Some CA figures and portraits...

So I have taken one class thus far at the Los Angeles Academy of Figurative Art, and I am in the process of taking a second class there now. My first teacher was very hands-on and wanted the students to approach painting the way he does. This makes sense and I was very open to learning his techniques. I feel that it has influenced the way I now approach subjects, hopefully in a more proficient manner. Only time will tell...



Little did I know that I would be painting this guy quite a few times in the near future. This guy gets hired a lot by teachers in LA. He is very professional and hardworking, but sometimes a little variety is good too...

See what I mean? Here he is again. He likes to change up his hair with a variety of feathers and such. I also believe that my drawing seems to have elongated his face a bit as well.


Here is the last one I have done of him...so far. I can only hope that subsequent painting of him will only continue to get better...


The Academy likes to push the idea of a limited pallete and I am beginning to see the benefits to it. However, if I find myself too limited, I simply add in another color when needed...



I am also taking a free class with mostly senior citizens. At first they didn't like me being there much, but last week one artist told me, "I am glad that you are a part of this class." It's nice to be wanted! This is a painting done there. I seem to feel less stressed in this class and I feel it shows in my end results...



Here is another example from the senior citizen class that I did. The composition that I ended up with, was not what I was originally planning, but nonetheless, I am intrigued with the end result...



This was the first male model that the senior class did. I guess the old broads really liked him because when one of the model breaks were finished, one elderly female artists yelled, "Take your pants off already!!" A little decorum ladies, please...


I found this model quite challenging because of the very different shades of skin tone. Very different. I even exaggerated the warmth and value of the lighter tone to help integrate the two. She ended up looking like someone that would be spend a lot of at a bar smoking cigs and drinking whiskey. Just my opinion...



My latest image so far...from my newest class at the Academy with an amazing artist named Nathan Fowkes. He does great work and works as a color artist/concept artist at Dreamworks. The class is standing room only and I have to get there an hour before it starts to get a good spot. Unfortunately, this doesn't leave much time for him for one on one teaching. Hopefully, I will still learn a lot...