Life Drawings at the United Arts Club

I am delighted to have a few life drawings in Brian's latest group show at the United Arts Club opening later tonight the 7th May.
I used charcoal in the top pic and wax crayon and chalk on the lower...both were drawn on Ingres paper.

The Incredible Belly Boy

Thanks to Brian Gallagher for organising another great IGI exhibition, "Mythical Beasts", at the United Arts Club. 
It was great to see everyone there, as well as the very impressive artwork.

This is "The Incredible Belly Boy", my second piece in the show.

Naked Portrait of Darren: Process Pix

Some process pix of a life painting I did of Darren.
The technique I use at my workshops is a simplified version of this.

 My portrait sketch workshop in September at Kennedy Art has been set for Saturday the 6th.
I look forward to seeing some of you then.
info@kennedyart.com
ph + 353 (1) 475 1749

Life Drawing at the RHA

I am looking forward to teaching life drawing at the RHA for a month of Wednesdays starting next week.
We will be working big in charcoal, so I expect it will get messy! 

Drawing Tony at the UAC

I had a good evening drawing Tony at Brian's life drawing session at the Uac Dublin last night. Here's a 15 minute portrait study and a full figure that took 20 minutes.
I drew them in charcoal and chalk on Ingres Paper.

Some Early Life Drawings

Here are a few life drawings that I have just come across after many years. They are from the life class at the Art College in Brighton. I was a student there in the early eighties.

I very much enjoyed the facility of a life room being available to me one day each week at college and I was experimenting with several different styles and media including coloured pencils.

A Charcoal Sketch of Francis

Here's a charcoal and chalk portrait I did of Francis a few years ago.
It makes for an interesting comparison with the painting below.

UAC 2013 Life Room Exhibition: Framed and Hung

I had fun with Brian, Eoin and Paul mounting our group exhibition at the United Arts Club.

The show opens on Thursday the 5th September at 8pm.

Come along if you are in Dublin.

Giuseppe Asleep on the Daybed

Here is one of my paintings that will be shown in the group exhibition opening at the United Arts Club this Thursday evening. The model was my buddy Giuseppe.
The work on show has mostly been created at Brian Gallagher's Thursday night life drawing session at the UAC.

A Portrait Sketch of Des

Here's a series showing the process of a recent two hour portrait sketch I did of Des.
I'll be giving another portrait sketch demo and workshop at Kennedy Art on the 8th June.
It's booking up so contact Kennedy's if you would like to join us.
ph  + 353 (1) 475 1749
info@kennedyart.com 

Busy Arty Saturday!

I've got a busy day tomorrow with my portraiture workshop at Kennedy Art  followed by our open studio event here at La Catedral which is part of Visit 2013. (I'll be on hand between 4 and 6pm).

I've got about thirty of my paintings up in the hallway including these portraits of Reuben, Molly and Tony. 

These are all life paintings but for me they tick the boxes for portraiture too.

By the way, my class was over subscribed so Kennedy's have scheduled another portraiture workshop with me on the 8th June.
Contact Kennedy's if you'd like to join us for that one.
ph  + 353 (1) 475 1749
info@kennedyart.com

Three Hour Study of Darren

I've been thinking a bit more methodically recently about my life painting process coming up to my portraiture workshop and demo at Kennedy Art this Saturday.
On the basis that a picture is worth a thousand words I am showing the process of how I painted this study of Darren over a three hour period at the RHA recently.
The pictures were taken at half hourly intervals.

Visit 2013

I am putting together a wall of life paintings in the hall outside my studio for Visit on Saturday 11th May.

Visit is a city-wide open studio day. 

In Dublin City, artist’s studios old and new exist in a variety of buildings including industrial warehouses, Georgian buildings, converted stables and former shop units. You might not be aware that the building on the corner or down the road from your house is actually a hub of artistic activity. If you have ever been curious about what goes on inside an artists studios, Visit 2013 is your chance to find out! 

You are welcome to come an visit us La Catedral Studios and The Back Loft.

Most of the artists, including el Presidente, Anthony, will be here from noon till 6pm and there should be a great atmosphere. There is also the added attraction of Feel Free to Jam, where musicians are invited to bring their instruments and jam around our piano at the back Loft.

I'll be rushing up to the studio after my portraiture workshop at Kennedy Art, so I will be here between 4pm and 6pm. 
I hope to see some of you then.

Two Portrait Sketches

Yesterday at life drawing I got in some practice for my upcoming portrait sketch workshop at Kennedy Art. This tighter than usual study of Molly took about four hours.

Then I did a quick portrait sketch (2 hours) of Des.
With his powerful body and those granite features Des can look very stern and a bit scary when he's posing, but in reality he is a sweet and very gentle man.
Thanks to my pal Blaise Smith for inviting me along.

Back in the Life Room

A day of life painting at the RHA is a pretty rare event for me these days, but yesterday I was  able to get in and to see some great old pals and to work with two excellent models, Des and Darren.
Here is the picture I did of Des in the afternoon and a shot of the man himself at my easel which will give you a sense of the small scale of the painting.

Two Views of Des

Staying on the black and white theme, I thought that one of Conor Walton's recently posted drawings of the RHA life room looked very familiar.
On closer inspection I realized that the model is Des and that the guy in the white t-shirt is me drawing him.

This is the drawing I did of Des that day.

I always love to see the same subject as depicted by different artists.

Conor has a show of his extraordinary still life paintings entitled "Elements" running now at the Beaux Arts gallery in Bath.
If you aren't in the UK you can see a number of Conor's wonderful life drawings here.

Rediscovering Willow Charcoal

I hope to do some more detailed blog entries on all the teaching I have been doing lately.
I must say I really enjoy the process and I have certainly been getting a lot out of the sessions in quite unexpected ways.
One thing is that I have become re-enamoured with the whole process of drawing with charcoal. That is largely thanks to the various attendees at my RHA workshop last week.
I had decided to myself that charcoal was just too messy and hard to control for my liking and I had taken up children's chubby crayons as my preferred sketching medium.
Some students never get to like the chubbies which is fine but last week when we were drawing our models in costume. I was persuaded that willow charcoal was absolutely right  for the job.
I gave it a go for the first time in years and loved it.
Erasing the rubbed in charcoal is the perfect way to define folds in drapery without too much fuss.

Here are a few older charcoal sketches too.
I can't wait to do some more.
By way of contrast , the portrait head below was done with the chubbies.

Life Room Art at the UAC

 

I had a bit of fun with Eoin Coveney, Paul Stuart, and a few others, helping Brian Gallagher to hang his latest Life Drawing Group Exhibition at the United Arts Club this afternoon.

My paintings of Grace and Leo are in the show which will be opened by my old friend Louis Marcus this Thursday at 8pm.

Come along if you are in the area.