Horse Painting

Okay - let's recap where we left off on Tuesday. I started from scratch, and this was where I lfet it: -

I decided that the best bet would be to sketch a bit more onto the canvas. In particular I wanted to sketch in the 3rd horse, and also begin to give an impression of the crowds, which I see to be my biggest issue in what remains to paint. Here's the canvas with the sketches added: -

The next stage involved painting in the last horse and doing some work on the grandstand: -

The grandstand and especially the crowd always looked as if they were going to be fiddly and take a long time. There was also the fence to take care of.

At about this stage I needed to have a serious think about how I wanted to leave the canvas when it was finished.

I worked on darkening the grass beneath the main horse, but I wasn't happy with the far left of the grand stand, and decided to paint just a little more of it in

This last photo was taken with flash, and I'm not convinced that it shows off the painting to its best effect. Nonetheless, I'm pretty happy with it now.

Lisbon Street Scene - finished painting

Pretty much what it says on the tin: -

Loose Ends: Horse Race

Okay - the story so far:-
I've been painting a Lisbon Street Scene for consideration for the competition. I put in several hours on it yesterday, and there's not a massive amount to do, and I decided that I want to leave it to do tomorrow evening at Artists' Group.

I decided to put the finishing touches on a tram painting that I've had hanging round for a few months. That took about half an hour.

Now, bearing in mind how much I've enjoyed doing the competition painting, I decided I wanted to do another big canvas. Well - I say big - 16x12 inches. We're not talking gigantic here, but it's big for me. I decided on a completely different subject, and sketched out a horse and jockey. I took a few photos during the day, to keep a check on the process. Here's the first: -

You can see that the horse is literally just an outline. I painted in the head: -

Pleased with myself, the task then was to paint in the rest of the horse: -

Can't help saying that I was delighted with what I'd achieved in just a couple of hours on this painting. Next was to start sketching in and painting in the background:-

Strictly speaking it would have made more sense to paint the background in first before the horse and jockey, but in all honesty I was just messing around and having fun when I started it. I continued work on the background: -

I'd been several hours on the painting by this stage, and I knew that I was going to want to stop soon. However, being as this is the painting of a horse race and not just a horse I did want to paint in one of the trailing horses before I packed up for the day. So this last photo shows how far I am with the painting now.

Loose ends: Tram

Months ago - before Christmas in fact, I was at a loose end on a Wednesday evening at Artists' Group, and so I decided I was going to try to paint a canvas without using a pencil sketch, and to draw out the shapes with paint as I went along. I completed most of it, but then lost interest. Well, as I said in my last post, I don't want to finish my Lisbon competition entry until Artists' Group tomorrow night, so I decided today that it was high time to finish this canvas off, for better or worse. So here it is: -

Preserved Tram

Before you ask, no, I don't think for one minute it's the best painting I've ever produced, but it's all part of a learning process - or so I keep telling myself.

Acrylic: Lisbon Tram

Lisbon Street Scene - 9:00 this morning

Lisbon Street Scene - 4:30 pm this afternoon

Yes, I'm back to the acrylics - and back to the trams for that matter. Why? I'll tell you.

Afan Nedd Artists Group, of which I am a proud member, are probably going to enter the Leisure Painter/Artist Magazine competition for Artists Group of the Year. What's involved is sending digital images of five paintings produced by members of the group. All members of our group have been invited to submit a painting for inclusion, and we'll decide which we want to enter from these.

One of the stipulations is that you have to have express permission from any photographer upon whose image your painting is based. So I decided that my best bet would be to start from scratch on a new painting - Steve from the group had recently been on holiday in Lisbon, and he knew that the photo he took on which this painting is based would really appeal as a subject to me. He knows me too well.

The top painting shows how far I'd got after two Art Group meetings, the first of which began with photograph and blank canvas. That was the state of play when I set up to paint at just after 9 this morning. I stopped at about half past 4, and the second photo was taken a little before this. Alright, I stopped for lunch for a good hour or so. Still, it does show some real progress from this morning, and I dare say it'll be close to a finish by the end of Wednesday evening.

Formula One Greats : Michael Schumacher

The sketch is now complete and I've inked in the Ferrari

Formula One Greats: Jackie Stewart and Alain Prost

Here's the finished pictures: -

Formula One Greats: Michael Schumacher

Here you can see the way that I've been doing these pictures: - I sketched Michael Schumacher's head , and I've inked it in, but I haven't yet sketched in his car.

Michael Schumacher - sans Ferrari

Formula One Greats Project: Niki Lauda

3 time world champion, and only his horrific crash in 1976, and the brilliance of Britain's James Hunt prevented him from winning the title that year as well.

Niki Lauda and Ferrari

Formula One Great Project - Jack Brabham

The first racing driver to be knighted - Australia's finest, Sir Jack Brabham

Jack Brabham with Brabham Repco car

Formula One Greats Project: Senna

No time this week to apply colour to Sir Jackie and Prosty so far - but did have time to sketch out the next in the series, Ayrton Senna and his Marlboro McLaren: -

Formula One Greats Project: Prost : Continued

Sketched in the car now - this is how the finished sketch looks: -

Formula One Greats Project: Prost

Today is a sketching day, I've decided. Not that I have set routines for these things, you understand. If this ever became a business for me - highly unlikely, but a man can dream - then I have no doubt that I would establish set routines for producing work. But it isn't, and I haven't. Put quite simply I'm enjoying sitting in my living room with my drawing book, pencil and pens, and I'm enjoying sketching out the drivers. My last post showed Jackie Stewart - this one is a close up on a sketch I've just produced of Alain Prost. I haven't yet sketched in his Marlboro McLaren car. Come to think of it, that's a bit of a departure. With the first three I sketched everything in pencil before applying any ink. Well, this is probably a better way of doing it - with everything in pencil its hard not to end up with some of the pencil lines smudged on the page.

Here's Prosty: -

Alain Prost

Not bad, eh. When it's finished, it will be on sale in my Etsy shop: -
Dave Clark Port Talbot Etsy Shop

Formula One Greats: Latest project: Jackie Stewart

It's a line and wash, people, and so we have to start with the lines - the ink. This is the latest in my great drivers sequence - Sir Jackie Stewart. Especially when there's an element of portrait to my work I begin with a pencil sketch, which I then ink in. You can see the shadows underneath the front of the car are still just pencil lines.

I think that the car being that bit bigger than the previous two pictures just serves to make it a little more dramatic.

Jim Clark Line and Wash

It was a bit of a terse post last time out, and I apologise. The last post was the first in a series based on the great Formula 1 drivers. Here's the second: -

Jim Clark and Lotus

The idea behind them is that I sold the first grand prix car line and wash painting from a few weeks ago in my Etsy shop. Putting the drivers with them just hopefully adds a little bit more of appeal.

If you'd like to own this one you can buy it at my Etsy shop

Dave Clark Port Talbot Etsy Shop

Fangio Line and Wash

If you like it, why not check out some of the other pictures in my Etsy shop: -

DaveClarkPortTalbot Etsy shop

Project Isetta

Found time

BMW Isetta

Project: Isetta

This is not a great photograph, but it will at least give you an idea where I am with the Isetta: -

Not sure when I'm going to have time to paint it in, Ideally it would be nice to have the three cars together on ebay at the same time, but time is at something of a premium today.

Heinkel Trojan

Following from the Messerschmidt, I decided to paint a Heinkel Trojan.

It occurred to me after making the original ink outline that it might be effective to place the distinctive Trojan badge in the background, which as you can see, I did. Next up - well, I've already done the ink sketch of an Isetta, but I still have to apply the paint to it.

Messerschmidt Kabineroller Bubble Car - Ink and Wash

If you've followed the blog since I started it just over a year ago you'll know I have a thing about 'bubble cars'. I painted my favourite, an Isetta, for myself, and a Heinkel Trojan which I sold. I've never before painted a Messerschmidt though. So here it is, another ink and wash painting.

Messerschmidt Kabineroller ink and wash

This one is for the shop, and so if you fancy buying it, then all you have to do is go along to my Etsy shop - just click on the link here: -

My Etsy Shop