February was a busy month given that I decided to re-introduce my favourite theme: portraiture. I always loved drawing, and portraiture always provided an additional challenge. I have only ever done a handful of colour portraits (mostly in oil), so I just stayed with monochrome on these 'practice' ones. I was happy with the outcome, and found that all the illustration work has definitely helped 'de-rust' my drawing skills. It must be six years since I did a portrait, and still find it very satisfying. The challenge always is not only to get a likeness, but to really bring the subject to 'life'. I've tried a few alternate views with my own kids - photographing them unknowingly, in an effort to get a more natural pose.
My Friday Group is going very well. We've mostly gone back to basics, and stuck to still-life, concentrating on composition, drawing skills using negative spacing, and complimentary colour. I'm really enjoying it and it's amazing what you learn from their differing styles. It's also a time I get to set aside purely for art, and nothing else. Time is still a resource I don't have enough of!
