Workshop Piece
August 21st, 2011 § 2 Comments
I took another workshop with Michael Grimaldi at BACAA this month. As usual, the experience was extremely enlightening in pretty much every artistic way. Structure, perspective, anatomy, light – natural light situations. Here is the drawing I created during the session.
I had such a great experience that I am signing up to go back and take Dan Thompson’s workshop at BACAA in October.
Portrait of Adara
August 15th, 2011 § 4 Comments
I have wanted to paint another portrait of Adara for years – ever since painting this first version when she was about 10 years old.
You may notice a serious expression on her face. This is due to her EXTREME displeasure at having to sit still for 20 minutes at a time. After this first painting several years ago, she has artfully avoided the experience – until now. A well placed bribe along with a couple of threats have coerced her back into the studio.
She tried a few positions and finally settled on this one you see in the photo below. I told her she could sit anyway she wanted (except lying down asleep in bed, which was her first choice) and she settled on the pose you see in the photo below.
I tried a couple of sketches.
I like this one below very well.
I still need to work out a composition, but I”m looking forward to our next session. And before you think I’m a terrible mother, after the initial irritation and resistance, Adara seemed actually to enjoy herself – a little.
(By the way – I apologize to those who get this post in their inbox – I inadvertently published it before it was ready. I have a new smartphone and I can barely work it.)
Ink Wash Exercises
May 28th, 2011 § 2 Comments
If you want to go to an evening Life Drawing Session in Ashland, Oregon you have two choices: My group at Second Floor Studios or Steve LaRose’s group at Tease. The spring weather fronts seem to have been blowing in a desire to switch things up and try sketching with ink wash, because in the last couple of weeks both Steve and I coincidentally have switched to that medium. Check out his blog to see his results – which look pretty cool. Personally, I was inspired by a Tiepolo sketch I saw at the Portland Art Museum recently. And how humbling indeed when I got home and gave it a go. But it must be good for my little brain to think in another way.
There’s a ton of potential with this medium – working with a wide value range is pretty powerful and I like the loosey flowy fresh jazz you get. With ink wash too you cannot go back very well – I can blot a little I guess, but it really forces you to keep it fresh and intentional. I’m planning to stick with it for a while – at least until I blow through all my watercolor paper. Hopefully I will get a little closer to the results I’d like to see. I’d like it to be fresh and gestural, yet precise and solid.
Favorite New Sketch
May 2nd, 2011 § Leave a Comment
