Sophie Ploeg

My workshops are filling up but if you are interested in joining me for a day of drawing portraits do have a look on my Workshop page on my website  where you can also sign up. On the 22 January I will dive into the nitty gritty of how to draw a face, which can be so difficult sometimes. We will explore a few techniques and just dive in with some basic drawing materials. We will try and think about proportion, shading, mark making, line and shapes, values and much more. Drawing portraits is the underlying basis for all portrait painting, whether you prefer oils, pastels or watercolour and so it will help in whichever medium you prefer to work. On 29 January we will attack colour! Pastels are a great medium if you like to work with colour as it is direct and instant. It will not change over time and you do not need to wait for it to dry. You can mix, blend, layer and scumble just like with any other paint medium. We will touch upon a few portrait drawing topics but go less deep ...

I have taken a big step and decided to offer workshops. This has been playing on my mind for many months and I have finally taken the decision to go for it. I hope you can join me or spread the word. Feel free to ask any and all questions. For now I am planning on two workshops: Portrait Drawing I will offer a one day, intensive portrait drawing workshop where I will delve into how to draw a face, what to look out for, what helpful methods to use and show you how to work with shape, proportion, values, lines, shading and mark making. We will work from photos. Materials are simple so as not to distract from the task of getting a face onto the paper. We will work mainly with graphite pencils and paper but pens, charcoal pencils and pastel pencils are welcome too. All materials will be included, and tea or coffee provided. 22 January 2015 10am - 4pm £65 pp. Pastel Portraits The second workshop I will offer is Portraits in Pastel - a comprehensive and fully packed day of learnin...

Just a few older portrait details I shared on my Facebook page.... A detail from a commissioned portrait (2012) A detail from ‘The Pearl Necklace’, oil. BP Portrait Award 2014 Still on at Sunderland Museum until 16 November Opens at the Scottisch National Portrait Gallery on 29 November 2014. A detail from a recent commissioned portrait (2014). oil.

This is a commissioned portrait I recently finished. Oil on linen, 30x40cm/16x12” I felt very honoured that this painting was selected for the Royal Society of Portrait Painters annual exhibition in London in 2015. Please see this blog post for some info and pictures of that show.  

Inside Oil on linen 25x30cm Part of The Lace Trail (BP Travel Award) not exhibited at the National Portrait Gallery but it will be when the exhibition goes on tour to bigger venues in Edinburgh and Sunderland. For an organised list of ALL blog posts that I wrote during the BP Travel Award project (2 years), please  see this page on my blog!

This is the last painting in the series ‘The Four Ages of Woman’ which shows a woman in four stages of her life, each painted as they are, as truthfully and honestly as I could. Each are wearing an authentic piece of early 17th century lace, shaped in a collar often seen in early 17th century fashion. The lace and the modern women are connected in these paintings. The Pearl Necklace, oil on linen, 50x60cm The Pearl Necklace, oil, 50x60cm. Detail Italian Bobbin lace, around 1620. Used for ‘The Pearl Necklace’ painting I carefully and loosely attached the lace to a simply-made collar. The lace was so delicate I had to be extra careful and after the photo shoot remove the lace and put it away in its storage box, only taking it out once in a while when I was painting. The lace is a bobbin lace, often seen in Dutch and English portraits in the early 17th century and imitates (more expensive) needle lace. It is very fine and ‘spidery’ in character and has a beautiful golden ...

Repeating Patterns, oil on linen, 50x60cm The 3d painting in the series ‘The Four Ages of Woman’ is titled ‘Repeating Patterns'. The model, an artist friend, is wearing a ruff made from 17th century needle lace- inspired by many ruffs seen in 17th century portraits, like in Larkin’s portrait of Anne Clifford at the Portrait Gallery in London. My model is wearing what she wanted to wear and I painted her as honest and truthfully as I could, only adding the lace collar. On show at the BP Portrait Award 2014 , London, until 21 September 2014 A detail of her collar A detail Sophie working on the collar For an organised list of ALL blog posts that I wrote during the BP Travel Award project (2 years), please  see this page on my blog!

The Handkerchief Girl, oil on linen, 30x36” William Larkin, portrait of Lady Anne Cecil, 1614-18. ©English Heritage In early 17th century portraits we often see young women holding the fashion accessory of the day, a handkerchief. Especially the paintings by William Larkin (1580s-1619) show an abundance of hank ies. Larkin was only known as ‘The Curtain Master’ before more was found out about him. It was clear he was a master in painting fabrics. Inspired, I included typical elements from his paintings in my work: curtains, hankies and big dresses. The 21st century girl in the dress is young, looks slightly bored and reluctant. Her character does not match her glamorous outfit. She is the reluctant cover girl who is looking for her own identity. more info:  http://www.sophieploeg.com/the-handkerchief-girl.html For an organised list of ALL blog posts that I wrote during the BP Travel Award project (2 years), please  see this page on my blog!

The Four Ages of Woman. The Lacemaker, oil on linen, 50x60cm. Created for the BP Travel Award and exhibited within the BP Portrait Award 2014 until 21 September 2014. This painting was inspired by Johannes Verspronck’s ‘Girl in Blue’ at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. In this painting the anonymous girl wears a lace edged kerchief (shawl). I have created a similar shawl, edged with original lace from the mid -17th century. My model, however, is completely modern; I painted her just as she was, in her favourite top. I titled it ‘The Lace Maker’ as in the early 17th century girls as young as 5 started learning the craft of lace making and by the time they were as old as my model they would have been accomplished lace makers. The scalloped mid-17th century Flemish lace used for this painting For an organised list of ALL blog posts that I wrote during the BP Travel Award project (2 years), please  see this page on my blog! More Blog Posts about Verspronck: Verspronck’...

A drawing I recently did Charcoal on paper, 53x34cm reserved.

Portrait of my son in the style of Robert Peake the Elder (Study) Oil, 20x30cm

Just a small one, but I hope you like it. 20x30cm / 8x12" Oil on linen on board

Another self portrait.... Self Portrait Looking Down oil on panel, 18x24cm There's a lot of 'me' in the studio. A big ego trip? Time to go back to painting lace! On my facebook friends page I am posting the progress of my largest work ever, in the main header image. You don't need to be my friend to see it, but in case you want to follow.... Have a look here . Every time I work on it I will update this image (which is just a detail of the larger painting). This is the latest instalment, painted yesterday.

Here's my latest. Another self portrait. It is really interesting to do self portraits. Initially it is awkward; feelings of vanity, embarrassment etc get into the mix. Its weird staring at yourself and it is easy to see all the beauty flaws. But after a while you put that to one side. I mean, it's not like I didn't know what I look like before, is it?! So when I am painting 'me' I don't have to worry so much about getting the likeness, because I know my own face. I get a likeness much quicker, its not even something I need to strive for or think about. That means I can focus much, much more on expressions, colours, compositions and just have a play. That's why I haven't been painting one self portrait but I am still working on them. I'm just not very good at coming up with titles.... Here is a pic of one side of my studio. As you can see its a right mess as I am doing too many things at the same time! Painting frames, working on self portra...

New Work Self Portrait with Lace Collar oil on panel, 9x11" / 24x30cm

The Queen framed in a grey/cream painted frame.

Graphite on paper, 30x40cm

Queen Beatrix of The Netherlands will turn 75 in January and to celebrate there is an open competition to create an image of the queen for an exhibition at the royal palace. I thought it would be fun to join in, paint the queen and hopefully one day exhibit something in my home country. Fingers crossed. Here's my painting: HM Queen Beatrix, oil on panel, 24x30cm

After many months of work I can finally announce the birth of my latest commissioned portrait! ;) As you can see and I'm sure imagine I was delighted to be asked to paint three beautiful red heads. What more could I ever ask for? I could paint them forever. With permission from the client, please enjoy and let me know what you think.  oil on canvas, 70x50cm / 28x20"

The Holburne Museum in Bath The last week of the Holburne Prize Exhibition is on so don't miss it! There are some real great works of art, some big names and a lovely café to finish off your day. I feel honoured my painting is amongst such great works in such an aboslutely stunning location. http://www.holburne.org Me and my lovely model at the Holburne Museum