Sketches on the bus and Bus Stops in April V

More people!!!







These sketches launch my use of the brown family of coloured pencil sketches on single pages just for this new sketch pad.

Triana, 10" X 13", Mixed Media on pastel paper, 2009

This is my entry into Karin Juricks DSFDF. I really liked the reference from the first sight of it! I have done a bit of research on other Diana statues and I added two other ones I liked- that's why I call it TRIANA.







I did this piece with graphite, biro, tom-bow wash pens, white ink, acrylic and wax crayons on light blue pastel paper.

What I tried to create with this piece was an atmosphere that flows with rhythm and sketch-like life to loosen up the rigidity that statues portray.

Sketches on the Bus and Bus Stops in April IV

More people and there was this old guy (above) on the 53 bus, who I simply fell in love with, his face was amazing, you could hardly see his eyes from his profile as it was tucked in by nature's work and some weathered living! I tried to put some colour notes down as I may love to transform this sketch into colour at some point on my other blog

Norman Road, Belvedere II, 10" x 8", Oil on Canvas board, 2009

This was painted yesterday in Alla prima style. The weather is just getting better and better and I couldn't resist going out again to get this lively late evening spring feel to Norman Road, around where I live. I have painted this scene Before but that was when it had just snowed heavily in London.





This time it is the same road but a complete contrast, it is spring and the late afternoons are really getting better and better! I did this in oil on a canvas stuck to masonite board.

There are some pics of the scene.

My Beloved Tree V, 8" x 10", Oil on Canvasboard, 2009

This was the my next shot after I finished number 4 in this series. This was more of a close up and I really had to zero-in to get the delicate features of this beautiful tree. I worked on it on site and finished it off in the studio



This was done in oil on a Winsor and Newton Canvas board.

My Beloved Tree IV, 10" x 8", oil on canvasboard, 2009

Yesterday I did this painting and finished it off in the studio this morning. I have sketched this tree before but it was so nice to get to paint it especially with its springy fresh foliage.




This was done on a Winsor and Newton Canvas Board in Oil colour.

Sketches on the Bus and at Bus Stops in April III

More people!! Sometimes they know , sometimes they don't, but one thing is constant, my eyes are always hungry for the next opportunity to sketch!

Sketches on the Bus and Bus Stops in April II

Some more people from sketches yesterday.

Cuteee, 20" x 16", coloured dust and coloured pencils on watercolour paper, 2009

This is another commission, I got this one while sketching my beloved tree II. This couple stopped while driving past and were quite impressed with my sketching in such cold conditions, they asked if I did portraits and I affirmed, they had a look at my sketchpad and agreed to have me do this piece of their granddaughter. I have had many good experiences when delivering portraits, but nothing came close to this one! Just revealing the piece out of its handmade envelope almost brought Grandma to tears! She gave me a hug and thanked me for a good job done! I won't go on to tell you more....the beauty of this sort of job is that you get great feedback. But yesterday, last night at church, my Pastor said we shall get instantaneous and exceeding answer to our prayers! I never knew mine would come this soon!




This was done in the same way I did Lady Tee. The only difference her was I used more sanguine than sepia.

Lady Tee, 16" x 16", Coloured dust and coloured pencils, 2009

This is the second commission done and dusted. If you've been reading this blog you'll remember my post on the little boy. Well this is his mum and that makes two out of 4 done! Yeee pee! I'm taking the bull by the horn now and I am really learning new possibilities with this Coloured(sepia, sanguine, black) dust and coloured pencils medium.




This one went through some changes but now the client is satisfied!

This was done with sepia, sanguine and black dust with a variety of brown, red and black coloured pencils on heavy watercolour paper to keep a monochrome and tonal feel to it.

Sketches on the train and tube in April I

Back to some train, tube people sketching, it always feel god to get back to them!

Josh in Sleep Mode XIII, 11" x 8", Conte/coloured pencil on gessoed cardboard, 2009

This is number 13 in my current series of Josh in sleep mode.




I caught him this afternoon after lunch, needed to be fast because I tried using a few different media.

Horsemotions II, 10" x 8", Oil on canvas board, 2009

This is my second horse in this current series. This one was painted in Alla prima style.





I love their delicate movements and here I have tried to capture one of those delicate moments. This one was caught having lunch!

I have used 6 colours (Lemon yellow, Cadmium yellow, Cadmium red, Alizarin Crimson, Ultramarine Blue and Cerulean blue)-which make a warm and cold of each primary and white for this painting.

Grey Day On The Strand, 10" x 12", Mixed Media on Watercolour paper, 2009

The streets in London continue and this time its the very common grey days we normally experience in London.




This has been executed mainly in watercolour with hints of gouache, wax crayons, coloured pencils and ink.

The technique remains the same as I entered on the last post whereby I go around scene hunting and coming back with several pictures, then I begin to edit, crop and recall mental notes on mood, atmosphere and colours some of which the camera cannot record.

Drizzly Day on Fleet Street, 10" x 10", Mixed media on Watercolour Paper, 2009 SOLD

Into the streets but more of studio work. This time its not trees but the typical London urban life I love. When it never rains heavy but drizzles all day long.




This was captured on Fleet Street during my scene hunting expeditions.
During my scene hunting expeditions I take loads of photos of scenes I love then bring back the pictures to the studio and start editing and cropping till I get the desired compositional effect I looking for and satisfied with.

This was done mainly with watercolour, gouache, coloured pencil, wax crayons, and ink.

The Emmanuel Adebayo Scissors Kick

As some of you might know I am a football fan and I started art and everything about drawing years back when I was 6 or so. I started by drawing my favourite football players. This love has never left me and that's why you can see me here pausing the video at each step of a brilliant scissors kick that Emmanuel Adebayo executed in Arsenal's game against Villareal in the Champions League on Tuesday night.

For me, when players do things like this it just makes the art of beautiful football all the more beautiful.

I think I'm 2, 16" x 16" Sanguine & sepia dust/coloured pencils on watercolour paper, 2009

Recently I did a post to let you know how I was doing with some portrait commissions and the battle I have been facing to complete them.

Well to celebrate, I have completed one out of the four! Phewwwwww it didn't come easy- It came after 6 attempts! Now, even though I haven't used the same pictures for all the attempts, they are the same boy! Now that can almost be hard to believe!

The lessons I have learnt are numerous but I just give glory to God first, for giving me the persistence and endurance during the roughest of times I ever experienced to produce a single portrait.

Lessons learnt.
1. Portrait commissions cannot be rushed, they take patience and time and HARD WORK! Give yourself sufficient time!

2. If working form photos make sure you take hundreds of photos of the same subject under different lighting to bring out the personality of the subject. Out of a hundred one will click!

3. When scaling it is good to use horizontal and vertical lines but also diagonal!

4. Master the medium you plan to use by practicing different effects possible on test paper or any ground similar to the one you are working on.

5. Nothing should be taken for granted, develop an "unmerciful" eye for tone, temperature, detail, lighting, texture, movement...that list could go on and on.

6. Sometimes while working on portraits the goal is resemblance or what some people call likeness- this can get one into a fix while working on portraits. When I say "fix" I mean, you let that be your one drive alone but it is not. So my solution is take a couple of breaks and distance yourself from the piece at intervals, also employing the use of a mirror to look at the portrait in reverse to see any alignment mistakes.

7. Finally, if others can do it, you can, just go back to your beloved books and tutors for help. Or even a trusty second eye. My wife comes in handy here, because she is neutral she'll offer down to earth criticism.



The final piece was achieved by first ghosting the dust on the watercolour paper and then details and tones were added using a variety of brown, red and black coloured pencils.

Here are 6 failed attempts! Don't laugh!

Adebanji and some of his paintings I

It is always good to look at the painter and their paintings, that is why I am a going to continue my series on a painters and their paintings. But meanwhile I'll just like to keep a reaction going between painters and their paintings, this time it is photos of me. Sometimes people say painters will reveal who they are in their paintings. I am not sure how true that is, but I do know that we surely MAKE A STATEMENT ABOUT WHAT WE LOVE in our paintings. So take a close look at these three shots.

see this painting below here

My Beloved Tree III, 16 x 11, mixed media on paper, 2009

The weather was better today but only in the afternoon. I scouted about to find those lovely trees that I have always longed to draw or paint but only do so in my dreams, or sometimes in my mind....I discovered this one in the bush around Belvedere. I then made myself comfortable and gave it a go.





I have used sanguine and sepia dust, watercolour, gouache, Biro and coloured pencils to achieve this.

Also here is a picture I managed to get of myself by balancing my camera on a tree and setting it on a self-timer. Aha no one was present in the bush to snap this time.