Portrait start

S & S
graphite 11 x 14
copyright Jeanette Jobson

I've made a small start on the double portrait of my daughter and her fiance using the Bristol 400 paper. I'm not sure yet if I like the paper. The very smoothness that I wanted is turning out to be almost too smooth and I find I need an extremely light hand to achieve the effect that I want. I'll go further and see what it produces. In the early stages, its difficult to judge the final product as there are many layers to go yet.

I haven't tackled a serious portrait in awhile and have confined myself to smaller scale pieces and sketches. I could blame time but I know that's an excuse sometimes. I need to make time for the things that are important to me.

I'm slowly turning the corner into inspiration again but am not quite there yet. I can see some things on the horizon and I think I'll tackle some painting to get into the swing again just as a change of pace. Meanwhile I'll keep nibbling away at this portrait and hope it will start coming together.

Silver linings

Drawing Glass - Tutorial

There are always some benefits to adversity and this time others hopefully will benefit from my mistakes.

I have been producing art tutorials, but in this one I screwed up the graphics by photographing instead of scanning them. No amount of tweaking in Photoshop would undo the greyness that the background showed, so they weren't suitable for production. I didn't want to redraw this particular project again, so I let it sit for awhile and now have decided I will share it with others who want to download it for learning purposes.

The images are usable, but not as clear as they normally would be but the explanation should give enough information along with the graphics to be useful for those who want some guidelines about drawing glass.

I would love to hear from those who download this piece and create a glass drawing. Your comments are always welcome and if you have questions I can be reached by email and am happy to help.

I will share the silver lining and will make this file available as soon as I figure out how to link a PDF file into Blogger!

Update:   The file is available on my website as  free tutorial www.jeanettejobson.com 

Inspiration?

I seem to be going through a very lean period when it comes to producing art.

I can't seem to wrap my mind around any significant projects or settle down to really get at anything. I have lots of sketches which keeps my hand in practice, but inspiration for something more significant just doesn't seem to be there for the last couple of weeks.

This also flows over into my blog as well. Its as if I have run out of words and meaninful ideas. I know that everyone reaches this 'wall' now and then and it can be frustrating. I've accepted the fact that I'm on a 'go slow' until inspiration hits me again.

But I want to be past this. I want to become absorbed in a drawing or painting, but the more I try, the more fleeting it becomes.

I've tried browsing the blogs I enjoy and new ones to help inspire me.
I've flipped through art magazines
I've looked at videos about art techniques
I've sketched with less used mediums to see if the newness of them will help

I know I will get past this, its just painfully slow. So I will ignore it. I'll work on other creative projects such as my jewelry and perhaps some knitting. Then hope that inspiration will return.

Eating the cold porridge

Cervical Vertebra Sketch
coloured pencil
copyright Jeanette Jobson

Years ago I studied anatomy for a year in my course as a herbalist. Starting out, the subject was fairly new to me, the names of bones, organs and bodily systems all sounded peculiar and their complex function even more so. I thought I'd never get it straight in my head. But I did.

There is a perceived difficulty in trying to learn something new, whether anatomy or drawing and it can be overcome if you take it in small steps and look at it logically. Like any skill, it is learned by repetition, practice and practice and repetition. You have to eat the cold porridge.

Eating cold porridge. I've seen the expression and finally tracked it down to a book by Tony Parsons - One for My Baby.

'You must eat the cold porridge,' he told me once.

It's a Chinese expression. Cantonese, I guess, because although hecarried an old-fashioned blue British passport and was happy to call himself an Englishman, he was born in Hong Kong and sometimes you could tell that all the important things he believed were formed long ago and far away. Like the importance of eating the cold porridge.

I stopped what I was doing and stared at him. What was he going on about now?
'Eat the cold porridge.'

The way he explained it, eating the cold porridge means working at something for so long that when you get home there is nothing left to eat but cold porridge.

That's how you get good at something, he told me. That's how you get good at anything. You eat the cold porridge.

You work at it when the others are playing. You work at it when the others are watching television. You work at it when the others are sleeping.

To become the master of something, you must eat the cold porridge.

Peter Pan Statue

Peter Pan statue

Bowring Park, St. John's, NL

Early on Sunday morning I went to Bowring Park in St. John's to take some photos in that light that only the morning can provide. By the duck pond there is a Peter Pan statue which I remember as a child and which is a magnet for every child who sees it. The animals are worn smooth by small hands caressing them - and larger ones too.

There is an interesting story behind the statue which was commissioned by Sir Edgar Rennie Bowring in memory of his grand daughter who died at sea. The plaque reads "In memory of a little girl who loved the Park" and was unveiled on Aug. 29, 1925. The little girl who loved the park was Betty Munn, daughter of John Shannon Munn and Alice May McCowen. Betty and her father were lost in the wreck of the Florizel, a Bowring Brothers ship which was destroyed on the rocks off Cappahayden during a winter's storm on the night of Feb. 23-24, 1918. They were on their way to New York to rendezvous with Betty's mother who was already there. Betty Munn was three and one-half years old.

Bowring Brothers Ltd donated Bowring Park, three miles from downtown St John's, to the people of the city in 1911 in celebration of their 100th year of business in Newfoundland. The Duke of Connaught officially opened it on July 14, 1914. Sir Edgar Rennie Bowring was a businessman, politician and philanthropist, a partner in the family business, Bowring Brothers. Among the firm's interests was shipping and one of their vessels was the Florizel.

The Peter Pan statue was created in 1912 by Sir George Frampton who was commissioned by J.M. Barrie, the author of Peter Pan. Seven replicas only were cast from the original mould of the Peter Pan statue which is located in London's Kensington Gardens.

Based on J.M. Barrie's immortal character, Peter Pan, this bronze statue features Peter standing on a tree stump playing a flute (supposedly a set of pan pipes) whilst a collection of fairies, rabbits, squirrels and other little creatures adorn the base. The main fairy is believed to be Tinker Bell reaching towards Peter. Frampton described his masterpiece as follows; "The animals and fairies on the statue are listening to the Pipes of Pan, one of the mice is completing his toilet before going up to listen to the music, and the squirrel is discussing political matters with two of the fairies."

The seven statues are located around the world:

1. Kensington Gardens, London, England

2. Sefton Park, Liverpool

3. Egmont Park, Brussels, Belgium

4. Rutgers University in Camden, New Jersey

5. Bowring Park, St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada

6. Glenn Gould Park, Toronto, Canada

7. Queen's Gardens, Perth, Western Australia

Harvest

The growing season is short in Newfoundland, so harvest tends to be late August, stretching into October. I've been growing some heirloom vegetables this year, both in the greenhouse and the new vegetable garden with mixed results. Chioggia beets, purple carrots, cherokee and zebra tomatoes as well as a host of potatoes varieties from banana to Irish Cobbler are all slowly maturing and I sneak a few here and there to try. They're fabulous!

The weather this summer has been beyond awful with a lot of cool, wet weather interspersed with incredibly hot, humid weather. Neither seemed to have done the plants much good. However the beans seem to have thrived despite the conditions with bumper crops of green, yellow and purple beans being harvested, blanched and frozen as well as eaten what seems daily lately, along with the ever present zucchini.

The purple beans 'Royal Burgundy' are stunning visually, being almost black they are so dark, but unfortunately turn dark green once you cook them. I grabbed a handful yesterday and did a sketch of them in my Moleskine. I added my super quick recipe for roasted beans. You can use green, yellow or purple beans for this but be warned, they are addictive!

What warms your soul?

My muse is prone to taking a leave of absence lately without consulting me much. He leaves me to flounder and wander, looking for inspiration until he returns. This is one of the pieces of inspiration that I found and one that warms my soul.

What warms your soul? For me, it is the moment that I know I have uninterrupted time to produce art. It is that moment when I have my supplies at hand and finally sit down and can start drawing or painting. There is something so overwhelmingly comforting about that time, its difficult to put into words.

Tabby study

Tabby study
Coloured pencil 9 x12
copyright Jeanette Jobson

I started doodling a cat early this morning on some toned paper and kept elaborating on it, so here is the current version. Its in its early stages and I'm just starting to build up some layers of fun and create values.

Although coloured pencils are one of my favourite mediums, I haven't used them for awhile and didn't realize how much I missed them until I had them in my hand again. I used Prismacolor pencils for this piece but may try some Derwent Coloursofts on another image later. I use them interchangeably, but do find the Coloursofts creamier, however I seem to always revert to the Prismacolors. I'm a creature of habit perhaps.

Twilight

I would like to explore light in painting over the next few days, specifically twilight.

Often confused with dusk, twilight is specifically defined as the period before or after nighttime during which it is possible to conduct outdoor activities without the aid of artificial light. Due to the unusual, romantic quality of the ambient light at this time, twilight has long been popular with photographers and painters, who refer to it as the "blue hour", after the French expression l'heure bleue.

The light in this photo of the Sonoma desert is subdued and dimming fast, taking with it a lot of the colour and sharpness out of the detail. I would like to understand the palette that can be used to capture the light during twilight. So many of us want bright sun and dramatic shadow for our paintings, yet the diffused light of dawn or dusk can as easily be as dramatic and make the viewer want to linger and see more in the muted colours and shapes.

When light disappears and is replaced by moonlight, a whole new and more limited palette comes forward. I am so near the water, yet haven't painted a similar scene to this before. I need to visit the water at the next moonlit night and capture how it lights the landscape and the ocean.

Art and technology

Fog blanket - Torbay

My art has taken a backseat again this week due to other commitments. However, potential does catch my eye as I pass through places. This was Torbay the other morning on my drive to work. The weather was very warm and muggy and the heat hit the cool water. The resulting fog lay like a blanket over the cove, seeping inland, competing with the sun.

I didn't have my camera with me so took this photo with my cell phone camera. It gives me the basics that act as my memory for values and colours if I want to recreate the scene in a painting.

The little cell phone camera acts as my instant sketchbook. The photos that it takes don't have the level of detail that my digital camera does, but it gives me enough information to allow me to be able to work from it if I want to create a drawing or painting.

Thunderclouds - Torbay

I have an attraction to the water and have taken lots of photos of this scene as I pass it every day morning and evening. This is another scene of thunderclouds just starting to roll back after an early morning storm.

Technology in many forms enhance my ability to produce, show and share art and information. From a scanner and computer to digital camera or graphics software packages, they all provide services that I have come to rely on. Yes, I can still produce art traditionally without any technological interference and classic pieces are produced and have been produced with way for hundreds of thousands of years. I think the trick is to not rely on any one thing too much and risk forgetting that the rest of the world is out there waiting to be explored - and drawn.

How does technology help you in your art?

Cranes and labels

Crane
Charcoal and graphite 8 x 10
copyright Jeanette Jobson

I'm not sure of the official name of this crane, but its a rather interesting bird. I came across the image on WetCanvas's Weekly Drawing Thread and played around with it last night. I should have made the crown of feathers lighter but the charcoal took over a bit.

As an artist I often use Google and other engines to look for images, but the results don't always match my search. If the image titles or tags don't have the relevant information that you need, you won't find what you're looking for. Google has developed a new research project that may help. The program asks users to help improve overall search functions by adding labels or descriptive tags on specific images. You're paired up, in real time, with an unknown user, and you're presented with the same pictures. The object is to come up with as many words as possible to describe what you see. See what your labeling brain comes up with if you get a chance.

Google Image Labeler

Double portrait update

S & S
Master line drawing 11 x 14
copyright Jeanette Jobson

I freed up this afternoon to dedicate to some drawing and completed the other half of the master line drawing for the double portrait that I started last week. This is a portrait of my eldest daughter and her fiance.

I draw freehand in 95% of my portraits, so often have to go back into my initial sketch to do some measurement of major facial features to make sure everything lines up and a reasonable likeness is achieved.

I use a large sketchpad to create the master line drawing as I spend time going over lines or correcting placement so in the end the paper can look a little scruffy at times. I also draw the values to use as guidelines so that I have a complete map of the lights and darks to use as I draw.

I always transfer my line drawing onto another sheet of paper, in this case, Bristol 400 11 x 14. I wanted a smooth paper but need some good darks in here and they aren't as easily achieved on the plate Bristol. I can then keep my master line drawing and use it in the future if I want to paint the same image or if perhaps my initial attempt doesn't work out as I want it too. Yes, its another step and a delay before I can reach the shading portion of work, but it pays off to take the extra time.

This scan is of the rough paper, not the transferred drawing and will be subject to minor changes as I go along. Just seeing it online lets me find areas that I need to tweak to get the likenesses that I want. And all those teeth will be a challenge to draw...

Abstract

Seaweed I
Digital
copyright Jeanette Jobson

I've never really explored abstract art or have been pulled in that direction, but there was an image of seaweed that seemed to call out for an abstract interpretation. I played around in Photoshop for awhile and this was the result. I'd like to use the same image and try it in watercolour, which I think would suit the subject, even if it would be difficult to determine the subject in the final piece.

There are some schools of thought that abstract art is easy, but its quite the opposite. You need to have the required knowledge of colour, composition and technique to make it work well. The completed piece will have no semblance to the original inspiration. Abstract art provides a vessel for experimentation and expression in art as you move colours and shapes around. You are freed from having to create something that looks comparable to something else.

I'll have to experiment a little more with this process and see what I come up with. A good class in abstract art would be useful, but I don't think I'll find one in my area. However, if anyone knows of one, please let me know.

Fitting it all in

I've had a brutal week in many ways and haven't fitted in much in the way of drawing or painting, except this little sketch of a squirrel. But this is a long weekend (Labour Day) in Canada, so I hope to make up for lost time.

I have a portrait to work on, a painting to start and some jewelry to create. The day shall start early tomorrow!

Journals

Stopping Time

While I was clearing out some things from my mother's house, I came across an old pastel drawing that I had sent to her many many years ago. It made me cringe a little to see it and to know that I had moved forward so much since then.

It made me think of how we begin as artists and the practice and knowledge that we seek helps us grow and become confident in making marks on paper. It seems like such a slow process of learning at the time and we don't know until we look back and reflect or compare works just how far we have come in our journey and how much we have learned.

I have a little journal by my bedside that I write and draw in at night before I sleep. I wish I had kept one years ago when I was just starting my journey in art. I would love to compare them now and see the changes and the similarities. For those starting out, keeping track of where you are, where you have been and where you want to go are important as a measurement of growth. I have gaps in my journey and areas that are sparsely populated, except in memory.


Perhaps I'm trying to make up for lost time now. I think as we age, we realize how much of life we let pass by and what opportunities we miss for a variety of reasons. I produce as much art as I can because I hear the clock ticking. There are so many ideas and so little time - truly. I feel as if I want to stay up 24 hours straight just to fit in more time to capture images of life.

These images are included in that night time journal. They are images from my head, sparked by any number of things that happen during the day and sit in my brain waiting for release. Some go on to be full drawings or paintings, others find their contentment in simple form on a page.

Double portrait

Half a portrait - master drawing
11 x 14 - Canson sketchbook
copyright Jeanette Jobson

I've been back to work this week and its pretty hectic so far, yet only Tuesday. I'm hoping I'll be back in control before the end of the week.

I've started a double portrait, but am only showing one half of it today, as the other is still in progress. This is the line drawing and is on Canson paper. I will be transferring it to Bristol 500 Plate and using a mechanical pencil to complete it. I haven't used the Bristol Plate before so it will be interesting to see how it performs. Most of my work has been on the lower Bristol 300, mostly because it was all I could get here. I ordered the 400 and 500 some time ago but they've been sitting and waiting for the right piece to come along. And yes, its still my stash, I haven't bought anything new. Still working on depleting some of my art cupboard.

The image is my eldest daughter and her fiance. Sorry S, he's not finished yet! The eyes are making me crazy!! But soon... I'll do some more work on him tonight and hopefully have the full master drawing in a day or two.

Reflections

Reflections in glass

8 x 5 sketchbook
copyright Jeanette Jobson

I was coming in from taking some photos in the garden yesterday and as my hand was on the door to go in, I noticed my reflection in the glass of the door. I hadn't really noticed before, but perhaps because the sky was clear and the sun was shining it stood out more.

This line drawing is from a photo I took of the reflections that I saw. I do need to clean the glass on that door, don't I?

Inside out

An old cabinet was taken apart and a mirror from inside it was propped up in the barn til it can be disposed of. However B.D. and Buddy, the Muscovy ducks think the mirror is the best thing since sliced bread. They stand or sit in front of it for hours, gazing at their reflections. Maybe they think its new handsome ducks come to visit them. Whatever they think, its a hit with them so it may just have to stay. Now who gets to clean off all the duck 'beak prints' on the mirror...

Meercats and moose

Meercat study
Graphite, 11 x 14 on Canson

Despite the fact that I was on holiday, I was called in to work to deal with something yesterday. I guess that ups my karma rating somewhere down the road.

I haven't slept well lately and am up very early in the morning which is a good time of day for me to draw. I'm fresh at that point and drawing can push other thoughts to the back of my mind and let me relax for awhile.

That early morning start was where this little guy appeared from. Meercats are interesting creatures, almost catlike in their facial features and forever alert. I'm doing some simple global shading for this and am enjoying the process. Some pieces just slip off the end of the pencil without effort, while others are trial and error, and error and error...

A young bull moose keeps wandering into the garden for the last two days, startling everyone who sees him as he comes so close. As long as he stays out of the vegetable gardens and doesn't walk in the flower beds, he'll be allowed to hang around. Even though they are fairly timid usually, this guy seems overly curious and not scared by noise or people. I just don't trust them or like coming face to face with one around a corner, so he'll be encouraged to move on.

For those who want to take part, the August Virtual Sketch Date reference image is up. Just leave a comment on the blog if you're taking part.

Bucket O' Duck

Bucket O' Duck
graphite, 11 x 14
copyright Jeanette Jobson

I posted the photo that I used for this drawing awhile ago. It was one of the Pekin ducks who in her enthusiasm to get the water, got into the bucket then was stuck. Of course a photo had to be taken and here is the sketch from it.

Everyone thinks that ducks are enthusiastic about water, but some just aren't that interested. There are groups that go to the pond each day, but others, like the Khaki Cambells, who never venture there, preferring to dip their heads in a pail of water and pretend.

Then there's the Muscovy ducks who really don't like getting wet at all, not even from a shower of rain. BD and Buddy race to the barn at the first hint of rain and flee from drops of water from a hose as well. BD will go through the full motions of taking a bath in the dew on the grass in the morning and still come out as dirty as he went in.

Oils update

The lane to the marsh
Oils 8 x 10 on canvas
copyright Jeanette Jobson

I worked for awhile today trying to save the plein air painting I did the other day and am calling this one done now. The huge old pines in the background are mostly dead, but still soar into the sky, almost looking like palm trees at times.

I adjusted some colours from my initial one hour painting and tightened up a few areas. The water in the lane caused me problems. It went from looking like a puddle to a waterfall and back again several times before I tamed it sufficiently.

Oils are always an adventure for me because they are so very different than working with my usual graphite. They let some of my inner child come out in terms of moving squidgy paint around on the canvas and palette and getting messy. Having paint on the end of your nose or in your hair is a right of passage for artists. I always seem to manage both for some reason.

Another portrait

I've been playing with another self portrait. Yeah, I'm out in the woods and don't have any other victims who want to pose and I always need the practice.

I thought I'd try watercolour pencils for this and here's where I am so far. I add most of the dry colours that I want, trying for even coverage, as I don't want pencil lines to show through. The lighting is strong again, early morning sun which I think I like because it means I have less to paint, leaving the white of the paper for the strongest highlights.

Watercolour really is hit or miss for me and I need more practice. I'll see how this one progresses and if it will see the light of day or not.

Plein air oil

The lane to the marsh
oils 8 x 10 stretched canvas
copyright Jeanette Jobson

Today was warm and sunny so I decided to take advantage of the weather and try a little 'plein air' with some oils. I loaded up my bag and wandered around the lanes surrounding the farm til I came across this entrance into the woods. We had torrential rain on Sunday so the lane was filled with water.

I decided I would give myself an hour and see what I could come up with. This is the result. Rough but with potential.

Unfortunately, it was pretty windy today, so I spent a fair bit of time hanging onto the canvas to prevent it taking off. I also used a paper palette which, even though anchored onto my wooden palette still flapped around like a wet fish, premixing some of my colours!

I took a photo of the scene so that I could work on some details once I have a chance, perhaps later tonight or tomorrow. I haven't done plein air with oils for a long, long time and throughly enjoyed it, despite the wind.

This little pig went to market...

The pigs went to the processor last Friday and I was sorry to see them go. I become over attached to some animals on the farm and the pigs are one of them. I know they are intended for food, but I still treat them as pets, going to see them and rub their noses which they love. I felt more guilty than usual when this group of five went. I had secretly given them names and their personalities came through as they grew.

They were loaded into specially made crates and put on a trailer for the trip. At least the day was warm and sunny and they seemed to enjoy the warmth. Even the trip from the barn to the trailer, sailing through the air via a forklift on the tractor didn't faze them.

I won't go into my rant about animal treatment, except to emphasize once more, that the world needs to know where their food comes from and demand humane treatment for raising animals.

Goodbye piggies...

Starving artist sales

Dreams

My holiday in part is taken up with remodeling my kitchen. That task is moving ahead but does take time - and money. To top it off today, a new refrigerator had to be purchased, as the old one is on its last legs and keeps weeping onto the floor, looking for sympathy. With that dent in my bank balance, I'll be the original starving artist, just one with a new fridge.

I've done some thinking about art sales and how they are sold and have branched out into a couple of areas to see if they will work. I have put some of my jewelry and art pieces on Etsy and have also started a new sales blog - The Starving Artist's Daily Sales. The purpose of the second blog is for art sales only which cover a range of prices, making art affordable for everyone. Daily sales is not so much the time frame in which I should produce, but more the fact that individuals can find something on sale every day.

More local sketches

Pouch Cove - First to see the sun

8 x 5 moleskine sketchbook, Pen & ink
copyright Jeanette Jobson

Today was another lovely day so I took a little time off from my kitchen renovations to do some sketching and soak up some sun. I headed northeast to Pouch Cove, where I once had a house overlooking the ocean. I sat on a bench at the edge of the cliff and watched the waves crash against the rocks and felt the sun warm me while I sketched this scene.

Pouch Cove (pronounced "Pooch" Cove), is one of the oldest settlements in Newfoundland. The exact date of its settlement is unknown but it is documented early as 1611, only 28 years after Sir Humphrey Gilbert claimed the island for England. Pouch Cove's dangerous harbour was the primary reason for its early settlement. Although this sounds paradoxical, keep in mind permanent dwellings were forbidden by law in the 17th and 18th centuries. A dangerous harbour kept away Royal Navy ships seeking the illegal settlers, as well as the pirates who preyed on them.

I then drove through the backroads and ended up in St. John's, where I headed towards Bannerman Park. This park was opened in 1891 by Sir Alexander Bannerman who donated the land for a park.

The Bandstand, Bannerman Park
pen & ink, moleskine sketchbook
copyright Jeanette Jobson

The park was busy with people today, as many inner city people come there to sit in the sun or take their children to the park to play. The ink was running out on my pen and I did a hurried sketch of the bandstand in the middle of the park. I hadn't had many people comment today but in the park a less than savory person, who probably was fairly harmless, kept hanging around striking up a conversation and picking up old cigarette butts so he 'could have a puff later'. "What can you do when you don't have no money?" he said, perhaps hoping that I would find something in my bag for him. I decided it might be a good time to move on.

Gummi bears

Gummi bears study
carbon pencil
copyright Jeanette Jobson

Gummi bears scare me. They also taste disgusting, more the texture than flavour, all rubbery. You don't so much chew them, but mash the rubber into a form that you can swallow.

Have you ever really looked at their little faces, if you can call them that? They look like a cross between aliens from outer space and those little pottery Inca god statues. They're quite creepy...

Despite their drawbacks, they are fun to draw and this study was a warm up for a colour drawing I will do of some gummi bears. I took some photos today on one of those rare moments when some sun broke through the clouds and it made the little aliens glow with light. Or maybe they do that anyway.

The decision now is what medium to do a colour version in. Coloured pencils, oils, pastels....

Other facts about gummi bears:

From Jason Freeny at Moist Productions, a little lesson in gummi bear anatomy...

• The Gummi Bear originates from Germany where it is hugely popular under the name Gummibär.
• The traditional Gummi Bear is made from sugar, glucose syrup, starch, flavouring, food coloring, citric acid, and gelatin. There are also some types of Gummi Bears made with pectin or starchgelatin, making them suitable for vegans.
• Gummi bears, and other gummi candy, stick to teeth and may cause tooth decay. However, gummi bears containing the cavity-fighting additive xylitol (wood sugar) are now being tested.
• There has been some concern that gelatin, a key ingredient in most gummi bears, may harbor prions. Prions are misshapen proteins that cause BSE / Mad Cow Disease in cattle and CJD in humans. Based on studies, the United States FDA and various other national organizations and countries consider the risk of BSE transmission through gelatin to be minuscule as long as precautions are followed during the manufacturing process.

Finally, oddest of all, gummi bear art.

WIP portrait

I've attempted to show a work in progress of a watercolour self portrait. As usual, I got over involved in the creating process and forgot to take all the necessary images that are needed to understand just what I did to get to the final image. This is painted on Canson 140 lb paper 11 x 14.

The bottom image is my trusty box of watercolours, well used and well loved along with the line drawing.

I then did a wash of yellow ochre and burnt sienna to cover the flesh.

I started the background, using loose washes of cadmium orange and ultramarine blue, then added some basic value shapes to the hair.

I continued to add layers, working all sections of the portrait. using similar colours. My palette consisted of yellow ochre, burnt sienna, ultramarine blue, cadmium orange, sap green. Its there where the stages got lost to my creative instincts.

I continued enhancing shadows and refining shapes til I reached the final image. There are parts of it that I like and several parts that I don't like. The colours aren't as transparent as I wanted - I know I worked it too much and muddied it in places. I also know that passages aren't as dark as they need to be. I am aware that is a constant challenge for me, to increase the darker values in watercolours. But each piece brings me a little closer to where I want to be.

Watercolour portraits

Self portrait - line drawing
copyright Jeanette Jobson

.Its been another grey wet day so I've been practicing some portraits. This is the start of yet another self portrait. I'm trying this in watercolour and this is the initial line drawing. I've had to darken it a lot to be able to show it here, so the edges are a little greyed too.

I've done a few watercolour portraits over time and though I prefer dry media, I like to paint from time to time. Watercolour does take some planning and I probably spend more time thinking about where I'll place my next stroke, what the dampness of the paper should be or if I've chosen the right colour or value.

I have an ancient set of Windsor & Newton watercolours that I bought when I lived in the UK. That in itself shows how infrequently I use watercolours! Ancient or not, they work beautifully and when I haul out my old brushes, it brings back memories every time.

I've been asked what palette I use in my portraits and I find that very difficult to answer as it varies so much for each subject. However, there is a base of 'flesh' that I tend to use which consists of yellow ochre, burnt umber and burnt sienna applied in varying strengths, depending on the subject and the lighting. I keep adding layers trying not to overpower the piece or muddy it. I've been playing with different colours in shadows and hair, trying more intense blues, greens and purples that look a little unorthodox, but the values work.