Charcoal portraits -- October

Back at it with the Saturday morning drawing group of the Skokie Art Guild. I'm using charcoal pencils and also the charcoal sticks (hard -- Winson Newton) that I used 45 years ago when I was in art school. These were all done either 15 or 25 minutes.

Wabash Avenue Bridge

Painting with the Plein Air Painters Chicago on a Saturday morning about 3 weeks ago, I did this painting along the Chicago River at the Wabash Avenue Bridge. It is about 7" x 9" and I took my time and painted it in two hours.

End of season for the drawing group

Three charcoal drawings on charcoal paper all done in about 25 minutes. This was the last class until September so the kiddies can have the room during summer camp. So I will be out painting during this time most Saturdays during the summer, although I must admit I don't like hot weather and standing in the sun if shade isn't available is really unpleasant. I keep telling myself to get out and paint, but I am either lazy or I find Chicago very uninspiring. Also, I have been working on my yard every day.

Charcoal drawing, 5 minutes to 25 minutes

My Saturday drawing group is nearing the summer break. These were done on either newsprint or on charcoal paper. I've been using charcoal pencils unlike my days at the American Academy when I used vine charcoal.

Watercolor portraits and a drawing

This week there was a new model at the drawing group, always interesting to have someone new. I did these two portraits in watercolor in 25 minutes. I begin with washes of color, never drawing them in. The charcoal was done on Strathmore paper. The charcoal was done in 15 minutes.

More portraits

These were done with the Saturday morning drawing group of the Skokie Art Guild. The charcoal drawing was done in 15 minutes and the watercolor portrait was done in 25 minutes. I am not liking the texture of the charcoal paper and don't think I would buy another pad of that. The watercolor is on 140 pound Arches paper. I'm only specifying the time because I could d a much more thorough job with more working time.

More portrait drawings/ paintings and a study from the New Mexico trip

My Saturday morning drawing group has been something I look forward to each week. This group of drawings has a 5 minute drawing (it's the one with the lightest tone done on newsprint paper) a 15 minute charcoal drawing on charcoal paper, and a watercolor done in 20 or 25 minutes. The model is Grace who is a wonderful model but like many of the models her expression does not change. Maybe it does when she is asked to, I don't know. Finally I did this 8" x 10" oil painting on a photo reference I took on our trip to New Mexico last fall. We went to see the Audubon area and an artist's house outside Santa Fe. Driving down Upper Canyon Road I saw the way the light looked hitting the adobe style houses along the road, stopped, looked and took a couple pictures. This just doesn't look anything like the area I live, so that was just much more compelling.