Oil Paintings from Photos

These 2 were done from photos. I like the results better than from life (more detail and "finish") but the process isn't as much fun.

Oil Sketches from Life

Here are 4 oil portraits from the last week. The top 2 are the same model, same day, about 45 minutes each. Bottom 2 are the same model, different poses, 30 minutes each. There's never time for small details in these quick studies but they bring out the best in me. I never thought I could paint the bottom pose in 30 min. (with hat, glasses, patterned shirt)!

New Paintings this Week

New Oil Portrait

Here's a new 6x6" oil painting. It was painted on top of another failed painting--I like doing this because of the random colors that show through from the old painting!

Homage to Milt K

I have long admired Milt Kobayashi's painting style and this is my imitation-needs a lot of work! But I was: restricting white, using black, stylizing the face and figure, piling on the paint, blending edges, using a lot of grayed neutrals. I'll keep trying! 6x8"

Wet Paint: 2 Stages of a Painting

Here are 2 shots of a 6x8 oil painting. Stage 1: using transparent colors and a larger brush, lay in large flat value shapes and establish basic light/shadow.
Stage 2: use smaller brush and add white to mixtures, laying in the lights and details.

Wet Paint

Just painted this 6x8" oil from a photo I took in class a few years ago. Jessica G, the model, had a great Fairy costume her mother had made. I lit her with a green spotlight. The red shadows and apple greens in the hair were fun to paint!

Blond Boy Model

Blond Boy Model, originally uploaded by meli66a.

Well, I fell down the rabbit hole all day and now have uploaded my small paintings from this year too! This one is just so silly! I like the expression on his face. Most models develop a blank stare during poses. I also love his crazy hair!

Portrait of a RockClimber - SOLD

Portrait of a RockClimber - SOLD, originally uploaded by meli66a.

Wow! Today I uploaded over a hundred images of paintings to my Flickr account. AND found out how to blog images directly from Flickr.
So here's one I did from life a few years ago and later sold on Ebay. The model was a rock climber I remember and had the most amazing expression on her face! Painted at Jim McIntyre's wonderful Hancock Rec. Center Saturday session in Austin, Texas.

Paul Wright painting in San Marcos, TX

Paul Wright painting in San Marcos, TX, originally uploaded by burningbeau.

I attended a great painting workshop with the brilliant British artist Paul Wright. His juicy, bold, bright , broken colour brushstrokes are inspirational! I loved painting in the college art-class atmosphere and did tons more work per day than I ever do at home! Does anyone else have this issue?

Flickr

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

Portraits of Guys

Here are 2 paintings done recently from life at Eve Larson's great local painting session.
I have much more practice doing females than males! Models are Jorge (top) and Jean Pierre...both very handsome in that dramatic dark-eyed smoldering way!