Or, at least that's what himself said when he saw this sketch! I popped into a little out-of-the-way cafe in Paris* for a few minutes today. They weren't very busy and this gentlemen was taking advantage of the lull. He was actually leaning up against a table with his other arm, but I didn't get that far. I'll put it in a little later though. I wanted to see how much I could get down and get color on in 15 minutes or so and this is the result.When painting on location,* it is seldom that folks hold still or one pose for very long. That adds to the challenge of capturing a likeness! Would this guy recognize himself? Probably. Would he say it looks just like him? Not so much.
Things I like: The light was on his back and I think I did a good job on the values of the apron, shirt, pants and vest.
Things I would do differently: Could have had slightly stronger values on the shirt, arm and his face. I need to familiarize myself with my paint colors to get a more natural looking skin tone. Proportions could be a little better. He also needs a floor and some furniture to place him in a cafe!
*This sketch is in preparation for An Imaginary Trip to Paris starting September 21st which will be a sketching and painting holiday for those who join me! (I'm not really in Paris, darn it!) More information coming very soon.
...what a fun post! I think I'm going to love your imaginary trip to Paris!
ReplyDeleteYou are having just too much fun on this imaginary trip. :)
ReplyDeleteI love when you paint something beautiful and then critique for us. Always a learning experience here.
ReplyDeleteI experienced the same thing when we were at the Amish auction; about the time I got part of the sketch done, they moved so I got a lot of little pieces of people.
Ditto what Teri said re your critiques! I think you captured a lot of him in just a short amount of time. How long did you allow yourself for sketching v. putting color in?
ReplyDeleteThanks, everyone! I'm glad to know the critiques help.
ReplyDeleteKrista, I'm not really sure how much time is spent sketching and how much is spent painting. I set the clock and go - then look up when I'm finished.
I would there is probably more time in the painting than the sketching as I'm only trying for shapes in the sketching.