This is another face sketch, again not really looking like the original painting. I seem to have made her look too modern, but at least it's identifiable as a face. Cornelius Johnson. Portrait of a Lady, 1623

I've been sketching faces that interest me again.
Quite often I'll scribble one just before I go to sleep, it's a nice way to end the day, especially if I haven't managed to do anything else.The first one is from a Singer Sargent painting, Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose. I was holding the book at an angle and got the sketch wrong, but never mind. And there's too much shading, but I do get caried away.

This is from an old art calalogue and I'd never heard of the artist Abbey Altson, nor does this look much like the original painting. Sigh. I'm not much good at likenesses, I'm just glad they look human.

I'm working on the head of an arabian horse, and loving the gloss and shine on his face.
This shows my messy work table with all my clutter and bits and pieces- I find it very homely and comfortable when I sit down to paint. This is an old table that my Dad built and was in our family kitchen all through my childhood, so that makes me feel good too.

The colour is more accurate in the top photo, for some reason the scans are always a lot redder than in real life.

I love that proud arch to the neck that Arabs have, very nice to draw.
I have yet to finish the halter and the background, I get more excited about the horse and the rest isn't so important. I usually wait until I need to do two or three backgrounds and then do them all at once, I only have to mix up one lot of paint that way. Lazy, I know.

I love painting Arab horses, they're such beautiful animals.
I have to fight to make sure I don't make them too sleek and lean, not sure whether I succeeded here or not.

I do get a bit carried away with the muscles and highlights, but they're such fun to do!