Thursday 8 September 2011

Scarlet Solitude, Oil on Board, 16" x 20", 2011



Today I was a able sketch a homeless guy I have always wanted to sketch.
Once he agreed I just got my studio to do a quick conversion to colour from the sketch without any reference to a colour reference.

I went about it thus

1. The board I used was given a colouful warm underpainting of light and dark tones.

2. I added liquin to the board to add some resistance, so the colours don't sink.

3. I used the Zorn Palette for this piece, which consists of white, yellow ochre, cadmium red and Ivory black. It's a limited palette but very tonal and powerful!

4. I sketched the head in with mixture of red and back.

5.After which I just painted shape by shape from memory and from the sketch to get a feel of how I saw him today.

6. His face came out a bit longer but I was still happy with the result.

15 comments:

SharonWrightArtist said...

Fabulous!Love all that hair, I can see why you wanted to paint him.

adebanji said...

Thanks Sharon!

jane said...

inspirational

Tascarini said...

Amazing. Thank you for sharing your sketch and process of painting from your sketch.

adebanji said...

Thanks Tascarini!

Yuriy said...

I liked the bw version in the Urban Sketchers blog but this one is even more fabulous. Thanks for sharing your works.

Also, I wonder what does that feel for homeless people to be photographed or sketched and how would I have reacted in a similar situation. On the one hand, that a kind of an attachment to a so called "normal world" as you are recognised as a person with a story behind you. On the other hand, they're only models with their picturesque properties exploited in one or another way.

That's probably why did that guy hesitate before letting you to draw him...

adebanji said...

Thanks Yuriy! Your point is powerful and valid.

Victor Errington said...

Hi Adebanji.
Just found your blog, brilliant. lovely portrait my friend. I also love your sketches, they also are brilliant. All the best.
Vic.

adebanji said...

Thanks Victor!

Diary of a Madd Weekly Painter said...

Positively outstanding! Your work always is though. All the best to you.

adebanji said...

Thanks Sue!

Glenda Mosher said...

This is so dramatic! I love how you have painted this fellow!

adebanji said...

Thanks Glenda!

GenaResende said...

Hi!

This recent sketch is one of the only where you draw the eyes...wide opened, generally in the other they are closed, opr in a meditative way or almost sleepping, I prefer this one, it's much more alive, more "human", when we sleep or when we have our eyes closed, we are so damn vulnerable, and life is not shown...

This is my interpretation, you see.
I just found your blog, through «enquantosevoa» a blogger that follows you. I'm portuguese, from near Estoril, and I love painting, drawing and all arts and crafts. I will return

Gena Resende

Arti said...

This is just wonderful!