July 28, 2014
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Nora the Tuxling
By Jack Ruttan in cats, color, Nora the cat, paintings, sketches, watercolor, watercolour
July 25, 2014
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Inspired by George Stubbs
By Jack Ruttan in dogs, horses, sketches, watercolor
George Stubbs is one of my favourite painters. Not just because of his horses and dogs, (though those are great, too), but his wonderful, very sober, 18th-century people.
June 25, 2014
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Computer-Painted Characters
By Jack Ruttan in color, digital, heads, men, paintings, women
My computer-painted characters are quicker and more satisfying to draw. I had to reach back into my experience mixing acrylic paints to think of the right kinds of shadows. Still, I feel more confident that I can paint in a pleasant way any subject that occurs to me. Backgrounds and bodies soon to come.
June 22, 2014
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It’s Everyone’s Prehistoric Pal
By Jack Ruttan in dinosaurs, watercolor, watercolour
This is eryops. He’s everyone’s prehistoric pal.
June 19, 2014
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Morning Paintings
By Jack Ruttan in color, paintings, sketches, watercolor, watercolour
Morning paintings, on my deck.
I’m aware that one of the cars is on the sidewalk, but I didn’t plan this one very well. Still, I like it.
June 13, 2014
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Cool Colours
By Jack Ruttan in color, digital, heads
Trying to do shadows, contrasts, in a different colour palette. Still a ways to go, but I’m happier with some aspects. Seems to take a lot of practice.
June 4, 2014
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Backyard Sketches
By Jack Ruttan in black and white, brush pen, color, sketches, watercolor, watercolour
These are sketches from the backyard garden of my cherished friend. Above is a gingko tree, though it’s hard to tell.
Below, a hair in the scanner, darn it. But I’m too lazy to erase it.
The spindly-looking thing is a catalpa tree, which apparently takes a while to “leaf out.”
I was using Asian brushes, and flatter myself that these have a far East feel to them. The brush makes the bones, and the chi should keep flowing!
June 4, 2014
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More Paintings in Parks
By Jack Ruttan in montreal, paintings, parks, watercolor, watercolourParc des Faubourgs. I painted this from the steps of the Latin American Church across the street (rue Ontario). That’s my bike on the right.
Square Viger. Called “Square” in both English and French (not “Carré”) This is an odd little place, full of sculpture, but which has a bed reputation, because it’s isolated and walled in. The city keeps threatening to do something with it. The little men in orange are construction workers passing through.
It’s always interesting doing these drawings because you sit quietly in a place for a little while. Things happen and pass by that you wouldn’t notice, even on foot.
May 24, 2014
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Intense faces and others
By Jack Ruttan in digital, heads, paintings
One nice thing about drawing on the computer is that you can rework things infinitely. Squish ‘em up, stretch them, repaint seamlessly, etc. These two drawings were absolute messes, but I’m sort of happy with them now. Still a ways to go in technique.
May 24, 2014
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Church Ladies and Sad Girls
By Jack Ruttan in color, digital, paintingsDrawn on the computer with my Wacom tablet. From my imagination.
I don’t know why I’ve drawn these women in a church setting, but I was reading a fantasy story with a stern priestess in it, and my friend has been going to a church.
This one makes me think of the Bruce Springsteen song “Candy’s Room.”
Another generic sad girl. I’m obviously not going for a super-realistic approach here, but that’s fine.
Computer drawing is fun again. You somehow have to “see” what you can do, and know how to use the right brushes. Drawing shaded faces on paper with the pencil helped a lot. And practicing, of course.
May 22, 2014
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Watercolours of Montreal Parks
By Jack Ruttan in color, paintings, watercolor, watercolour
Parc du Portugal
Parc Edmond-Hamilton
A park dog
May 16, 2014
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Imagined States of America
By Jack Ruttan in sketches
Another article for Roverarts.com. This time, it’s the first film review I’ve written in a long while. Read it here.
May 14, 2014
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More Splashy Painting
By Jack Ruttan in montreal, paintings, sketches, watercolor, watercolour
Here’s a picture of that odd building by the “Peel Basin” along the bike path in Montreal. I can’t find the reference picture I took, so there’s a lot of interesting graffiti missing here. I may put it in later.
Below, I was sitting in a park watching kids playing flag football. In our day, we threw each other to the ground. That still happens a little bit. It’s been a while since I’ve played, and my skills there are weak. Trying different colour schemes.
May 11, 2014
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De Rouen Street and schoolyard
By Jack Ruttan in montreal, paintings, ruttan's place, sketches, watercolor, watercolourMore quick paintings, dashed off on my deck. The Schoolyard, with children. Not trying to put them down, I think they capture something, but one is always hard on one’s own work.
This one below I did this morning, I’m not so fond of. I’ll let you judge whether you like it or not. Thinking about colour schemes, but my philosophy with these paintings is like the cat doing whatever he or she does after a big jump. Licking oneself, and pretending, “I meant to do that.”
