Sketching from the SoFA V

Here are the results of last nights drawing group. The last one was one of the two women I drew this morning trying to work with a minimum of strokes. I managed with about 50 (give or take a stroke or two) plus a little blending afterwards with my finger. Maybe I'll give it another 50 tonight, and see how that looks.

Watercolor

 I tried a few watercolors myself.

I think that I struggle with composition. The one of the man sorting throough his bags is in a less finished state. The other one I have to fix up a few ouzzles here and there, but it is more finished.

They look so different on screen than in reality. Watercolors don't photograph well because of the camera's limited dynamic range. I think next time I will try a HDR composite and see if that gives a better representation.

I am trying to be as general with the shapes at first and work towards the detail. It is a challenge. I feel like I am still a bit muddied in the glazing.

As far as working methods on the watercolors. I got the idea this time to consider the temperature of the shadows and choose a tempreature color to lay in the shadows and structure instead of doing pencil work. I hate having to erase pencil lines. I worked over this laying in of shadows.

Generally, I have a thing for Burnt Sienna and Ultramarine for working in shadows and understructure. For flesh tones I use Alizaron Crimson dropped into Naples Yellow. To cool the flesh or give it a greenish cast I use Cerulean. To warm it I use Scarlet Lake,or Cadmium Red instead of Alizaron combined with the Naples.

My knowledge of greens and purples isn't as good. I do like the luminosity of shadows made with Ultramarine and Alizaron Crimson. It makes such a nice clear purple. If I want a really earthy dark purple or neutral, I like to use Prussian Blue, and Cadmium Red.

That's about the best I can say....

Vermeer Academy Sketches