Blog Archives
Degas in Acrylics and Acrylic Inks
Hello Friends!
This is another project I began last week. First I drew it lightly onto the canvas by eyeballing a picture of this painting from a book I have. I used a water soluble pencil for that. Then I painted it in acrylics and acrylic inks on a 12″x16″ canvas.
This project was done as an art challenge by my friend Debra who is also an artist. She asked if our other friend, Emma, and I would like to paint something from one of our favorite artists. She said I couldn’t pick Van Gogh, though, ha ha! (I have a sneaking suspicion that she is doing a Van Gogh!) But my absolute two favorites are Edgar Degas and Vincent van Gogh, so that was fine with me!
I have done this painting in watercolor before, but not as detailed. But I have never tried to do one of his in acrylics, so it was a lot of fun! I didn’t try to match the colors exactly. Besides, all the colors look different depending on which book I look in or looking at a picture on the internet, so that was no big deal.
This is my version from his painting called “Blue Dancers” which he painted in oils in Paris, c.1895. I think it has always been my favorite of all his ballerina paintings.
Have a wonderful day! 🙂
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Pastel on Paper
Hello Friends!
Here is another pastel I have been working on. This is my rendition of a pastel Degas did on tracing paper called “Woman seen from behind, drying her hair.”
I drew mine in soft and oil pastels on drawing paper, measured at 10.5″ x 11″.
It was a challenge trying to get the layers of colors the way I wanted them.
I am off to physical therapy today…my shoulder is getting better every day
Have a wonderful day and give someone you love a big hug! 😀
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Pastel of Another “Combing the Hair”
Hello Friends!
This is another rendition I did of one of the many pastels Degas painted of women combing their hair. I like these works just as much as his ballerina paintings. I love how soft he could make them look but also put bold dark line work in certain places as well.
One of these days I am going to begin doing my own drawings from portraits of real people when I gain a little more confidence. I also know it is not “cheating” to trace just the main outlines of a face or body, because sometimes it is easier than eyeballing a photo to try to get the proportions correct.
In other news our daughter put up the Christmas tree for us today. So the living room is a little brighter now.
I went to physical therapy yesterday and was told I am progressing well. I am doing my exercises daily and still have my arm in the sling. I think it will be on for another week or two, but I can hardly wait for when I won’t need it anymore!
Have a wonderful day and give someone you love a big hug! 😀
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Pastel Rendition of a Degas
Hello Friends!
I played around with my soft and oil pastels last week. I did this one early last week which is called “Group of Dancers” by Edgar Degas. In some of his pastels, his images are almost ghostly looking. Some of them have blurred line work which I love.
I will be posting another I drew of a different pastel he did later this week. I am still drawing left-handed and will be for quite some time. I started physical therapy this week and will go twice a week for a couple of months, then increase to three times a week later on.
Have a wonderful day and give someone you love a big hug! 😀
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Soft Pastels on Tracing Paper
Hello Friends!
This is my rendition of Edgar Degas’s “Pink Dancer” which he did with pastels on paper. However, I did mine with my soft chalky pastels on tracing paper. He used this technique often in his studio when he worked on drawings.
I found it interesting and challenging. I often had to blow the excess pastels off of the paper to see the image so I could keep drawing, but it was fun. I used my fingers to smooth some places, too
My drawing has a lot more blue in it than his but I like the way it glows.
Have a wonderful day and give someone you love a big hug! 😀
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Degas’s “Dancers in Pink”
Hello Friends,
I have finally redone one of my favorite paintings of Degas’s ballerinas. I have only done this one in pastels which is in a previous post. So…here it is in watercolors.
I have a small print of this painting. I used tracing paper and my lightboard to trace the main outlines for accurate proportions. Then I transferred it to 300 lb. watercolor paper. The heavier the paper, the better my paintings usually turn out.
Then I used my Prismacolor watercolor pencils and other watercolor paints to render my copy of this painting.
I had to wait until I came to town today to post this, because I couldn’t get the picture uploaded from my phone!! Very frustrating living out in the sticks sometimes.
I am going to be talking with my doctor today about the highs and lows I have been experiencing in the last few months, so hopefully he can figure something out.
I want to thank those of you who have been praying for me. I really appreciate it. Hopefully I will finish my article this week!
Have a wonderful day, and give someone you love a big hug. 😊
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Ballet Shoes Watercolors
Hello Friends,
Sometimes I just get bored working on sea turtles or animals and have to do something different for a change. What??? Yes it is true.  For a long time I have had this idea to paint some ballet dancers’ shoes in watercolor. These were pretty quick sketches I did earlier in the week. I didn’t use a good grade of paper so they look a little washed out but it was just practice. I am also going to have more ballet dancers to post soon.
I have still been working on my article assignment and plan to turn it in this week. I asked for a two week extension, because I have been having trouble deciding exactly how I want to approach my favorite topic of sea turtles. Picking one thing to write about them has been difficult! Plus, writing about them on a level for young children isn’t so easy either! So when I feel stuck, I move on to something completely different to do which is usually art. I am finding that I love drawing and painting much more than writing.
I have also been struggling with a long bout of depression that came on a couple of weeks ago, but I don’t really want to go into the “whys” of it; I’m not sure I could pinpoint them anyway. However, I am on the upward climb out of this hole.
On top of that we learned this week that an old friend of ours was killed in the line of duty in his job as a security guard. He was 70 years old and was trying to help a woman who was getting attacked in a parking garage where he worked. He was beaten by the attacker and his injuries were too severe for him to survive. It is very sad. Karl was a sweet man. He moved away a few years ago but didn’t keep in touch with us. I have missed him since he left, but am glad left this world trying to do the right thing and he is finally resting in peace with his Savior.
Have a wonderful day, and give someone you love a big hug. 🙂
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Ballerina With Sheer Outfit
HERE IS THE 9×12 ACRYLIC I DID OF THE BALLERINA IN A SHEER, FLOWING OUTFIT. THIS WAS A LOT OF FUN. THE BACKGROUND IS ALL BLACK, BUT THE LIGHT I HAD ON WHEN I TOOK THE PICTURE KIND OF HIGHLIGHTS IT. NICE!
HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY, AND GIVE SOMEONE YOU LOVE A BIG HUG. 🙂
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Flowing Ballerina
I really love this pose and hope I will be able to do it justice! I have this image on acrylic canvas paper now and am planning on trying it in acrylics first. Sorry that the photo isn’t the greatest, but I didn’t want it to be traced too darkly so the pencil on the canvas paper doesn’t show up real well.
I found this picture in some type of ballet brochure I received in the mail years ago and saved. I traced it and enlarged it several sizes. Her outfit appears very sheer which I am hoping to be able to convey.
Have a wonderful day, and give someone you love a big hug. 🙂
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Swan Lake ballerinas to come!
These are a couple of tracings I did out of a children’s book of Swan Lake that I found at the library a few weeks ago. I am planning to do watercolors of these. The first sketch will be my first male ballerina!
Have a wonderful day, and give someone you love a big hug! 🙂
Patsy's Creative Corner 