Handsome devil

The Earl - wip

Face number 20 for the 29 Faces. Another one of the Earl from the western I'm writing, this time being the actual age he is in the story. Quite a rough wip tonight, but I gotta get up early, so that's all for now.

Earl-y days

Young Earl - wip

Face number 19. Another wip, this time of the Earl... a lovely fella from the Western I'm writing... who is absolutely, one hundred percent based on Tom Petty :-)

Blondie

The Earl

Face number 4 for the 29 faces. Another character from my Western - the Earl as a young man. Based on Tom Petty :-) Not finished yet... but I'm tired and must sleep now.

Earl in a blanket

Thomas Earl

Spent a bit of time today finishing face number 22 of the earl. I decided to remove his shirt, and then wished I hadn't because I just don't understand nipples.
For some reason the look on his face makes me think of the chorus line from the Al Green song 'Here I am' - 'Here I am, babe, come and take me.'
Somebody open the window and let some air in ;-)

Back in blue...

Thomas Earl - wip

So... all has been quiet this week on the painting front. Reason being I spent the week abroad, visiting animation studio Fabrique D'Images in Luxembourg. It was a fantastic trip. I could have easily stayed longer :-) Only downside... no painting. But now I'm back... so... onwards with the 29 faces. Work in progress of face number 22. Once again I was drawn to the lovely and adorable Thomas Earl.

Facing up to the 29 faces

Thomas Earl

Well, February may be over, and with that the 29 faces challenge. Due to a late start and a keeled over computer in the middle I have fallen somewhat behind and so far only managed 15 on the 29 faces... So, I'm going to keep going! I will make 29 faces! Oh yes, it shall be so.
Here's face number 15, finally finished. The pout-tastic Thomas Earl.
If anyone has any suggestions for the last 14 faces, do let me know.

A pout to die for...

Thomas Earl - wip

Tonight's face of the golden haired Thomas Earl is a wip. I went on a lovely day trip to Oxford today which was awesome! I'd never been before, but have wanted to go since I watched 'Lewis'. I was running around Oxford and the Ashmolean grinning gleefully, pointing out all the places I'd seen on telly to my silently suffering colleague. The result of my lovely day out was that I am now completely knackered, and I'm going to have to leave this one for tonight, 'cause I'm falling asleep here. Until tomorrow!

Unbuttoned Earl

The Earl

Took some time to finish this one of the Earl today. He did start out in a suit originally, but he decided to take if off half way through the proceedings. Actually, as I was painting, I was mulling over a scene in my western where the Earl is getting dressed, so it kinda turned into that.
The reason for his slightly melancholy facial expression is due to the love of his life having once again declined his marriage proposal. He has been asking her for years and she keeps saying no. Not because she doesn't love him, but because her outspoken nature and tomboy appearance is somewhat at odds with the Earl's ambition to become governor and she has no intention of changing her ways for any man. To further add to the Earl's heartache, the girl has recently taken a very keen interest in a wounded marshal whom she patched up after a shooting incident. Sometimes the Earl wonders why life seems to hate him... makes me feel kinda guilty ;-)

Commencing Christmas

The Earl - in progress

My Christmas break officially started today, so I made an extra effort to paint something. So I played around with the Earl for a bit. Still feeling awkward though. Work in progress.

The long dark teatime of the soul...

... to quote the wonderful and very much missed Douglas Adams.
Since my painting of the lovely Sean's wrinkles a creative drought has come over me. Don't get me wrong, I have attempted about ten new paintings over the last week and a half. And I have discarded every one of them. They just didn't 'feel' right. I have no idea what has happened... but it's tremendously frustrating. I wait all day to get home from work so I can paint - when I'm not going singing of course - and then... nothing! I paint into the night, then look at it and go 'meh' and then delete it all again.
So for lack of anything else... here's a sketch of the Earl. This time portrayed at more the age that he has in my western.
If you see my creativity lying around somewhere, give me a shout... Haven't got a clue where I've left it.

The Earl - sketch

Don't come around here no more...

Thomas Earl

So... as mentioned earlier, there was a reason I chose to backtrack a bit and paint the Earl in his late teens. The Earl's father was a really nasty piece of work, particularly when he'd been drinking. He never did like his oldest son much. Thought he was a girlie looking push-over, and so had a habit of regularly pushing him over... with his fists. Luckily he stepped out onto rail tracks in in a drunken stupor, right in front of a train. Nothing left but his shoes. 'All is well that ends well' as the Earl likes to point out.

I've wanted to practice bruises and such for a while so the Earl's troubled childhood seemed like a good place to start.
Here he is below, sans injuries. See, it's all just done with a Wacom pen;-)

Thomas Earl

Even Earl-ier...

So somehow I seem to have been dragged towards the Earl's teenage years rather than towards the area of mid-life crisis which is the age he is actually meant to have... Did they actually have that back in the old west? Did men start buying swanky stage coaches and ride around with young ladies in them? At any rate, if the Earl did have one, I'm sure he'd just buy lots of silk ties and fancy hats.
There's a reason for this Earl-y portrait though... which will become clear later.
Work in progress... enjoy:-)

Brilliant Blue...

The Earl

Another wip of the Earl. This time looking rather youthful... and wearing one of his trademark top hats.
The Earl says 'There is always an occasion to wear a silk shirt.'
He also says 'Go to bed darlin', it's almost three in the bloody mornin'.'
And who am I to argue with the Earl.
Hope you like him.

The Earl

The Earl

I've got an ear ache again... I should have seen it coming since my ear started making peculiar noises a few days ago... I am not amused.
So, since I couldn't sleep for it.. and I tend to burn the midnight oil anyway... I decided to do a bit of character exploring for my Western.
At the other end of the spectrum of my dusty, squinty lawman we have 'The Earl'. Entrepreneur, banjo player, one with the ladies and owner of the local shopping emporium in which you can buy almost anything. This is one of the few occasions where he is not wearing one of his many top hats. He usually dons a top hat at any occasion since he feels it gives him the distinguished appearance of a Victorian gentleman... also, it hides the fact that his hair is starting to thin at the top. I've always seen him looking akin to an older Tom Petty.
Ever keen to be the trendsetter the Earl is always ready with a spot of good fashion advice... The Earl says: This season the 'in' colours to go for are teal and turquoise, and don't forget to accessorise with a matching bolo tie... you'll find all the latest styles at 'The Earl's Shopping Emporium';-)
Hand drawn sketch, painted in PS... Work in progress.
Enjoy and good night.