Thursday, February 01, 2024
"Sketch of Marilee"
Wednesday, November 15, 2023
"Monday's Model" - charcoal drawing from life
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!
Sunday, May 28, 2023
"Sketch of Alexis" - mixed media portrait sketch
Sunday, April 30, 2023
"Maiko #5 "- original oil pastel portrait
Wednesday, October 13, 2021
Today's Drawing - figurative charcoal drawing
Tuesday, August 10, 2021
Julie - original pastel portrait drawing
Every now and then I get the urge to get out my pastel pencils and do some drawing. I love them, especially my Caran d'Ache pencils, used in this case on the smooth side of Mi-Teintes. Framing something so delicate is a problem for me, since I always do it myself. I usually make a gutter for the loose pastel to fall into with acid-free foam core or use spacers that attach to the glass. Either method stresses me no end, which is probably why I don't do soft pastel any more than I do, because I really really love to work in this incredible medium. And then the requirement in so many shows that plexiglass must be used. I've heard that the anti-static spray works great for awhile, but must be reapplied. How does one do that without unframing the artwork? Bound to be solutions but I haven't come across any yet.😟 Thanks for stopping by and I would love to know if you have any answers!
Monday, May 31, 2021
Hmmm - original oil pastel portrait painting
This 8 x 10" drawing on Canson mixed media board is a mostly fun thing for me - I drew it from an old drawing of a model, but then added the dark blue-green next to the orange glints in her hair just because I wanted to - artist's choice, right? - then added a grey and white version of my favorite wallpaper.
More on the wallpaper - I have been looking for that paper for ages for my entrance hall - the background is a medium green and it's probably from the 30s or 40s - good luck with finding any of that! Plus it would definitely not be strippable, so I'm actually toying with the idea of just painting the wall instead. Making those stripes will get pretty tedious, though.
Back to "Hmmm" - when I originally drew the model, she had briefly been looking at something going on to her right in the drawing group. It's been so long now that I don't remember what it was, but I was lucky to capture her while she was looking toward the "activity". That has happened a lot in my drawing adventures. My teacher, Priscilla Treacy, taught her students to get it down in three minutes - I don't mean every pore or detail, but the gist of the drawing. So, there have been many times when the model hasn't completely settled into her pose (and maybe gotten a little sleepy), that I've been able to grab that very first expression. Thank you Priscilla! In this drawing, I felt that the model was thinking critically about the conversation to her right, hence the title "Hmmm".
Thursday, November 05, 2020
A Little Sketch of the Model - original charcoal portrait drawing
I absolutely love to work in black and white, especially when drawing from life. I did this drawing using a General's Peel and Sketch with a 'hard' rating which I rarely use, but am actually really pleased with this little sketch. The paper is Strathmore Mixed Media, 8.5 x 5.5". Some of the lines are restated, which I left (obviously) because otherwise, it's easy to keep making the same mistake, plus leaving the lines lends movement and also tells the viewer the path the artist took in making the piece. Thanks for stopping by!
Sunday, October 04, 2020
Ready for Night - original pastel pencil portrait drawing
Here's a pastel pencil drawing that I did some time ago, using a very limited palette of Caran d'Ache pencils. At that time, I only had a few of this brand that I was trying out and since they - unlike most pastels, even in pencil form - didn't make me sneeze, get in my eyes and just generally make me feel itchy, I've acquired a nice collection of Caran d'Ache. Most likely, how I use pastels is the problem, but since I'm mainly an oil pastelist, problem solved! This was a pretty quick drawing - don't remember how long - but I was mainly interested in the satiny strap over her shoulder. It's on toned paper, 12 x 9". Thanks for visiting!
Friday, October 02, 2020
Guitar Practice - original graphite portrait drawing
Although I hardly ever use graphite, I had a great time doing this one on Strathmore marker paper that I had to buy for a landscape course. Maybe y'all have used this paper before, but I never had and was surprised to find it such a delight to draw on. Even though there's a slick finish - it's great for graphite! Drawing is my first art language - not painting, really - and I will be doing many more pencil drawings (used HB, 2 and 4B) on this paper - a great find for me! Plus, even though the weight is only 50.5 lb, the paper feels much more sturdy. This drawing is 7 x 12". Thanks so much for stopping by!
Wednesday, August 26, 2020
Lilia Looking Back - original oil pastel portrait
Tuesday, August 11, 2020
Sketch of Mei as a Maiko - original charcoal and white drawing
Tuesday, July 28, 2020
Drawing of the Model on Black Paper - original oil pastel portrait
Tuesday, April 21, 2020
Sketch of the Seated Model - original oil pastel and charcoal figurative
Saturday, November 23, 2019
Sarah with Red Hair - original oil pastel portrait
Thursday, October 10, 2019
Nellie's Red Hat - original oil pastel figurative drawing
I sometimes set a timer, but then get hung up on some little something and turn it off. And then the overworking sets in. Memo to me - obey the timer! This drawing is on smooth Colourfix paper. I bought two packages - one fresh grey and one black - great for lots of media - 12 x 9". Thanks for looking!
Monday, February 18, 2019
Soulful Bridgette - original charcoal portrait drawing
This drawing is on pale blue Stonehenge paper, which I absolutely love (it doesn't really look blue in the photo, but that's my fault), using soft vine charcoal. Stonehenge is fabulous for charcoal drawings, as well as oil pastel and several other media. I guess I'm talking about Stonehenge because there were many comments in the drawing group about this lovely paper, which I have used for years, and I just thought it deserved mention. Although I use all of the Stonehenge colors, this pale blue is beautiful. You can visit Legion paper - the company that produces Stonehenge here. And it's made in America!👍
Thanks for stopping by!
Tuesday, September 04, 2018
Charcoal Portrait of a Young Woman - original black and white artwork
Repeat after me: Never ever wait to spray your charcoal drawings! Always do it ASAP!
And back to this drawing - well I've only sprayed it with workable fixative, which is certainly better than nothing. It's about 10 x 8". Thanks for stopping by!