The dome of the Basilica in Rome at night
By revisiting my vacation album of photos taken during my trip to Italy last August, I came across the one taken 100 meters East of the Bridge of the Archangels, on the opposite side of the Castle, at dawn, fifteen minutes after Sunset. I was mesmerized by the scene back then, as I remember, and […]
The practice of thumbnails
My workflow from a compositional concept to a finished artwork is not yet complete, but I have been practicing initial steps, including drawing thumbnails, for a while now. Thumbnails are about compositional intelligence, not about anatomy, rendering or refinement. This is the first step in creating a successful painting. Five goals for the practice of […]
Study of an imagined scene at Sunset
Following my recent vacation in Aruba and the fresh memories of the beautiful beaches I saw there, I was thinking of warming up a little by playing with the brush on watercolour paper and painting an imagined sunset. Here in Toronto, it is still very cold. Yet my imagination can play scenes to keep me […]
Vacation in Aruba
We keep going back to this beautiful island for a short vacation to break the harsh winter at home. After years of travelling, we concluded that ‘all-inclusive’ resorts are no longer for us. Prices for flights, accommodation, and food can be kept at half those we would pay at five-star resorts in the Mayan Riviera. […]
Painting a cityscape of Venice. Group of people
Last week, I sketched after a photo taken in Venice along the Riva degli Schiavoni, in which two people were walking at an angle, the closest to my view, which appeared very schematic. This weekend, I attempted to draw and paint a close-up sketch of the two. I must admit that I need a lot […]