Challenge # 31 - May 2013

A Gal Named Sam wrote

on 29 Apr 2013 8:09 PM

Welcome to the All Media Photo Challenge - May 2013

Target Posting Date: May 1ST - May 31st

Challenge: Create artwork based on any or all of these photos and themes. Use any medium and any style. Stick to the photos exactly or just use them as a starting point.  Feel free to change colors, composition, and add or subtract elements.  In other words, HAVE FUN and keep painting!

BE SURE TO POST THIS MONTHS CHALLENGE WORK HERE IN THIS THREAD SO OUR CHALLENGES WON'T GET CONFUSED WITH EACH OTHER. IF YOU HAVE SOMETHING DIFFERENT THAN THIS MONTHS CHALLENGE, PLEASE POST IN THE CHATTER THREAD.

Another posting note: When you post your painting, be sure to include the name that you wish for participants to use when replying to your post. We are gaining new participants all the time and it is sometimes difficult to remember who posted what.  An alternative would be to create a signature line that will automatically appear on each one of your posts. (If anyone needs instructions on how to do that, let me know and I will send instructions to you.)

The theme for the month of May is Fun and Games and the Human Figure.  With the arrival of spring you will undoubtedly have many opportunities to observe fun and games both indoors and out.   The additional theme of the human figure may be challenging but many of you are advanced enough to handle it.

I tried to select something for everyone with different levels of difficulty.  A few photos are of very challenging subjects but many of you are up to the challenge.

These three portrait photos are of my family:

My great grandson, Lucas, after playing with sidewalk chalk.

My great granddaughter, Kaetlyn, honing her artistic skills.

Daughter-in-law, Joni, clowning around.

These four animal photos are all from Public Domain:

This ostrich is just fun to look at.

 We all have memories of fun on this guy or a similar one.

These flamingos could very well be discussing fun and games!!!

You can make them more colorful, of course.

This bull and rider is very challenging but can be simplified.

Three landscapes (after a fashion):

My great grandson, Clayton, learning kayaking.

A lot of hot air.  Public Domain

The Hunt (Public Domain)   I can see bears in this one.

These four still lifes are from Public Domain.

You can create interesting still lifes using your art supplies.

A fun game with beautiful colors and great reflections.

Another fun game.

Going incognito.

These three human figures are from Public Domain:

Fishing

At the beach.  I couldn't decide between these two photos since there are things I like about both of them.  So I included both of them.  They would make great companion paintings.

And, of course, we must have a flower.  This beautiful orchid photo is from Public Domain. We could say that flowers are fun to paint and to look at.

Happy painting, everybody.  Have fun.  Enjoy.

Alexandra Spencer wrote

on 29 Apr 2013 8:26 PM

Wow, Sammy, a wonderful selection! I predict that Benny Bear will be outsmarting the hunter and his dog - fertile ground for Fred's imagination! 

wetpaperfan wrote

on 30 Apr 2013 7:27 PM

There are some fun pictures here to tackle.   good job...

here is my first....   " Found My Marbles"   Watercolor, Strathmore w/texture 140lb cp  5x7

A Gal Named Sam wrote

on 30 Apr 2013 7:46 PM

Marsha, I suspected that you may have lost your marbles and I'm so glad that you found them.  Each of your marbles have a great sheen due to the highlights and they do look like shiny glass.  The colors are fabulous and you gave them a lot more marbling patterns than the reference photo.  You found some really pretty marbles.  Congratulations on being first with this wonderful painting. 

Alexandra Spencer wrote

on 30 Apr 2013 8:25 PM

Marsha, ditto. Seriously, this is such a pretty subject. I just love the glass with its embedded swirls and refracting light.

C. Brown wrote

on 30 Apr 2013 8:27 PM

Beautiful marbles Marsha! Very nice watercolor.   

   I did this quick gesture watercolor this morning using a #4 round brush and a rigger for the grasses. I used a very weak raw umber to paint in the figures and shapes then went on to add shading and some colors. I wanted to see if I wanted to do a painting of it but I think this gesture is fine. For some reason I ended up with an older gentleman instead of the younger and heavier guy.  It is simply a gesture  with very little details but I like it that way.  It's 4 x 61/2 inch on cold press Fabriano paper.

Berkenstock wrote

on 30 Apr 2013 8:39 PM

Catherine nice sketch.  It could use some darks in the foreground but still nice.  The only other thing it needs is a covey of quail on the rise

Marsha did you loose your marbles when you were doing your music thing.  I'm glad you found them.  nice sketchiness (if that's a word) about it .  I would have thought that this would be a nice CP painting but you have done well with WC.

Berkenstock wrote

on 30 Apr 2013 8:42 PM

Sam you have a nice assortment of challenge subjects.  I hope that I can do them justice.

C. Brown wrote

on 30 Apr 2013 8:43 PM

Thanks Geri! I was going to add more dark to the foreground but wasn't feeling real confident about it. At least not tonight. I might tweak it more tomorrow. I painted this before work I did tweak it when I got home  but I'm too tired now to do any more and I'm afraid I'll mess it up.  I thought his shirt might be a tad big but you know, the guy is out with his dog so what's he care if his shirt is a little big. Probably got it for a quarter at a yard sale or something ;)

Alexandra Spencer wrote

on 30 Apr 2013 8:44 PM

Catherine, a good quick study of the hunter and his dog. One of the distinctive things about the photo was the interesting stand of very straight trees. You captured that perfectly.

C. Brown wrote

on 30 Apr 2013 8:45 PM

Thanks Geri! I thought the foreground needed some darker shades too but was just too tired tonight to do more. I'll repost it if I go back in and do more to it.

C. Brown wrote

on 30 Apr 2013 9:02 PM

Thank you Alex. Yes, I was drawn to the trees first and decided to get it out of my system before I went to work. 

Geri, Sorry, about two post about the same thing but I'm really tired tonight and need to get off here and call it a day.