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Showing posts from May, 2009

New (and finally finished) pencil portrait "Complicity"

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"Complicity" Graphite on Paper, 27x38 cm Sheona Hamilton-Grant, 2009 All rights reserved. Finally, hours, days and weeks of drawing have delivered "Complicity". Motherhood took over, the pencils did the scribbling and I was somewhere in the middle breathing. Savouring every moment...:) Sadly, I had to interrupt the WIP because of the size.(Scanning became very tricky and not the safest...) I stuck to my rules of using 2B, F and 4H and kept working from left to right . Leonardo da Vinci (who many of you know helped with the drapery of the fabric ) left the studio last week after completion of the jacket. This meant the Foo Fighters were on the scene again (hi, hi,hi), their rock contrasting wildly with the detailed rendered in the dog's coat. Their musical world spurring me on no end. Before ending this post, I would like to send big handful of thank- yous to all of you for the support and the comments over the last few weeks. (They mean so much), acco

Magritte's defiance of common sense set in stone...

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Newsflash!!! (For all Magritte fans this is pretty major! ) 2500 m 2 . 5 levels. World's largest collection of the 20th century's most important Belgian painter. The world reference centre for knowledge about Magritte. 650,000 visitors expected yearly. The Altenloh Ho tel Brussels. Front of Museum covered with a hoarding during the restoration. Impressive figures. Impressive artist. René François Ghislain Magritte (1898-1967) On June the 2nd 2009, the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium, in collaboration with the Magritte Foundation and the support of GDF SUEZ and the Régie des Bâtiments, will proudly open (and rightly so) the “ Musée Magritte Museum ”. Rene Magritte was born on the 21st of November 1898, in Lessine Belgium. Dying, in Brussels, 69 years later: on the 15th of August 1967, victim of pancreatic cancer. Magritte considered his work to be an attack on society's preconceived ideas, a permanent revolt against the banal -the common place. Below a sprinkling o

Pencil scribbles update.

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Pencils scribbling away, Leonardo present and happy having me find inspiration from his 450 year old study; I tried desperately to introduce him to The Foo Fighters ( one of my fave keep-me -focused-on-detail- rock groups). He was not impressed... I guess it was the generation gap. I searched my music library and he agreed to... Morcheeba. The man has good taste. So with Morcheeba subtlely playing in the background and Leonardo's drapery study in the foreground, good progress was made to my intricate piece. Enough to say : " ready for the week-end and an overdose of quality family time ". Back on Monday with more musical and artistic up-dates. Wishing you all a spiffingly excellent week-end.

Pencil scribbles update: third step of new graphite drawing.

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Progress is being made, slowly, intricately... this weeks luxury of not working to a dead line. I love drapery. This concept was added to the texture of the jacket. I had help. Referred to the best for inspiration : Leonardo da Vinc i. His draperies, especially the studies are so strong. He achieves a perfect balance between soft and hard lines; between delicate and thick highlights. This harmony creates beautiful textured material. Da Vinci effortlessly draws a wide range of shapes and folds, perfectly placing shadows and contrasts, which in turn gives the hangs of the folds their own movement, their own individual size, twists and turns. Study of a drapery of a woman kneeling to the left Leonardo da Vinci Silver point on red surface heightened with white chalk Corsini Gallery, Rome. Source: Artlex Leonardo da Vinci, Drawing of drapery late 15-early 16th century source Wikimedia commons Learning by doing is the name of the game at this end. I'm loving it! Eagerly awaiting tomorro

Pencils still making sense: step2 of new graphite drawing.

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Here is the "state of affairs" before the beginning of the WE. Pencils have been eagerly scribbling and co-operating. Some progress has been made to the hair, the head and the jacket. Drawing hidden eyes and expression is a little tricky. Not quite there yet. Will need a few more hours and once that is looking good I'll put a jacket on. Will post a new update on Monday (or Tuesday). Until then, wishing you all a "spiffingly" excellent week-end and a terrific Mother's Day.

Pencils making sense: new drawing begun

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I have not been sitting pretty (I wish!) but scribbling away with my partners in crime. Above the result. This is a big drawing. Paper: A2 sheet of Mellotex paper. Concept: interpreting the special bond that can develop between children and man's best friend. A special kind of happiness. Rules: only three pencils: 2B, F and 4H. References: self made photos taken last year at an agricultural fair in Scotland. Models: my youngest and a big anonymous hound. This is a very interesting drawing to work on: it is the first time I combine motherhood and my love for dogs. One thing for absolute certain: I'm going to savour every moment.

Black stallion pencil portrait finished.

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Approved, sprayed and signed! "Charisma" Graphite on Paper, 18x23 cm Copyright Sheona Hamilton-Grant Charisma is finished and being framed ready to make tracks to his forever home in Germany. He was a gorgeous subject to draw: athletic, fit, alert, dark and handsome... The angle of the reference was not ideal with quite a bit of foreshortening and distortion. (Since the last post I corrected the right ear, the nose and the right eye...!) This however was a good challenge: the type you need to keep artistically &"graphitely" fit. On the drawing board this week is a combination of both figurative and canine art. Nothing definitive has made it yet on paper ...ideas are still spinning in my mind and being sketched out. I will post when the pencil marks start to make harmonious sense. Until then, wishing you all a super start to the week.:)