part of a set of portraits commissioned by a lovely client in New York
Monday, 4 November 2013
Wednesday, 30 October 2013
Lou Reed
When I was little, Transformer was our staple record for long car journeys (along with David Bowie's Hunky Dory) - me and my brother's knew it off by heart, back to front, upside down, and never, ever grew tired of it. Our toy monkey's sang along to "Make-up" through many a rain-swept voyage into darkest Wales, delighted to come out of their closets, bom-bom-bom-bom bombombom.
Later, when I was 17, clumsy and shy, somehow sent floundering after the death of my grandmother and my first visit to New York (one freezing February, central park pristine with snow and bare trees), I listened to a cassette of Lou Reed's New York album on repeat, kept afloat amid a sea of the mean-seventeens (possibly not helped by reading Ken Kesey's One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Sylvia Plath's The Bell Jar and Susanna Kaysen's Girl, Interrupted in quick succession).
Tuesday, 24 September 2013
"I can't express anger. That's my problem. I internalize everything. I just grow a tumor instead."
A postcard sized portrait of Woody Allen,
sketched in ink with a paintbrush
(drawn for a sketchathon with Little White Lies Magazine)
Friday, 13 September 2013
Process pics
A few months back I completed a painting for a client in New York who commissioned a portrait reflecting the style of classical Hollywood.
I really loved working on it - it taught me to plan out my images beforehand, because I have always been someone who draws straight off in pen and ink without any kind of pencil guide, and I always felt like drawing in pencil first was somehow cheating (thanks, Aubrey Beardsley).
But actually, the longer the process of making something, the more room for discoveries to be made, and it's often where the best ideas regarding colour and composition have chance to step in.
But actually, the longer the process of making something, the more room for discoveries to be made, and it's often where the best ideas regarding colour and composition have chance to step in.
Lately my process is: detailed light pencil sketch (focusing on areas of colour) > then watercolour > then add ink lines (sparingly).
If I draw in ink before I watercolour the tendency arises to stay too strictly within the lines, and the colours can't interact as much. There is still plenty of room for improvement - I always feel that I could paint much more loosely than I do - but it's all part of the learning process.
first sketches
pencil and watercolour
watercolour, gouache + pen and ink
final piece
close-up
Sunday, 1 September 2013
Friday, 19 July 2013
Portraits on Postcards
Edgar Allan Poe - SOLD
Billie Holiday - SOLD
Etta James - SOLD
Vivian Maier - SOLD
All postcards commissioned through my Portrait on a Postcard Project: http://bit.ly/18W3oTm
Sunday, 14 July 2013
Monday, 17 June 2013
Portrait-on-a-Postcard Project
Are you interested in owning one of my original artworks?
Or would you like to commission an artwork as a gift for a friend?
For a limited time,
I am now running a portrait-on-a-postcard project
Inked, painted and posted, for just £10
(& will post to anywhere in the world at no extra cost)
I often make portraits of the people who interest me
(such as Bob Dylan, pictured) but I'm also interested
in discovering who other people admire, and why.
The subject can be anyone throughout history - musicians,
poets, writers, filmmakers, playwrights, scientists, engineers,
philosophers, artists, designers, actors, activists, comedians,
journalists, soldiers, saints, politicians, revolutionaries, composers, explorers...anyone.
As long as you admire them.
The original artwork will be posted to you (on Daler-Rowney Langton cold pressed 300gsm acid-free watercolour paper) and all of the portraits will be collected together on a blog.
If you're interested in taking part, email me at emma.ridgway@live.co.uk with the following details:
_______________________________________________
Your name:
Who do you admire?
What do you particularly admire about them?
Address you'd like the postcard to be sent to:
_______________________________________________
Finished postcards will be sent out on receipt of payment of £10 via Paypal.
If you have any questions, please get in touch via email.
Or would you like to commission an artwork as a gift for a friend?
For a limited time,
I am now running a portrait-on-a-postcard project
Inked, painted and posted, for just £10
(& will post to anywhere in the world at no extra cost)
The theme of the project is "I admire..."
I often make portraits of the people who interest me
(such as Bob Dylan, pictured) but I'm also interested
in discovering who other people admire, and why.
The subject can be anyone throughout history - musicians,
poets, writers, filmmakers, playwrights, scientists, engineers,
philosophers, artists, designers, actors, activists, comedians,
journalists, soldiers, saints, politicians, revolutionaries, composers, explorers...anyone.
As long as you admire them.
The original artwork will be posted to you (on Daler-Rowney Langton cold pressed 300gsm acid-free watercolour paper) and all of the portraits will be collected together on a blog.
If you're interested in taking part, email me at emma.ridgway@live.co.uk with the following details:
_______________________________________________
Your name:
Who do you admire?
What do you particularly admire about them?
Address you'd like the postcard to be sent to:
_______________________________________________
Finished postcards will be sent out on receipt of payment of £10 via Paypal.
If you have any questions, please get in touch via email.
Wednesday, 12 June 2013
Billy Bragg
Dan and I went to see Billy Bragg a couple of years ago - we waited in the snow, but it was worth it - his gigs are full of such warmth and humour, and he's easily one of the most likable musicians.
I've been meaning to do a portrait of him for ages, so here it is.
Monday, 3 June 2013
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