A beautiful girl 

Charcoal on Paper

This is another drawing of my favourite model at the moment (you would have seen her in my last post over the shoulder)


I'm very happy with this drawing, even though it was never fully completed - the incompleteness of the drawing adds a certain charm.


How to buy this painting: How to buy a painting

Over the shoulder

Charcoal on paper 

This is a soft charcoal of one of my favourite models - Drawn during a life study session.

I was late for class and had to rush to get as much done as possible before the model packed up.

In total I had about an hour with this drawing.

 How to buy this painting: How to buy a painting

May's Charcoal

May's Charcoal
Seated Nude - Charcoal on Paper
(SOLD)

I have a massive feeling of accomplishment with this drawing.
Why? Because the model loved it to the point of wanting to buy it!

And I love the light on the hair falling down in front of her face.

May's Paintng

Small Seated Nude
Oil on Canvas Board

I tried to do this painting with the same feeling that I gave the Pink Bikini, but I ended up becoming too 'precious' about the damn thing.
I had to stop myself from carrying on, another 15 minutes of painting would have ruined it.

What do you think - Just right? Or do I need to do more work on it?

(My camera is on the blink, so this photo was taken on my Black Berry and will need to be updated when I have a working camera again.)

April's First Charcoal

March was not an inspiring month for me; I finished no paintings and my drawings turned on me.

When I tell people that I draw and paint the response is often, "Oh nice, that must be so relaxing."
To which I grimace and think to myself "bloody idiot!"

There is nothing relaxing about drawing or painting at the level that I attempt to, and there is no pleasure in it either, but there is enormous pleasure in having finished a piece, especially when it works.



April's started off much better than March - it felt good to have finished this drawing.

February's Charcoal

February's Nude
Charcoal

I'm really starting to love charcoal as a medium, but they're starting to stack up. I'm wondering if I should start selling them. Or maybe I should just give a few away...

Seated Nude - November 2010 - Charchoal on Paper

Seated Nude - November 2010 - Charcoal on Paper

It's been a while since I've posted a painting, recently it's been a lot of charcoal drawings and I am really enjoying it.


This photo was taken midway through the session (during a break). The finished drawing is still in the studio and I forgot to take a photo of it, but I like what it looks like halfway through, I'm almost sorry I spent more time on it.

Seated nude for May 2010

Seated nude, May 2010
Painting in progress

A couple of week ago this young model posed for us for a once-off sitting - I did this charcoal sketch of her

We've asked her to com back for the last four weeks of the time we have in our current studio. I took the opportunity to start an oil painting - this is the result of the first session.

I took the whole session to draw and correct the drawing, my goal for the session was to have a drawing that is as accurate as I can make it. I am very happy with the result of this session.

Seated nude; charcoal on paper by Stephen Scott

Seated nude
charcoal on paper by Stephen Scott

Another week in the fantastic house with it's studio on the third floor!

It was the first week of winter for us - the studio was cold and impossible to heat up, our model huddled as close as possible to the heater during breaks, but during the pose she sat beautifully - the sign of a good model.

It's fascinating how the best models are also the smartest - our new girl has an honors degree in fine art and is currently working at the University of Cape Town.

Seated nude - charcoal on paper

Seated nude - Charcoal on paper

This is the first of three new models we're drawing this month. She did fantastically - this was the first time that she's ever posed and without a doubt we'll invite her back for more sessions in the future!

Last week we advertised for new models and got 30 odd responses, 3 of which we booked sessions with. Drawing is the natural choice for once off sessions and charcoal is becoming one of my favorite drawing mediums.

Next week is a new session and a new model.

Guest artist - Artist Pauline Adair

"Sleeping Nude" By Queensland Artist Pauline Adair

I absolutely adore this painting!

I've been subscribed to Pauline Adair's blog (http://paulineadair.blogspot.com/) for about a year now. I found her site while searching for paintings on Africa, but it's not her African studies that captured my heart, it was her figures:

There are plenty beautiful paintings on her site, take some time and enjoy her figures.

Oil wash sketch

Oil was sketch
Oil on canvas covered board
22 cm x 31 cm

Ever week a bunch of us get together to paint a lovely lady in the nude (well she's nude not us!)
Figure study is very intimidating, there so much stress involved - the painting has to look like the model and it needs to make her look good - it's the least I can do in return for the privilege I have of her posing for me!

This little painting was done during a once off session and was done as a sketch using paint and a paint brush instead of traditional drawing medium.
The effect is very much like that of one of those old sepia photos.

I find that this is a very hard way to sketch/paint because it is almost impossible to make a correction - if there is an incorrect line trying to erase it will only smudge the paint and it will never be restored to its original white!

Here's another beautiful example of this method - Oil wash sketch

How to buy this painting: How to buy a painting

Sleeping Nude - pen sketch

Sleeping Nude
Pen sketch on paper

This is one of my favorite models, she's lovely, has a beautiful figure and sits like an angel. This was a quick pen sketch during one of the painting sessions.
The pose is lovely, I wish I had chosen this position to do a painting from!

Nude in the sunlight - a painting in progress

This is another small painting that's on the easel in the studio. I spend a few minutes each painting session working on it. It should be finished within the next week.

Seated Nude - Second Painting

Seated Nude - second session
(secondary Painting)
Oil on Board

I'm fond of having a second painting on the easel as a secondary painting, this keeps me from overworking the main painting and also serves as a testing ground for colour and tone for the main painting.

Sometimes the secondary painting, as in this case, is as nice or better than the main painting. The last pose with this model is next week, hopefully I'll get them both finished in the final two hours.

How to buy this painting: How to buy a painting

Seated Nude - Main Painting

Seated Nude - Primary painting
Oil on Board

This is the second last session on with this model, next week we race towards completion and I'm feeling the pressure. Both this painting and the secondary painting are small works, but they have consumed many hours so far!

How to buy this painting: How to buy a painting

Seated Nude - Charcoal on paper

Seated Nude
Charcoal on Paper

My workload on my day job is seriously messing with my art time... this is a quick sketch on paper. It's a new model, and she is lovely!

Seated nude - oil on canvas

Seated nude
Oil on Canvas

Again the same model, but in a slightly diferent pose and in oils. It's a lovely painting!

How to buy this painting: How to buy a painting

Seated nude - charcoal on paper

Seated nude
Charcoal on Paper

It's been a privelage to work with this model, she is lovely... and the results were very pleasing!

How to buy this painting: How to buy a painting

Nude in white robe

Nude in white robe
Oil on stretched Canvas

She was a lovely model, older than the others and a mother, but still a very lovely model.

Modeling for us was the first time she modeled for an artist group, and she did it fantastically. It is a pity that she can no longer model for us, I'd like to have done more of her.