Improving Drawing and Finishing

Instructing at a drawing workshop this week.

I get this question a lot, “what is the best way to improve my drawing?” There is only one answer– “Draw.” Most of what you draw in the beginning is not very memorable, take these first drawings and put them away for a year. Keep drawing, then compare your new drawings to the old ones, there will be a remarkable difference. A great teacher told me “we all have 1,000 bad drawings in us, once you draw the 1000th, they are gone for good”  The rest of the advice:

push and pull

lighter lights, darker darks

draw, draw, and then draw some more

Lastly, spend some time on your drawing, it will show in the end. Over a couple of days, about 2.5 hours on this drawing. It sounds like a lot, but the time goes so quickly you may not notice!

“Bubble” Pencil on charcoal paper, 11×14″

Weekly Painting Week 100- the simple things

Back to basics- figure drawing with charcoal. One piece of paper, one stick of charcoal, one eraser, a cloth. I had a discussion with a fellow artist, he said good drawing was not necessary for good painting. I am on the other side– work on drawing, make better paintings. Draw, draw, draw. Thanks for following all the way to week 100- whew! 18 x 24- “Athena”

Weekly Painting Week 95 She Gives Me Trouble…

She really does. My goal was to paint a simple scene and this girl is messing with my chi! I will keep on working this one…as I have time and patience. 

 

Recently sold: Horse Dream–many, many thanks, Grazie mille!! to this awesome collector!!!

Weekly Painting Week 93 Black, White, and Grey

Working on a few possibilities in oil using only Black, White, and Gamblin Torrit Grey. I am carving the horses out of the darkness. Those lumps on the beach may turn into dogs… or maybe a lobster, I haven’t decided.

Weekly Painting Week 88- Hey Betty! Surfer Girl

Summer is coming! I love how the color of the ocean is changing in the brighter light of Spring- more blue, less grey.  Completed this painting this week on a gesso board in a wood cradle- very stiff to paint on, but very smooth and glossy finish. Hey Betty! 8 x 10″ acrylic on board on cradled wood support.

Sold this week to an awesome collector- thank you! 

 

 

Weekly Painting Week 71 Figure Painting Abstractly

A more painterly version of a figure than I normally do- this one is called “Alice” after the Elton John song. 16 x 20″ Acrylic on canvas.

Weekly Painting Week 57 More Surf Art..and a good mistake.. perylene green for water

I was sorting paint and came to a tube that I thought was dried up –bought it that way the local art store, did not want to return it b/c hey, they are a locally owned store…next time check first! 🙂 Anyway, I had the wrong one, had a good tube instead, gave it a squeeze and out came about an inch of fine artist acrylic paint in a shade called perylene green.

I added it to a work in progress for the dark shadows in the water at the bottom of the wave- nice result! So, good to not waste the paint, even better to find a nice new pigment for ocean water.

“Tube” 16 x 20 acrylic on canvas.

Weekly Painting Week 54 Mr. Sinister and Apocalypse painting two figures in a composition

Painting on a larger canvas has its advantages- one is not having to use a magnifying glass to paint nostrils or pupils or the little things in ears. An advantage of painting a small work is that a little color makes a big impact. I used the red to set off all that blue on the figures and in the background. The red is the amazing Gamblin Cadmium Red Light- one of the colors I no longer can do without. Mr. Sinister and Apocalypse, 11 x 14 oil on canvas.

Weekly Painting Week 53 Only Doom dares to dream! Dr. Doom solo. Multitasking

This weeks painting features Victor von Doom, aka Dr. Doom. Not the finance guy, the original. Few people can pull of referring to themselves in the third person and not sound silly, but Victor is one of them. One of my favorite Dr. Doom quotes:

“From our previous encounter, lackey, I owe you vengeance.” He’s awesome that way.

I had Dr. Doom in this painting in a classic pose, with a grayed background. It looked like he was standing underground, or against a warehouse wall. It came to me in a flash that
1. He is in Latveria
2. It’s freezing there
3. Doom probably withstands cold and wind ok.

So here he is in a snowstorm, I completed this with another painting and had to remind myself not to glaze it at the same time. You can keep notes as you create art in a neat notebook or you can leave yourself glaring reminders of where you are in your process. Here is my reminder not to varnish the painting early, sounds like Victor said it:

Weekly Painting Week 48 Silver Surfer in Monochrome Oil Painting

This monochrome painting came out a little too “mono”. The pthalo blue and white worked for about everything, but a little more contrast did the trick- pthalo turquoise behind the figure made it stand out. Other than that, blue is a great color for a monochromatic work. You can tint (add white) or tone (add black) to make several values of color. Good idea to start with a value scale, mix the colors and go from there. Silver Surfer, 11 x 14″ oil on canvas.

 

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