New drawings

Here are a few new drawings.  Most are demos from my figure drawing class, around 12 hours.  My next figure drawing class starts January 15th!  For more info about my figure drawing and portrait drawing classes starting in January visit my webpage. http://www.noahlayne.com/Classes.html

Figure Study

Study of A

20 minute study

Study of Kristy

Finished figure drawing

Here is the finished figure drawing from the first four sessions of my current figure drawing class.  It's around a 12 hour pose.  This gives people some time to work on things but in my case not enough to finish everything!  Especially as I'm running around teaching and giving feedback while drawing ;) Great job on the part of our model, she was great!

Working away

"Study of Aurora"  Pencil on Fabriano Artistico paper 23"x18"

Detail

Lemon painting step-by-step

I started this painting by doing a quick drawing of the outlines of the lemons and box. I drew the box with a 2h pencil. I used a ruler to measure 3 inches in in from the edges so I would be sure to have the same size box all around the painting. I then used the ruler to draw straight lines and find the vanishing point of the places the box joins at the edges. 

After drawing the box I found the placement of the lemons by looking at my setup and comparing the size and shapes of the lemons. I checked the horizontal lines to compare the top or bottom of different lemons with other lemons, tying all the relationships of the lemons together. 

As I say in the classes I teach "It's like a puzzle. The more parts we get in the right place, the easier it is to put the other parts in their right places."

 I used a stick of charcoal to draw in the big shapes of the lemons. I deliberately left the drawing of the lemons a little loose and unfinished so that I could make changes as I started to paint. I like to work on a drawing that is not too tight so I can feel excitement as I start to paint and not feel like I'm just filling in the drawing. 

Start of the first coat:

Here I'm using a limited palette of earth colors. By using a limited palette I can focus on getting the big flow of light and value and not worry too much about color. 

I use mineral spirits to thin the paint a little in the first coat. I started by blocking in the lemons. At this stage it can be hard to judge the value of the paint compared to the white of the linen. As I go over the all of the linen with paint, it becomes easier to see the values. Reminds me of those optical illusions where the value of a square is only relevant as compared to the value of the squares around them. http://web.mit.edu/persci/people/adelson/checkershadow_illusion.html 

Here is how the painting looks when I 'm finished with the first coat of paint. I try to keep this coat loose and exciting so that I feel like coming back and painting more! If you squint your eyes down the value relationships are starting to work. 

Start of second coat:

Here I start using a full palette of colors. I go over the whole painting bringing the color closer to what I'm seeing. I deliberately do not try to finish or model anything in the second coat. I find if I do finish things too much in the second coat it makes it harder to want to come back and paint over the finished parts. I like the look of having a least 3 coats of paint. So the second coat is just to bring the color closer to the real thing I'm painting and build the paint up. I paint very thinly so it helps to have at least 3 layers of paint. I use linseed oil as my medium for the second coat. I started working from the left to right and from dark to light. Slowly going over the linen.

Start of the third coat:

I used a full palette of colors again. This time I used a medium of linseed oil and stand oil mixed on my pallet. It's an oil rich medium but the Artfix linen I use is very thirsty so it works well. The stand oil adds a buttery quality to the paint and helps level the brush strokes.  I start by working from dark to light so I start on the lemon in the back left. I paint over it trying to finish it as I go. Then, I move down to the left bottom lemon and, starting from the shadow side blocking in the big light and dark. Much like in the second coat but this time I start to model and finish the lemon by painting all the little changes as the light flows across it's form. I do this by painting both the shadow and light side of the lemon with their local color and then working in to the wet paint to adjust and model things.

Working my way along the lemons.

Finished painting "Lemons in Box" Oil on Linen 11"x 16"

 

Figure drawing in progress

Here are two photos of my current drawing that I'm doing as a demonstration and alongside my students in my figure drawing class.  I've uploaded them as large files so you can click on them for a larger image and then right click and view image for a lot larger image!   What more could a person want?

Day one, block-in

I always find it interesting and exciting to draw the standing figure.  Our model is doing a great job keeping still!  No fainting happening in this class... but that is a different story for a different blog...

Day two, starting to turn the form

More info about the class here.

Tree study

Here are three photos of a small tree study I'm working on.

Cell phone pic of day one setup, the painting is a bit overexposed in the photo...

Setup

Tree study day two.  Oil on linen 11"x12"

I may end up keeping this painting in this state of unfinishedness as I like the quality it has, something more like a drawing to me.  Or I may go back and finish more of it....

Still Life Workshop

I'm teaching a two day still life painting workshop in Victoria, see below for all the details!

Two Day Still Life Painting Workshop
August 18th and 19th 11-5pm each day
Please register by August 11th


In this workshop I'll show how I go about starting and finishing a still life painting. 
The focus will be on technique and not on a finished painting.  Both days I'll demo from 11-1.  There will
be a break for lunch and then the students will work from 1:45-5 pm with breaks as needed.

Lots of demos and individual instruction!

Cost $200
Materials not included.

To register for this workshop  

Contact me at noah@noahlayne.com or 250 661-9285

More info here on my website.

Art Gallery of Victoria's Moss Street Paint-In

I'm looking forward to being part of the Art Gallery of Victoria's annual Moss Street Paint-In. This is its 25th year!  The Paint-In this year is July 21st from 11-4:30pm.  More info here.

All of Moss Street from Fort to Dallas Rd is close to cars and around 150 artists setup along Moss Street and display their work.  I always have a great time at the Paint-In, it's a fun day with around 35,000 people coming to the event each year.


My spot this year is right by the Art Gallery between Fort and Wilspencer.  I'll be doing some sort of drawing or painting demo from 1-3pm.  If you're in the area come by and say hey, I'd love to see you!

Playing around with clay!

I've been playing around with clay the last little while.  It's been lots of fun and interesting to work in a different way than painting/drawing.  When I'm sculpting it makes me think about some things in a different way.  Which is always a good thing, as it adds to my understanding of the figure/portrait :)

Anyway, here is a little (16" high) sculpture from a 4 hour session.  A one time session and pose.

 

New Figure Drawing Class

I had so much fun teaching my last long pose figure drawing class that I'm going to run another class starting June 26th and going until July 17th.
 
4 Tuesday afternoons 1-4:30pm.
Cost $180.
To register email me at noah@noahlayne.com or call me at 250 477-0173 More info here on my website.

Here is one of the drawing demos I did from my last figure drawing class.

Pencil and white pastel on gray paper 18" x 23"

Finished Figure Study

Here is an image of my finished figure study. 

Pencil on Fabriano Artistico paper 24"x18"

Long pose figure drawing class

I'm really enjoying teaching my long pose figure drawing class.  It's been very nice to have time to work slowly and with great focus on the first pose of the class.  It's also a great group of students!

I'm demoing and drawing along side the students.

Here is my drawing after 3 sessions.

New paintings

Here are a couple of new paintings, enjoy!

Melanie in North Light   Oil on Panel 20x16

Onions Garlic and Bags  Oil on Linen 14x30

Tree study

Here is a tree study from this afternoon.  I love drawing trees at this time of year, their skeletons are so very beautiful and the light plays around their form in such a lovely way!

Tree Study pencil on paper 14x17

Working

Here is an image of one of the paintings I'm working on right now. 

On a portrait painting note, my oil portrait painting class starts March 14th in Victoria.   There is still room in the class!  All the info is here.

Finished "WInter Leaves" painting!

I've just finished this painting.  Here are a few photos of the painting and some details.

Winter Leaves, Oil on Panel 16x20

With frame

Detail 1

Detail 2

With my hand ;)

Recent Demo

Here are a few photos from a demo I did for the Federation of Canadian Artists, Victoria Chapter last week.  It was a short 2 hour meeting so around 1:35 minutes of painting time.  When I'm talking and painting the time seems to fly by even faster then normal.

Finished study 9x12 Oil on canvas panel

New Portrait Drawing Class starting February 2nd!

I'm excited to be teaching another portrait drawing class starting February 2nd!

Here is all the info.

February 2nd - March 1st
Please register by January 26th

Thursday Evenings 7 - 9:30 pm

Drawing is the foundation of all realist art.  In this 5 week course, 

Noah will show you classical techniques for drawing a realistic portrait. 
 
Noah will teach the use of plumb lines, comparative measurement, and tilt angle to find correct proportions.  Working from a live clothed model, you will learn about how to start your drawing,
see and record shapes clearly and simply, and model form by carefully  observing the properties of light. 
Lots of demos and individual instruction!

Cost $180 includes model fees
Materials not included.
To register see below or contact Noah at noah@noahlayne.com or 250 477-0173
All levels of experience welcome
The class will take place downtown at Xchanges Gallery
2333 Government Street, suite 6E • Victoria, BC  


To register for a class

Email or call Noah and then send a cheque for the full amount to:
Noah Layne
1850 San Lorenzo Ave
Victoria BC V8N 2E9

When I get your cheque, I will sign you up for the class and save you a spot. 

Cancellation policy
If you cancel before the last day of registration, you get a full refund.
Cancel after the last day of registration there is no refund
Because this is a short 5 week class, there is no makeup class policy

If a class has to be canceled by Noah, you get a full refund.

Here are a couple 30 minute demo drawings and chart from my classes.