"The Monday Model" - original oil pastel drawing from life

 Once again, another happy drawing event for me - nothing like drawing from life! Great model with the very best poses - can't ask for anything more.  Her right leg was a little interesting to draw with all the foreshortening, but I think I did okay.  I love when artwork is left a little raw - and that's just mostly my way.  I always love seeing the hand of the artist.  One of my teachers said that she didn't always necessarily cover up a brushstroke that she later wanted to change because that way the viewer could see her original intent.  This 7 x 5" painting on Ampersand Pastelbord was done using a mix of Sennelier, Caran d'Ache and some Cray-Pas Specialists. Thanks for stopping by!

"Country Evening" - original oil figurative painting of two-step dancers, cowboy, rodeo dance

Another of my paintings, 7 x 5" on Ampersand Gessobord, from the dance after the rodeo with lots of soulful country music and two-steppers.  I paint these in kind of a hurry to give them a feel of movement (plus it keeps me from killing them with overworking).  At least I think so😌.  I was listening to Gene Watson as I painted this one - true country music is what he does - give him a listen and thanks so much for stopping by!
 

"Sketch of the Thursday Model" - original mixed media sketch of the model in Geisha costume

 

The model arrived with a beautiful kimono and it was really great to draw her as if she were an actual geisha.  Not enough time, of course, but I did scribble a lot of loose sketches and loved it.  This is one of them - on Strathmore toned paper - the heavy kind which I love dearly, using General's Primo charcoal HB pencil, Derwent Chinese white pencil and some touches of oil pastel. Thanks for stopping by!

"Lovin' the Two-Step" - original figurative oil painting of two-step dancers

Relying on the Junction, Texas rodeo dance every year gives me so many 'models' to paint from and there's no dance on Earth as sweet as the two step!  I did this one on 7 x 5" Ampersand Gessobord - just about my favorite surface.  Thanks so much for stopping by - and if you haven't already, learn how to do the two-step - you will love it!
 

A Few Quick Figurative Drawings from Life - pen and ink drawings

I love doing these kind of drawings - maybe a minute or two.  They're fun and helpful in quickly 'estimating' where the different body parts are in relation to each other - plus they can be entertaining to look at.  The pens used were by Derwent and Itoya - such different creatures from each other but both great to draw with. The paper I drew on is actually white, but my photography skills. . . oh well.  😕

Thanks for stopping by!

"The Wednesday Model" - original oil pastel figurative sketch

 For this drawing I used Pastelmat paper, and mostly Sennelier oil pastels, with some Caran d'Ache and a few CrayPas Specialists.  I just didn't have time to finish her body so gave her a black dress. This is really a value drawing with not so much attention paid to local color, plus no "correcting".  You can probably tell that😀. And in my typically disorganized way, I didn't have my box of mostly portrait oil pastel colors, so I had to work a little harder.  One of my instructors often had me do my figure drawings with hues that one would never ever use for paintings of humans, but it always worked.

And now a bit about oil pastels.  You always hear that they cannot be blended.  Well, that's where fingers come in.  At least my fingers do from time to time, but you can also use blending tools such as pastel blenders which I find very useful.  In addition, I use Eye Tees which are actually for applying eye makeup, but they are helpful for working in tight areas as well.  I would say, however, when using the lipstick-like Senneliers, it's best sometimes not to pass any kind of blenders over the area and just to let it dry - or as much as oil pastel dries. 

Here's an example of blending when I wanted a particular color that I didn't have.  It was for a dress that needed to be darker than the light greenish-blue on the left, and lighter than the dark blue on the right, so I worked this darker, cooler blue over the lighter one and then vice versa and got a close match for the dress color.  It mostly involved mooshing the sticks over each other on the support until I achieved the color I was looking for.  The lighter color peeks through in different places and I like that a lot.  I didn't blend with my finger or a blending tool because one was a juicy Sennelier and the other a Caran d'Ache which is a little bit drier.  The two brands work fine together, but I didn't want to disturb them while they were setting.  After a few weeks and the painting was dry to touch, I sprayed it with fixative and one pass of varnish.

Recently I read a recommendation to spray four applications of oil pastel fixative and then four applications of varnish.  May give that a try.  

 If y'all have suggestions about oil pastels, I am very interested! Please let me know how you're doing these things because I'm always looking for better ways to work with this medium.  Thanks so much for stopping by!

"Dancehall Evening" - original figurative oil painting of two-steppers

This 7 x 5" oil painting on Ampersand Gessobord was a delight to paint.  There's nothing sweeter than a two-step and I think it's great that dancehalls are still going.  

I've somehow ended up with a bunch of 5 x 7" and a number of 6 x 6" panels so I've tasked myself with painting lots of these dancers, plus some tangos.  I guess I got a good buy on them. "Sale" is one of my very favorite words, so Hackberry Street Studio will be sporting a lot of these paintings!

Thanks for stopping by my blog!

 

"Life Drawing Sketches" - original charcoal drawings from life

I used Strathmore Toned Blue Mixed Media paper and General's Primo Euro pencils for these sketches.  They're timed poses so it's that great training again where you don't have enough time to "finish".  Such fun and so challenging! Re General's Primo Euro pencils, I'm really worried they'll be discontinued.  They have a smoothness that glides across the support which makes them a dream to draw with.  If you haven't used these fabulous pencils before, give them a try!  Thanks for stopping by!

 

 

"A Little Ink Drama" - original ink drawings from life with a bit of white chalk

 Here are a few drawings from a life drawing group that had a great model.  All of her poses were so good and she could hold the long ones as well as the short ones, too. 

 The thing about drawing from life using ink is that it's a great drawing teacher - the marks are there to stay and we can learn what we did wrong - well maybe not wrong, just not what we intended.  While they can't be changed (although marks can be modified in interesting ways with non-waterproof ink) I always learn something from my ink drawings.  Mainly, though, I love ink drawings because they show what you're thinking - or how you react to the model - at the moment you put pen to paper.

I used Itoya calligraphy pens and Derwent Line Makers on Strathmore Mixed Media paper and added a little Derwent Chinese White drawing pencil on the front figure because I thought I got the shadow under her neck a little dark.  Did I cheat a teensy bit? Artistic License😉.  Thanks for stopping by! 

"More Country Music" - original oil pastel portrait

This 5 x 7" oil pastel is one of two of this "pose".  The other is an oil on stretched canvas that's still in progress.  I really do love country music and am painting some of the views I've had while at rodeo dances.  Matter of fact, I also love rodeos and this past summer got some good sketches while at the rodeo in Junction, Texas.  Most of the work I did was of barrel racers, but also got some bronc rider sketches, as well.

This drawing is really kind of left "raw" and not as finished as it could be.  This approach is what I love about oil pastels.  It's such an immediate type of media and I love capturing "moments" with it and just going with my reaction to the model (whether posed or not). And when I'm through drawing, I have a piece that's loose and not overworked.  Overworking is something I tend to do.

"Country Music 2" was done on Ampersand Pastelbord with mostly Sennelier oil pastels, plus a few Neopastels and CrayPas Specialists providing assistance here and there. 

 I'm experimenting with framing these small oil pastels painted on Pastelbord using Econospace plastic spacers and deep rabbet frames.  (That's "rabbet" not "rabbit", 😄which refers to the depth of the frame.)  Finding a deep enough rabbet is difficult unless resorting to frames for canvas works, so that's what I'm doing

If you've never used Econospace, it's easy to use and I really like it, especially for smaller paintings and drawings.  Click here  to visit FrameTek to see Econospace.  The company also produces Framespace, which I think is good for larger pieces.

And thanks for stopping by!

 

"Experiments in Drawing" - drawings from life and a color experiment

Here are a few things from yesterday's drawing attempts.  The one at the top with all the colors was one I did using a Caran d'Ache set of Oliver Jeffers colored pencils from Jerry's Artarama.  There are 10 pencils in the set and they aren't really colors that I would necessarily associate with a portrait, but I decided to try using different colors than usual.  I LOVE the colors and I had such a good time with them even though I might have gone a bit over the edge.  

The ink drawings are two-minute life drawings and I don't really know what I was trying to do in the one on the left, but I look at it and smile.  I guess I was using too much water with the ink - my pen was an Itoya Calligraphy Doubleheader.  They are just great.  Not made anymore, I fear, because I have not been able to find them anywhere but Amazon, and they don't have many left, so I laid in a supply!  

For the rest of the art day, I painted two 7 x 5" two-stepper pieces in oil and left them alone until tomorrow to see if I still love them.  I guess so much for my watercolor Wednesday, but it will return one Wednesday soon.

Thanks so much for stopping by my blog!

 

"A Quick Painting from a Life Sketch" - Life Sketch and Painting

 I did this quick little painting from the charcoal sketch of the model.  Initially I was going to do the whole thing which would include the chair the model was sitting in etc etc, but I ran out of interest and became involved in doing ink drawings of cowboys playing cards.  And possibly leading to trouble. 👀  

The painting is on 6 x 8" Canson mixed media paper.  Am anxious, though, to use my acrylics on Gessobord because I think I'll be more pleased with the brushstrokes.  This was interesting to do - next time I'll make color notes about skin, eye and hair color.  As always. so grateful to the models.   Thanks for stopping by my blog.

"Motherhood" - small acrylic portrait

Well, a couple of days late for my watercolor piece, but this is sort of watercolor since it's acrylic.  Excuses, excuses. 😏 I have a few really small 4 x 4" Ampersand Gessobords and used one for this painting.  Reminds me of many nights with my little ones when they just couldn't get to sleep.  It's tough to paint any detail - for me, at least - on such a small surface, but I see artists who seem to do this very easily.  I actually had a good time with it but won't attempt it again for a few weeks, I think.  I'll probably be doing more two steppers, since I have a number of requests for those pieces. Thank you for stopping by my blog - have a great Saturday!
 

"First Weekly Mostly Watercolor Wednesdays" - Figurative watercolors

Here are two fun things I did while trying to learn to do watercolor.  Since it's such a challenge for me, I've decided to dedicate each Wednesday to watercolor - or mostly watercolor, because there's ink and even a bit of colored pencil in a couple of places.  Gotta remember just to let watercolor sit there and dry - don't fiddle with it - maybe requiring a bit of a personality change?  I do like the dance couple, especially her "pose" as if thinking 'how did I get into this'.  Will try to replicate these figures in oil - always tough because it's easy to lose the original feel of the pose, but I like this little piece so much that I'll keep working on it. 

Have been looking at watercolor how-tos on Craftsy and info on watercolor - transparency, lightfastness, granulation, etc.  really an interesting

medium, but I doubt I'll ever master it - just improvement is all I'm really seeking and the pleasure of learning something new.  And thanks so much for stopping by!

 

"Sleep" - original oil pastel portrait

Models often go to sleep on the job.  Just imagine how boring modeling can be.  A bit surprising, though, when it happens during a short pose.  This model was wearing a hugely fluffy garment and maybe got a bit warm.  Anyway, she snoozed a little.  I totally don't mind if a model takes a little nap when posing - I might well do the same if I were the model and completely still for 20 minutes with really quiet surroundings. This piece is done on Strathmore mixed media paper that I painted over with gray acrylic, then used oil pastels for the drawing.  It's about 5 x 4".  Thanks for stopping by!
 

"Tie Down Roper" - ink and watercolor figurative sketch

 I did this one rather quickly on 6 x 8" Bristol board - not allowing myself to "finish" it.  My favorite way of working! The calf ropers keep the rope they use to tie the calf's legs - I think it might be called a hooey (but don't hold me to it) in their teeth.  It was sheer luck to get this view!  I'm such a rodeo fan but was never much of a horsewoman - I just admire the athleticism of the participants and the horses.  The rodeo in Kimble County, Texas, will be coming up next month - an event not to be missed!  Thanks for looking!

"Fooling Around with Radishes" - original acrylic, wax pastel, colored pencil, graphite and oil pastel panting

Some of my radishes from earlier in the summer made it as subjects for an 8 x 8" painting on Gessobord.  I thought they were pretty and just arranged them first this way and that.  I then drew them loosely with graphite, then painted with acrylic and topped the whole thing off with wax pastels, colored pencils, and oil pastels. The kitchen sink, you might say.  

This exercise in using mainly drawing tools convinced me that I'm basically a drawer - okay, draftsman, sketcher - not so much a painter - and am always trying to figure out ways to use oil paint in my drawings on board because they won't need to be framed under glass.  My latest idea is to cut oil sticks (not oil pastels, but actual oil sticks) into smaller pieces to make them easier to work with for drawings.  The main reason I seldom use oil sticks is their size.  Years ago, Winsor & Newton had 'slim' oil sticks, I think they were called, and they were great, but then they were discontinued, which was such a disappointment.  I find it really difficult to use these bigger sticks.  They're just too fat!  So now I'm going to try and draw with smaller pieces of this medium.  My oil stick 'collection' includes R&F, which is just wonderful,  Sennelier,  Winsor & Newton, and Shiva.  Surely I can find a way to make this plan of mine work!

Thanks for stopping by!

 

"Fiddling Around" - original oil pastel figurative drawing

I loved doing this very loose 7 x 5" oil pastel on Pastelbord - maybe because her activity (or lack thereof) is one of my favorites. 😊  This little piece is very raw - I didn't smooth anything and it's very much like the quickly done original pencil drawing I did while watching a girl at a table with her friends.  She was in her own world while the other girls chatted noisily.  I used lipsticky Sennelier oil pastels - what a joy they are to work with!  I guess I spent a teeny bit more time on her face and hair and allowed - particularly her left side - to just sort of 'happen'.  If you spend even a small amount of time on my blog, you know that's my favorite way to work.  Thanks so much for stopping by my studio!
 

"White Rose" - original miniature acrylic painting of a rose

I have tons of roses blooming in my backyard - I would love them in the front, too, but the deer would demolish them. 😕 So the backyard furnishes me with many subjects for painting.  This one is a Climbing Iceberg.  I'm trying to work with acrylic more often since it has a number of pluses - I love that it dries so quickly.  So maybe more acrylic paintings in my art future.  This piece was done on 4 x 4" Gessobord.  Thanks for stopping by my blog!
 

"Green Bikini" - mixed media figurative

I bought some cold press 8 x 8"watercolor paper at Hobby Lobby and was just trying it to see how it would work for oil pastel, but ended up doing mostly watercolor on it.  And you know, I'm no watercolorist!  I think it would be really good for tight watercolor work - meaning the watercolor didn't spread much - at least,  that's how I plan to use it.  (I don't really know watercolor terms, but it was easier to control on this paper.) I love Hobby Lobby and while I used to be able to find sheets of very "different" drawing papers, like one with inclusions or interesting surfaces, haven't found them lately.   Not everyone's cup of tea, I know, but I'm a paper addict.  You should see my studio.  Paper!  All kinds!  Everywhere!  I'm trying to organize, but what a task!  

I did this loose drawing with Derwent Line Maker 0.3.  This ink isn't water soluble, so I could do some  watercolor over it, and worked a tiny touch of oil pastel over the inside of her hair.  Worked well for OP by the way.  She actually began life as a nude, but I gave her a green bikini.  I love green - it may be my favorite color.  And I love Line Maker.

Alas, due to my not being much of a photographer, this piece looks warmer that it really is.😟

Thanks so much for stopping by - great to see y'all here! And I love your emails!💚

Which Pose to Choose?

I was trying to decide on a "pose" for a flamenco painting - so I went through a few of my drawings to find one I liked.  The first one I did from life and was quickly drawn - much lighter because I was using a smaller nib and I was scribbling furiously to capture the dancer's motion.

 But the second one below is one that I did while looking at the first drawing - because I didn't really like the position of the dancer's left arm in the first drawing.  My take is that the first one is much better and has more energy to it.  (All the lines on her arm help me when I'm dealing with foreshortening.). The second drawing seems so still by comparison.  I do like the lines on it, but I had more time to incorporate a variety of lines with that one.

So I guess this post is just about me telling myself once again that drawing from life is the absolute best way to record movement!  Will paint from the first one - maybe move her arm a little and paint quickly while I listen to music for flamenco dancing.

Yesterday afternoon was spent at South Llano State Park near Junction, Texas, drawing trees.  I thought I had done a pretty good job with a cedar stump and was going to post it today.  But no.  It looked so ridiculous.  However, I will get brave and post the next tree drawing - am lately interested in doing dry point etchings of trees.  Stay tuned.  Thanks for stopping by!

 

"Sketch of Marilee"

Here's a 7 x 5" Pastelbord sketch of the model Marilee that I did using Caran d'Ache pastel pencils.  I do love this medium  - the only problem for me with soft pastels is the framing.  And I really really love to work with the pencil version!  We didn't have as much time as I would have liked, but that's always my complaint and I think "not having enough time" pushes us to work faster, which is good practice.  Anyway, it was fun drawing her and I appreciate your stopping by my blog!
 

"Jacob" - portrait drawing from life

Nothing more interesting or challenging than drawing from life.  I've participated in life drawing groups  for many, many years and I never tire of them.  A lot of this piece was done using the side of my oil pastels which contributes to a looser drawing - and I'm so pleased with how this portrait turned out - my approach was to begin with shape and when nearly complete, I added a bit of line.  It was fun doing a drawing this way - maybe it's my new method.  Painted with Caran d'Ache and Sennelier oil pastels on 5 x 7" Pastelbord.  Thanks so much for stopping by!

"Flower Sketch" - original oil pastel drawing of a flower

 Trying to get sketches of the last flowers in the garden, I did a quick sketch of this one, a floribunda rose while I had some light.

Done on Bee 6 x 9" watercolor paper which I coated with gray acrylic paint then applied lots of Caran a'Ache and Sennelier oil pastels.  A fun thing for a Saturday afternoon.  Thanks for stopping by!

"Three Guys" - pen and ink drawing from life

 I was running out of room on my page so just drew over previous drawings.  I love doing this sort of thing.  The drawing is on 6 x 8" paper from a Strathmore Bristol board sketchbook.  It's useful sometimes to use a smaller piece of paper than usual and crowd everything on it. A big piece of paper can be a bit intimidating, so for warm-ups I often use a sketchbook this size or maybe 8 x 10".  Plus you never know what will develop when there are overlapping figures. 

On this one I used an Itoya calligraphy pen with two tips (mostly used the smaller one), an ultra fine Sharpie,  and a Derwent Line Maker that was included in a little painting/drawing kit that I received as a gift.  Mine is a 0.3 and I really like it, and would like to try a couple more sizes.  

Thanks for stopping by my blog!

"Monday's Model" - charcoal drawing from life

Lately I've been indulging in life drawing sessions on Zoom and am loving it!  This drawing was done  with General Pencil Co. Peel 'n' Sketch charcoal and Primo charcoal - both SO wonderful - on Strathmore toned paper.

It's kind of a different experience using Zoom since I can connect with a life drawing group anywhere.  In this case, instead of my studio, I was in my kitchen, of all places.  And although this was a 40-minute pose, there seemed to be a few distractions that cut into my drawing time (possibly due to my usual disorganization😉),  but it's still a great way to get life drawing time in without having to drive.  I highly recommend it!  Thanks for stopping by!

 

Black and White Variety - drawings from life

Here are some of my life drawing efforts - mostly quick pieces, which are my favorite.  I learn a lot from this kind of work even if I don't finish and there are mistakes because it sharpens my drawing skills.  I used Sharpies and charcoal on these fun pieces.  Thanks for stopping by!

 

Sketch of Janie - original oil pastel portrait drawing

 This loose drawing is one I copied from a more serious piece that I did in a life drawing group.  I was getting ready to send the first one to File 13, but gave it another life here.  I allowed myself maybe 10 minutes and went crazy.  Done on sanded pastel paper with mostly Sennelier and some Caran d'Ache and CrayPas Specialist oil pastels, it's about 7 x 10".  I never stop loving my oil pastels - more artists should try them - whether drawing or painting, they're up for anything!  Thanks for stopping by!

Chess Game - Original oil pastel portrait drawing

 Kind of intense game between these two and I had to make my move while I could.  I'm always so happy to have models even if that's not what they had in mind!  I scribbled this one on 16 x 20" Canson Mi-Teintes board with Sennelier oil pastels.  It was so rewarding to draw quickly without thinking - just one's reaction to the model(s) is really deeply satisfying.  Same way with the "Seated Nude #45"  that I posted a day or so ago.  Somehow looseness (is that a word?) in artwork is so gratifying for

me.  Thanks for visiting my blog!

Seated Nude #45 - original charcoal figurative drawing

More loose and fun for me than usual.   About 6 x 5" on toned gray Strathmore paper.  I'm working on some 4 x 4" paintings and other   

pieces that if they work out okay, I'll post in a couple of days.  Drawings are my thing, though, and I'm really enjoying doing these.  And there are life drawing groups online that I've been "attending".  Thanks so much for stopping by!