Black-collared Barbet

A sketch of a Black-collared Barbet (Lybius torquatus). Ballpoint pen and coloured pencil on printer paper, about 20cm x 20cm.

Self-portrait

As always with self-portraits, the rather menacing expression is just an effect of staring intently into a mirror...

#28: Blue bottle and tomato

Oil on canvas board, 20 cm x 15 cm.

A friend gave me a lovely blue bottle, and I couldn't wait to paint it. Clear bottles are common, so are green ones and brown ones, but blue ones are rather hard to come by!

With such richly coloured things, one is always tempted to use too much colour, ending up with something way too garish. In fear of that, I erred in the other direction, and my painting's colours are not nearly as rich as the bottle. 

I added the tomato for some extra colour. And I liked the curious bump on it - vegetables (and bottles, for that matter) all have their own unique personalities, well worthy of portraiture. 

#27: Autumn leaves

Autumn leaves collected while enjoying a morning walk. Oil on canvas board, 15 cm x 20 cm, and still sticking to my limited palette of black, white, red and yellow.

#26: Apple and glass

Bit of a failure, I think, but the apple looks better than they used to.

I have forgotten how to paint glass, so I had a mighty battle with the thing. I used to struggle quite a bit with this cultivar of apples; I seem to be getting a bit better at it. 

#25: Squash and egg

Another small panel, 5 x 7 inch, painted with a limited palette of red, yellow, black and white oils. Not entirely successful, but then, they never are.

The photo didn't get the colours quite right, but it's not too far off.

A small series of camels

Why camels? Just because, that's why.