Portrait study

 Paul Kruger. Acrylics on board, 15 x 10 cm:

With portraits I am thoroughly out of my comfort zone, and they always tend towards the awkward side. But that is partly precisely why I do them - always a good idea to push oneself a bit. I stick to grisaille though; I really don't trust my ability to mix proper skin tones yet!

Link tree

Crown of thorns

 Oil on Masonite, ACEO (= 3.5 x 2.5 inches):

One of my very occasional ventures into religious art, a genre I enjoy looking at, but am not too confident about working in. 

This work is for sale. Contact me at brianvds@gmail.com. 

Self-portrait

 Acrylics on Masonite, 15 x 10 cm:

I cheated a bit for this one, using a photo instead of the traditional mirror. But I made a point of staring intently into the camera, as happens when using a mirror, to create that typical staring self-portrait look. 

Child soldier, WWII

 Acrylics on Masonite, 15 x 10 cm:

SOLD

Mugshot #2

 Acrylics on Masonite, 15 x 10 cm:

SOLD

And another portrait from a police mugshot. 

Cool shades

 Acrylics on Masonite, 15 x 10 cm:

SOLD

Cigar smoker

 Acrylics on Masonite, 15 x 10 cm:

SOLD

Doll portrait

 Acrylics on Masonite, 20 x 15 cm:

SOLD

I have long thought that dolls, particularly antique-looking ones, are the most wondrously creepy things. And now I finally got around to painting one. 

Mugshot #1

 Acrylics on Masonite, 15 x 10 cm:

This work is for sale. Contact me at brianvds@gmail.com.

Painted from a police mugshot. I have no idea who the guy is or what he supposedly did, and I don't really care either. Call me crazy, but I find the faces on mugshots far more interesting to draw or paint than those of most other people. I may well do a whole series of these...

Spooky Mr Poe

Acrylics on Masonite, 15 x 10 cm:

SOLD

Another one of my monochrome things. I am rather enjoying these; the monochrome gives a picture a quite different sort of look. 

Imagine

 Acrylics on Masonite, 15 x 10 cm:

SOLD

Uncle Al

 Acrylics on Masonite, ACEO (= 3.5 x 2.5 inches):

SOLD

I have hardly ever tried portraiture before, so I don't know what possessed me to try it out at this scale - I was terrified the whole time. Art truly is 99% perspiration, and no more than 1% inspiration. 

Random bits and pieces

I can't always just work for the market; I'd go crazy that way. I'm an artist, not a money making machine. And thus, in between, I make time for all manner of random things. Like a fun hobgoblin:

It's the evil hobgoblin from Hans Andersen's story The Snow Queen, with his magic mirror. I may just get it into my head to do a whole set of illustrations for the story, which is on eof my favorite Andersen tales.

A portrait sketch:

And some quick studies after Pieter Bruegel, the Elder, and artist whose work I have long admired:

Heads and cows and things

I have been rather busy drawing illustrations for the latest children's book I'm working on. In between, made time for the Instagram "100 heads" challenge. Here are #12 - 15:

And a selection of the illustrations. The mostly empty pages will be filled up a bit with text. That, at least, is the present plan. The thing has not quite come together yet; I may or may not make extensive changes:

New experiments

I have been rather wildly experimenting with all manner of things. I am developing ideas for an illustrated children's story:

The first of the above is in acrylics on cardboard; the second in watercolor. I am more inclined toward watercolor. Other attempts with acrylics did not work out quite satisfactorily. Illustration is really a new thing for me, and it's a quite different skill set from "fine art" (i.e. stuff intended to be hung on a wall). Thus a little journey that is both fun and frustrating at the same time.

Two more in the #100heads Instagram challenge. Due to lack of time, these heads are going to have to be pretty sketchy:

Studies of cattle, as preparatory work for the illustrations - the story will feature a cow:

And in between the cattle, some studies after Hergé's Tintin books. No time studying Hergé's work is ever wasted!

My latest sideline, Chinese brush painting:

I can't get hold of real Chinese brushes around here, so I just used a pointy western one. But this is yet another steep learning curve. The style is not nearly as easy as it may look!