night time urban landscape "en plein air" in Los Angeles

I'm so glad to have met Manuel and Cesar and get to go on their nocturnal painting sorties! This was from yesterday down in the LA river around Olympic and Soto. We wear headlights and work from life. Good times and beautiful light. I've never used so much cadmium orange and burnt sienna in my life! AHAHAHAHA!!! It's tough to be in the light and simlutaneously paint the light you're in, but I think I did a decent job here getting that orange and violet feeling that is downtown Los Angeles at night. I've really taken to heart Vincent's idea when he said "painting is like algebra! That is to that as that is to that!" That truth helps me "key" the painting at a particular value at the start with an understanding for its overall "gestalt" value scheme within the full range from pure white to pure black... for example this painting was VERY dark! The photo is unfortunately blurry, but the color looks right. I'll try to take a better pic and repost it tomorrow.

Let's paint! exercise!! and make blended drinks!!!

This cracked me up!! I've had some comments about this video so I thought I'd add a little info to this post. The guy and the show are for real. John Kilduff films it at a public access TV station in Eagle Rock, CA and it broadcasts on a few stations in Los Angeles. And the great thing is the guy is actually a good plein air painter! Here's a link to his artworks: http://www.letspainttv.com/

Vanitas

In my painting class, each semester we paint a 'vanitas', in this case a male nude with a skull. Life and death. Youth and old age. It's an excuse to set up a very strong "Caravaggio-esque" lighting and paint the figure. I'm teaching three sessions of composition and painting and these two "in-class" demos turned out quite nice. These were painted with the "expanded old master" palette: white, yellow ochre, burnt sienna, terra rosa, mars violet deep, burnt umber, ultramarine, and terra verte.

plein air at night

I went out on Tuesday with a painter I met at El Gallo this past month, Manuel Lopez, for some nitetime urban landscape. We met at the Hive and then headed up Broadway. This spot was somehow captivating, the feel of desolate downtown after the sun goes down. It was an interesting challenge to paint by the orange color of the streetlights, but it came out good I think! You definitely have to know your colors pretty good, and work a little bit thinking "It'll look right in good light!" We plan to go again, this time meeting around the LA river for a view of the old Sears building.

experimental drawing

Here's a couple drawings of Grace I did yesterday. She's a great model with all sorts of cool clothes... she brought a bunch over and I got to dress her however I wanted. I liked how this one came out, she'd never actually wear this outfit in public, in fact she laughed at my combinations, but it was fun to draw! I've been trying to push my drawing lately, so it's not just about line and gradation, but also getting more into color and shape and pattern. I find aesthetic experimentation is easier in my drawing, I can make more radical changes in my drawing than in my painting.

painting in Monterey Park

Here are four paintings I finished last week in Monterey Park, east Los Angeles. They are the 710/60 interchange, the new Civic Center, El Gallo cafe, and under the LA River.

portrait sketches at the Hive

Last night was the Hive opening and I was there painting live 20 minute sketches of anyone willing or wanting to sit. I did four, and here are three that I think turned out good! The top painting is of Grace, who was the model for the drawing post on Friday, also a very good painter herself! Next is Amy who has worked with the Hive for the drawing workshop, and finally is Leo, a student from Art Center. My friend and amazing photographer Michael Rababy took a picture of me in action... love it! Also, here is a video of what's going on at the Hive directly behind me as I'm painting! That's Liz expressing her amazing dancing skills. For my regular readers who might take interest, she's also the same Liz posing for me in my backyard from recent posts.

mary grace

I drew this of Grace from life today. Later I worked more on the drawing and now really like how it's come out. It's me "channeling" Egon Schiele. AHAHAHH!!!