Roermond Rattentoren

 

Went out sketching on location again, in Roernond. This is the "rattentoren" (the tower of the rats. No idea why it is called that way). With Ruud Otten; even though it was cold, out of the wind it was still okay. I was able to try one of Ruud's self made watercolour naps, the green tones in this drawings.

Jean Rochefort

Sometimes I get so frustrated doing portraits in colour, I just go back to my default mode: ink drawings in moleskine sketchbooks. This one is from a picture of the french actor Jean Rochefort. 

I found a page: 100 pictures to use to excersise drawing/painting portraits. Good training stuff.

Portrait in gouache

Quite dissatisfied with my drawings and paintings lately. The weather is too horrible to go outside. As compensation I have been trying to improve my portrait skills and trying gouache. But I already threw away quite a number of trials. Even this one, based on a picture of some soccer/football trainer, is not what I was looking for.

Slave ship

 

Busy time of year, all kinds of projects to be finished before January 1st. I read an old comic book "Master race" by Bernie Krigstein, dating from 1955. Beautiful B&W drawng work. Based on one of his drawings in the story "Slave ship".

St. Jan demolition

View from my study window: today they started tearing down the high school across the street. The new school buildings are behind this old wing. I have a lot of old memories in these buildings: my wife, both my children and I spent long years in there.

Astrid 2

 

Live portrait session, quick charcoal sketches, 10 minutes each.