Category: watercolour

Jean-Pierre

I’m always intrigued by how a portrait can end up both looking like someone yet being “not quite them” , even though I’ve measured the features and represented them reasonably accurately. This is many respects a good likeness of Sktchy muse Jean-Pierre, but his face is a little too wide and not quite long enough and so everything’s just a little off. I don’t mind these inaccuracies at all – I don’t aim for photorealism and these quirks in my portraits are what create my style.

I painted this portrait in my Moleskine watercolour sketchbook with Zecchi Toscana watercolours and finished it with Prismacolor coloured pencils.

Eucalyptus leaves

Today’s painting is, as usual, inspired by Sktchy, but it’s not a face but some eucalyptus leaves, drawn from a photo uploaded by Sktchy artist Jennifer Linderman. I was attracted by the wonderful range of colours in the three leaves; I had a ball mixing up those hues!

I painted the leaves in my Moleskine watercolour sketchbook with Zecchi Toscana watercolours and finished then with Prismacolor coloured pencils.

Bruna

This was a very different and challenging portrait for me but it was so worth the risk. When I decided to tackle Bruna’s Sktchy inspiration photo I really wasn’t sure I’d be able to produce a half decent portrait but I’m so happy with how it turned out. The more I draw and paint the more I realise that every now and then I need to try to draw a portrait that I think might be beyond my skills because that’s how I improve.

I drew this portrait in my Moleskine watercolour sketchbook with a grey Unipin fineliner, painted with Zecchi Toscana watercolours and finished it with Prismacolor coloured pencils.

Madi

I painted Madi in a Moleskine watercolour sketchbook with Zecchi Toscana watercolours and finished the portrait with Prismacolor coloured pencils.

Katyam

This is Katyam, drawn in my Moleskine watercolour sketchbook with a grey Uniball fineliner pen, painted with Zecchi Toscana watercolours and finished with Prismacolor coloured pencils.

Fawn

I painted this fawn for this week’s Old School Sktchy weekly art extravaganza (wax) challenge on the theme ” zoological”.

I drew it in a Moleskine watercolour sketchbook with a Unipin light grey fineliner, painted it with Zecchi Toscana watercolours and finished it with Prismacolor coloured and a Uniball Signo with gel pen.

Mellie

Sometimes I see an inspiration photo on Sktchy and it speaks to me, demanding to be drawn or painted, this was one of those photos. Everything about Mellie’s photo screamed “draw me” “paint me”, ” do my portrait”. It’s the turn of the head, the lift of the chin, the look in the eyes. I saw this photo just a few days ago and wanted desperately to paint her. I chose paint over other mediums because I thought it would do the best job of capturing the flush in her skin without making her look too red-faced and I think it was a great choice, though it was hard work getting the balance right.

I drew Mellie in my Moleskine watercolour sketchbook with a light grey Unipin fineliner, painted her with Zecchi Toscana watercolours and finished with Prismacolor coloured pencils.

Alessa

I’m trying to be more confident in my use of watercolour and so in this portrait of Alessa I didn’t block in her hair with colour. Instead I just applied strokes of water, added colour, and let it flow where it wanted, adding some paint drops to break up the colour a little. I think I like the end result, although I did feel the need to add a few pencil strokes rather than just leaving it be. I’ll keep experimenting with this approach anyway.

I used Zecchi Toscana watercolours and Prismacolor coloured pencils in a Moleskine watercolour sketchbook.

Van

I love how huge Van’s hand looks in this portrait! It’s large in the inspiration image too but I have exaggerated it a little too. I think the extra size makes her look even more pensive.

I drew Van in my Moleskine watercolour sketchbook with a Micron fineliner, then painted her with Zecchi Toscana watercolours and finished the portrait with Prismacolor coloured pencils.

Jagonte

I didn’t start out drawing portraits with the intention of ever selling my portraits. I never really imagined I’d be good enough. But over the past year I’ve started to get asked to take commissions and now I have a steady stream of them coming in. At the moment I’m working on a few that need to completed fairly soon and I’m also going to be exhibiting in an Artists Open House in the Brighton Fringe Festival in May, so I’m not going to have as much time for my daily faces. But today it’s been lovely to just play around in my sketchbook and paint Jagonte, without any pressure!

I drew Jagonte with a Micron fineliner, painted the portrait with Zecchi Toscana watercolours and finished it with Prismacolor coloured pencils.