MEET THE FAMILY - Tutorial Tryouts with Kristin

THE FAMILY

No, not MY family, these are not blood relatives.  Though in a sense they are my family because I created and named them, and in spite of everything I've become a little fond of them, even if they are all big drips.  Dev said they were quite good, but in a revolting sort of way!

This week's tutorial on Kristin's Tutorial Tryouts was about painting abstract portraits on a Youtube video.  Quite an experience, though I'm not sure the word 'abstract' applies, I'd say more 'weird' which suits me down to the ground.  I like weird.

 Acrylic paint on A3 watercolour paper

I followed the video for my first effort, and intended to keep as closely as possible to the style, but this fellow took on a life of his own.  This is Jasper.  He's the failure of the family, and he knows it (the rest of them are always telling him so).  That's why he doesn't look very happy.

                                                        Acrylic paint on A3 watercolour paper

I wondered how the technique would work with a profile view, and somehow it doesn't quite seem to work on a profile.  Anyway, I went my own way for the second attempt, and this is Everett.  Now Everett is a rather nasty piece of work, and I have to admit that he is mainly the one who has given Jasper an inferiority complex.  I don't trust him an inch (or even 25 millimetres).

                                                      Acrylic paint on A3 watercolour paper

Out on my own now, doing just whatever came.  This is Samilla.  She's the brains of the family, with a PhD in the Fluidity of Acrylic Paint Drips in Temperate Climates.  At the moment she's working in McDonalds but, like Mr Micawber, she's sure something will come up very soon.

I wondered about introducing a little more realism.  Well, as you can see, it just doesn't really work.  Nor does Archibald.  He doesn't have time to go out to work because his hair and beard are very high maintenance, so he's on the Government's new Universal Benefits.  Looking at that blue cape thing, I think he's at the barber's at the moment trying to ensure that he looks his mediocre best, and he's listening to his i-pod while the job is being done.  Never wastes a moment, that lad.

I think you can see that I enjoyed myself with this tutorial, even if it was a bit of a struggle.   And I learnt quite a bit, particularly how to get really good paint drips - something that I've never been very good at.  There is clearly plenty of mileage in this technique, and I intend to keep using it and incorporating it in things other than portraits.  Try it, I'm sure you'd have fun.

Nice one, Kristin, thanks.