My First Time (in 30 years)

[bitingmidge]

My beloved has often prompted me to pick up a brush again, but after the first 20 years or so gave up on me! So like Journeyman Mick's recent re-discovery of old skills, after 30 years, I've picked up a paintbrush!

I've been thinking about it for a while, and with my eldest daughter's engagement I had a bit of a rush of blood to the head and decided to paint a portrait of she and her betrothed as a wedding present.

I don't like painting dinky little things, so started with a 1000 x 1500 canvas and a can of Haymes house paint. Of course I had to stop after I had it sketched to build an easel! (http://www.woodworkforums.com/showthread.php?t=51468&highlight=easel).

Now that the wedding's over, I guess I can show it to the world!

Pic 1 - The happy couple give a bit of scale to the thing
Pic 2 - Well that's it. I do need some help from Major P on getting the colour balance and contrast right on this one though. The real thing is closer to the colours in Pic 1! (I'll try to fiddle tomorrow)

Of course this has led to a few more paintings happening, but I'm unlikely to produce another portrait for a while. The pressure of getting a likeness as well as telling a story is a bit ... much!

This one probably took four or five days of actual time, painting mostly with a ridiculously small brush. House paints are deceptively hard to use in monochrome as well, as they change colour significantly as they dry, but look very similar when wet, but the thought of spending $100 on artists paint on something that may not have panned out didn't appeal to me either!

Cheers,

P
:D

[Barry_White]

Peter it looks like a heap of latent talent sitting there. You really should pursue it.

[martrix]

yes I like. You definitely have a talent there.:pipe1:

[echnidna]

Architect 2nd

Artist first and foremost

Very nice BM

[scooter]

Wow, midge. :oo:
That is excellent.

[watson]

VBG Midge

[Grunt]

Is there any other latent tendencies you haven't told us about?

[bennylaird]

Very Good!!!

Is this your blues era?

Just goes to prove if your skilled in one area it flows across.

[JDarvall]

thats brilliant mate. You shore you didn't print that out from some machine ?

[journeyman Mick]

That ended up looking really good! I doubt I could work in a monochrome, I think I would've had to have had blue tinted glasses on to try to work the colour gradiation out. Maybe I should whip up a bit of scaffolding for you next time I'm down your way so you can paint your ceiling.:wink:

Mick

[joe greiner]

Never forget how to ride a bicycle either, I guess. Very very good, and an interesting application in monochrome. Like Mick suggests, do you do chapel ceilings too?

Joe

[jmk89]

Having the artistic talent of a brick, I am always in awe of those who are blessed with real talent. Thanks for showing your work, Peter. You really should keep on with it.

[mic-d]

Midge that is excellent! Is there an Archibald entry in the future?

Cheers
Michael

[namtrak]

Jeez you and Mick are very talented young men, but is that grey hair you've have painted on your daughter? Are you totally insane man? If she is like most other SWMBO's I know :rolleyes: she will cut your kidneys out in your sleep!!!

:D :D :D

[Zed]

does this mean you have to :

1) trade in the shed for a "workspace" or heaven forbid a "Studio"
2) start wearing a french poof-ter hat
3) commence speaking about lavender and lilac semi tones ?

If this is the case I suggest you shoot yourself lol!!!!

PS: Use water based acrylic from the local arts paint shop. cheap and the colours are very repeatable if u always buy the same brands... wash out in water too.....

[silentC]

Gobsmacked!

[bitingmidge]

Thanks for the kind words chaps, for me at least painting is pretty much a confidence thing, and this one has given me the confidence to carry on a bit more.

I wonder how many others there are out there who don't do stuff just because they are afraid of how it will turn out?

I'm still battling to get the photo with the correct colour balance though! If I get one right, I'll post it!

cheers,

P

[Andy Mac]

Nice work BM, especially taken with the monochromatic palette and the framing of the heads.

Keep it up!:)

[journeyman Mick]

Gobsmacked!

Has this ever happened before?:wink:

Mick

[silentC]

Has this ever happened before?
:p


I wonder how many others there are out there who don't do stuff just because they are afraid of how it will turn out?
For me it would be a case of where to start. It took me all day yesterday to come up with a full page ad for a magazine. Once I had the initial idea, it was OK but getting the idea in the first place was difficult. It's hard to stare at a blank canvas and come up with an idea. I usually rip off other people's work :)

I was thinking of a portrait of the kids. Maybe something in a nice monochrome shade of blue...

Thank god for Photoshop :D

[bitingmidge]

I was thinking of a portrait of the kids. Maybe something in a nice monochrome shade of blue...

Thank god for Photoshop :D
There you go! :D

Now duck down to your local woolies while the idea's still fresh and buy a brush or two!

cheers,

P
:D

[Rocker]

When I saw this painting at the Midge place, I was, like SilentC, gobsmacked. I was wondering if Midge had found some subtle method of reproducing a photo on canvas with some clever software. When he assured me that it was all a result of his artistic talent with the paintbrush, I was distinctly impressed.

I am just hoping that he will survive into old age with both ears intact:)

Rocker

[MajorPanic]

Bloody hell Midge!!

Wad ya need a camera for? Ya talented bugger!! :2tsup: :2tsup: :2tsup:

(I couldn't draw a decent line wif out a ruler :( )

[bitingmidge]

Wad ya need a camera for?

To take pitchas of me pitchas of course! :D

I still can't get the colour or contrast right, but I'm hoping after another day or two some of the fog will have gone from my brain and I'll try again! :(

Thanks,

P:D

[MajorPanic]

.....
I still can't get the colour or contrast right, but I'm hoping after another day or two some of the fog will have gone from my brain and I'll try again! :(

Thanks,

P:DLet me teach you about adjustment layers in Photoshop then :wink: :U :U

[AlexS]

I usually rip off other people's work :)


Don't worry, all art is derivative.:D

Great portraits Midge.

[bigAl]

Bloody Brilliant BM, I'm most envious.

Al.

[Groggy]

Having the artistic talent of a brick, I am always in awe of those who are blessed with real talent. Thanks for showing your work, Peter. You really should keep on with it.What Jeremy said - all of it. Great talent there.