Drawing ; heads in oil pastel

 Contemporary, portrait, landscape, painting, best, top ten, paintings, oil, artist, artists, gallery, life, figure, graphite, sketch, Snowdonia, drawings, pencil, Art, geometry, composition, Master, Masterpiece, Welsh, Wales, Artist, technique, poses, traditional, gallery, 

'Head 1' 

Coloured oil pastel on acrylic ground.

These heads are not portraits. They are details taken from full-figure drawings. 

When sketching out a figure, it is usually a good idea not to concern yourself, until the later stages, with any detailed parts, for example the facial features. The head for example is usually drawn in very broadly and any attempt at a 'likeness' is ignored. However when the drawing is finished (usually because the time has run out) it can be interesting to look at how the various parts are depicted. And in this post I'm checking out some of the heads. 

This first detail is cropped from a reclining figure, and then rotated clockwise.

(N.b., don't forget that you can enlarge any image simply by hovering over it and clicking. Select the back arrow to return.)

'Head 2' 

Coloured oil pastel on acrylic ground.

'Head 3' 

Coloured oil pastel on acrylic ground.

Very often I use mid or dark green acrylic paint as a base colour. The skin colours are then laid over this. It is an old technique initiated originally by the northern Renaissance painters when they started using oil-based paint. The trick was, that as the overlaid colours in the form of washes and stumbling were applied, the green would subtly affect the skin colour and give it more natural depth. 

'Head 4' 

Coloured oil pastel on acrylic ground.

Here is another couple.

'Head 5' 

Coloured oil pastel on acrylic ground.

'Head 6' 

Coloured oil pastel on acrylic ground.

Rather more random colouring on this example. 

'Head 7' 

Coloured oil pastel on acrylic ground.

This painting has a dark blue base colour. It is the same general idea as the green base but tends towards a more dramatic effect.

'Head 8' 

Coloured oil pastel on acrylic ground.

Head 8 shows how, most times, there is little attempt to scrutinise facial details. I simply put down a broad indication of the size, structure, lighting and so on.

'Head 9' 

Coloured oil pastel on acrylic ground.

This is not an advert, but I'd like to mention that I use a 20-pastel box by Sennelier, all of which have been pre-selected for use when drawing portraits or figures. They have been carefully chosen and they work very well. I have drawn figures with pretty-well every skin colour and this selection to work for all.

'Head 10' 

Coloured oil pastel on acrylic ground.

Oil pastels lend themselves to a broad approach and to rapid application. Head 10 is an example.

 QUIZ                                        “details, details........,”                       QUIZ 

What's going on here, and who painted it?

(The answer will be in the next posting.)

And here's the answer from the last posting -

 'Boy with Pipe'

 Pablo Picasso.

  quiz  quiz qu                                                                                                                                                                                 iz  q.                 uiz  quiz   

. . . . . and a very appropriate quote after all this lockdown madness:

"In spite of everything I shall rise again : I will take up my pencil, which I have forsaken in my great discouragement, and I will go on with my drawing." 

Vincent Van Gogh.

  quiz  quiz qu                                                                                                                                                                                 iz  q.                 uiz  quiz   

Music

By the way, recently I've been using some of my landscapes, figure paintings and life drawings, alongside some music, in a series of YouTube videos based at  

Songs From Wales. 

You're very welcome to take a quick look if you have the time.

These songs can also be found on (and downloaded from) iTunes, Spotify, CDBaby, and many other platforms.

quiz  quiz qu                                                                                                                                                                                 iz  q.                 uiz  quiz   

. .  and now, a Recommended Read . . 

'freedom is my religion'

By Pat Condell 

Published by Lulu.com

Very vigorously written. A sharp mind, and funny too.

Harry.

Pat Condell is a former award-winning stand-up comedian who now makes internet videos advocating secularism, democracy, and free speech. Find out more at www.patcondell.net

Review from Amazon. 

<Click HERE for my wikipedia entry>

  quiz  quiz qu                                                                                                                                                                                 iz  q.                 uiz  quiz

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