View Full Version : Not so blank canvas
Still beavering away with my HiFi projects.
I need to order some parts from Europe before Brexit, in case tariffs effect prices/availability.
Meanwhile.....
For those that don't know, my background is in Art and design, though I haven't done much in the way of pure Art, for pleasure, in over 40 years.
Over the last 12 months or so I have been brushing up on my pencil sketching and even joined a local Art Club. I was allays rubbish when it came to drawing faces, in life classes I would create a drawing of a beautiful nubile model with quasimodo's head on it.
I suppose my forte was as a landscape artist, but for my journey back to my artistic roots, I have deliberately chosen the area that was my weakest. So portraiture is where I'm starting, like with my HiFi projects, I like a challenge. In looking for interesting subject matter, you need look no further than those characters surrounding the film and music industries, so this is where I have begun. Early efforts where abysmal as you might expect, it was never something I excelled at, but even my basic drawing techniques where rusty and needed honing. Gradually though things have started to come together, so I thought I would share my latest efforts.
http://www.jkwynn.co.uk/Art_Images/JKW_016.JPG
This one of Rod Stewart was my first attempt at adding some colour.
http://www.jkwynn.co.uk/Art_Images/JKW_017.JPG
Keith Richards was an improvement, but I chose water colour paper, with too much texture, so it was hard work.
http://www.jkwynn.co.uk/Art_Images/JKW_018.JPG
I chose very smooth Bristol board for this one of Fats Waller, too smooth this time, so the materials fought me all the way.
It's all been good experience and will help towards the next one. I intend to keep at it and the theme of Artists from the music industry continues to hold my interest. Check out my other work using the link in my signature below. :)
I'm no art expert but they look bloody good to me. Especially Fats Waller.
Pigmy Pony
17-02-2019, 12:25
Yes very nice Ken, but looking at your gallery I see what you mean about the landscapes - they look great! Still, to move out of your "comfort zone" and push yourself in other directions, well that can only be a good thing :)
walpurgis
17-02-2019, 12:46
Nice to see somebody having a decent bash. I used to be half decent at sketches and painting, seem to have lost the knack. :)
I still do a bit of FA, very different to your own though Ken - certainly much less accessible. These are three from a series I did a couple of years ago:
http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h90/markemark_2006/Assorted/976BB1A0-D7B4-442F-AFE5-44DD7968E824_zpsudole07l.jpg (http://s62.photobucket.com/user/markemark_2006/media/Assorted/976BB1A0-D7B4-442F-AFE5-44DD7968E824_zpsudole07l.jpg.html)
http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h90/markemark_2006/Assorted/4041C308-BEC7-4AC1-BB02-906CD20FDFBB_zpsr06nwpbd.jpg (http://s62.photobucket.com/user/markemark_2006/media/Assorted/4041C308-BEC7-4AC1-BB02-906CD20FDFBB_zpsr06nwpbd.jpg.html)
http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h90/markemark_2006/Assorted/D927FBD5-9134-4331-AA64-0348E43EE8C6_zpsalkci0bd.jpg (http://s62.photobucket.com/user/markemark_2006/media/Assorted/D927FBD5-9134-4331-AA64-0348E43EE8C6_zpsalkci0bd.jpg.html)
It’s sort of multimedia collage these days (but collages from my own work).
Nice!
We are putting the Art into Art of Sound :D
Anyone else care to share?
Nice to see somebody having a decent bash. I used to be half decent at sketches and painting, seem to have lost the knack. :)
It's never to late, give it another go.
I found joining a club helped, you learn from each other and being part of a group of productive enthusiasts encourages you to make the effort. it's all about practice and confidence, put the hours in and the confidence will come.
Pigmy Pony
17-02-2019, 15:17
Can anybody draw horses? I could never do horses :( I'd have to put a rider on them so they would look less like a dog.
Drawing, or painting, animals has never really interested me and, over the years, I have moved from the largely abstract to the partially representational.
walpurgis
17-02-2019, 16:01
I found joining a club helped, you learn from each other
To an extent that can be a problem. It discourages independant thought and individuality.
Can anybody draw horses? I could never do horses :( I'd have to put a rider on them so they would look less like a dog.
can barely write mate, far less draw:eyebrows:
Landloper
17-02-2019, 16:15
Can anybody draw horses? I could never do horses :( I'd have to put a rider on them so they would look less like a dog.
I've ridden some dogs that looked like horses.
Pigmy Pony
17-02-2019, 16:38
I've ridden some dogs that looked like horses.
:lol: But you never had what could be called a 'stable' relationship?
Pigmy Pony
17-02-2019, 16:39
can barely write mate, far less draw:eyebrows:
I'm looking forward to drawing a pension, I reckon I'll be quite good at that :)
Still beavering away with my HiFi projects.
I need to order some parts from Europe before Brexit, in case tariffs effect prices/availability.
Meanwhile.....
For those that don't know, my background is in Art and design, though I haven't done much in the way of pure Art, for pleasure, in over 40 years.
Over the last 12 months or so I have been brushing up on my pencil sketching and even joined a local Art Club. I was allays rubbish when it came to drawing faces, in life classes I would create a drawing of a beautiful nubile model with quasimodo's head on it.
I suppose my forte was as a landscape artist, but for my journey back to my artistic roots, I have deliberately chosen the area that was my weakest. So portraiture is where I'm starting, like with my HiFi projects, I like a challenge. In looking for interesting subject matter, you need look no further than those characters surrounding the film and music industries, so this is where I have begun. Early efforts where abysmal as you might expect, it was never something I excelled at, but even my basic drawing techniques where rusty and needed honing. Gradually though things have started to come together, so I thought I would share my latest efforts.
http://www.jkwynn.co.uk/Art_Images/JKW_016.JPG
This one of Rod Stewart was my first attempt at adding some colour.
http://www.jkwynn.co.uk/Art_Images/JKW_017.JPG
Keith Richards was an improvement, but I chose water colour paper, with too much texture, so it was hard work.
http://www.jkwynn.co.uk/Art_Images/JKW_018.JPG
I chose very smooth Bristol board for this one of Fats Waller, too smooth this time, so the materials fought me all the way.
It's all been good experience and will help towards the next one. I intend to keep at it and the theme of Artists from the music industry continues to hold my interest. Check out my other work using the link in my signature below. :)
Excellent! You are a talented artist! But you knew that. That pick of Keith Richards, he was about 20 in that picture? [emoji2957] have you sold any of your work? Because you should!
Russell
Yes it was an old photo of Richards.
I'm not trying to sell work at the moment. I don't feel its of a standard I am happy with or represents any form of style I have settled into or feel comfortable with. Every piece tends to be completely different to the last at the moment, style, content, technique, I'm just experimenting.
I've only been doing this for a relatively short time, with a forty odd year gap since I was doing work at Art College and that was only for a three year period after school. I haven't tackled Oils or Acrylics yet, there is much to try out and run with, preferably without the commercial pressure of commissions etc. Give it another twelve months and I may feel differently, I am certainly ramping up my output, or at least the time I devote to it, but for now it is just something I enjoy doing.
Yes it was an old photo of Richards.
I'm not trying to sell work at the moment. I don't feel its of a standard I am happy with or represents any form of style I have settled into or feel comfortable with. Every piece tends to be completely different to the last at the moment, style, content, technique, I'm just experimenting.
I've only been doing this for a relatively short time, with a forty odd year gap since I was doing work at Art College and that was only for a three year period after school. I haven't tackled Oils or Acrylics yet, there is much to try out and run with, preferably without the commercial pressure of commissions etc. Give it another twelve months and I may feel differently, I am certainly ramping up my output, or at least the time I devote to it, but for now it is just something I enjoy doing.
Perhaps you could frame a few and post them on eBay, and just see where the bidding goes? No pressure there. And if they sell high, hopefully the money won’t bother you?
I was joking about the Richards drawing, the last time I saw him he looked like he had been dead for 3 years and someone forgot to tell him. It’s an excellent likeness and I’m sure even he would be impressed by it!
Russell
I've promised the Richards picture to someone as a Birthday gift so its framed now. I posted it on FaceBook and had an enquirey to buy it same day.
I did Fats Waller because he is the favorite Jazz pianist of one of my oldest mates, it will be a surprise Birthday gift for him. He is not into HiFi so wont see it on here.
It was a deliberate choice to go for music artists, as I see a potential market for them, my local record shop is willing to hang a few and see how they go (when I'm ready). The owner of the shop wants me to take a commission and paint his favorite rock group. The Art Club I joined hang work for sale in a local Gastropub and there are various exhibitions for which the club is invited to offer pieces to exhibit. So there are offers and opportunities around. There are Art web sites where you can sell work, but like ebay they take a cut.
For most, there is little money in art, people are quite willing to pay £50/hour for a mechanic or plumber, but balk at paying an artist minimum wage. There are the "Rock Stars" of the art world, but that has little to do with talent and is more about fame and celebrity. I once met and discussed this with Keith English, the Queen has his work in her collection, but he wasn't making a living at it. His plastics factory paid the mortgage, he worked in his studio in St Ives over the summer to flog a few paintings to the passing tourists.
So I'm definitely not in it to try and make a fortune, but it could be a source of beer money. :D
I've promised the Richards picture to someone as a Birthday gift so its framed now. I posted it on FaceBook and had an enquirey to buy it same day.
I did Fats Waller because he is the favorite Jazz pianist of one of my oldest mates, it will be a surprise Birthday gift for him. He is not into HiFi so wont see it on here.
It was a deliberate choice to go for music artists, as I see a potential market for them, my local record shop is willing to hang a few and see how they go (when I'm ready). The owner of the shop wants me to take a commission and paint his favorite rock group. The Art Club I joined hang work for sale in a local Gastropub and there are various exhibitions for which the club is invited to offer pieces to exhibit. So there are offers and opportunities around. There are Art web sites where you can sell work, but like ebay they take a cut.
For most, there is little money in art, people are quite willing to pay £50/hour for a mechanic or plumber, but balk at paying an artist minimum wage. There are the "Rock Stars" of the art world, but that has little to do with talent and is more about fame and celebrity. I once met and discussed this with Keith English, the Queen has his work in her collection, but he wasn't making a living at it. His plastics factory paid the mortgage, he worked in his studio in St Ives over the summer to flog a few paintings to the passing tourists.
So I'm definitely not in it to try and make a fortune, but it could be a source of beer money. :D
As a local musician I can relate. Anyone who plays music thinking its going to pay the bills will be severely disappointed. We play for the love of music, and for the applause. After 25 years I may have seen enough money to buy a few beers. But most of the time, we loose more than we make. By the time we divide the money up, and drop a $150 microphone and break it, we’ve gone in the hole.
Russell
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