Saturday 7 January 2012

From this...

Tracey Fletcher King shared an incredible artist with me today. Ben Quilty, an Aussie artist who uses bold colour and few strokes to just capture the essence of a face. It looks incredibly simple... but naturally, it's not as easy when you try it for yourself...

I used watercolours to sketch it out. Of course, had I been happy with the end result I wouldn't be calling it a sketch! But then again, then I wouldn't be able to share it with Sunday Sketches!

I liked bits of it, but it's not exactly quite there is it? Especially the eyes... pretty freaky! Even my son looked at it and asked somewhat curiously if it was "supposed to look like that?"

Back to the drawing board and out came the oil pastels and pencils and we used the rough sketch as exactly that... We ended up with some more Lisa Wright than Ben Quilty but I like to think there's a touch of him in there; you can still spot some of the original paint underneath. Shame one eye is bigger than the other...

27 comments:

  1. oh my, thats amazing, it truly is, wow, beautiful!

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  2. What a transformation! She looked rather tragic in the first painting...er...sketch...no - painting but you captured...or portrayed her very well in both.

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  3. WOW Lisa!!! That is awesome!! What an amazing transformation!

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  4. I like your original watercolour sketch and how you managed to bring out her soulful spirit with your oil pastels and pencils. A great mixing of techniques. Another watercolour portrait artist you might enjoy is Charles Reid. I've borrowed his book Portrait Painting in Watercolor from the library. Here's a link to a YouTube video of him painting. Charles Reid Watercolour - portrait
    Stay inspired!

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  5. You "final" painting is quite engaging. I rather like that the eyes aren't perfect/the same size. It keeps me coming back, wondering what is going on with this girl. Kind of like Mona Lisa's smile!

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  6. Great sketch/ painting! Valerie

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  7. This is great Lisa - I like the way you have used Ben Quilty's approach and then infused it with your own style to produce a unique look. I like the way one eye is bigger than the other, makes her more real somehow.

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  8. WOw that is amazing. I really like how you captured the nose and the mouth is a couple of strokes. The Lisarized result is stunning.

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  9. This is awesome! I love the energy that is in the colors and strokes!

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  10. They're both great and the first one is very expressive, but I still lean towards the one with your style (I like your style).

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  11. that's a great interpretation. I like yours better because I can see her emotions better. perhaps I'm too simple-minded.

    have a beautiful day.

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  12. the simplicity of line on the first style always grabs me but on faces i am with your son it is harsh though excellent - creates a mood of anger or dislike, the second is amazing the layers the depth the colours what wonderful works!

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  13. What a great metamorphosis... the first one is really scary with this undefined eyes... very interesting how this come across ;-)-- but in the end I love her face... because she has her inner peace again ;-)

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  14. Wow! great transformation is right! Wonderful! ~~ thanks, namaste, carol (Share the Creative Journey)

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  15. OK, I'm sorry but I love the Lisa Wright so much more!! :) VERY nice and seriously impressive. Happy SS!

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  16. I've never been too keen on expressive bold strokes. Somehow they seem to look unfinished and it drives me nuts! So I think I like the lady a lot more in your style. I really love how rich the colors look. :)

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  17. WOW!!!!!!I love them both - in different ways!
    I have to say I do love seeing the bold stroke face - i love a modern look - could totally see that as a huge painting in a home!
    I do love the depth and texture of the lisa wright, one though too!
    both... awesome!

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  18. great link...love your faces...very expressive

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  19. LIsa, this is so beautiful.

    i cannot tell you how many times i've come back to it and enlarged it.

    xxa

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  20. wow, i love seeing your transformation! i think it is so awesome that we can re-work or add to and take away endlessly! very cool piece.

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  21. Wow Lisa. I know you are a writer first and you are such a gifted one at that but you are truly an amazing artist. I am such a bad blogger...but when I visit you after months I am always astounded by your work. You are an inspiration. In every way. Happy 2012 to you! xx

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  22. Me thinks the lady is too critical. Stunning art, as usual - you seem able to capture emotion and expression. I love how you play with colour to create wonderful 'loose' work - which is far harder than it looks. PS: doesn't everyone have one bigger eye?

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  23. I took a look at the link and I have to say that I prefer the Lisa Wright style. It's always fun to try new styles though, and sometimes we find something we want to incorporate into our own.

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  24. Love how this face came to life. I like all of the color in it as well. You have an amazing ability and it's so fun to watch transformations.

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  25. She's gorgeous Lisa..i love usiing watercolors to sketch first too..! brilliant work..stunning and magical!
    Victoria

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  26. Um, this is stunning! Lisa or Ben - it all came out fab!! I love the colors too!
    Thank you for your comment about Life Book - did you succumb to the pressure to join yet?
    xoxoxo

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  27. oh wow!!!! this is so amazing....from start to finish!!!!

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Thank you for your comments - I always love to hear what you think :)

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