Ballerina Sketch - original figurative charcoal drawing

I love dancers - whether ballet, tango, country - they are my favorites to draw and paint!  This pensive little dancer was a dream to draw on one of my favorite papers, Colourfix smooth, using my true love of a medium - vine charcoal.  Also used my trusty kneaded eraser a lot.  I just went with the looseness, especially in the body and kept it kind of flat, only modeling the face.  A lack of time makes one choose from the available options.😊
  Thanks for stopping by!

Dancers 3 - loose black and white charcoal figurative drawing of dancers

I came across this one the other day - it's from about four months ago.  These dancers will show up again somewhere in other drawings - really happy with loose unfinished pieces.  It's about 9 x 12".  Thanks for looking!

On My Easel - Warming Up - original oil pastel figurative work in progress

Maybe I will do something with this sketch - or maybe not, but it was fun to draw.  I do love ballet dancers, just like I love all dancers!  I drew this on Art Spectrum Colourfix - the grittier kind.  Thanks for looking!

On My Easel - figurative oil sketch

Here's a sketch that I wish I'd had more time on, but that's always my lament.  Hope I get another chance with this pose.  It's 9 x 12" on Gessobord.  Thanks for stopping by!

Flamenco Sketch - original charcoal figurative drawing

Here's a sketch of a flamenco dancer done in charcoal on Strathmore drawing paper.  This drawing is about 8 x 14".  Have been watching "Great Artists of the Italian Renaissance" from The Great Courses.  It's just wonderful and the instructor makes what could just bore one to death, very interesting.  I've listened to and watched many of their offerings and recommend them highly.  Thank you for stopping by  (Originally, my drawing was cropped in the photo to 8 x 8", but I like it this size a lot more.  Always a fan of portraits and figures in a horizontal format.)

Bronc Rider - original figurative water soluble pencil drawing

I drew this piece from a photo that I took at the rodeo here in Junction.  I learned my lesson about attempting to draw rodeo participants from life.  The ride was practically over before I was really even  started.  This year I didn't attempt to draw while the event was going on and instead, just took photos.  Seems to have worked out well - my only complaint is that my great photo talent (not) has given the photo kind of a grayish look, when it's actually black and white.  I used General's soluble pencil and loved it.  The drawing is about 10 x 8" or so.  Thanks for stopping by!

Sketch of Luci - original chalk drawing of a nude

I did this one on Strathmore toned tan paper - and I enjoyed working on this warm colored surface.  Not real toothy, but it was perfect with the compressed pastel sticks from General Pencil Co - in this case, black, white, sanguine and sepia.  I am always so happy to find art media made in this country.  General Pencil is not just an American company, but I really enjoy working with their products - and I LOVE their Primo Euro Blend charcoal pencils and sticks - they remind me of the Ritmo pencils of years ago.  Thanks for stopping by!

The Pitcher - original ink and charcoal figurative drawing

I was so lucky to see TWO Astros games last weekend - here's one of the sketches I did there.  It's ink except for touches of charcoal for a little shading.  I never ever tire of the drama of baseball and always marvel at the skill required to play it well.  This is drawn on 9 x 12" Borden and Riley Paris Paper for Pens.  Thanks so much for stopping by!

A Little Snooze - original soft pastel figurative drawing

This is drawn on black Stonehenge paper using soft - not oil pastel.  Much fun to do - thanks for looking!

Flamenco in Ink - original ink and pastel figurative drawing

I have some paper that I love - the color, anyway, it's a gorgeous aqua from Fabriano Tiziano - and I just could not make it work the way I wanted with charcoal.  So, I did one of my drawings that I've actually done before, but this time in ink with touches of pastel.  At last, a semblance of what I'm looking for.  This is not the best photo, as usual, photography is not my strongest point - the color of the paper is actually more aquaey.  It's about 20 x 26".  Thanks for stopping by!

Charcoal Sketch of a Seated Model - original figurative charcoal drawing

I was very fortunate to have some wonderful company for the past week or so and they just happened to be terrific models, so I have lots of drawings from which to make paintings.  Maybe my enthusiasm for the drawings will carry over into making the paintings.  For me, drawings are so immediate and don't even require me to think - just react to the model.  It's absolute heaven!  I did one painting from life, last week, that turned out really well, but the other one was a failure.  Except for the nose.  The nose was pretty good, so I wiped off everything but the nose.  This drawing was done with really soft vine charcoal on cream Strathmore drawing paper and is about 10 x 8".  Thanks so much for stopping by!

On My Easel - Sketch for Flamenco - original oil figurative sketch

I should probably call this 'can you figure out what this is?' - a sort of shorthand, I guess.  I know how it should end, and I'm very hopeful, but the best intentions don't always turn out as one would like.  So I'm fully prepared, knowing it may join lots of others I've thrown in the garbage this week.  I find it hard to get rid of things that I once liked or maybe even just liked one passage in the painting, and keep them well past their prime.  Gotta be tough, I keep telling myself.  Thanks for stopping by and listening to my little rant or maybe it was a pep talk to myself.

Sketch of a Little Moment - original oil pastel figurative sketch

The resort where I spent Thanksgiving provided a wealth of subjects for drawing and here are two that I observed in a private moment.  Although they were wrapped up in each other, they were really in the middle of everything, so I felt it was okay to draw them. They held this "pose" long enough for me to get the bones of the sketch done, then filled in from memory, striving to keep the sketchiness that I intended without overworking.  I had just bought a new set of Caran d'Ache Neopastels, which are perfect for use on Judson's Guerilla Painter carton board.  Neopastels are a less oily form of oil pastel and not my usual go to brand, which is Sennelier, but Neopastels are great, too, and many oil pastelists prefer them.  This drawing is on 12 x 9" carton paper, but it's cropped here to about 11 x 7" - not really physically cropped, but just for blog posting.  Thanks so much for stopping by! SOLD

More of Those Crazy Jivers - original ink and oil pastel figurative drawing

The first time I saw this jitterbug/jive/lindy step, I was dumbstruck.  Maybe the second and third times, too.  The guy - usually lower to the ground than this jiver - sort of scoots or hops along while the girl holds on tight to his hand to give him balance.  Anyway, it's unbelievable and I just can't help but wonder about his knees.  A fun thing, though, and I love it, because I adore what the jivers do as they jitterbug through life.  This started as an ink drawing and I was really happy with it.  Then, I thought about a little color - that's where the trouble usually starts for me, because my lines end up covered and ruined.  But I added just a smidgen here and there, so the lines wouldn't be obscured, and it seems to work???  It's on Bristol board paper, about 9 x 7 1/2".  Thanks so much for stopping by!Sold

Nita Sleeping - original charcoal figurative drawing

I love to do sleeping poses, especially when the model actually goes to sleep.  This pose didn't last nearly long enough to suit me, but I guess I accomplished the general idea.  It's done with vine charcoal on Strathmore drawing paper and is about 10 x 10".  Has anyone out there used carbon paper for drawing, lately - or ever?  Not long ago, I visited a drawing show where one of the pieces was done using carbon paper.  I guess it actually works like a monotype, but much less messy.  Anyway, I'm about to find out and am really excited.  I love to make monotypes by putting the paper over the inked plate and drawing.  Now that I think about it, I guess the carbon paper won't be exactly like that, but close enough and should be fun.  Thanks for stopping by!

Dance Party - original charcoal figurative drawing

Happy 2013 everybody!!!  Hope this is your best year ever!  Right now I'm waiting for my plane to Italy, so if I don't post for awhile, you'll know I'm busy sightseeing and drinking in the art.  Have a great time tonight and the rest of 2013!  Oh and also, this drawing was done with vine charcoal on Strathmore drawing paper - it's about 14 x 16".  Thanks for stopping by!

Sketch of The Model with a Wineglass - original charcoal figurative drawing

Really good model with a moody look to her and great at holding a difficult pose with shoulder forward, leaning on her arm.  Maybe a painting in this - I don't know.  It's always just fun to draw, whether the drawings become paintings or not. Drawings are my absolute favorite art thing!  This one is vine charcoal on Strathmore drawing paper, 14 x 11" - thanks for looking!

A Little Flamenco - original charcoal figurative drawing

I scribbled and curlicued this on 14 x 11" Strathmore drawing paper with the fabulous and wonderful General Primo charcoal sticks.  I didn't realize that I had these sticks - I thought Primo only came in the pencils that I love, but at some point I purchased the sticks and promptly forgot.  Hmmm.  I wonder what that signifies. These sticks are great to work with - they're square, so you can make a nice edge or turn them on their sides for broader strokes.  Thanks so much for stopping by! Sold

Southpaw - original charcoal figurative drawing

Boxing isn't dancing, I realize, but boxers are movers and that's what attracts me with my charcoal sticks.  The drawing is on Strathmore drawing paper, 14 x 17".
Totally not related to my blog - but I'm going to say it anyway - is that I saw Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder on Sunday night.  Wonderful!   They're such fabulous musicians and I loved every minute of their performance.  See them if you can!
Thanks so much for visiting my blog!

Sketch for Dancers - original ink, charcoal and graphite figurative drawing

Just fooling around with line - first one thing (a Sharpie), then another (a little charcoal) and finally, a bit of graphite.   It's about 11 x 10" on white drawing paper.   Actually, I think I used the back side of some smooth paper, and even though it was unintentional, I was happy with the surface.  Quickly done, more fun!   Don't worry, you're safe - that's the extent of my poetry "talent".  Thanks so much for stopping by!