Daily painting #73: Sculpture (day 2)

Modern ateliers — art schools that focus on practical skills — often require students to draw plaster casts for days or weeks before attempting to draw a live model. I agree that it’s great practice, so I have 3 or 4 casts lying around. The trouble is, the cast I’m using now is tiny; it’s head is about 2 or 3 inches tall. That means my little 6” x 6” painting is larger than life size, which makes things a lot harder.

Also, I forgot to mark where I was painting yesterday; I inadvertently shifted positions and ended up redoing the entire thing! I’ll give it one more day, then on to other things. Sorry about the glare on the photo.

Geoff Watson, “In progress: study of a sculpture,” day 2, oil on panel, 6” x 6,” 2019.

Daily painting #72: Sculpture (day 1)

I found a little plaster cast in my basement and decided to paint it. I didn’t get all that far, as I haven’t been feeling great today, but it’s a start. One question with a white cast is whether to invent colors. I probably will!

Geoff Watson, “In progress: study of a sculpture,” oil on panel, 6” x 6,” 2019.

Daily painting #52: Voltaire

I have a plaster cast of Voltaire, the influential Enlightenment author, and while I’ve drawn the bust several times, I’ve never painted it before. It’s plain white, but it was more fun to sneak some colors into it. I didn’t quite finish, and the photo doesn’t do it justice, but I hope you get the idea.

When Voltaire was alive, he was often depicted with a smile, which seems appropriate for the author of “Candide.” My plaster cast does the same, and I’ve tried to follow suit.

Geoff Watson, “Voltaire,” June daily painting #21, oil on panel, 6” x 6,” 2019.