Sunday, September 13, 2020
The Flamenco Dancer in Profile - original oil pastel portrait
I started this portrait a few months ago, painted most of the pose, then put it where I passed by several times a day, but sort of forgot about finishing. And of course, by the time I was inspired to get it done, no model, therefore the memory thing again. Most of what I lacked was the lace and I actually have some very similar to what she was wearing, so that was lucky. Done on 12 x 12" Pastelbord, using Sennelier oil pastels. Thanks for visiting my blog!
Friday, September 11, 2020
Scribbled Dancers - original ink figurative drawing
Wednesday, September 09, 2020
Little Landscape - original small oil landscape painting
Okay - not really my thing, but was out at the park, sooo. . . . The canvas is 5 x 4", and that makes it easier. It's been way above 100 degrees day after day here and being outside was the very last thing on my mind. It's a little cooler now so I have absolutely no excuses! The South Llano State Park is beautiful and a treat to visit - just a few miles from Junction so maybe - just maybe - I'll get this landscape painting thing down! Thanks for stopping by!
Wednesday, August 26, 2020
Lilia Looking Back - original oil pastel portrait
Tuesday, August 11, 2020
Lost in the Tango - original oil figurative painting
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
It seems like forever since I've posted but I've been working on lots of art - have even done some printmaking with a few monotypes and a drypoint to show for it. Here's an oldish drawing done on Strathmore black mixed media paper, 12 x 9", using mostly Sennelier and a couple of Caran d'Ache Neopastels and Sakura Specialists. The black paper is great to work on and I just bought another pad of it to take to the next drawing group I attend. This was a quick study - my favorite - and while I didn't have a lot of time (to kill it with overworking), I was pretty happy with the results. Hope you're all staying well and thanks for stopping by!
Monday, June 29, 2020
Sketch of the Model in a Black Robe - original oil pastel figurative
I love when the model is just relaxing - not worrying about maintaining a pose - and waiting until the break is over. This 11 x 10" oil pastel is done with Sennelier oil pastels on Strathmore acrylic paper, which I like for its "canvasy" pattern and the 246 lb. weight. Very sturdy! I also like using this paper for acrylic brush drawings - give it a try. Thanks for looking!
Thursday, May 21, 2020
Ballerina Sketch - original figurative charcoal drawing
Thanks for stopping by!
Tuesday, April 21, 2020
Sketch of the Seated Model - original oil pastel and charcoal figurative
Sunday, March 22, 2020
Sketch of Libby - oil pastel portrait drawing
Wednesday, March 04, 2020
Red Hat - original oil pastel portrait
Here's one that I did on 12 x 9" grey Pastelbord. Great model - didn't get to finish it, though, before the time was up, but I am happy with it. Thanks for looking!
Friday, February 21, 2020
Blue Night - original oil pastel portrait
I've been away for awhile, in London and Paris - was lucky to have seen the Gauguin show in London and the 'Degas at the Opera' show in Paris. I loved that they showed Degas' work using essence - which I have rarely seen - and gave such an honest portrayal of the realities of the ballerinas' lives. Not just pretty paintings, for sure!
Thanks so much for looking!
Thursday, January 30, 2020
Melissa - original oil pastel portrait
Sunday, January 26, 2020
Jessye - oil portrait sketch
Sunday, January 05, 2020
New Year's Jive - original figurative oil painting
Tuesday, December 10, 2019
Sketchbook Nude - original charcoal drawing of a nude
I was attempting to draw the model without much modeling. It was kind of slow work since there was no gesture drawing as I usually do. Loved the heck out of doing this one! It's about 10 x 14" - thanks for looking!
Thursday, November 28, 2019
Wednesday, November 27, 2019
The Student - original charcoal portrait drawing
Saturday, November 23, 2019
Sarah with Red Hair - original oil pastel portrait
Tuesday, November 19, 2019
Ready for Odile - original figurative oil pastel
Sunday, November 17, 2019
Jive Scribbles No. 7 - how I draw jive dancers
I've had this drawing for months and finally decided to post it since at the moment, all I have are pieces in various stages of finish. This drawing was a lot of fun to do - just scribbling gestures all over the paper with smaller scribbles on the bottom. I used an Itoya Calligraphy pen, along with fine point Sharpies.
I was lucky to be at a jitterbug exhibition where it would have been so awkward to pull out my pencil and paper, plus it was really dark where we were sitting. And anyway, I've decided that in these instances, memory is better, even if you can only remember one bit of the dance. (The reason for that approach is that when you're drawing - unless you're doing a blind gesture - you'll miss lots of the actual dancing because it goes so fast.)
So when I returned to the studio, I streamed some oldies jitterbug music like "Tutti Frutti","Whole Lot of Shakin Goin On", "Rock Around the Clock" - great jive music. And, using the fine point pen, drew just a bit of what I remembered from the dancers' movements and then keeping my pen on one part of the gesture, began another drawing of the same subject in a slightly different position. I love that layered look for drawings! And having the jitterbug music on is kind of an inspiration and helps me to remember more of what happened on the dance floor. It reminds me not to get tight and to just let the lines flow.
Worked my way across the page - only drew a couple of gestures before the main drawing, but sometimes I do a lot more of the fine line gestures - and then end up doing a bolder line drawing. I added a few smudges of charcoal in the center. The little gestures on the bottom are there because I was just fooling around while listening to the music - I never meant to post this - it's just a stream of consciousness kind of thing. This drawing is on 16 x 20" Canson board. Thanks for stopping by!
I was lucky to be at a jitterbug exhibition where it would have been so awkward to pull out my pencil and paper, plus it was really dark where we were sitting. And anyway, I've decided that in these instances, memory is better, even if you can only remember one bit of the dance. (The reason for that approach is that when you're drawing - unless you're doing a blind gesture - you'll miss lots of the actual dancing because it goes so fast.)
So when I returned to the studio, I streamed some oldies jitterbug music like "Tutti Frutti","Whole Lot of Shakin Goin On", "Rock Around the Clock" - great jive music. And, using the fine point pen, drew just a bit of what I remembered from the dancers' movements and then keeping my pen on one part of the gesture, began another drawing of the same subject in a slightly different position. I love that layered look for drawings! And having the jitterbug music on is kind of an inspiration and helps me to remember more of what happened on the dance floor. It reminds me not to get tight and to just let the lines flow.
Worked my way across the page - only drew a couple of gestures before the main drawing, but sometimes I do a lot more of the fine line gestures - and then end up doing a bolder line drawing. I added a few smudges of charcoal in the center. The little gestures on the bottom are there because I was just fooling around while listening to the music - I never meant to post this - it's just a stream of consciousness kind of thing. This drawing is on 16 x 20" Canson board. Thanks for stopping by!
Sunday, November 03, 2019
Drawing with My Fingertip IPhone Art - portrait drawing
Saturday, November 02, 2019
Stella Doing the Twist - original charcoal figurative sketch
Play old-time rock 'n' roll music and get the model doing 'the twist' - much drawing fun! (I recommend Chubby Checker's music.) This all dates me, of course. 😃 I loved doing this drawing and would like to do a much longer piece of dancers twisting - it would probably have an athletic look - something to pursue - always looking for ways to depict the figure! This one is on 14 x 11" Strathmore toned paper. Thanks for stopping by!
Sunday, October 13, 2019
Morning Watercolor Ivy - original watercolor sketch of ivy
More watercolor practice using the little jars of ivy in my kitchen window. Not a watercolorist, of course, but fun to do and sort of gets me going early in the a.m. Was so anxious not to overwork, that I left a few things really unfinished. I'm wondering if anybody out there is as likely to overwork - in any medium - as I am. It must be a personality thing. I did this one on 9 x 6" cold press paper. Thanks for visiting!
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!
Wednesday, October 09, 2019
Two-Stepper Sketch - original oil figurative sketch of dancers
Every summer I go to the rodeo dances here in Junction and draw and take photos, just like I do at the rodeo that precedes the dance. I have tons of drawings and photos that I can draw upon (pun intended) through the winter months. There's just nothing like the way people move, plus their expressions - endlessly fascinating, I think. Like this guy and the way he was looking at his dance partner - I keep wondering. . . . I'll be posting more two-steppers in the days ahead - have been looking for two-step instructional videos for those of you who are interested in learning, but most I've seen are so corny. Will keep searching, though. This one is 14 x 11" on stretched canvas. Thanks for looking!
Monday, October 07, 2019
Portrait Sketch in Sanguine - original portrait drawing
Saturday, October 05, 2019
Blue Robe - original watercolor portrait painting
Wednesday, September 25, 2019
Floating Nude - original oil pastel nude
I loved the pose and painted it on 5 x 7" Pastelbord using Sennelier oil pastels. This brand of oil pastels is like painting/drawing with a luscious lipstick, plus by not sharpening to a point, I feel it keeps my work from being too tight. It seems that when I touch the surface with the blunt, unsharpened oil pastel, it's anybody's guess where it will land 😀 and that often works out well, I think!
When I looked at this piece later in the day, I realized I hadn't fully covered the bottom with the red rug and decided it looked like she was floating - sooo "Floating Nude" it was. Thanks for stopping by!
When I looked at this piece later in the day, I realized I hadn't fully covered the bottom with the red rug and decided it looked like she was floating - sooo "Floating Nude" it was. Thanks for stopping by!
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