New competition for EP members! Create your own Picasso

[Chabrenas]

Kay, I can't wait to see your painting. But it's clear that you're not Picasso - he worked very quickly.

[JimWaller]

This is my cubist portrait of Pablo Picasso. It is a finger painting done on a 2.5 inch by 3.5 inch canvas (pretty small). At the risk of self promotion, you can read more and see more at : http://jimwallerart.com/080312-cubis...pablo-picasso/

I've turned off the store part of my site, so I'm not selling anything. I just thought you might enjoy seeing more like the photo that inspired it, and a couple of drawings I did as a study. I'd post it all here, but I don't think my slider would work.

Jim

[JimWaller]

Just for an idea of scale, here is the portrait with a US penny and the finger that painted it.

[Kay]

How come your finger is so clean, Jim? I've been outside painting mine again and have managed to get paint not just all over my hands but clarted up my arms and even on my T-shirt.

I know it seems to be taking me a long time to do it but it's only been a couple of hours in the afternoons this week. And there are too many distractions. This afternoon it was tree 'surgeons'. Erk. There are two trees next door which are starting to cause a nuisance for us by encroaching on our place and dropping debris on our roof, so we asked the owners to fix it. They've sent round a tribe of tree cutters with machetes and a chain saw. Judging by the amount they were lopping off, I said to Dave, "Keep well clear, these guys aren't taking any prisoners." Then one of the guys walked past me and I noticed he only had one arm. I wonder what on earth might have happened to him. I promptly moved inside. The painting can wait until tomorrow.

[JimWaller]

I didn't take the pictures while painting. My fingers usually get a bit of paint on them, but as I've been doing more and more finger painting, I seem to get neater about it. I usually use my iPhone to take the pictures, so I'd prefer not to get it all mucked up with paint.

When I took the picture with my finger in it, I probably looked a little funny, because of the way I had to hold my phone and take the picture with my left hand even though I'm right-handed. (I probably should have been ambidextrous, but I chose to be right-handed when I was young, a story to tell elsewhere.)

I included the penny for a size reference, because people have different size fingers. I included my finger, because it's pretty large, so it's interesting the level of detail I can achieve with it. As an example, look at the ring on the hand compared to my fingertip.

I've been considering doing another painting using brushes to see what I can do with greater control. Maybe I'll do what I originally planned and have a photo-realistic painting of Pablo Picasso in addition to a cubist one. That's one thing about trying to average a painting per day, you can play around with ideas.

Jim

[Kay]

I really liked your pencil studies of Picasso, Jim. It would be great if you could paint one of them or something like that.

My Picasso would have been finished today but I didn't fancy trying to carry on when there were one-armed men with chainsaws running about on our verandah. (OK, so I'm prone to exaggeration. There was only one guy who had one arm, and between them there was only one chainsaw.)

Mine is 40x 50 cm. Acrylic on canvas. I have plenty of art materials lying around. All bought in anticipation of the art course I was so keen to do. As I think I mentioned to you before, I just couldn't get into the art course and dropped out. This little competition has been great for me to get back into art. Perhaps you'll set a challenge some time as well?

Picasso isn't my favourite artist anyway. We have some (legal) copies of various paintings in the house and not a Picasso in sight. These are oil on canvas, done by professional artists, and for me they're a pleasure to enjoy every day. They didn't cost much (£50 - £100 each to have done). If I owned a painting worth millions, I sure as heck wouldn't have it hanging on the wall. LOL.

(It's legal to have a copy but not if you try to pass it off as being the original.)

I love acrylics. Too lazy to use oil and not good enough for water colour. Acrylics are just the very best medium ever invented.

[JimWaller]

I really liked your pencil studies of Picasso, Jim. It would be great if you could paint one of them or something like that.

That's why I mentioned I was considering doing another using brushes. One problem with finger painting is it's hard to control where the paint is going. (Can't see through the finger. LOL)

My Picasso would have been finished today but I didn't fancy trying to carry on when there were one-armed men with chainsaws running about on our verandah...Mine is 40x 50 cm. Acrylic on canvas.

I enjoy your exaggerations LOL

You're a lady after my own heart, I like the canvas size you mentioned better that the ones I've been using lately, but they are not practical for my project 366 works. I'm also a HUGE fan of acrylics, because I LOVE their versatility and the fact they dry quickly. Oils bore me to tears waiting for them to dry. (Heck, sometimes I get bored waiting for acrylics to dry)

I have plenty of art materials lying around. All bought in anticipation of the art course I was so keen to do. As I think I mentioned to you before, I just couldn't get into the art course and dropped out. This little competition has been great for me to get back into art.

It's good you already had the art materials. I've had times when I had an idea, but didn't have supplies and lost the muse before getting them. I'm glad you're getting back into art.

Perhaps you'll set a challenge some time as well?

Perhaps I will.. Finger painting anyone? LOL Seriously, I've enjoyed this competition, it helped me learn more about cubism and Picasso if nothing else.

...I love acrylics. Too lazy to use oil and not good enough for water colour. Acrylics are just the very best medium ever invented.

I agree!

Jim

[Kay]

OK, here goes. I really don't like this painting and it's probably not very Picasso-like. Oh well. <blush>

picasso.jpg

[JimWaller]

Kay,

I like yours a lot! I enjoy the chaotic swirliness as well as the male and femaleness of it. It calls to mind an embrace... a kiss. Very well done!

Jim

P.S. We are our own worst critics.

[KenW3]

It calls to mind an embrace... a kiss. Very well done!

Whoa! I see that There are two people there - I think? I was seeing the painting as a single person looking forward. I did see the swirls as implying an emotive whirlpool with a spiral galaxy overlay, suggesting a place in the universe, but I did not see two people until your post Wow.