Tuesday, February 9, 2010

ADEBANJI ALADE



Title: Contemplation II
Medium: Mixed Media (charcoal dust, graphite dust, coloured pencil, water, graphite and oil base pencil)

This is my entry into Liz Holm's flying moleskin's, she hasn't got a bound sketchbook but carefully laid watercolour paper with some sort of lighter transparent paper to protect the finished work. Since part of her guidelines had to do with portraits of any kind, I decided to take on a commuter who I noticed at Victoria Coach Station Bus Stop. He looked really deep in thought and had a very pensive and contemplative feel to his pose and demeanor. I couldn't resist doing this portrait sketch of him to reveal these characteristics.

I used one of my beloved mixed media techniques to go about this. Starting off with the pencil sketch, then adding tones with graphite dust mixed with water, then for darker tones, adding charcoal dust with water all applied with a sable brush. I then added details with a soft oil base pencil and a white coloured pencil.

This sketch, with the whole package is now flying off to Dean!

15 comments:

  1. It's brilliant, Adebanji!! Thank you! Wow. I love the depth of the charcoal dust and water, and the pencil work. phenomenal.

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  2. Wonderful portrait Adebanji...great sense of form to the head around the eyes and the ear...the charcoal dust looks really interesting too!

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  3. I really admire how you capture an emotion. This piece is wonderful Adebanji. Your description of the application is appreciated also , thanks

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  4. Who knew you could do all that with charcoal and graphite. You really captured him deep in thought. It's wonderful.

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  5. Great pose and expression, Adebanji. I don't know how you are able to capture so much of these people that are so fleeting...I'm in awe!

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  6. Beautifully composed piece and masterfully executed, Adebanji.

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  7. Wow... lucky Liz to have such an awesome Banji original in your moleskin. Wonderful!

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  8. Wonderful presentation, Adebanji! He certainly looks like a thinker!

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  9. An incredibly beautiful portrait, Adebanji! Your line work is amazing, and I really like the handling of the hand, love the angles and that crisp shadow on the back of the hand.

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  10. Awe-inspiring. I can feel the energy in the line movement and I love your values and the 3D modeling of the figure (I even see where the fabric is raised around a seam). Fantastic attention to detail -- love that hair and scalp and those eyes!

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  11. Banji, it never ceases to amaze me how you can capture the image and the essence of the person in your sketchtraits. I know the subject doesn't hold still that long...you must have a photgraphic memory image talent there somehow.

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  12. Thanks all! This drawing was not produced on the spot, there would have been absolutely no way I could do that.

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  13. Mr. Adebanji, this is absolutely Wonderful!!!, and I can hardly wait to see it. I just received your book from Dean, and was in AWE of your original, and Dean's as well. I humbly bow down to the both of you. Everyone can look forward to a feast for the eyes when they receive this book, and see these pieces in real life. I am now frozen with fear at the thought of attempting anything next to these fine works.

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  14. Cheers Vern! Just keep the spirit flowing, no need to freeze, everyone's individual interpretation would be unique and personal and that's the beauty of these challenges.

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  15. I received this book from Adebanji several days ago and had the pleasure of seeing "Contemplation II" in real life...impressively well done! What an inspiration.

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