The Little Peeps
By Alan Waterhouse
Beginning With The Outline
Welcome to the first post in my blog. I will add new posts as I do more work on each project to create a series where you can see the complete creative process from start to finish so make sure you follow my blog.
Introducing The Little Peeps.
When I first started drawing I did not realise how much emotion would be translated on to the page and how it reflects back to the viewer so when people I love are subjects of my work it is even more special.
The Little Peeps are my grandchildren and I hope over the years to come I will get to document the changes on canvas as they grow up. The poses I like to choose are always expressive, moody, distracted and not always from a classic portrait style.
“It certainly helps when you know your subjects well and if you are like me when its someone special then every stroke seems magical”.
For these two portraits I am going to use two Loxley A3 canvas boards which despite the fact they are pre primed I will give them three coats of white gesso. I could at this point add some colour to the gesso to create a ground but I have decided that I am going to leave the background white.
I like to divide my canvas with a simple grid as this helps me line everything up and scale more accurately before sketching in an outline with an 3B pencil. I use this grade of pencil because it is soft, darker but easy to erase and doesn’t damage the canvas like a harder grade of pencil.
I spent about an hour or so on Little Missy’s outline and it is nice and simple. It’s great when a few lines captures everything needed and you can recognise the subject easily. The pose suggests this is an unguarded moment as she looking away at something that she clearly likes.
Drawing the Little Fella took a little over two hours due to the extra line work on his top and his wonderful curly hair. His poses is leaning towards us so there is foreshortening at his waist and his arms support his weight.
Tomorrow I will start to add the acrylic paint.
See you soon – Al
Cant wait to see how these little peeps progress and come to life!