Monday, January 25, 2016

Luk Yeung Sun Chuen (綠楊新邨)


21 (H) x 157 (W) cm | Pen & Ink on Sketchbook


I have finished one side of the sketchbook and found it would be a waste if I don't do the back side as well. I was looking outside and saw the surrounding buildings. Really wondering what people do in the windows. There is a narrow gap just showing the mountain behind the buildings, what a contrast!



我往窗外望,畫了窗外的建築群,原來在每一個窗向外看,都是看到高樓,不見天日。

Wednesday, January 6, 2016

Goddess Project #5- Persephone


Tonight was the first session, I started with the sketches to see which composition works better. It's a bit difficult because the model skin it's quite pale and she dresses in light color. So if I paint a close-up shot, then it will be quite a large area in light color. So I tried to draw her in full length.

After I decided the composition, I started painting in a quarter size watercolor paper. I played around light and dark areas and plan where the darkness and lightness go, as well as planning the colors. I was struggling to the background, what should be behind the model?
I like the colors on the skull where I put purple and green colors. It was sitting on the high chair but I would rather put it on the stones. And what else for the background? I don't know. So let's see if I can come up some more things for the background for next session.

For the background, I tried to put different backgrounds to see which one works best.
1. I like to put the skull on the rocks and the orange tone background made up with the weeds and sky looks pretty nice to be. But I have found it is too similar to my previous project "The Hunter".

2. It would be nice to put our goddess on a path, look like she is walking towards us. This is more vertical composition.

3. I like this one very much. The photo I used was taken in a lavender field trip. William was walking towards. The lighting is very dramatic which I want to apply on Persephone too.

4 & 5. These 2 are more modern like those pictures taken by Instagram. The pink flowers enhance the feminine and spring feeling. For the 5, the strong light at the bottom behind and the colour of the really echo the lightness and darkness of the figure.

6. The last one is my favourite too. I love the blurry effect, simple colours - just green and white. The figure is pale too. There will be red on apple, flower hairband and the red hair. These colours would be the focus in all green. And I have found a place for the skull.

3 and 6, which one should I pick?

 
I finally picked layout no. 6 to paint.

The background was done wet-on-wet with the colours: Olive Green, Ultramarine Deep and Azo Yellow Medium. While it was still wet, I spread some salt for the sparkles effect.

The drapery and the skull, I put Permanent Blue Violet, Turquoise Blue, and Cobalt Blue.
The shadows of the flowers were the Olive Green, Ultramarine Deep and Permanent Blue Violet.

The pomegranate was Azo Yellow Medium, Alizarin Crimson and Perm Blue Violet.

Hair band was Alizarin Crimson.

Skin tone was glazed with many layers. Colours were Alizarin Crimson, Azo Yellow Medium, Burnt Umber, Vandyke Brown.

Hair highlight was Burnt Umber and the hair colour was Vandyke Brown.