Bus sketch'es 1.2.3.4.5.

[eighty+]

2nd 5 last 1 try with pen ok

[eighty+]

last 4 ok ----E/S

[D Akey]

. . . hoots mon nae Hagis for you
Regards. Brain and E+

Right then, I 'ad best be on me toes, coos I wanna bit o' haggis in me bowl, coos if it be in me mouf, I'd sound all pasty an' garbled. An' then where'd we be, eh? Down the pub, more an' likely discussin' the finer points of motherhood an' paintin'. Oh aye, I'm with ye mate.

Well, here's not so much a crit as an approach. What you're doing is starting out linear, and there's no problem with that, especially since you draw that way. There are two different schools of thought (that existed in Renaissance painting) linear and tonal. Michelangelo, and Titian were more about tone. Botticelli and Durer more about line. There were many more artists in each camp. Both most valid. Line is more about the information all getting in. Tonal is more about the feeling.

I'm saying that so you understand when I mention that you may want to consider keeping your drawing on a separate layer that you can pop on and off to not lose the form, but then try painting with broader strokes to block in the composition. Squinting a wee bit helps to simplify. But be sure to unsquint too! And think a little sculpturally as well.

What you would do would be to forget the line somewhat and look at the darks and lights and colors, and start slapping paint around.

Then as you go, you can become more precise with your finishing touches -- including the occasional line.

Right now, you seem to be working hard. And that's grand. If that's suiting you, you are in good company. But I think to paint the way I mention would be easier on your brain cause it is a little more intuitive and not so fastidious.

The airbrush is a fair choice of brushes, albeit a little soft and fuzzy, but you might want to try a brush with only a wee bit of paint on it. You can sketch with it with color, like Cassatt, creating forms with lights and darks and color. Thus you build up your canvas quicker and freer. More Impressionistic. And you can use denser paint along the way. But as you gain experience sooner than you think you'll be going more directly in with your exact paint that you don't need to mess with once down.

Just a thought.

Now where's me ruddy haggis, eh?

Paintings put up to compare the approaches and see where you might next begin forming your painting as opposed to line and filling in color like a coloring book (though there's nothing wrong with either way). I've done both.

[eighty+]

O aye reckon yer Won haggis

well if you don't see me this next week, you'll no I've shot myself

as it look's like sink or swim I'm still not sure about layer's looks like I've

got to have a practice bash with them but don't be surprised

if you find the Forums dripping with paint ok Mac

[eighty+]

O yeah Thanks for the picture as its better then mine plus got mine on an
easel beside me so your's will save me getting a crick in the neck

YEAH

[eighty+]

Hi have a look at this blokes website Iain MacArthur mind blowing

[D Akey]

Oh aye lad. He loves to draw. And really good at it as well.

I can see some of the stylistic drawing influences. And he's great at all he's assimilated and has combined it all in a way that's his own. His images where he combines real and decorative is a style that would be recognizable, and if the illustration market were strong, he would be sought after and grow famous. Maybe he is already.

Some of his stuff even reminds me of the 1960s psychedelic era that was happening in San Francisco.

All the gingerbread decorative stuff he does aside for the moment, he is really working his lights and darks, isn't he. In his portraits he's very tonal, but get's there building up with hatching lines a lot. I would have to analyze them one at a time to say what he was doing. Nothing you probably don't know already. But you can also see where he uses line for the decorative and informative character of the line as well. Nice balance.

About his evolution I would reckon he was aiming for the print market. I recall that in doing illustration for print, employing line was always mechanically safer in the printing process, and many styles were created to fit that niche. Drawings printed cleaner when printed at the size it was intended (reducing could get dodgy with tight hatching/cross hatching to where the white spaces between the lines would be too close and fill in black). So hatching with little lines like an engraver with a huge jolt of coffee is what he's done some. His would look great in print, this stuff.

Thanks Mr. Ploos! You've found a real gem. Don't hurt that the lad's got him a Scottish surname, eh? Hahaha.

[eighty+]

Hi. mac yep he just blew me away. anybody could see

He was a Scot.

[mannafig]

Your sketches are great dear Eighty and your painting looks brilliant

[eighty+]

Hello Manfig Thanks but I think your looking at Mary's not mine

mac has just given me a ref; pic; mine wasn't as clear plus had it on easel

which is not a good as having it on the screen so got to do a lot of

hacking to get it into shape I hope, done a little bit but left it to try

to understand layer's as mac say's it would help me, so its all hand's

to to the pump sink or swim