Painting a Public Demo Life Sketch - Step By Step

Honored to be invited by Les Boudoirs Boutique, a luxury lingerie store in California, to do a Mother's Day strawberries and champagne event, doing a painting demo of the lovely Amina in a gorgeous corset.

Some good friends in the audience took some step-by-step pictures which I thought I would share to show my demo process. So here they are!

Thank you to Les Boudoirs Boutique, my lovely model Amina, and all who attended.

http://lesboudoirs.com

"Les Boudoirs to Degas"
SOLD
18x24"
By Johanna Spinks

It always feels good at the end.

The Pose: Who can go wrong painting the beautiful Amina in a lovely Les Boudoirs corset?

The start. Quick charcoal lines to loosen up on a toned board just like Degas and Lautrec used. 

Gestural drawing to capture the movement of the figure. Trying to say a loose as string.

Off to paint we go, blocking in light and dark side of forms. Thinking solid forms!

Working up the elements, knowing  I have things pretty much in place now, and the corset will be icing on the cake. Much easier to paint for me than the body and face. I know at this point the demo is going to be fine.

Blocking in features of face, keeping them loose and pushed back. One can't paint a fully developed  portrait and a figure in just three hours. Something has to give. In this case, the face is kept loose and sketchy through to the end. 

Close-up: Oh, what fun. I added some new drawing lines in to complete the sketchy feel. 

Corsets Selling Like Hot...Er..Corsets

Anyone reading this blog, knows I have a passion for corsets and have been collecting them for years.

I have just "untied" a few. 

A huge studio "STEAL of A DEAL" thing is going on over at DailyPaintWorks, many sketches of mine done as demos during my time teaching at The California Art Institute and The Los Angeles Academy of Figurative Art or during private studio teaching.

Five sold this week to as far a field as Switzerland to a wonderful new collector I have so enjoyed getting to meet - and email with about all things corsets. 

The prices are super affordable, to say the least, as affordable as they are ever going to be, in time for the Holidays. One thing I know is that everyone seems to absolutely love corsets. Most are oil sketches with gold leaf. 

Go here to view what's available. I am adding corset sketches daily.

stealofadeal

Life Sitting This Week
"Nothing Tolouse"
18x24"
By Johanna Spinks
Oil on Museum Quality Light Board
Just added to www.dailypaintworks.com

Sold This Week - Corset Art By Johanna Spinks
Adding Daily
www.dailypaintworks.com

Thank You To Art Models...

I have worked with more art models than I  have had hot dinners over the last 20 years of life painting. I wish I could remember each and every one but the number runs into the hundreds at this point.

Each however is a special encounter for me and many have now become my friends, as we work together so often over the years.  We kind of grow up together. Art models bring so much to the studio  table and help us artists paint well. They inspire leaving us hopefully to join hands with the Art Spirit and do the rest. Art models have to show up through thick and thin, with a good attitude, smile on their face,  no matter what is going on in their personal lives. I know from my old  weekly teaching class this is not always easy. A ton can be going on behind the scenes in your daily life.

So today I just wanted to say thank you. Our collaborations are appreciated. I also wanted to say thank you to Jeremy Lipking. I have learned so much from Master Lipking about figure painting over the last few years.

www.jeremylipking.com

These two corset paintings of mine sold today to a new collector featuring two models I have been luck to paint many times, Amina Santana  and Toni Sky.

Thank you to all three.

Catch more of my corset paintings and sketches at www.dailypaintworks.com

The are super affordable and make delicious Holiday Gifts.

Gutsy Painting?

"Verve"
Demo for The Malibu Art Associatin
48"x24"
Purchase here
onlinestore

Thanks to the Malibu Art Association for hosting me to do a still life demo last night. I chose to forgo the traditional apple and pears set up. I must have been out of my mind setting this up for a 90 minute demo. Pearls, satin, roses, tulle, wire mesh, and ribbons! What was I thinking? Sometimes you just have to go for it. VERVE. 

See you there? Reception tonight!

"The Gift"
By Johanna Spinks
L'Art Du Corset Collection
12x16
oil and gold leaf

Just one of many corset inspired artwork by me at tonight's opening reception:

To purchase go here:
here

Corset Crazy? Valentine Show

Please join me this Saturday for the opening reception of "Speed and Grace" featuring my new corset collection "Le Bel Art du Corset and the work of artists JoAnne Duby and Sherron Sheppard. To view more of my corset art, for purchase at my online store: http://www.johannaspinksfineart.com

Moulin Rouged,

Busy time in the study meeting portrait Holiday deadlines...basically I am painting every day right up until December 23rd. A posthumous portrait of a doctor for a southern hospital, a three child trip tych,  a 15 figure beach scene for a repeat client's nursery, and an engagement beach scene for a lovely couple in Australia.

I do allow myself a little fun though. Do you? Hope you like this new corset. It will be in my Holiday Corset Calendar Collection! Watch this space.

Moulin Rouged
Oil on Linen
9"x12:
$600
Free Shipping
http://www.johannaspinksfineart.com/#!corset-art/ca5b

Lazy Sunday Afternoon

Happy weekend!

"Lazy Sunday Afternoon"
By Johanna Spinks
9"x12"
Original Oil on Panel, Silver Leaf
$600
Free shipping
Purchase here:
http://www.johannaspinksfineart.com/#!corset-art/ca5b

Nattier Blue, Corset Art

I love it when a drawing keeps you up at night, so absorbed that time flies, and before you know the clock has struck midnight, and it's time to slip into the sheets.

I know you know what I mean. What keeps you up at night?

Nattier Blue By Johanna Spinks
SOLD
Le Art du Corset Collection
12"x 18"
Mixed media and gold leaf on paper

Shaking Things Up, Silver Leaf

Art du Corset
By Johanna Spinks
Original oil and silver leaf
Purchase here: $395 free shipping in the US

http://www.johannaspinksfineart.com/#!corset-art/ca5b

It's exciting when a collection you have been quietly working on, finally comes to light and you feel ready to share it with the world.

My new collection is called "Art du Corset", mostly featuring corsets, sometimes other whimsical things that take my fancy. A lot of gold, silver and bronze leaf is used in the later works.

This range is very affordable making the perfect gift for the Holidays  Here is the newest one I added to my online store this morning.

http://www.johannaspinksfineart.com/#!corset-art/ca5b

International visitors have asked, and  yes, I do ship internationally. Just email me for shipping price. johanna@johannaspinks.com

Art Du Corset By Johanna Spinks

Art Du Corset
SOLD
By Johanna Spinks
Drawings, Prints and Original Oils
http://www.johannaspinksfineart.com/#!corset-art/ca5b

You asked so here it is: my new artwork collection "Art Du Corset By Johanna Spinks. My corsets were wildly popular in my 365 Days of Drawings in 2010 which kinda took me by surprise.

http://www.johannaspinksfineart.com/#!corset-art/ca5b

I decided to come up with a collection of affordable drawings, prints and original oils featuring corsets and other whimsical things. I have been working on the collection for quite a while aside from my portrait work. Portrait to corset? Boy, it even rhymes.

Don't worry I am still painting portraits all the time but there is something about corsets which just appeals to me. They have a magic and a story all of their own. And you don't have to worry about a likeness.

Would love to hear what you think?

How to paint lace- or wear it.

"A Little French"
AKA "Paris Here I come"
12 x 16,
$500, free shipping
Pay via Pay Pal link on sidebar, top

Yesterday' s fun at my First Friday Atelier Day in the beautiful Malibu Highlands.

Come study with me this summer, Three Day Workshop. Great location. Great wine, Great food, Great company and GREAT PAINTING FUN

Naughty or Nice?

"JOY"
By Johanna Spinks
12 x 16 Original Oil on Canvas
$550.00 pls CA sales tax and $15 shipping
SOLD

Naughty or nice? Santa wants to know...hot off the easel. And the perfect Holiday sizzle gift.

How to Paint Fabric

"Lazy Saturday"

9"x11"

oil on linen board

$500.00 incl. shipping

This is hot off the easel this week of the lovely Zhanna, a favorite model of mine.

I like  how the fabric turned out. I painted it fast and furious.  I bought this slip for a small fortune knowing I would paint it a lot. It is rather gorgeous I think and begs to be painted more.

A challenge to paint though. I had planned to paint it so much more sheer. But sometimes you just have to lay aside plans, get a big brush out and 'feel it', always remembering to turn the "form". I pushed the values in the dress darker than they appeared and made the most of the fabric "flow" remembering to carve out the body underneath with some dark, crisp notes.  Once I had something I liked, I left well alone.

So basically I have no idea how to paint fabric at all. 

Maybe you do?