Savory Chef

9x7 watercolor and ink line using STA Lictin 0.3 pen done last month, another in my comical chef series. This is on Masters Touch 80 lb sketchbook paper. The chef image will be used for United Way's Empty Bowl event coming up next week. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

InkTober2020 Chef in India ink and gouache

11x8.5 India ink applied with a wooden chopstick to Crescent sketchbook, then gouache added yesterday. The prompt word "chef" was an InkTober challenge last week for this imaginary fellow. COPYRIGHT 2020 Kay Smith

Handsome Chef

8.5x5.5 watercolor and ink line on paper done last week.  The real chef I sketched this from was much more rotund so I have skinnied him up quite a bit.
COPYRIGHT 2019 Kay Smith

Kitchen Chefs

11x16 watercolor and India ink line on 300 lb Saunders Waterford paper, an imaginary kitchen scene of three chefs hard at work.
COPYRIGHT 2019 Kay Smith

Wino Chef

9x12 mixed media collage on Canson XL watercolor paper done this afternoon.  Sketched with Micron 05 pen on a backing sheet for smaller works, the face and scarf was what I concentrated on, as the figurine I used to photograph him had him on a little bicycle.  It was one of the refs I put in WetCanvas weekend drawing event currently in progress.  I first painted him in watercolor, then used a black and white Montana acrylic marker, then white acrylic on his chef jacket.  Collage is bar and restaurant ad texts adhered with Liquitex matte medium.
Image COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith.  Cost:  $125 + sh.  Email 1971ks@att.net to purchase via PayPal.

Top Chef ~ day 21 of 30 paintings in 30 days challenge

15.5x11.5 mixed media on matboard done today for the 21st day of Leslie Saeta's 30 day challenge she hosts on her blog twice yearly. This one I cropped from a larger figurine photo (courtesy Li Newton/WetCanvas).  First I stenciled large numbers in white acrylic, let dry, then added watercolor and gouache. India ink added for linework at random then letter stamped ink 'top chef' on middle right.  White acrylic on a pencil head made the circles on his neck scarf.  See how many numbers you can find within this composition.
Image COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith.

Blackhat Chef

5.5x8.5 watercolor and ink (Micron 01 pen) on Masters sketchbook drawn over the weekend then color added today.  This ref, courtesy Jess/WetCanvas, was one of the 16 featured on the current weekend drawing event on that site.  The photo had another chef with this guy so he was omitted to focus on this happy fellow.  Background color was a mix of palette mud neutral tones.
Image COPYRIGHT 2016 Kay Smith.

Dessert Chef

22x15 watercolor on 140 lb cold press Arches, another chef painting from a 3D figurine that isn't real but I tried to make him realistic.
I used the back of a failed painting of a window with flowers.
Image COPYRIGHT 2016 Kay Smith.

Beverage Chef

11x15 mixed media on Canson 140 lb paper done today.  First I sketched him with multileaded colored pencil, then watercolor, and finally India ink when dry.  It is from a photo I took in Arizona of a chef figurine in a hotel breakfast buffet area.  Years ago I stayed at the same hotel and took photos of the little fat guy and painted a larger watercolor.
Image is COPYRIGHT 2015 Kay Smith.

Condo Kitchen Sketch

8.5x5.5 watercolor and ink sketch of our mountain condo kitchen, done two weeks ago, one of our last Sketchbook Skool assignments.  In the lesson, we were instructed by Tommy Kane to sit and sketch in ink our kitchen, ignoring perspective, and adding as much detail as possible.  So please excuse the wonky stove range top! On the wall is a very long chef painting on tar paper done by Leada Wood. In the corner is red, black and white chef ceramic pitcher given to me by Barb Miller.  A reflection of the painting can be seen in microwave window, chef spoon rest is on range, red handled knives sit in knife block and you can see the dark plank flooring just installed.  Quartz counter tops are black, white with gold flecks.  Hanging on the oven door rack is a chef themed kitchen towel.  This was all the detail I could get as I was backed up to the sink in the narrow kitchen.  I love the warm golden apricot painted walls.
Image is COPYRIGHT 2014 Kay Smith.

Skillet Chef

15x11 watercolor on Canson 140 lb cold press paper drawn yesterday then finished today.  Inspired by a little figurine chef, I quickly sketched his profile in pencil then put in colors mixing black (quinacridone burnt orange + ultramarine blue).  His red scarf is Grumbacher True Red, alizarin, transparent pyrrol orange and Halloween orange.  This comical guy is another in my chef series spanning many years; each one is more fun than the last.
Image is COPYRIGHT 2014 Kay Smith.

Main Chef

11x11 watercolor of a chef smiling I drew from life from a small kitchen figure.  Painted in a direct manner this fellow will cheer up anyone.
Image is COPYRIGHT 2014 Kay Smith.

Main Chef

11x11 watercolor, drawn and painted from a small kitchen figurine of my collection.
Image is COPYRIGHT 2014 Kay Smith.

Chef Happy

11x11 watercolor on 140 lb Canson cold press paper done last week.  Drawn from a chef kitchen figurine this comical happy fellow is just waiting to cook something special!
Image is COPYRIGHT 2014 Kay Smith.

Chef Italia

6x6 watercolor over ink line drawing with Micron 01 pen done recently for my chef series art.  Image is
COPYRIGHT 2013 Kay Smith.

Blue-eyed Chef

6x6 watercolor over ink line drawing on Masters paper done a few days ago.  I used one of my chefs collection figures to do the face which looks nothing like the little model.  Daniel Smith paints used.
Image is COPYRIGHT 2013 Kay Smith.

Chefs' Surprise

10.75x16 watercolor over India ink drawing of a busy kitchen, done yesterday during the weekend drawing event on WetCanvas. This was drawn with no pencil, ink only, and painted under 2 hours.  Ref courtesy Gail Bowers.
Image is COPYRIGHT 2013 Kay Smith.

Chef with Rainbow Trout

22x15 watercolor on Saunders 300 lb paper/Daniel Smith paints, done today as my 2 hour painting exercise.  I drew him with Pigma Micron 01 pen onto the heavy paper.  A large plate with fish was drawn to the left, ignoring perspective.  The initial sketch is below from which I drew this one.  First sketches are always the best and freshest, so unless you trace it, it won't look the same.

Ink sketch with Pitt grey pen, drawing the chef from life using one of my figurines from a cute chef collection.  This looks nothing like the figurine!

Daily Special chef

22x15 watercolor on Fabriano 140 lb hot press paper, drawn from a tiny figurine from my chef collection.  This image was used by the local United Way campaign a few years ago and is one of my favorites.

Menu Man Chef

15x22 watercolor on Fabriano 140 lb hot press paper painted as a demo yesterday in Odessa, TX.  I had only 1 hour to paint this happy menu man and only a few finishing touches were needed.  While working in Albuquerque this tall ceramic statue was greeting customers at a family Mexican cafe so I took photos, then skewed one of them in PhotoShop to use.  He was advertising also for Santa Fe Brewing Company.