A Day Not Wasted » Monthly Challenges

May 2012 Painting Challenge

Lee — Sun, 13 May 2012 17:53:53 +0000

May 2012 Challenge Photo

OK folks, I am off to San Francisco tomorrow and will end up in Yosemite National Park at the end of the week for some fun and relaxation with Donna. In honor of the trip, I thought I would post my very own picture of the famous painted ladies of San Francisco from Alamo Square Park. I took this photograph last month while in the city on business. It was about a three mile walk from my hotel and worth every step. The park was full of people gawking at the painted ladies and folks letting their dogs run amid the amazing views that only San Francisco can offer. I have given you a lot to work with in this photo. Take as little or as much as you like, but most of all…have fun! Please submit your work for posting in the galleries through the end of the first week of June. Thanks as always for participating. I love seeing your work and enjoy the artist and human connection on the blog!

Please use the form below to submit your painting. Your picture should be a high-quality jpg image that is at least 480 pixels along its longest dimension at 72 pixels per inch.

DOWNLOAD the Original Challenge Photos (2,000 pix for your painting pleasure)

Thanks as always for participating!
Lee

Click here to see the gallery of submissions for this month

Copyright notice: This photo may be used to create derivative works in the form of drawings or paintings. The photo may not be used in any other commercial or non-commercial form without permission.

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April 2012 Painting Challenge

Lee — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 20:11:36 +0000

April Painting Challenge Photo

Wowzer! It’s been a while. So sorry for being so late in getting this up this month. Since I am late, feel free to take until the end of the first week of May on this challenge. Truth is, I have been really busy lately and, well frankly, feeling a little uninspired. Enough of that I say! I am getting really excited for some trips this summer including a visit to Yosemite, New York, Rocky Mountain National Park and Ireland, which will give me a ton of new photos for the challenges.

I have been contemplating putting this photo up for the challenge for a while. This photo was taken in a square in Florence, Italy a couple of years ago. I think it provides an opportunity to test drawing skills and your ability to render a pretty well defined 3D form.

Please use the form below to submit your painting. Your picture should be a high-quality jpg image that is at least 480 pixels along its longest dimension at 72 pixels per inch.

DOWNLOAD the Original Challenge Photos (2,000 pix for your painting pleasure)

Thanks as always for participating!
Lee

Click here to see the gallery of submissions for this month

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March 2012 Painting Challenge

Lee — Sun, 04 Mar 2012 16:21:00 +0000

March Painting Challenge Photo

Simplified March Painting Challenge Photo

Let’s try something different for March. I am giving you two photos work work from. One is an original photo and the other has been digitally simplified to give you some ideas about how to simplify the subject matter. I sometimes use this method to help me sort through the clutter. Look at the trees for instance. I think the simplified version provides a reasonably accurate method of simplifying them. My personal preference for this painting would be to apply detail around the boat house and render the remaining portions in a more abstract way. That’s just me though. I really look forward to seeing how you handle this challenge for yourself!

This beautiful scene is located in France’s Loire Valley in the village just outside the Chateau of Azay Le Rideau.

Please use the form below to submit your painting. Your picture should be a high-quality jpg image that is at least 480 pixels along its longest dimension at 72 pixels per inch.

Please tweet or post to Facebook using the buttons at the top if you like this challenge. It would be awesome to get more folks in the gallery!

DOWNLOAD the Original Challenge Photos (2,000 pix for your painting pleasure)
DOWNLOAD the Simplified Challenge Photos (2,000 pix for your painting pleasure)

Thanks as always for participating,
Lee

Click here to see the gallery of submissions for this month

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February 2012 ADNW Painting Challenge

Lee — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 21:24:36 +0000

February 2012 Challenge Photo

For February’s challenge photo, I chose my favorite bridge of all time. Of course it’s the Ponte Vecchio in the beautiful city of Florence, Italy. I took this photo when Donna and I visited Italy in 2009. Florence was our first stop. We also visited Siena and San Gimignano in Tuscany, the Cinque Terre, Vicenza and Venice. Ahhh, I love Italy! You will have until February 28th to submit your work and, as always, I look forward to seeing your entries!

Please use the form below to submit your painting. Your picture should be a high-quality jpg image that is at least 480 pixels along its longest dimension at 72 pixels per inch.

DOWNLOAD the Challenge Photo (2,000 pix for your painting pleasure)

Let me know by comment if you need anything else! Thanks as always for participating.

Have fun,
Lee

Click here to see the gallery of submissions for this month

[contact-form-7]

January 2012 ADNW Painting Challenge

Lee — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 04:34:58 +0000

January 2012 Challenge Photo

Here he is, our Grand Central reader. I took this photo a year ago last November while visiting New York on business. I loved his gesture and thought at the time how he would make a good challenge photo. You will have until January 31st to submit your work and, as always, I look forward to seeing your entries!

Please use the form below to submit your painting. Your picture should be a high-quality jpg image that is at least 480 pixels along its longest dimension at 72 pixels per inch.

DOWNLOAD the Challenge Photo (2,000 pix for your painting pleasure)

Let me know by comment if you need anything else! Thanks as always for participating.

Have fun,
Lee

Click here to see the gallery of submissions for this month

[contact-form-7]

November 2011 ADNW Painting Challenge

Lee — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 19:16:20 +0000

November 2011 Challenge Photo

This one will be fun! This is a photo I took while visiting the beautiful Château d’Azay-le-Rideau in France. I am planning to enter a painting this month as well. My plan is to work on getting the draftsmanship right first. A bad drawing can ruin a perfectly good painting! Then it will just be a matter of filling the shapes with the correct amount of detail and values. Easier said than done. isn’t it? Keep in mind that, in the water, reflected darks get lighter, and reflected lights get darker. You can actually observe that in the photo if you look closely. You will have until December 15th to submit your pieces and I look forward to seeing your entries!

Please use the form below to submit your painting by December 15. Your picture should be a high-quality jpg image that is at least 480 pixels along its longest dimension at 72 pixels per inch.

DOWNLOAD the November Challenge Photo (1,500 pix for your painting pleasure)

Let me know by comment if you need anything else! Thanks as always for participating.

Have fun,
Lee

Click here to see the gallery of submissions for this month

[contact-form-7]

October 2011 ADNW Painting Challenge

Lee — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 16:32:07 +0000

The October 2011 Challenge Photo

Since everyone liked the challenge from France last month, I have decided to offer another of my favorites from our time on the Île Saint-Louis in Paris. You will have until November 15th to submit your pieces. This month’s challenge is of an accordion street performer that I saw while doing some street photography near Notre Dame. His unique and classic look combined with the beautiful instrument and pronounced sunlight caught my attention. The music, of course, helped inspire the photo as well!.

Please use the form below to submit your painting by November 15. Your picture should be a high-quality jpg image that is at least 480 pixels along its longest dimension at 72 pixels per inch.

DOWNLOAD the October Challenge Photo (2,000 pix for your painting pleasure)

Let me know by comment if you need anything else! Thanks as always for participating.

Have fun,
Lee

Click here to see the gallery of submissions for this month

[contact-form-7]

September 2011 ADNW Painting Challenge

Lee — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 22:03:33 +0000

September 2011 Challenge Photo

Having just got back from France, I am going to start the challenge mid-month! To be fair, you will have until October 15th to submit your pieces. This month’s challenge is of a waitress in Paris. The profile of her face against the dark drape and light on her apron caught my attention as Donna and I were having a wonderful warm goat cheese salad for lunch. I plan to do a graphite of her for the challenge and am really excited to see how you approach this subject.

Please use the form below to submit your painting by October 15. Your picture should be a high-quality jpg image that is at least 480 pixels along its longest dimension at 72 pixels per inch.

DOWNLOAD the September Challenge Photo (2,000 pix for your painting pleasure)

Let me know by comment if you need anything else! Thanks as always for participating.

Have fun,
Lee

Click here to see the gallery of submissions for this month

[contact-form-7]

July 2011 ADNW Painting Challenge

Lee — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 03:42:36 +0000

July 2011 Challenge Photo

I am amazingly late this month. I’ve got the workin’ too much blues! I love this train. It runs up and down the tracks along the mountains near my home everyday. Last winter, my son and I went out for a quick photo fix and we decided to wait for the train to go by. This is filled with simple geometric shapes but is full of detail that needs to be edited out. How will you do it? I can’t wait to see!

Please use the form below to submit your painting by the last day of July. Your picture should be a high-quality jpg image that is at least 480 pixels along its longest dimension at 72 pixels per inch.

DOWNLOAD the July Challenge Photo (2,000 pix for your painting pleasure)

Let me know by comment if you need anything else! Thanks as always for participating.

Have fun,
Lee

Click here to see the gallery of submissions for this month

[contact-form-7]

June 2011 ADNW Painting Challenge

Lee — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 04:05:28 +0000

June Challenge Photo - OK to paint or draw but not for use in original form.

I love this picture! I am early because this month because I have wedding duty starting tomorrow and I was really excited to give you this photo to work on. I have left this one wide open for you by providing a big view for you to compose from. Ahhhh, the greens and purples and a lovely old structure decaying to perfection. I hope you like this month’s challenge and am really looking forward to what you will do with it! Please send in your work!

Please use the form below to submit your painting by the last day of June. Your picture should be a high-quality jpg image that is at least 480 pixels along its longest dimension at 72 pixels per inch.

DOWNLOAD June Challenge Photo (2000 pix for your painting pleasure)

Let me know by comment if you need anything else! Thanks as always for participating.

Have fun,
Lee

Click here to see the submissions gallery

[contact-form-7]