"Great Grandfather"-oils •FINISHED•

[PogArtTi]

I'm starting new painting...
I did draw it some time ago in graphite.
I was tempting re-do it since, after I been given improved reference.

You must know, the original reference was faded drawing made on cardboard...
No details, rather sort of patches of shadows instead.
At the bottom right corner it's that faded original.

So I was *guessing the face, and making features up, hoping my friend will appreciate my efforts...
Later, when the drawing was at its final stage, other friend did improve quality of the original reference, by using a mobile phone app...
The same reference came out sharp, detailed and in colour!
Amazing!
So you know WHY I felt sorry for my poor efforts, and willing re-do it again

This is the time ...
By painting this great soldier, I want to pay respect to this country, and show my sadness and emotions, after our R.I.P. Queen Elizabeth II did pass away ...

The challenge is before me.
Painting flesh tones will be a real test to me.

•Winsor&Newton Griffin Alkyd oils
•Clairefontaine PASTELMAT 360g/m2(170lb)
•size 4"x6"
•3x Gesso.

[Mike Sibley]

Oh, I don't know how I missed this! How's it going? Well, I hope, because I'm really looking forward to seeing you rework it - and such a good cause too.

And that’s an amazing app - what results!

[PogArtTi]

Oh, I don't know how I missed this! How's it going? Well, I hope, because I'm really looking forward to seeing you rework it - and such a good cause too.

And that’s an amazing app - what results!

Thank you Mike, I hope you both are much better now...
It's finished few days ago...
I'm not proud of it, but it is what it is...
Hopefully my workmate does like the finished piece a lot, so that's only matter...
It's practice piece, I'm just trying things, see how it works etc...
But at the same time, I wanted it to look nice...
What do you think about my first portraiture since 2019 Mike?

[Mike Sibley]

Well, it’s him, and there's no denying that. It seems to me that between you and the phone app, you've brought him back to life.

[PogArtTi]

Well, it’s him, and there's no denying that. It seems to me that between you and the phone app, you've brought him back to life.

Thank you Mike.
It would look much better if I only would like to spend more time for altering the details around, improving colour+shadows...
The face proportions are off a bit too - it's because I keep a free hand sketching, which is challenging, and I'm not too good to keep all proportions correctly as I go...
But I'm trying
Thank you very much for your attention to my paintings dear friend

[rideum51]

Now the question maybe if you would stick to one medium how much better might you get in that medium? But actually you are having more fun just trying stuff out. HMMMM maybe I should try it,, hmmmm fun?

[PogArtTi]

Now the question maybe if you would stick to one medium how much better might you get in that medium?

I think much more better than at present...
I'm struggling with everything right now.
Everyone can dip the brush into the paint and make sort of painting, but the trouble I found is - I'm not aware of what I'm doing...
I can not control the value as I wish, or hue when mixing colours...
This causes lots of trouble, and multiple attempts to fix the mistakes on the surface...
You want it lighter, but you have mixed different hue, which is not matching the local colour...
You ending up with spreading out that *new hue all over surrounding - just to make it look equal with the rest of painting...
You have painted dark shadow, but after few days, when you trying to work on that area to improve it, you starting off with different tone, because you can't match the colour just as it was...
And again... you ending up applying it all over around...
So you painting the same shadow, or area for few times over again...
It cost your time, patience and frustration...

The above example is just to show you, that if you practice one medium, you're getting familiar to the colour mixing, you know what colour to mix together to achieve such and such effect...
You know what you doing...

I just don't have that confidence.
It takes time to learn, to memorise the palette you using, colours...
Then it comes naturally....

This is all I've lost, because I did try many media, but none for longer, to master it properly.
So my skills are average rather.
It's because I can make painting/drawing with any media given, but none will be mastered perfectly.

I was struggling to decide what media to stick to, what is my most preferred one.
It took me a great time to get back to an oils dear rideum51...
Last time I was 100% certain it is graphite drawing?!
Now I'm painting with oils...

Maybe it's just me, or maybe my experience was growing together with my preferences, so I was just looking for something I really will love to do?

Nevertheless, oils are so difficult to master, easy to do average painting, but to master it perfectly it requires lots of knowledge and practice, patience...
At least I'm enjoying it very much, I feel like home now...
I've found what I was looking for for years rideum51.
Thank you my friend