Thursday 5 November 2009

"Grumpy Joe" 9" x 12", Pastel on gessoed cardboard, 2009



Another transformation. I sketched this guy yesterday, so his image was still fresh in my memory. I was attracted to sketch him because he had a really interesting face, the kind of face I love to sketch. The only problem was that, I was a bit to far away from him and couldn't really get to see his features clearly. Nevertheless I managed to get the most important bits down and when I got to my studio I quickly did this pastel sketch of it. I have also taken a picture of the set up to show how I laid my pastels, with the working area and reference.



I went about working on this piece as follows.

1. Got my gessoeed cardboard primed with white gesso and a neutral grey tint, which was a mixture of ultramarine blue and cadmium orange.

2. I start by running a few colours of pastel across the surface in a haphazard manner, just to break the plainness of the grey tint.

3.I start from the light areas, working on the big shapes first with all the light coloured pastels I feel will work for his skin tones in the light. There's no real formulae to this, I only respond to intuition.

4. Then I move to the darks and repeat the same process as I did for the lights. Its the big shapes first.

5. Now when the big shapes begin to look good, I start drawing into the shapes with my darker coloured pastels to get some of the features in.

6. It generally looks finished at this point and this is how simple 2 tones and some brief sketching basically bring the face forms to life.

7. Just before I wrap it up, I use some soft thin willow charcoal to sketch in some interesting lines and details, just to add some life to his face and that's it!

8. This was purely an experiment and the pastel medium gives one a lot of room to do that.

7 comments:

Crown of Beauty said...

Hi, I hopped over to your blog from Deb's. I don't usually do that...but I do from time to time, just following a kind of instinct.

I first landed on your other blog, Inspiration 4 Me and read some of your entries...the last one there posted in July 2009, The Agony and the Ecstasy, and the poem you penned about Silence... they really moved my heart.

Then I came to this blog, which you said is you main blog... and I'm leaving my comments here.

Thank you. Your work is beautiful, and to think that you did it from memory astounds me. Well, our Creator God has given His gifts of creativity to His creation. Some He has endowed with the gift to paint and sketch, others He has given the gift to write. God be praised for doing that! And I just wanted you to know I appreciate having known this blog exists... and I'd love to visit again in the future.

Blessings,
Lidj

Jeannette StG said...

I love grumpy Joe in sketch and color! But the painting below him, is also very well done!

adebanji said...

Crown of beauty-Lidj,Thanks very much for your wonderful and encouraging comments! I really appreciate them and may the Good Lord bless you too!

Thanks Jeannette!

Harry Kent said...

what a wonderful blod - so glad i found you!! beautiful work, full of conviction and honest searching lines ... and soooooooo enjoy yuor discussion of your processes and art practice ... i'll will be a ghost haunting your blog for sure

adebanji said...

Thanks Harry!

Shelley Whiting's art said...

It's amazing how you capture the various colors in the skin. This picture made me smile. The guy is grumpy. You nailed that expression.

Shelley Whiting's art said...

I love how you capture the various colors in the face. This picture made me smile. The guy is grumpy. You nailed that expression.