a small portion, then go to another small portion, then another, and another, etc.   I don't mind going back over and back over to blend the portions previously painted together.  I think I can work with that method (my method) to paint just about anything.  It just seems that when I start painting a full layer of paint on paper, I lose the ability to manipulate the painting to what I want.  It just kinda goes its own way, and I'm constantly trying to reel it in.

Well, this one is what it is.  Hope you enjoy.

Continuing the Theme

Here are two more sketches.  Both done in under 30 minutes.  I spent less than 10 drawing each, and finished the painting at abut the 20 minute mark.

No these aren't museum quality, but it is forcing me to draw more, and also to think more about where i put my paint.  Since I am trying to paint in such a compressed time, I have to conserve my paint strokes.

I don't know if I mentioned that I have switched to painting with a travel palette.  Having a palette with only 12 colors on it actually makes it easier than having one with 24.  I guess I have to think less, or maybe I have to think more.  Not sure.  do know that having all 24 colors I just used to grab the exact (or nearly) color I wanted to use.  With only 12, I now have to mix my colors a bit to get colors, and I think the mixing of colors makes the paintings a bit more alive.

Well, they are what they are, enjoy.

Nude sketch

I was challenged by a friend to do a nude sketch.  I didn't have a model to sit for me, but thanks to the good folks at pixelovely I was able to find something to paint.

It is of course a woman sitting with her head turned away from us.  I wasn't initially happy with the sketch, so I added a little background.  The colors are nothing like the original picture, but I think they help.

Since I wanted light on the models back, I put yellow there and tried to make it progressively darker as we move to the left.  I think it helped with the representation of light.

I've been reading a bit about painting quickly, and I am excited to learn that these quick sketches really are a valuable to learn form, shading and water control for watercolors.  I really like doing them, since they are so quick and last about as long as my attention span.  This sketch, for example, from blank page to finish was about 30 minutes.

Hope you enjoy it.

Red Head

Still not quite done with this but I suppose it is near enough.  All I have to do is throw on some king of mottled background and voila.

Faces seem to be really hard, and I don't know why.  Scratch that, I do know why.  We all know what faces should look like.  We all know where eyes go, and noses and mouths, ears, etc.  And we also know exactly how they should be positioned on the head.  We see faces every day, and so, if one object that makes up a face isn't quite right, it makes the whole face entirely wrong.  

Well, I got this afce probably as close as any other face I've painted.  I think I got a bit stripey with the dark in the hair, but I needed to do something to it.  With just strands of red, there wasn't enough depth to it.  the stripes really help bring it out.  Well, it is practice.

Quick Sketching (err, well, coloring anyway)

I've a friend who is continually publishing quick sketches that she does.  She works a lot with the human form, but will paint other stuff.  Well, I was going through some old sketchbooks I had laying around and decided to colorize them.  I don't know when I drew these.  I would say it was 3 or 4 years ago.  Tonight I was cleaning up the old studio when I came across these.  I thought it might be a good exercise to try to quickly paint theses.  I gave it a shot, but they are not anywhere near the quality that my friend does.

I realize, now, looking at these paintings, that they lack a bit of color.  I do have a good reason for this,  or perhaps I have several excuses.

Firstly, I was using the color that was already on my palette from previous paintings.  I didn't think I would need a lot of color to do this and thought this would be a good way to use up what I had left over from last nights painting.    Well, last night I was painting a Maine Coon cat, and the color diversity on that cat is not the greatest.  Secondly, and perhaps finally, its me.  If I can see a color, I can recognize it, I can enhance it, I can manipulate it, but I don't always do well creating color.  I saw an area for skin and put down skin-ish color.  TA DA.  In hind sight, I probably should have added a lot of depth to these so that they are a bit (ok a lot) more lively.

So, here you are, +Kelly Murphy, a couple of quick sketch es in the fashion of so many of the paintings you do.

red

Here is a painting I started a long time ago.  I just never seemed to have enough time to finish it, or maybe it was interest.  Well, at any rate, I spent a little time last night to finish it up.  Hope you like it.

One for the Weekend (Pin Up Girl, Feet Up)

A pin up to last you though the weekend.    This one, too, is red, with a green background.  I'm gonna claim Chritmasness because of it.

Ok, now on to a funny story.  I painted this last night during the worst storm of the year. It was, of course, dark.   I got all set up, mixed a few colors, had just started putting brush to paper when..... the power went out.  I had to immediately rethink my strategy.  A quick trip to the office to get a flashlight.  Then a better idea.  A headlamp.

Power was out for about 3 hours last night, and this got painted by LED headlamp.  Not optimal conditions, but interesting.  Given the circumstances, I think this turned out really well.

I had a lot of fun painting it in the dark.  Hope you enjoy viewing it.

Just a practice painting.  This is actually on the back side another painting in my sketch  book.  I was never intending this to be the greatest painting in the world, rather, I wanted to get some more experience with hair.  I think this hair is slightly better than some of the hair that I have done in the past.  I don't however think this is anywhere close to where I want to be.

The skin on her face got a little dark, I'll have to work on that too.

One thing I am happy about is that I drew this without any reference points or tracing.  I know its not the most technical thing i the world, but whenever I can do that and it looks like what it is supposed to look like, I am happy.

Enjoy.

Face, Finished

Stop me if I've said this before.... I hate hair.  Hair is so hard to paint.  I feel like I am never gonna get it.  I thought I might have been onto something with the hair on this painting, but then.... no.  What you see on this is mostly done with watercolor pencil.    I put on a basic color of the hair, then tried putting in some detail with the brush. Err, grrrr, huh.  Terrible!  So then I tried to fix it a bit with watercolor pencil.   I guess that it isn't too bad, but I wouldn't say that it's good either.

Ok, lets get off the hair and try to look a little more critically.  I tried to get a little color in the whites of the eyes.  and I guess I did that, but they still look flat.  The lips fell a bit flat too.  Maybe a bit of highlight with my favorite white pencil would help that.  I don't know.  I do like how the ball of the nose is.  Can't believe that that is my favorite part of the painting.  LOL.   I  just think thats kinda funny.
Well, hope you enjoy it.

A Little Attitude?

I'm not quite done with this one, but  before I screw it up, I need to take a break fom it.  I like the way most of this has turned out. Of course the thing that needs the most help is the hair.  One day I'll be able to paint hair.   I don't really know when that will be, but based upon the look of the hair in this picture, it's gonna be quite a while.

Anyway, until it's done and you see it again, enjoy.

The Next Drawing

Ok, here is the next drawing.  I even managed to erase the gridwork over her face.  I know you need to put dark next to light when drawing.  It helps to add form to what you are drawing.  I tried it with this.  Not sure if it is working for me or not.  Well, I think this is a good effort none the less.

Pin-up Girl

Well, I wanted to get a quick painting in yesterday during lunch, and decided to paint a pinup girl.  As you can see, some good and some bad came out of it.    In general, I think its a pretty good painting.

I think I like her legs best of all.  There is some color to them, but they didn't get too yellow, or too red.  And the shadowing worked out pretty well.  Her stomach is ok, but her arms are way to yellow, and probably her face too.  Actually I had a lot of trouble with her nose, and mouth.

Her left palm is facing the viewer and also up.  I dind't quite capture that, and as a result her hand just looks odd.  And talk about odd, what is up with that pinky?  Well, I guess that's why they call it practice.

I thought as I was painting this that the background would show more blue and yellow in it.  As it turned out, it seems all green.  That's not all bad, but could be better.

Well, I had fun, and hope you all enjoy it.

Senorita

This painting for sale.  Watercolor 9x12.  $30

Ok, even after a little hiatus, I think I might still be stuck on portraits.  I saw this picture and knew I had to try to paint it.  I think it turned out pretty good, considering.  Considering, I'm still trying to figure out hair, and eyes give me fits.  Oh, and mouths, an noses aren't easy.  Heck, lets just throw the whole head in there as not being easy.  Then, I suppose we could talk a bout clothes, and flowers.... but wait a second.  Im Looking at this painting along side some others that I have done, and I think I am miles ahead of where I was even a few months ago.

I'm proud of this painting, and it is gonna hang in my office for a while.  I've taken down all my previous paintings, and made room for everything I am going to paint over the summer.  This is a great start to the wall.  I'll probably do some more portraits, at least until I feel I've mastered eyes, and lips and hair.  I'm working on more pictures of Ellie, and I want to start a series of everyday things.  Be sure to watch out for them

Hope you enjoy the painting.  I enjoyed painting it.  Thank you.

Tango For Two

This painting for sale.  Watercolor, 5x8, $10

Alright, I feel like I am actually beginning to get the hang of this painting thing.  I wanted to paint this picture for a challenge I had last month, but painted something else instead.  I had already drawn the picture on paper, and so I thought I would just paint it anyway.  The original picture had so much going on around these two.  There were people all around and columns behind them.  I decided to simplify the picture a bit.  I don't know if I did the picture justice or not.  I just thought if I simplified, and made these two the only thing to focus on, then they would be that much better.

Again, I am using my own, paint and blend technique.  As I do it more and more, I think that I am getting better at it , and it seems as though I can do it a bit more quickly.  I could have done more with this picture, but I didn't want to overdo it.

I hope you all like this picture as much as I do.

A Couple of Extras

This painting for sale.  Watercolor 5 1/2 x 8 1/2.  $8

 Here are a couple of paintings that I have had kicking around for a while. I don't think that either are particularly great, but I don't think that they are that bad either.

This painting for sale.  Watercolor 5 1/2 x 8 1/2.  $8

I was thinking that these would turn out is kind of a pin-up kind of way.  The first one I think does a pretty good job of that,  the bottom one, not quite so much.  Once again, on these, I think the hair was the hardest part.  I really like the shadowing on the top one, and actually like the skin tones on both.  I probably still have a way to go in painting people, but I think I'm getting closer.  I'll get there soon, but I think I might move on to a different subject matter for a while. Don't be surprised if starting next week there is a big run on some other topic of paintings.

Hope you all enjoy.

Woman on White Couch

Ok, I think I am getting better at hair.  I'm not saying this hair looks fantastic, but it looks better than the last one.

This is another one that might be destined to have a background put on at a later date.  I am, however, pretty pleased with the way this one turned out.

Another Portrait

Ok, here is another portrait.  I think I did ok on this one, but probably not great.  I like some of her skin.  But in other places, not so fond of it.  Hair is always a problem.  It's tough.  This was additionally tough given that she is a blonde.  How do I differentiate her hair enough from her skin to make you notice .

I liked the picture when I originally saw it, and still do.  Face, hand, arms and hair.  All the things I wanted to work on..... And all the things I think I still need to work on.

I do think the eyes are better.  The problem I had with this painting was trying to determine how dark to make the eyebrows and lashes.  The picture that I painted from has dark eyebrows and lashes, but they look too dark for some reason.

Well, I still think it is a good effort and I think I learned some really good things from painting it.  Hope you enjoy it.