Peonies in the Shadows
December 4, 2015 § 1 Comment
Borrowing From Others or Imitation is the Best Form of Flattery
November 18, 2015 § Leave a comment
This is an oil completed many years ago while in my early learning stages of painting and drawing. Yet, are we ever done learning? Part of my self instruction in the beginning was to copy and this was taken from a published photograph. Therefore, I was never able to use this for exhibition or for sale. I learned a lot by examining the work of others. The goal at the time was to try and capture the tender portrayal by the photographer of a grandmother and small girl. I was taken by the dramatic light play across the subjects coming from one source, the window; and the added contrast of the darkened room. While I appreciated the work of the photographer, I began to add touches of my own personality.
The Importance of Contour Drawing
June 3, 2015 § Leave a comment
Here are a pair of contours or line drawings of the sculpture of Persephone. Contour drawing lies at the heart of my teaching of drawing. It allows you as the artist to envision your composition; thinking all the way out to the edges. It provides the sense of a light source giving your subjects form or a three dimensional nature, But most importantly, by drawing blind and not keeping one’s head buried in the paper and instead on the subject, it reveals your personality. The hand becomes a tool of the eye and the contour becomes truly unique to you!!
Garlic Still Life
April 8, 2015 § 2 Comments
I’m showing the informative nature of the contour as it provides the framework for the finished gradation of garlic and cloves. Notice how the contour allows you to reveal your thought process of compositional considerations, the light source, area of emphasis. Once you have determined those elements, you are free to keep your eye on the subject and allow your personality to flow out onto the page. At this point, I keep my eye on the subject, let my hand become an extension of the eye, and rarely look at the surface of the paper. The contour line moves from light to dark describing the three dimensional nature of the subject, the light source, and the storyline you have set forth. Notice how my contour is curvilinear in nature. Yours will be very different. You can find examples such as these in my book The Little Book of Drawing; a Friendly Approach. My teaching style is encouraging in nature and allows you to try different media, techniques, and to find your own personal style of story telling through drawing.
Falling Peonies in the Shadows
December 27, 2013 § Leave a comment
Watercolor as a Drawing Medium
November 25, 2013 § 1 Comment
Letting the Contour do the Work for You!!!
September 19, 2013 § Leave a comment
Here is the contour and finished gradation of a floral. Notice how the line drawing does most of the work for you. It reveals the light source, which comes from the right. It tells a story of flowers nestling into their stems as they bend and reach upward. The composition gives a great sense of rhythm and repetition and shows an area of focus which is the flower on the right. Most importantly, it lets your personality shine through. The gradation should not require as much effort as the preplanning, expression, and the hard work have already been done!