More Drawing Exercises - original charcoal portrait sketches

On these hot, steamy summer nights (91 degrees at 10:30 p.m.), I plunk myself down in front of the TV and draw whatever's in front of me.  These old library book cards were around because I had thought of doing something with them - maybe not drawing - but they're a portable size, so they were pressed into service.  Since the actors are moving around, the resulting sketch uses a lot of memory drawing, which is good training, I think.  Sometmes, the sketches end up with different eyes or noses or mouths from the "models" onscreen.  I just "borrow" the next person's feature and plug it into my drawing.  So, they're not anybody, but a combination of several faces.  I have dozens of these practice pieces - here are a few. 

Thanks so much for stopping by Hackberry Street Studio! Sold

Waiting at the Bar - original oil figurative painting

She kept glancing toward the door.  As I was leaving, I passed the guy she was waiting for and - nosy me - when I looked back, she had a smile on her face and her eyes were fixed on him.  I'm always happy when these little stories end well.  This painting is on 10 x 8" archival canvas board.  Thanks so much for stopping by! Sold

Seated Nude IV - original charcoal/pastel drawing

Here's a sketch on warm grey pastel paper, using charcoal and touches of black, grey and white pastel.  It's on 12 x 9" paper, with the image about 9 x 6".
While I love drawing from the posed model, I had a good time this evening doing little sketches from the TV, where, because the people move constantly, my drawing will always have one person's mouth, another's eyes, etc. - it's a great drawing exercise, I think.  Does anyone else do this?  I'm sure I'm not the only one.  Maybe I'll post some of them tomorrow.  The latest ones are on vintage library book cards.  Thanks so much for visiting Hackberry Street Studio! Sold

The Dance Hall - original oil figurative painting

This painting is on 11 x 14" Fredrix archival canvas board.   I was going to describe

my summer self-education in drawing and my new adventures in oil sticks (not oil pastels), but

trying to post on Blogger tonight is difficult and is driving me so crazy, I just want to get out of here - maybe

tomorrow's posting will be easier!  Hope all is going well for all of you - thanks for stopping by!

A Kiss At The Bar - original oil figurative painting

This painting is on 6 x 6" Gessobord.  Thanks so much for visiting Hackberry Street Studio.  I have to hurry to get this post finished so it will be ready for picking up by Daily Painters.  Please check my latest posting on my oil pastel blog.  Thanks again! Sold

The Print Shirt - original pencil portrait drawing

This 13 x 10" drawing began life as a pose taken by the little girl, but then I realized the futility of having a youngster try and hold a pose for a long time, so I took a picture of her and mostly drew from that.  Drawing from life has its limits when dealing with children.  Actually, I don't think I could hold a pose for any length of time.  I cringe when the model doesn't show and we have to take turns posing.  Just like waiting to give a book report in middle school, I always hope the session will end before I must take my turn.  This is on wonderful Stonehenge white paper and instead of using charcoal, as I usually do, it's done with a graphite pencil.  Pencil just has a sort of softness that I like for children.  Thanks so much for stopping by!  Sold

A Sketch Begins - original oil pastel figurative drawing

The model got tired and got up, so, of course, I had to stop.   Every single time that I've tried to finish something after the model left, the drawing lost its life and emotion.  Even if the model returned, I wouldn't work on this drawing any longer because I had the "feeling" while I was working on this quick sketch and I just don't think it's coming back.  Sometimes "unfinished" works better, anyway. 
I used 9 x 12"Sennelier Carte d'Art which has a rough finish that helps me stay loose. Check out my blog for oil pastel to see my work there.  Thanks so much for visiting Hackberry Street Studio - I'm always glad to see you here!

Reclining Nude IV - original charcoal/pastel drawing

I loved the wistful look on the model's face, as if she had a pleasant scene that she was turning over in her mind as she posed.  As in the last post, I used Strathmore 403 9 x 12" taupe paper.  I'm a paper fiend - I love it and have way-y-y-y too much of it.  There's just something that happens when I stand before a blank piece of paper with charcoal in hand.  Sometimes a good drawing is the result and sometimes not.  But I still love the moment - filled with possibility - just before the drawing begins!

Thank you so much for stopping by Hackberry Street Studio! Sold

Nude with Arms Raised - original pastel nude drawing

This was a beautiful pose, but not a long one, so I just drew part of the model.  As you can imagine, this one was hard to hold even for a little while.  No matter what else I do, I always return to my first love, black and white nude drawings.  This drawing is about 10 x 7" on Strathmore 403 paper, which is actually oil pastel paper.  It's just an all-around great surface.  Also, I used General's black and white pastels.  There are also a couple of greys in the set, as well - but this time, I just used black and white on the taupe paper.  Thanks so much for visiting my blog! Sold

Straw Hat - original oil pastel portrait sketch

This was a really strange straw hat that the model was wearing - sort of flat all over.  I would love to go back to the days of wearing hats.  They're such a great finish to an outfit and are SO romantic - like all the women in hats at the recent royal wedding. 
This sketch is on 12 x 9" Colourfix black paper.  Thanks for stopping by!

Solitaire - original oil figurative painting

I play solitaire pretty often so maybe that's why painting someone playing the game appeals to me.  It's a no win - or seldom win - game.  In fact, I read the other day that a player only wins one out of 31 times.  Terrible odds, but I keep at it.  I even have a book on the different types of solitaire.  I play Klondike, which is the kind my grandmother taught me and from what I can tell, it's the one most people play.
This painting is on 7 x 5" Gessobord.  Thanks for visiting Hackberry Street Studio!

Preparations II - original oil pastel figurative painting

This oil pastel is on 7 x 5" Pastelbord.  Thanks for looking - hope everyone's having a great weekend!

Cello Practice - original figurative oil painting

This quick painting is on 10 x 8" archival canvas board.  I've been wanting to do a painting of a cello player and this is an oil sketch toward that goal.  I'll do a few more to better understand the position of the player and the instrument before I do a larger painting.  This was fun - thanks so much for stopping by!

Crazy Jive - original mixed media figurative painting

In this drawing/painting on 12 x 9" Yupo paper, I used everything but the kitchen sink - as they say.  First, a very few graphite lines, then marker; next came Caran d'Ache  Neocolor I (a wonderful wax crayon), then NeoArt crayons, which are richly pigmented water-soluble oil pastels.  I'm just fooling around with different media and maybe I'll find a new love.  I'd love to hear of your experiments with new media - if you'd like to get in touch, just click the "Contact Me" in the right-hand column.
Thanks for stopping by!  Sold

Tango in Black and White - original charcoal figurative drawing

I could do charcoal drawings all day long.  When I do them, I don't worry about much - just let go and see what happens.  That's when happy accidents occur - well, they're not always happy, but most of them are.  Vine charcoal is my favorite for just about any kind of drawing.  I like the really soft sticks because they're capable of smoky atmospheric effects as well as fairly sharp lines.  When I go into the art store, after I've finished picking out the main things I want to purchase, I always get extra charcoal and a kneaded eraser or two.
Maybe this drawing will become a painting, but in any case there are passages in it that please me.  No planning on my part, just happened.  Maybe there are some things to change, but if I start fooling with it, it'll get tight.  It never fails.   
This drawing was done on Strathmore Bristol 6 x 6".  Thanks so much for stopping by! Sold

Ginny Again - original oil figurative painting

This is another Ginny pose.  It's on 14 x 11" archival canvas board.  Hope everyone survived Friday the 13th.  We had phone and internet outages all over the area today, 'til late tonight, but FINALLY we're back in business!  Have a great weekend - thanks for stopping by!

The Oriental Panel - original oil painting of a nude

Here's this afternoon's effort - oil on canvas, 16 x 22".  Thanks for visiting my blog!

Ellie with a Cigarette - original portrait drawing

This is a contour drawing that I did too quickly.  You know the drill - feel as if the pencil (in this case a marker and litho pencil) is actually touching the model and go very, very slowly.  But I get impatient and besides, I kind of enjoy the weird things that happen when I do.  Like Ellie with a Cigarette.  It's on 12 x 9" Yupo paper.  Thanks for visiting my blog!
PS. check out my oil pastel blog for my latest posting there.

Lexie in Line - original charcoal portrait drawing

Okay, maybe a little goofy looking, but sometimes I just get the urge to do a line drawing.  They don't ever seem to turn out perfectly, because I spend a lot of time just looking at the subject, rather than at the drawing itself.  Almost a blind contour, but not quite.  This has always been one of my favorite drawing exercises. 
I hope all you moms out there had a wonderful Mother's Day!  Thanks so much dropping by Hackberry Street Studio. NFS

Another Couple at the Bistro - original oil figurative painting

I just love the blues that decorate this little establishment - juxtaposing warm and cool of any hue is thrilling to me and it's probably why I've always loved this place.  Plus there are always plenty of people to observe - and then paint.  I'm sort of a gossip in paint.  Instead of saying "you should have seen so-and-so at such-and-such a place", I just paint them.  But you're safe!  In almost all cases, I don't know my subjects and only make teeny little sketches - maybe just a turn of head that's hard to remember otherwise.  I do just a few lines, more akin to a gesture than a full-fledged sketch, and then I make them 'my people', anyway.
This one is 5 x 7" on Gessobord.  Thanks for stopping by!  Sold

The Tango Lesson - original oil figurative painting

The painting comes from my many visits to tango demonstrations where you sit on the floor to watch the various dancing couples.  It's 11 x 14" on panel.  Thanks so much for stopping by!

A Gentle Creature - original oil painting

Here's a sweet thing I visited with the other day - a totally different subject for me - but I did enjoy it.

This painting is 5 x 5" on Gessobord.

At last, the fire seems to be out - I'm so happy and grateful to so many, many people who saved our homes!

Thanks for stopping by!  Sold

A Little Drawing Exercise - original charcoal figurative drawing

I know.  This is just a teensy bit weird, but everything is either not finished, or not dry enough to photograph without very shiny spots.   These tiny drawings are great drawing improvers, I think, and every time I attend a drawing group, I do some of these - they're perfect for positive/negative.  The whole thing is about 14 x 14", so you have some idea of how small the individual drawings are.  They're done on Canson Beverly drawing paper, which probably isn't produced anymore.  I have lots of drawing paper on hand - some from years ago - that I'm sorry I can't find in stores these days.
We still have the fire in our county - it's about four miles from our small town - and it's really unnerving.  Sincere thanks to all the firefighters who are battling the blaze - they must be exhausted by now.  We are so fortunate to have our local firemen, plus selfless volunteers from around the area and the Texas and U.S. Forest Services and other government agencies to defend against this monster.  It has burned over 10,000 acres and we are hoping it can be contained soon.  It hasn't helped that we've had over 100 degree temps and 30 mph winds.  What a summer this is going to be!
Thanks so much stopping by - it's always great to see you here!  Sold

Tiny Doodles - original mixed media Artists' Trading Cards

Here are a few of the little 3.5 x 2.5" things I do when I'm traveling or don't have time to do anything larger.  Some of these are mainly oil pastel, others are mostly colored pencil, but they are all mixed media. 
Right now, I'm trying to keep up with a wildfire that's burning about ten miles from us.  Many of the residents west of town were evacuated from their homes - much worry tonight, but hoping for the best for everybody!
Thanks for stopping by!

Ginny's Just Waiting - original charcoal figurative drawing

This sketch is going to evolve into a painting, probably, but I really love a drawing for its own sake.  For me, a drawing, especially from life, always captures that moment in time that the model was really right there in front of me.  Done with pastels and charcoal, the sketch is on Borden & Riley sketch vellum, 12 x 9".  Thanks for stopping by.  Sold

Donna's Red Dress - original oil figurative painting

I guess I have a thing for fans and screens and this time, used a square format on stretched canvas.  Thanks so much for dropping by.  Speaking of fans, I'm going to go sprawl out under a ceiling fan - we've had another scorcher today and at 10 p.m., it's still 88 degrees!   Sold

Sketch of Marie - original pastel portrait drawing

I adore working with black and white and I especially enjoyed drawing Marie using General Pencil Co.'s black, grey and white pastels.  The sticks are very thin - not like regular pastels.  They're sold as  a set of four - one black, two greys and one white and the greys have a warm tone to them that I find charming. They've been around awhile and I've used them occasionally, but have never done an entire drawing with them.  The next time I'm at Hobby Lobby, I'll be stocking up on these - I love them!
The paper I used is Borden and Riley sketch vellum, 12 x 9".   Thanks so much for stopping by my blog!

Happy to See Him - original oil figurative painting

I am interested in painting a tango dancer with her hand on her partner's face - like here - and although these two aren't necessarily tango dancers, it just seemed to me to work here.  Last weekend, I was in a coffee shop with the most gorgeous green paint on the walls.  I love green and I've been thinking about that paint color, so here we are - hand on face, green on walls.  
As always, though, there was red paint involved.  Cadmium red.  The worst offender.  It seeks me out.  It finds me.  It attaches itself to my skin, hair, clothes and everything else it can find.  And it's not just cadmium red that bedevils me.  For years, I painted with only ivory black, yellow ochre, titanium white and Indian red.  Indian red is much the same, I can tell you!  Does this affect anyone else?  Am I the only one?  Sigh.
This painting is 6 x 6" on Gessobord.  Thanks so much for dropping by!

Cowboy Boogie - original oil figurative painting

Here's a little ditty that I did some time ago and just now decided to post it.  This painting is on 6 x 6" Gessobord.  Thanks for stopping by - have a great weekend everybody! 
PS.  Now that I look at this painting, it seems that she had to take him by the hand and show him how to dance. This cowboy seems a little intimidated! Sold

Another Tango Twist - original oil figurative painting

This tango painting is on 7 x 5" Gessobord.  Today was a good day to stay inside and paint, since it's very chilly, so I got a lot done.  It's good to focus solely on art instead of the garden - which is very tempting this time of year. Thanks so much for stopping by my blog!

Another Snooze - original oil figurative painting

She's taking a little break from her book. This is such a favorite thing for me - read a little, sleep a little. Ahhhhhh. It's 8 x 8" on Gessobord. Thanks for looking!

Jivin' All Over Again - original oil figurative painting

Been busy for awhile, but am turning my attention back to art. Here is today's 6 x 6" painting on Gessobord of my jivers. I was listening to a little of Matthew Pearl's The Last Dickens while I did this one - I love his work! Hope you're all having a nice early spring - thanks so much for stopping by! PS. This painting is based on my drawing from a few posts ago, Jivemania Again.

A Little Mystery - original oil pastel portrait painting

This loose, sort of scribbly oil pastel was done on black 12 x 9" Colourfix paper. Some of the black bits of paper show through here and there and I like the way that look accentuates the looseness of the work.
This afternoon - between my dandelion pulling efforts - I took my oil pastels outside and did some color studies. I have been reading Hensche on Painting by John Robichaux (a Dover publication) and decided to do experiments just with white - white in shade and then in sunlight. I then tried to duplicate the colors. Normally, I would use oil paint for these studies, but the oil pastel worked just great because it blends easily! It was a worthwhile exercise in learning to see better and it was so lovely being in the back yard with Roger while it's still cool and springlike.
Thanks so much for stopping by Hackberry Street Studio! Sold

Lost in the Rhythm - original oil pastel figurative drawing

This is a quick study of the drummer in a band that I saw recently. Musicians can't possibly "hold the pose", which is what makes drawing people in motion so exciting to me and, since they are constantly moving, a lot of what I do in these cases is done from memory. This drawing is on 12 x 9" Pastelbord. Thanks so much for stopping by!

Another Bar - original oil pastel figurative painting

Here's something that I posted on The Oil Pastel Review, which is my oil pastel only blog, a few posts back and now I think it's finished - more or less. Nothing is ever finished, really, but things do sometimes come close. It's on 16 x 20" Pastelbord and is one in my ongoing series of bar scenes.

By the way, do check out the nude sketch I did on OPR using Sennelier Nature oil pastels.

Thanks so much for stopping by Hackberry Street Studio - it's always great seeing you here!

Lisa's Robe - original oil portrait painting

This 14 x 11" painting is on Gessobord. I think it's finished - but you never know. Thanks for looking!

Cezannesque - original figurative oil painting

I saw this artwork - which was probably a Cezanne poster since I did see a little printing on it - in a coffee shop. I loved it and was able to sketch the scene with some Caran d'Ache wax crayons - that are wonderful, by the way. Then I painted from my sketch back in my studio. It was pretty involved to get an accurate drawing of this artwork. My painting is on 6 x 6" Gessobord. Thanks so much for stopping by!  Sold

More Tango Swing - original oil figurative painting

I spent so much time outside in the gorgeous day today that I didn't do any painting, but here's one from yesterday. It's on 6 x 6" Gessobord. Thanks so much for stopping by!

Lisa Sleeping - original oil figurative painting

I loved painting this one, but initially I wanted to be less "above" the model. It worked out though, and it was a quick little "brushy"painting, too. It's always rewarding when you just go with it and don't think too much. Thinking

can be a killer. This painting is 6 x 6" on Gessobord - thanks so much for stopping by my blog!

Jivemania Again - original charcoal figurative drawing

I just did a lot of scribbling to come up with this drawing. I sort of let my hand go to see what would happen. The figure on the far right is how these things begin - well, the bottom half of her, anyway. And, as always, I really worked the paper over.

This weekend I saw a small but wonderful drawing show at the McNay in San Antonio. I never tire of looking at drawings and as I've probably said over and over, drawings are - to me - a look into the soul of an artist.
This drawing is vine charcoal on Strathmore Bristol vellum and is about 8 x 12". Thank you for stopping by!

Tango Doodle - original oil pastel figurative drawing

I just wanted to do a drawing - lots of black lines and scribbled color and done quickly without a lot of thought. It's just so satisfying! This oil pastel is on 12 x 9" Pastelbord sand (color) which is a dark taupey shade. Really beautiful and a delight to work on. Thanks so much for stopping by - have a great weekend!

Letha - original oil pastel portrait drawing

I've sort of been away from my blog - wasting time doing paintings that didn't really succeed. But you have to try, right? Today it was so cold - okay, I know you folks up north think we're a bunch of sissies, but 15 degrees? That's cold for this part of the country! After I went to my Zumba class this morning, I came back home and then started to my studio, but it was still absolutely freezing. I just did a U-turn and walked right back to the house. So no oil paintings today. This oil pastel is from a drawing group in November. I loved the model's hair - it was expressive, if hair can be expressive. Although it wasn't a particularly remarkable pose, she was a good model and I really loved doing this drawing. I drew it on Sennelier Carte d'Art paper and is about 8 x 8".

Check out my blog at The Oil Pastel Review for an oil pastel painting that I'm working on - without a lot of success, I might add. Thanks for stopping by - stay warm!

Rockin' to the Beat - original charcoal figurative drawing

It seems like forever since I posted anything, but I've been really, really busy! That should slow down now and at this point, I'm loving to draw my little charcoal dancers. They rock the night (and probably the day) away. I just can't keep an eye on them all the time, so who knows what they get up to!

If you are near the Kerrville, Texas, area, drop in at the Kerr Arts and Cultural Center to see our Kerrville Art Club show. It will open on Thursday, with the reception on Saturday. The show will be up for a month. It was judged by Steven DaLuz, a San Antonio based artist, and is really beautiful!

This drawing was done with vine charcoal on 9 x 12" vellum Bristol. Thanks so much for stopping by!

Feelin' the Beat - original charcoal figurative drawing

Drawing these figures is so much fun for me and I never really know how they'll turn out. Sometimes they lead to a painting, but I'm such a fan of drawings and think they stand on their own as works of art. This drawing is on Strathmore Bristol paper, 6 x 6". Thanks so much for stopping by!

Another Tango Passion - original oil figurative painting

Here is the painted version of the drawing from a few posts ago - "Another Black and White Tango". This painting is 6 x 6" on Gessobord. Thanks so much for stopping by Hackberry Street Studio!

Bailora with a Fan - original oil figurative painting

This painting is on 10 x 8" linen panel. Thanks so much for stopping by - have a happy weekend!

Her Gaze - original oil portrait painting

This painting is on 6 x 6" Gessobord. Thanks so much for stopping by!

If you would like to email me, just click the "Contact Me" button.

More Black and White Tango - original charcoal figurative sketch

This sketch will be the underlayer for a painting. I've not used this approach very much, but I know artists who do this - spray fixative on it and then paint over the drawing. Using this method should make the painting practically paint itself. This pose with the outside leg extending back is really a difficult one, because it's not very easy to make obvious which leg is in back, which is in front. While I'm pretty pleased with this one, I still may make changes in the painting as I work. This sketch is on 7 x 5" Gessobord.

Thanks so much for stopping by - check out my post on The Oil Pastel Review. If you'd like to email, just click on the "contact me" button on the right side of my blog.

New Year's Eve at the Bar - original oil figurative painting

If  you're anywhere near San Antonio, Texas, be sure and visit the McNay.  It's wonderful anytime, but until January 16th, the exhibition, Landscapes from the Age of Impressionism is there and what a show it is!  Absolutely wonderful and inspiring.  I attended briefly the other day, but intend to go back and take my time.
This painting is 8 x 10" on Gessobord.  Thanks so much for stopping by and for visiting Hackberry Street Studio during 2010!   I hope 2011 will be the greatest year yet for you!                                  

                                                  HAPPY NEW YEAR!