Emma Modelling at Kennedy's

 I really enjoyed Saturday's portrait sketch workshop at Kennedy Art. Emma was our model. It was great to meet her again after a gap of a few years when she was off travelling the world.

As usual my workshop starts with me doing a twenty minute demo showing how I do a rough outline sketch in dilute Raw Umber. Then I set the students off to do their own paintings and I make my way around each of them for one-to-one tuition throughout the day.
On Saturday I was able to spend another twenty minutes after lunch on my demo piece above.
Below are some shots from the day and a few of the lovely portrait sketches that my attendees painted on the day.

You can contact Kennedy's for information about forthcoming workshops. 

ph  + 353 (1) 475 1749info@kennedyart.com  

Another Nude in Six Stages

Here's another post showing the progress of a life painting over roughly half hourly segments.
The model is Emma again, and although the pose is a bit less appealling, I think the overall composition works really well in the way that the three figures relate to each other.
Yes, that's me in the background. Anything Velazquez can do.....

Emma on Lapis Ground

The well known portrait painter James Hanley RHA will be opening a new exhibition of work from
the United Arts Club's Thursday Life Drawing Group
tomorrow Thursday 20th January @ 8pm

The venue is The United Arts Club
3 Upper Fitzwilliam St
Dublin 2

I was asked to contribute three pictures to the show, and have included a life study that I worked up a bit in the studio afterwards.

As you can see I have drastically altered the picture without changing the drawing very much.
I was trying for the kind of intense almost enamelled effect in the background that you sometimes get in Holbien or Cranach. I even used some real Lapis Lazuli, but I found that good old French Ultramarine gave a much more vibrant colour.

Many thanks to Brian Gallagher who has organised the event.
The Exhibition continues
until 7th Fedruary 2011
Viewing Mon to Sat
from 5.30pm

Emma by the Mirror

Here's a higher resolution scan of a life painting of Emma that I showed developing in six steps before Christmas.
I will be adding this and a few other recent pieces to my FaceBook Life Paintings album.
I find it is a great place to keep an on-line record of a good selection of work.