The Clock Tower

[DTCwordfan]

Just about there.....

Now it's looking rather Bram Stoker-ish, the old house behind, sad that it is empty and rather decaying. Think that the clock was a Victorian folly based off some involvement with Malacca in Malaysia, given the pagoda nature of the roof. The clock does work, apparently, when someone winds it up....whether it chimes, I don't know.
https://imgur.com/L4NNcnh

[naomi24]

Indeed. :o)

[DTCwordfan]

No draughtsman here, perhaps a repressed architect if I had another go around but then I would have loved to get involved in art forensics, the sort of thing that you see on Fake and Fortune.

It's a great likeness and her eyes are rather Kitchener-ish as they follow you around when you see the original - my middle sister doesn't like it because of that as she finds it eerie - or to close to reality!

I can understand, naomi - on the other hand, I'm 'semi-pro' and the private commissions can command a good price, the most lucrative though being the church-marriage market with the stationery, from the invites, to the 'race-card' (order of service) and even leaving a miniature of the church on the back of the t-y cards, a photo of the 'happy couple' on the inside....I joke that it all pays for my wine.

More seriously, the virus has cost me, as I was on the cusp of a deal with quite a large chain of hotels down here, family run, for cards/ prints/postcards for their sites....am now using the latest two to add to my portfolio to target the private commissions markets locally - and there are some pretty expensive houses within a 7 mile radius of where I am.

[eleanor2]

How frustrating! May be it will all come good ... when things loosen up again.

[Patsy33]

Wow! That's excellent!
I love your sister's painting, too. Obviously have the talented gene!

[DTCwordfan]

thanls Patsy - I hope the good times come back, elena....

[tonyav]

Great drawing, DT. Very spooky looking place though.
I like your sisters work to.

[Buenchico]

Do you actually work on grey paper, DTC, or do you just have your pictures poorly lit when you photograph them?

NB: I'm most definitely NOT seeking to criticise your fantastic artwork in any way, it's just that your pictures often look very dark to me (and probably to others too) and I'd like everyone to be able to see them at their very best. (e.g. a few seconds tweaking your picture in an image editor produces this version of your lovely picture: http://www.upl.co/uploads/Clocktower1587847274.jpg ).

I REPEAT that I'm most definitely not seeking to criticise your work in any way! It just seems a shame that, after so much effort, I don't think that we get to see it at its very best on here.

[NickorWan]

Very impressive, clearly a talented family.

[pastafreak]

I think what I like about your work is that it's reminiscent of old etchings.

[DTCwordfan]

thanks Chris - nope, the paper is a light cream 680g weight, so heavy weight-wise but not in colour...I'm just taking the pics on an old Samsung camera - for the more professional ones, I wait until my printer sends a file through - all 'surgically' treated - for example, like this one (been on before)... https://imgur.com/uBCKoF9

[DTCwordfan]

thanks all, though....

[Buenchico]

Yup! That looks a lot better, DTC!

[DTCwordfan]

Chris, your treatment was just a little too strong, some of the detail has been lost, particularly on the old house behind - it's a balancing exercise, I know.....thanks....

[Buenchico]

Yes, agreed. It was just a 5-second tweak with Irfanview. I could have done it far better with Photoshop or Gimp if I'd played about a bit more.

[DTCwordfan]

I'm sure.....this sort of refinement is beyond my technical knowledge! I leave it to my printer, the technique for repro used being 'Giclier' and it's unbelievable that one can go from Super A3, as the originals are sized, down to even a business card and still maintain the essence of the drawing - with a laser, a lot of it would be completely washed out, even at an A4 size....

[Zacs-Master]

Better shadows, DT. Be bold!

[DTCwordfan]

Not sure if that is a compliment or a suggestion - a friend (not knowledgable) has commented that it has come alive these past few days but that is always the case as things come towards completion....

[DTCwordfan]

time for the sack, so Night all and thank you for your comments

[Theland]

DTC - brilliant.
I would love to see other talented or even enthusiastic artists post their work on here.
I'm sure it would be very popular, and I for one would appreciate it.

[Zacs-Master]

It’s a compliment but it recognises the same problem I have which is, lack of boldness. Get the 6B pencil out ;-)