Unique Tutorial, a joint drawing project, accidentally on purpose.

F, 2B on Strathmore Bristol paper, vellum surface.

I had a panic email from an excellent student, having just finished her non-art degree, about to pursue her creative path.

 'Help', she cried.

 'Come for cake', I replied. 

She was on the next train. I anticipated a tutorial/chat for an hour or so, punctuated with a bit of location drawing, purely for our health. Things didn't go quite as planned.. 

Admittedly, I was just back from New York and the jet lag was, sigh, becoming part of the family (in a  'you'd not choose it, but you gotta live with it', kinda way). First stop after picking her up from the station was the art college cafe for tea. This was 10am. 

Of course, the secret weapon of tea is the chat. Once we had a sip, the tutorial was On. Her train to Dublin left at 3.30. She just made it. The tutorial lasted 5 hours and two artworks. Two amazing and unusual artworks which are truly beautiful to behold. Did we manage any location drawing? Nope. We sat in the same chairs and didn't budge, except for more tea. 

Best tutorial I ever gave. 

How's Niamh? AWESOME.

My view

Niamh's view

Guitar Oil Pastel, Strathmore Bristol Paper, Vellum surface.

My view 

Niamh's view. If you look carefully, there's a Heart in this. In fact, there are several.

Luckily for me, we worked in my pad. So I've got the drawings. But, half of them really are Niamh's. Multidisciplanary design, co creating at ground level. Delicious. (You can't tell what it is, because it's Niamh's path.) 

Jet lag has gone now, it stayed a month, longer than any visitor really should..

Up coming courses - intensive portfolio prep over half term, childrens art class,oils workshop and weekly classes. For info email julie@juliedouglas.co.uk  

EHOD - location drawing in Belfast

This weekend is European Heritage Open Days and I'm holding a couple of drawing sessions in two fabulous buildings as part of that.
I always visit a site before taking students, just to make sure there are good angles and if possible, comfy seats, and to do some drawings.

 For this view, no comfy seats, but we sat on the side bar of the bus shelter (on location, an ability to adapt is vital!), which proved extra useful when it began raining.

My student friend Jayne came with me (Jayne is addicted to location drawing, good woman!) and we couldn't believe it, when we put our drawings together they almost joined up! These drawings took about 40 minutes. 

 The other location was more challenging. Huge interior, very structural with few soft edges. What to draw...?? Eventually I spotted some cast heads up by the ceiling so thought I'd challenge my eyesight and draw one of those. I have to say this is the most uncomfortable I have ever been in producing a drawing, it was a total endurance test. I was, in fact, a bit lower down than the photo shows, wedged between rows of seat. After three minutes my legs were locked and my neck was really sore. But that was nothing compared to the torture of the thumpimg of the piano tuner, on the stage below me.

I soldiered on, and was surprised when I finished to see that it had taken two hours to do the drawing. The piano tuner finished moments before I did - as I was leaving, the maintenance folks were arriving, and were beginning the hammering required to lift the flooring. I was delighted to miss THAT!

If you'd like to come and do some drawing at the weekend (don't worry, I've found a good comfy spot for students, no pain at all) please email me for details and bookings. It is free but you need to bring your own materials.

julie@juliedouglas.co.uk

Portrait Painting in Oils in New York #1...

New York was amAZing..!! In fact, I crammed in so much that it's taking me a while to gather myself.
I was there to attend a portrait painting masterclass - I learnt so much, from the tutors as well as the other students. Everyone was friendly, open and generous and I've been practicing since I got home. Because practice makes perfect..

I met up with my friend Jode, who travelled from Niagara Falls to join me on the course.

First stop, after walking through Broadway, obviously, was the Art store to stock up on supplies. Well, I could've spent a week in there. I've never seen so many brushes in my life.

 On Monday morning we headed to the Grand Central Academy, to the black-walled studio. The atmosphere was quiet and expectant. The first day was Drawing, and after that we painted, with a new model each day.

The studio on day two, with Ted Minoff (seated) demonstrating. As you can see, we made a big mess, and even though the room was large, when we all gather around one model, there's not much elbow room! My painting is second from the left. More in the next post.

Upcoming - I resume the weekly classes soon, Drawing and Painting in Belfast. For details email

julie@juliedouglas.co.uk

from the sketch book...

The sketch book is such an important touch stone, to create focus, assemble thoughts, or even to stop thoughts altogether. To try things, in an unpressured way. Practice. Polish. Perfect. Play. Ponder. Produce. And above all, Personal.

 Chillies - water colour, about 3in x 3 in. These are in my smallest Moleskine book. The remaining drawings are in an A3 sized hard backed sketch book. Head, Giant Deer and Bear, location drawing at the Ulster Museum.

Next up - I'm on my way to NYC for a portrait painting masterclass...

Lea and Hollie's portfolio preparation - fun and work at the same time...

Yes, they look quiet enough, and they certainly did a brilliant job of ignoring the crowds that constantly streamed past, by totally focusing on their drawings... 

... and look at the SIZE of those drawings!! 

But when they'd finished, they were more than happy to give a good ROAR for the camera!!

Location drawing is good fun, once you get started. The girls were preparing their portfolios and loved doing the giant deer drawing so much that they did a second session of location work, drawing the figures below. Not easy. 

Some all-important sketch book work.. 

Oil painting, close-up of hair. 10in x 12 in on Primed board.

 It didn't occur to me when I began this painting that people wouldn't be able to tell what it is. But no one can..! Which doesn't matter at all, I did it to practice using the paint, and am very happy with the result.

It started life as a drawing on tracing paper...

A tonal layer to help me not get lost.. (didn't work, I got lost regularly) 

 The second layer, blocking in colour in more detail. 

At this point (above) I had to stop and work on the portrait commissions. A break of about 3 weeks, but it was at a good point to leave it. When we leave anything, even if only overnight, it's important for it to be at a stage where we can pick it up easily, without feeling too daunted. 

Lots of fiddling and layering. 

There now. Can you tell what it is? 

If not, we'll let sleeping dogs lie, for I'm not telling!

Next up, Water Colour workshop, intensive portfolio course, childrens drawing and painting workshop.  For details email julie@juliedouglas.co.uk

Portrait number three with a LOT of leaves...Step by step

Materials - Bristol Board, a Melamine drawing board, A Daylight bulb in a desk lamp, Caran d'Ache Luminance, Caran d'Ache Prismalo 1 and a mixture of Derwent pencils. 

Step 1 - a detailed line drawing, so that all my colour work runs continuously. This is not the last word in process, it's just the way I like to work. I prefer to make all the tonal decisions from the offset then spend the rest of the time on colour. 

Everything needs more than one colour. With dark tones in fabric (ie large areas at a time), I like to do a full all-over layer and then lay the next colours down on top. With smaller areas, I prefer doing all layers as I go along, to stop it becoming tedious through repeated revisiting. There's a BIG difference between a Labour of Love, and Laborious. So with the leaves, I did a complete leaf at a time, with skin, I work up tiny areas about an inch square. 

Hair... I always do hair last because... I don't like doing it!

My desk space gets more and more cramped as things progress. I always cover finished areas with a piece of paper to help keep the work clean. Particulalry important when there are large dark areas, which create fine dust which can stain the lighter colours. 

If you have any questions, do ask!

Up coming workshops - children's drawing, portrait weekend, water colour weekend. Email julie@juliedouglas.co.uk for details

Portrait number two..!

Moving from one portrait commission directly into the next means I'm working more quickly. However, there is no 'formula' to these things, and each one is as unique to do as the face being portrayed. I'm putting in long hours, with the next portrait well on the way too.

The first drawing was as preparation, done a couple of months ago.

I am now working on the third consecutive portrait, which has a LOT of background, which is very time consuming.

Baby, Baby - Step by step portrait colour pencil

Recipe: How to make a portrait. 

Ingredients: A model. 

One A3 sized sheet of Bristol Paper (smooth)

F pencil (if the art shop tells you there is no such thing as an F pencil, leave immediately, for you know more than they do...) 

Colour pencils ( Caran d'Ache Luminous, Caran d'Ache Prismalo 1, and some Derwent Artist)

Putty Rubber, Sharpener, kitchen roll (to keep the page clean) 

Lamp with daylight bulb - on all the time, day and night, directed right onto the paper. 

Melamine Drawing Board (perfectly smooth) 

A dog, or at least a bicycle, for fresh air when the eyes start swapping sockets

BBC iPlayer to catch up on Rick Stein in India, mmmm. 

A kilo of Stamina and two cups of elbow grease. 

Instructions: Stir all the ingredients together and bake in a warm oven for a week. (If only!) 

.... Draw the subject in F pencil carefully and lightly so that you can rub the lines out as you add colour. Add colour LOCALLY, so that each small area is fully completed before you move on to the next. Some people draw a layer over everything first then continually go around and around the whole image until it is done. Personally, I find that way of working soul destroying and rather like pushing a wheelbarrow up hill. Drawing should never destroy the soul, and working up small areas to completion means you can see your progress as you go along. 

It starts off looking like an Ordnance Survey map, not at all flattering. So although the client wanted to see what I was doing, I couldn't show her until I was quite a long way into it. It just looks too weird.. 

Small, gentle (but not 'fluffy') strokes, with everything having at least two colours. 

Large, plain areas are the most difficult in colour pencil, and while I often say I don't like drawing hair, a very large hairless forehead is far harder..!!!! Even my son looked at this forehead and sighed, oh MUM, what are you going to draw there, it's... EMPTY?! I know son, I know.. 

Once everything is 'covered', then hours are spent relayering to get the balance right. 

I forgot to photograph it totally finished - in this pic I haven't done the teeth, but you get the idea. This took about 35 hours. Portraiture, more than any other subject, is an intense process, with added pressure of pleasing the client - we can never truly see a person as others see them. So once it's done, time to get OUT and get the fresh air. I have two more portraits on the drawing board, I'll show you when they're done.

Upcoming workshops - oil painting for all levels, portrait drawing, intensive portfolio course and childrens art days.

Email julie@juliedouglas.co.uk for info