Category Archives: Acrylics

Denizens of Redhead House, Acrylics

It’s day number nine and Face #9 of 29. It is not love potion number nine. But I do love the Irish setter. In fact, the Irish setter is the reason I kept trying with this canvas. If you check out the progress pics in the slideshow below, you will see some very ugly middle stages!

 Face #9, Redhead House
6″ x 6″ Acrylics on canvas board

I wish the framed picture wasn’t right up against the right border, but I’m going to leave it. Even though “redhead” is one word!

I have been inspired by another 29 Faces participant, denthe, who has a tradition of posting a week’s overview of the challenge. I think it’s a great idea!

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Daughter of the Mantis Clan, Acrylics on Canvas

Hooray for Face Number 8, for the February 29 Faces challenge! And also Paint Party Friday, for which I am one day late – but yesterday was drawings not paintings. :)

Daughter of the Mantis Clan
5″ x 7″ Acrylics on stretched canvas

I felt a little burnt out the last couple days. I had (have!) several started canvases I didn’t like at all. Even though I knew if I worked with them eventually they would be better. Finally these crazy bug eyes appealed to me so I just kept at it.

Tons of progress pics below, including lots of very ugly intermediate steps. You just gotta keep at it! Which is what I keep saying. Thanks for stopping in! (Continued apologies for the photography and lighting omg.)

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Elsbeth the Red, Feb Face Number Five

Elsbeth the Red
5″ x 7″ Acrylics on canvas board

Elsbeth the Red is not only Face #5, she is also Maiden Number 153!

I think I need to look into layering with acrylics. It will require patience! Usually I’m very eager to paint through the early stages when the thing looks terrible! They always do. You have to keep going. :)

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Margaret and Penelope, for February 4

Margaret, Who Collects Vintage Thimbles
6″ x 6″ Acrylics and ink on canvas board

Margaret is Face #3 of the 29 Faces Challenge. She is not the best of my recent acrylic adventures. But a fine exercise nonetheless.

A Pixie Named Penelope
2.5″ x 3.5″ Ink on smooth Bristol

This little pixie was started for a Fairies and Folklore ATC swap. She is Face #4 (and may show up in color down the line). Her bird friend is called Warrick.

Thanks for stopping in! Go Go 29 Faces!

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Rocco and Harmony, 12 x 12 Acrylics

It is day 3 of 29 Faces, and this painting took all three of those days. I hope you’re not sick of these two dogs. They’ve actually changed quite a bit since I first posted them. And now they are done. (Or at least, this is where I’m stopping.)

Rocco and Harmony, Their Fifth Anniversary
12″ x 12″ acrylics on wrapped canvas

Also submitted for the topic “Exotic” at Illustration Friday. Harmony is from Hawaii, which is intensely exotic as far as Rocco is concerned. (He’s from the Midwest.)

Here you can see the changes. On day two I refined the left dog, and on day three, the right.

Rocco and Harmony in Progress over Three Days (click to enlarge)

I thought an eye progression would make a neat process shot.

Rocco, Eye Progress
Acrylic on canvas, detail

Thanks so much for dropping in! New art tomorrow!

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Two Dogs, Acrylics in Progress

Welcome to Day 2 of 29 Faces, and I’m still working on the two dogs. Their names have been divined (Rocco and Harmony), the color has been brightened, and many details added.

Rocco and Harmony
12″ x 12″, Acrylics on canvas work in progress

Rocco’s eyes and mouth went through some big changes (see progress pics at the bottom of the post)! He is looking a bit sadder, but also more three dimensional and his nose is greatly improved!

I spent 7-8  hours on this today. (I do hope my time will improve along with my skills!) I really thought I liked Rocco before, but compared to the new one, yesterday’s version looks very dull and flat.

Rocco and Harmony, Day 1 vs. Day 2
Each 12″ x 12″ acrylics on canvas

And now, a few terrific, instructive things I found while waiting (impatiently) for paint to dry:

Samuel Durkin – Acrylics, How to Paint a Landscape with Bluebells. He talks quite a big about technique (in this case, painting large canvases in acrylic) and about taking inspiration from nature and learning to slow down and really see the world.

Lachri Fine Art – Time Lapse Greyhound in Oil Over Acrylic. Accompanied by the artist playing the violin, a terrific dog painting.

Caroline Stanley – Painting Sasha the Border Collie. Also speed painting. Probably my favorite with that great close-up nose and face.

And one more thing! I could never have accomplished what I have with this painting, without the 30 paintings challenge in January. Practice is the only way I know to be improve at something! I don’t believe anyone who says they can’t draw. If you want to know how to draw, start drawing. Eventually, you’ll know how to draw something. People aren’t born knowing how to draw something.

Come back tomorrow to see the final painting (or more likely, later today). Thanks for stopping in, I know this was a long one!

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A New Challenge for February, 29 Faces!

Holy cow, it’s February already. The good news is that today is Day One of the 29 Faces Challenge for 2014! It will be my first time joining in. Wooo!

Their Fifth Anniversary, work in progress
12″ x 12″ Acrylics on canvas

This is the end of day one working on a 12″ x 12″ canvas intended for submission in my local Dick Blick’s 2nd annual love themed art show. I live near Northwestern Universityand its art department, so I imagine there will be some seriously great art! Although I have seen art hanging there before, I’m not sure how many make it up on the wall, or how many enter.

I’ve just finished a 30 in 30 Days challenge, where I did several small pieces and also 19 acrylic paintings, each in one day. This one is larger, and will also benefit from two and a half days of refining before its due date on February 3! (My current conundrum is what to do with the ear of the left dog that is behind – maybe slightly squished by – his wife.)

Hooray for 29 Faces and yes, animals are allowed! Thanks so much for stopping in!

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Day 30 and Lived to Tell the Tale

Happy Paint Party Friday!  And holy cow, we made it! Day 30 of 30 Paintings in 30 days!

Leana, Lady of Cats
8″ x 10″ acrylics and ink on canvas board

Though I did not get enough sleep (and got off to a slow start), the challenge has been fantastic! And though I did several smaller works for a total of 30 in 30 days, these 19 acrylic paintings really represent what I hoped to accomplish this month. (And this little gallery is much more than I expected from one month!)

The First Eleven, January 2014
Various sizes, acrylic, ink, gel pen

The Final Eight, January 2014
Various sizes, acrylics, ink, gel pen

I suppose some of these might go in my shop (sadly neglected these past 30 days)! Some need some finishing, though. Lots of progress pics for each over the last 30 days of posts. (I think I skipped 2 days, possibly 3.)

Many thanks to Leslie Saeta for hosting!

And next, it’s off to 29 Faces, where I hope to continue painting. But with slightly more sleep. Congratulations to all and thank you to everyone for the encouraging notes!

And one more thing! I have linked to 50 Canvases in 2014, over at wonderstrange!

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Stella the Navigator for Day 29

Day 29 of the 30 Day Challenge. It’s crazy!

Stella the Navigator
6″ x 6″ acrylics, ink, gel pen on gessobord

Her poor neck is a bit off, and many other refinements are also needed, but it is midnight again and I have a day job. Alas!

I hope some of you folks will post a month-long retrospective tomorrow! I’m going to try to do that. Also, I hope to see some of you at the 29 Faces Challenge.

Thanks for stopping in!

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A Hat, A Girl, A Greyhound, in Acrylics

It is Day 28 of the 30 Day Painting Challenge!

A Hat, a Girl, a Greyhound
5″ x 7″ Acrylics on canvas board

Another one sort of finished but not really! I think a pale blue filmy veil hanging off the top section of this crazy hat (in back) might be nice… or might not! Maybe some wallpaper. I just could not decide what to put in the picture frame so I left it. Perhaps it’s an interior window to a pink kitten room. Or the place they keep the cotton candy machine.

Thanks so much to everyone from the 30-Day challenge who has visited and left a note, and everyone else, too. Stay warm out there, particularly if you’re experiencing this rough winter!

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