[RobRey]

My girlfriend Angela came and posed for the Monday night group. I think this is the third time I've painted her portrait, but it's always fun. I'm just going to start losing track pretty soon. Apart from her upper lip being a little bit too long it's a pretty good likeness.


Angela III, Alla Prima - Oil, 16"x20"

In other news, I'm headed to the New York City Comic Convention this weekend! It should be a good time and there should be plenty of great work to see. If you're also going, let me know, maybe I'll see you there.

Thanks everyone for the nice comments!

[RobRey]

I got back from the New York Comic Convention on Sunday night. I really enjoy Comicon. There is so much art to see, art to talk, and the people watching is excellent! There are so many good costumes and I really enjoy the passion with which people wear them. I got a chance to do some quick sketching. Although, with all the action packed lightsaber duels going on, my subjects rarely held a pose for more than a few seconds.




I think this young jedi was feeling conflicted. He boldly goes where no man has gone before ...but he also knows that lightsabers are awesome.


And what is this dashing masked swordsman holding? A rasom note for his stolen love? Is it the severed heart of his evil arch enemy? No, no, ...it's a hot dog.

[cubesoflard]

Hey Rob. Just went through your sketch book and have to comment on your sketches and paintings. Thanks a bunch for sharing.

[Gecov]

You are awesome!
I didn't know your work, but now you've won a fan hehe.
Congrats for the beautiful work.

Cheers,

[Rawls]

Beautiful work Rob!

[RobRey]

More coffee shop sketches. In this first drawing, the girl already has the body language of being pushed up against a wall, so I love that I happened to end up running into the binding of my sketchbook.








- Thanks Cubesoflard, Gecov, and Rawls!

[RobRey]

I painted Dorette the second Monday night portrait that I attended almost a year ago, and it's still one of my favorites (post here). Now she's returned, and in a dress like that I couldn't just paint her head, so here is her 3/4 figure.

[Villano]

Very nice last one. the brushwork is loose yet you seem to know always were to land them. thnx for sharing.

[RobRey]

Kate, who runs the Monday night portrait group also runs a Wednesday figure drawing night. I usually just do my drawing at the coffee shop, but recently she decided to do a long pose on Wednesday so I got a chance to do a figure painting.


Alla Prima, Oil, 24" x 18"

-Thanks Carlos!

[RobRey]

More recent stuff from the coffee shop...

[RobRey]

A fellow RISD graduate came and posed for the Monday night group.


Laura, Alla Prima, Oil, 16" x 20"

-Anyone know why this is coming up as a thumbnail?

[RobRey]

Some good characters (non-fictional) at the coffee shop lately...




I've really never understood ear flaps as a fashion.


This pipe really happened, I was excited.
I love a good eccentric character.

[RobRey]

While sketching one night at the coffee shop I felt someone watching me. I glanced up towards the front of the shop and saw a very pretty girl watching me sketch, the kind of pretty that hits you in the face and leaves you momentarily stunned. This was about all I could surmise from my glance as it would have been awkward to hold eye contact for any longer. Moments later she walked out of view and a few of the people I was sitting with voiced something I did not catch in my glance. Jonathan said, "Now that was an attractive girl... with a very unattractive attitude."
Though, before anyone could say much more she returned with a man, holding a large piece of chocolate cake served at the counter. They stood, waiting for a table, all of which were occupied at the moment, and she continued to watch me sketch. They did not talk, the man held the piece of chocolate cake and neither of them took a single bite.
I did not see it while I was sketching, but Jonathan told me later that after about ten minutes someone came and told them that there were available tables on the other side of the shop. Despite their patience, she replied ungraciously, "No, we'll wait."
Another five or ten minutes went by before the gentleman at the table directly ahead of me, along the wall, got up to leave. The girl sat down abruptly in the seat closest to me, the man across from her, setting the cake between them. She did not face the man, but flipped her hair and turned ninety degrees in profile to both him and I. She put her chin out and looked at the far wall, motionless.
I almost had to laugh, just as Jonathan had said, it was quite amazing how profusely she exuded both her good looks and her bad attitude. I considered drawing her, it was tempting. I really would have liked to have a drawing of her to go with this story. She thought that I would not be able to resist her beauty, and in a crowded coffee shop, without asking, I would draw only her. She wanted that satisfaction, but I could not stand to feed her voracious vanity. So, I looked to the side and I began to draw another girl.
Five minutes went by, she didn't move, she didn't talk to the man who sat sighing with the untouched cake between them. Then, she got more impatient, flipped her hair again, huffed, and stuck her chin out even farther, leaning forward from the wall now and into the aisle. I continued to draw the other girl. After another five minutes, she huffed again, turned to the man and said curtly, "This isn't wroking," before standing up and walking off with the man and the untouched piece of cake in tow.

I don't have a drawing of her to show, but here are the three drawings that I did of the other girl...

[vladdamien]

hah, that's hilarious, Rob... maybe she lurks here and knows where you sketch ;p

[aftertouch]

I really like all the sketches you have here, Mr. Rey. They have a really nice quality to them that I can't properly pinpoint, but makes them work well. The story you gave about that vain girl was pretty entertaining, and I give you kudos for not catering to a selfish person's ego!
I think the sketches of the girl you chose to draw are more true to life than any sketch of the vain girl could ever be.