Tuesday 25 January 2011

"The look outs" update.

Been working away with this painting again. Here is the lastest photo to see the progress.
There are some parts that im not happy with, for example the landscape on  the far right and some of the wall. It will eventually get there. I hope.





Paintings to be framed and a little sketch.

This is a page out of my new "urban footprint" sketch book, just a small portrait, the girl in the photo is a berry picker from Arbroath that i saw last summer playing bongos in a bar at an acoustic gig.


Spray paint and graphite.


I was working on these last Friday and have only recently taken a photo of them together, i think they will work nicely in a frame. I really enjoyed making these because they were quick and spontaneous.



Thursday 20 January 2011

Urban Footprint

After exploring the factory yard and taking lots of pictures and finding objects, i ventured back to my studio.
I then began experimenting with paint to try and create a good texture for a rusty wall. Here is what i got up to.










Urban Footprint

Today has been really productive for me. I found the perfect location for my landscape which will be included in the "The look outs" painting. I got lots of pictures for the painting and also some for other research for when it comes to painting rust ect.
On my travels i also found a lovely piece of discarded steel which has been nicely welded on and a really nice shard of slate, i also picked up some large posters that were on the ground. There was a person behind me when i picked up the bit of steel and they must of thought that there was something clearly wrong with me! It was worth the embarressment!



I think this part of the steel looks like rotten old teeth.





I'm so pleased with my finds today. I want to box frame these agaisnt a black background. I will have this done by next week, however the slate is very fragile so i might have to frame it inside some sort of glass frame and coat the slate with a fixative.


Urban Footprint

Second year has proven to be both exciting and also chanllenging, the tutors have told everyone to write their own brief so i have called my project "Urban footprint"
Basicly i am looking in to urban decay and grime, i want to include figure work and portraits and hopefully i'll be able to depict emotion and atmosphere through my paintings.

This is going to be my longest given project this year (12 weeks) so plenty of time to do some serious work. The first week has just past and i am already busy creating. I have started a sketch book during the winter holidays and have conjured up alot of ideas and will continue to do so through out the project.

I have been working on this painting since Monday and i am already happy with it so far, i have struggled with the figure on the left but it is still being worked on.
 The painting is called "The look outs". Its based on the idea of gangs and also youth, going to places that you shouldnt be just to get that rush of excitment and adrenalin. I am going to paint a graffitied wall behind the two people and i'll also use alot of mixed media for this. On the very right of the painting there will be a very dark landscape of a factory yard with old oil tanks and gates to show that its strictly off limits. I was out today taking pictures of this location.

This is a photo of how the painting looks so far, ill keep posting it to see the progression.





                                                                        (29x62)