92. Happy Easter!

Acrylic and emulsion on lining paper, 8ft x 20ft

Four of our team walked around adding heavenly bodies to each strip.

Black emulsion then acrylic colours with white emulsion 240cm x 56cm (x10)...

… Meanwhile, I started squaring up a small web image on a large scale.

6B pencil on lining paper (masking tape)

Two artists added three tones then I painted the outline.

Fourth tone and test background added by me

Blue and green oceans painted entirely with Bernice's fingers and palms.

Clever!  :)

Acrylic and emulsion

Initial hanging before sealing edges with double-sided tape.

Somebody's tired!

Checking relationships.

Fingers cut to fit world before I took the latter home to paint the countries

and the theme for the weekend.

Some tracing and some drawing. I didn't enjoy the tracing at all!

Ooops! I forgot Trinidad and Tobago; sorry peeps!

Careful not to ruin B's lovely paintwork.

Ready for Good Friday evening and the

Easter Sunday Celebration: 'Hope for the World'

Happy Easter everyone!

91. Gallery Sketches: Cima da Conegliano

Sketch of Peter,

a detail of Cima da Conegliano's The Incredulity of Saint Thomas,

Derwent Onyx Dark (just less than A4)

We were given a white pencil, a sheet of toned pastel paper and a sheet of white (I used my sketchbook for the exercises on white).

I must try to write in a straight line!

Two minutes dominant-hand, 90 minutes non-dominant hand

and the longer drawing.

After Katy's art historical explanation, Marc told us to pick one of the many faces and, starting with the nose, draw the head in 2 minutes. We then had to use our non-dominant hand and draw the same head in 90 seconds. He then told us to use the toned paper to draw a different head in one minute then turn it over and pick either of our chosen heads to work up a longer drawing. He wouldn't let us use the white pencil until towards the end when we were told to then focus on the highlights. Another excellent session.

Not shown are the images on the back of the toned paper but it's too dark now to photograph them. I owe you a photograph!

90. Gallery Sketches: Anthony van Dyck

After Anthony Van Dyck (to whom it is attributed),

Sketch of Drunken Silenus being supported by Satyrs,

Derwent Watersoluble Sketching, Light, and Derwent Onyx Dark

The painting is in an elaborate frame with large flourishes at the halfway points, horizontally and vertically. One of the tutors suggested we start at the centre of the painting with Silenus then use those points on the frame as a guide, the way you'd use a grid when squaring up.

The session was full and the two preceding talks were excellent as ever. We were asked to draw the whole scene and quite a few people managed it, including tones, etc. I was being too nit-picky to start but then I got going. To be honest, I am happy with what I got down; I am really grateful for these sessions which provide an opportunity to refresh my art history and work from masters' paintings. At the end, we lay out and compare our efforts and we all agree that our drawing has improved because of these sessions.

89. Gallery Sketches: Pollaiuolo Brothers - Saint Sebastian

Life Model, Tom, assuming the archers' poses in the painting,

4 minutes (x2) then constantly moving through the poses,

Derwent watercolour sketching pencils on A4

Life Model, Tom, assuming the archers' poses in the painting,

12 minutes, Derwent watercolour sketching pencils on A4

The Martyrdom of Saint Sebastian, Antonio del Pollaiuolo and Piero del Pollaiuolo, 1475

88. Gallery Sketches: Trek

Sketch of Jan Jansz Trek's Vanitas Still Life, 1648

I was looking forward to doing this painting as it looked to be a real challenge and a Vanitas painting is always so full of meaning. As it turns out, I felt the need to add some colour to it once I got home because there was so much detail, some of the elements were becoming lost. 

Jan Jansz Trek's Vanitas Still Life, 1648