Brilliant Anyway

Bath time

2012-01-24T10:36:00.002-07:00

You may be wondering where I got such gorgeous little models for this drawing. You may be surprised to know they are not models nor is that the real Gerber baby but my own kids. This also accurately reflects their feelings about posing for dads drawing, it is beginning to wear on my girl but the little boy is stoked, but he is stoked about pretty much everything.
This took about 3 hours to draw with my mechanical pencil on regular sketchbook paper, the kids were getting pretty antsy by the end (not really of course). I am considering painting this but I am not sure if everyone thinks its as funny as I do.

Mind the gap

2012-01-19T10:02:00.001-07:00

Apologies for the gap in posts. I've had some projects of late that cant be shared but have consumed the last bit of my nearly non-existent available time.

A figure drawing from a couple weeks back.

painting

2011-12-13T14:17:00.000-07:00

I thought this might be done but its sat around long enough that I now think it is not ready. But I'll post it anyway.I don't think I like the hair too flat and generic.

Jindal

2011-12-05T10:46:00.001-07:00

For the Weekly Standard. I went with a simpler style this time.

sketchbook #52

2011-11-29T10:26:00.001-07:00

busy

2011-11-18T08:29:00.001-07:00

I've been busy lately but for now here is a early stage of this painting.

fig. 54

2011-10-21T09:21:00.002-07:00

The figure drawings lately have been a little uninspiring. But this ones kind of nice.

sketchbook #51

2011-10-11T08:51:00.000-07:00

I like when my drawings have areas loose enough to look totally random.

But I hate to discover I am creasing my drawing in the scan preview.

sketchbook #50

2011-10-04T08:21:00.000-07:00

A recent sketchbook drawing, this may turn into a painting in the near future.

the new me

2011-09-29T10:09:00.001-07:00

My previous avatar has lost favor in my eyes (not that I had any particular favor for him other then his interesting face). So I have decided to move on. This time I chose someone I actually like, Mr. Milton Friedman who also has a cool face. Unfortunately it doesn't size down too well and looks noisy in its small form.*shrug* I have had questions in the past assuming I am an older gentleman which I am not, yet. But my face is not nearly as interesting.
I was thinking about how I would like to do a more complete picture instead of a simple portrait so I may build a story around this face. Stay tuned.

Bonus:
I had enough saved out files that I put together this handy animated gif for your viewing pleasure. You will notice that a lot of the drawing is done at the painting stage. I try to get as close as possible with the drawing and nail the general parameters but I really kind of sculpt it at the painting stages.

portrait

2011-09-26T09:17:00.000-07:00

My pretty little neighbor. I just needed to get some painting in and this was the available reference.

Sketchbook #49

2011-09-20T09:05:00.000-07:00

From the sketchbook.

Coca Cola

2011-09-12T09:36:00.000-07:00

A oil painting I did for a Coca Cola related event in Atlanta. If you are in that neighborhood you should be able to see it at the Mason Murer gallery this month.

fig. 53

2011-09-06T08:57:00.003-07:00

I reference a good line/shading balance in the previous post. Though it felt good at the time after a little time to look at this I think its got to much line and has a cartoony look to it. The proportions are close but it doesn't feel very realistic to me now.

*fig. 52

2011-08-29T08:37:00.003-07:00

I got a bit of push back last time I said this but think that in my opinion this is my best figure drawing to date. That is not to say it is the one you would want to hang on the wall but to me it is the furthest along the path to where I want to get with my figure drawings. I think the proportions are accurate and a good range of shading but also an appropriate line vs. chiaroscuro balance.

This was a 2 hour drawing which unfortunately ended about 10 minutes earlier then I was pacing myself toward. So the lower legs aren't as polished as I would have liked. Again using Nu pastel and Conte but I got myself a medium gray shade of Nu pastel instead of the Bottle green or Cordovan I typically use. It is less workable, harder to erase but I like the look the Conte/Pastel transition is also smoother.

reading

2011-08-24T11:03:00.002-07:00

A sketchbook drawing, I toned it and added highlights in Photoshop.

these hands

2011-08-22T10:17:00.003-07:00

A digital painting, for your enjoyment.

I did the drawing in a meeting. It is pretty typical of the style that comes out of my mind when I am bored with nothing other than a pencil and paper to entertain me.

fig. 51

2011-08-16T10:15:00.000-07:00

I've had a pretty good run with figure drawings working out here for a few weeks. One thing I'm starting to get frustrated about is the generally stiff feeling I often get. I think a lot of it is the model who's sitting there for nearly 2 hours.

Pay no attention to that dead fish hand on his stomach, it is accurate.

Carry on

2011-08-11T09:05:00.001-07:00

Another for The Weekly Standard a few weeks back.

Figure drawing steps

2011-08-08T11:03:00.003-07:00

Finally got a few step-by-step pictures from a drawing session. Please excuse the awful quality, I love my little phone but its been scratched up, shaken, soaked, etc for a few years now.

Step #1-
Blocking in of the general shapes along with working out the spacing on the page and composition. Done with a Nu-pastel which is soft and easy to erase. I keep it light so mistakes are easy to fix. Measuring is important at this point. Get something on the paper that you can judge.

Step #2-
Still with the Nu-pastel I refine my shapes and work out the edges.

Step #3-
Once I feel like I'm close I go through and outline with Conte. Outline all the features and any hard edged shadows. I like this because the Conte is much harder and hard to erase so I can put in some heavy values and wipe with a paper towel and the line work will stay. Be very careful with small details like the eyes because like I said it is hard to erase if you are wrong, make sure you are right before you use the Conte.

Step #4-
So I've got the drawing lines, I go back to the Nu-pastel and color in all the shadows and the dark areas then wipe it down, go a little overboard with this. Next I come back with a kneaded eraser and start pulling out the light areas with a pink eraser available for the sharp clean edges. Then I return to adding darker values but more limited way and brighten the highlights as they get toned down.

Step #5-
Details. I've got a sharpened Conte piece that I use for the sharp tiny lines and places I really want to give strong darks.

.5 machine

2011-08-04T10:45:00.001-07:00

Done for the Avalanche blog topic "Cyborg".

Slayerette

2011-08-01T08:53:00.004-07:00

I've been poking around with Adam Hughes painting style which is interesting and I think I like it. Most of the value is added in the drawing stage then areas are colored in photoshop. I wanted to draw something up real quick and practice with it and it turned into a very nice finished piece I think. I leaned into his area of pretty comic book heroins a bit and I rarely draw monsters. For reference here is the original drawing:

sketchbook #47

2011-07-27T09:13:00.001-07:00

fish in a barrel

2011-07-25T10:06:00.003-07:00

Did this last weekend for the Weekly Standard magazine. I wanted something a little more cartoony because of the subject matter but it was such a quick turnaround(about 17 hours minus a good night sleep) your kind of bound to the drawing that you can get. This is almost realistic once you readjust the over sized head, feet, etc.

figure #50

2011-07-19T08:59:00.002-07:00

Another drawing that turned out well. I thought last weeks was good but the more I see it on the blog the less I like it, even though when I see the hard copy I still like it. I'm pretty sure I like this one better but who know how I'll feel in a couple days. The face turned out nice and I am happy with the range of values I've achieved which is not typically my strong suit.

fig.49

2011-07-12T09:48:00.003-07:00

I am really happy with how this turned out. 18"x24" NuPastel on paper.

Unfortunately, I was all ready to get some step by steps but forgot my camera. It's hard to figure out why it works out some days, this came after a string of disasters. One thing I've found helps is to do some related drawing the evening before a figure drawing session.

Flower in oil

2011-07-05T10:11:00.003-07:00

And now back to that other kid..

11"x14" Oil on board
You may remember this drawing from a couple months back. At the time I had another painting of her I was working on but it was fast turning into an epic failure, my friend Lash LeRoux suggested the drawing would work as a painting. So I gave up on the other and began again on a better foundation. I really pushed the colors and gave it more of an illustrative feel and I think it turned out very nicely. I've been searching for a way to use the feeling I get in my drawings across in oil with the majority of the rendering and detail in the face then letting it trail off in the less important bits. I like the background here, rough enough to see the board but subtle and complimentary IMO.

Schools out

2011-06-30T11:01:00.005-07:00

Please forgive the absence, I've been out welcoming a new little boy to the fam. He's a little shy, doesn't talk much and sleeps a lot.

This is a cover I did for the Friend magazine. I've had bad experiences in the past trying to pull off complicated multi figure scenes and was worried enough to try a different simpler style for this, more dependent on the drawing and less rendered. I would say some of the figures are too rushed and the style had tricky problem of looking unfinished. There are things I like about it though and I think it will be a style I will probably play with in the future.

farmer

2011-06-15T07:48:00.001-07:00

Just a digital painting, I had to redo the background several times to find a scheme I liked.

Mucha kick

2011-06-13T08:10:00.002-07:00

I have been on a huge Mucha kick for a while now, thanks to Valentino who got me my latest fix with maybe the best book I've ever owned. Alphonse Mucha is available for $40 on amazon and has a whole section on the amazing Slav Epic including some gorgeous close ups. I highly recommend it obviously.

This is a drawing done from one of Mucha's photographs as is the drapery post.

robot

2011-06-08T14:34:00.003-07:00

A recent illustration for the New Era magazine. I got a lot of freedom with it which was cool. I am pretty happy with the concept and the composition, but the rendering isn't all the way there, I probably should have had a better plan going into it but alas.

Also big thanks to Kevin Keele who helped with the ribbon drawing which is why the hair looks so good.

fig. 48

2011-06-07T09:05:00.002-07:00

I've been away from the figure drawing for a bit but this was done a couple months back. If you put your hand over the head I love it, with it it is just okay. The body has a nice clean simpleness that I like but the head I think it got overworked and generally does not feel right.

I committed to posting a step by step but haven't been able to get one together yet it will happen eventually though. Sorry.

drapery

2011-06-02T09:13:00.000-07:00

Room with a view

2011-05-24T11:48:00.004-07:00

A painting I did since I found a bit of time for it. I put a little more time and planning into this and I think it turned out. As always, the background is a stretch for some sort of subtle vehicle for the painting of the figure that I really enjoy.

below is the detail:

Flower

2011-05-05T09:40:00.003-07:00

This one turned out nice, its a drawing of a flower with a little girl attached to it.

Alphonse Mucha is my favorite artist ever, I thought this channeled his style a little.

figure 47

2011-05-02T13:46:00.003-07:00

This ones a couple months old and not as smooth as the more recent drawings using my new method but I think it turned out nice. I understand many of these figure drawings are less popular because, lets face it, this guys not particularly beautiful, but for me it is a more accurate drawing with a good natural look to it. A natural feeling to a person is key for me and is missing from much of the artwork that I find around these days.
I read somewhere that practice with a focus on what you are learning as opposed to the results is a more effective method to improve. I think I have always been naturally inclined to work in this way which has left me with stacks of sketchbooks full of half finished drawings. It also has a downside as I look over my work now and find very few really good finished work to show for all my time. Oh well, I am typically happy just to create art.

figure #46

2011-04-26T10:19:00.002-07:00

I really like how the arm turned out on this one. I really feel like the figured drawings are coming around lately(until I crash and burn on the next one).

Poker

2011-04-19T14:00:00.002-07:00

An illustration done for the Weekly Standard magazine. I like a lot of things about it but it was less then one day turn around which doesn't allow for much polish, you got to get it right the first time.

Dorthy

2011-04-14T11:16:00.002-07:00

I've come to terms with drawing my little girl all the time. a) I've decided I put so much money into this little girl I better get it out in model fees. b) she is the greatest little person ever, bar none.

We've got a little boy coming in a couple months I hope he knows what is in for, high expectations, long hours, low pay.

more plagiarizing #4

2011-04-12T16:51:00.003-07:00

This time from the great Nicholi Fechin. I got a very nice book from the Nucleus gallery bookstore that had some fantastic drawings. For some reason its really hard to find a good book of this masters work. Does anyone have the Balcomb book? Does is have good drawings in it? His paintings are interesting but its really the drawings I am interested in.

I was just drawing with my usual mechanical pencil but thinking to really get anything close to those nice lines you need to be working with the edge of a stick of charcoal. This one was done that way and got a lot closer.

I start all my head drawings with a light circle, you can see it coming across her lower cheek, I usually erase anything noticeable.

Leyendecker

2011-04-07T10:28:00.001-07:00

Leyendecker was a genius.

Character

2011-03-22T09:14:00.004-07:00

So I'm walking to my car yesterday with my latest drawing in tow thinking about how pleased I am with the results when a big gust of wind blows it right out of my hands and down the street into traffic and way too fast to chase. I followed a bit but had to give up because of an urgent appointment. Maybe 20 minutes later I decided to drive by just to see if I could see it. I drove 2-3 blocks and as I was ready to give up I see my drawing tumbling by my passenger window. I pulled over and it dutifully attached itself to a parking meter for me to pick up.
Just like a disobedient little dog that wants to run around but in the end is happy to go home. I'm glad I found it and I suppose the experience adds character to the piece.

On a side note: My favorite art in the entire world is Alphonse Mucha's Slav Epic. I searched for years for good large digital copy's and finally found some here, also more great links here.

sketch 40

2011-03-03T10:24:00.002-07:00

Sorry for the lack of posts, work has been breaking me down for a while now. And after a sad sports night I had to get something positive so I got the sketchbook, this drawing turned out pretty good. That much black space is hard to cover with my little .3mm mechanical pencil.

If your in the mood for some great art visit this new sight by my favorite artist around Doug Fryer.

sketch 39

2011-01-31T12:23:00.002-07:00

My friends kid, I want to do a full digital painting of this in the near future.

I actually was having a really hard time getting the likeness, my wife said I was close but I didn't believe her. So I tried twice then got out the tracing paper(no, not to trace the photo) to use my handy tracing paper method. I assume I was getting closer but the next day I couldn't tell which was the most recent drawing. Anyway, once I got in there and darkened the eyes, which I typically wait to do because it is hard to erase if you miss, it looked good. I think I wasn't feeling the likeness because this little girl has big pretty dark eyes and it didn't feel right until they were there.

Waterhouse

2011-01-20T10:41:00.000-07:00

Peeking

2011-01-11T21:19:00.001-07:00

sketchbook #37

2011-01-04T09:57:00.002-07:00

I asked my wife if she thought people would be getting sick of non-stop pictures of my little girl. My wife said no because she is pretty. So once again here is another drawing of my pretty daughter. This one feels pretty good to me, I got away from the sketchbook for a while there and could see my drawings getting sloppy. So I've been back at it and there getting better, just got to get back on that bike.
A couple posts down the drawing was done for a painting so its messy, this is done to look finished.

Santa

2010-12-22T10:37:00.002-07:00

A quick pic for the Avalanche blog "Speed Santa" topic, and for Christmas, although it may not entirely be in keeping with the spirit. The blog is showing signs of life (Death throes?)

Merry Christmas all the same.

study

2010-12-15T15:12:00.002-07:00

A study for a painting(I hope). Kind of rough and choppy, but I am much more interested in correct proportions than a nice drawing.

By the way, Scott Waddell has some very nice drawing demonstrations that he has been posting to his blog, check them out for some good pointers.

figure drawing

2010-12-08T09:24:00.002-07:00

Last weeks figure drawing done in my sketchbook. 9"x12" mechanical pencil on regular old sketch paper. When I am in my sketchbook I usually stay away from rendering the whole figure because it is a lot more difficult to shade large areas with a tiny point so i prefer to focus on the face.

sketchbook

2010-12-01T09:48:00.004-07:00

probably about 8"x10" pencil on paper

fig. 43

2010-11-18T10:30:00.002-07:00

I've got a newish technique I've been using in my figure drawings lately that seems to be working out. I am not very happy with how hi-key the drawings are but its been something I am not aware of as I am working, only later. So something to work on.

Oil painting practice

2010-11-16T11:04:00.004-07:00

I am pretty sure coming up with good ideas is the hardest part of painting a picture. I'm stuck in an idea rut right now so decided just to do some master copies, this philosophy works well for drawing why not painting? Although I never get a nice finished piece, I am getting better and that's what I prefer.
So this is a Thomas Dewing work in my top 3 favorite paintings of all time and if you are a long time follower of the blog you may remember this copy done years ago in the digital medium. Don't pay too much attention to the drawing because it is off(though not as far off as that old digital version, ugh) but then that is not the intention. It's the painting that is the focus and I am very happy with how the brushwork turned out although the colors can also use some work. There is another practice copy going on at the bottom of the picture to show you how I just use it like a page in my sketchbook, drawing wherever I've got enough space. This makes me excited to get back to doing a painting of my own after this.

Treaty

2010-11-11T14:49:00.001-07:00

Figure #42

2010-11-05T09:39:00.004-07:00

Last weeks figure drawing. While this was done on my sketchbook 9"x12" with my trusty .3B mechanical pencil, I've really warmed up to a new technique with my large figure drawings and as soon as I get around to getting some pictures I'll describe it.

Bonus! if you look close you may be able to see the llama portrait I drew last night.

Sketch36

2010-10-26T09:44:00.000-07:00

Bowler hat

2010-10-13T14:58:00.000-07:00

Done in Painter

sketchbook #35

2010-10-11T08:27:00.002-07:00

Getting back on the horse after too many projects around the house.

Hoopes

2010-10-04T10:45:00.003-07:00

A figure drawing from a few weeks back. done with Conte on 18"x24" drawing pad. Conte is nice to draw with but very hard to erase so it's tricky, whereas the Nu Pastel I usually use is easily smudged and also easy to erase but harder to control. So I've always been torn on which to use, this one turned out good because I just sat down and drew it, instead of building it slowly with layers. So I have just started doing a combination of the two. I will show one of them pretty soon.

*For coworkers, this is not Mike Hoopes, just a model that happens to be his doppleganger.

Bandana

2010-09-27T19:52:00.004-07:00

*Updated color adjustments*-looked good on my home screen but terrible at work, this should be better.
My baby all dressed up, current progress. Done using the drawing in the earlier post. I was planning on leaving it alone for now, then I was smart enough to put it out where it got paint flicked on it from another painting I've got on the easel.
Oil on board 9"x12"

figure #40

2010-09-23T07:36:00.002-07:00

Couple weeks old.

Man on fire

2010-09-08T07:37:00.000-07:00

Exercise

2010-08-23T08:56:00.009-07:00

I've talked about this drawing exercise before, but I am so convinced it is great practice I will share it again. It comes from the great William Whitaker so it can be trusted. Note, this is not how I learned to draw but it would have saved me a lot of time on the journey. I've included some examples below. They are rougher and I cheat a little on the measuring after doing the method a lot but it gives you the idea.

step #1 - Get a pad of tracing paper. Set it up on an easel or whatever, close to a photo/model that you want to draw.
step #2 - Draw it. Try to do as much measuring as you can. Measure the distance between features with a straight object. Stand at least arms length, close an eye, hold your arm straight and use the end of the pencil and your finger (this will be a usable technique for life drawing too). You'll get something like the example #1 below.

step #3 - step back and squint you should be able to see some structural problems. Tear off the drawing and put it underneath the next page. Trace only the correct lines and pull away the drawing #1.
step #4 - With those lines as a base re-draw it. You should get closer this time around. Continue to step back and squint to find all the problems.

step #5 - Repeat 4-5 times.

Now this is never intended to be a nice finished drawing and it's not beautiful, but it should help get the right proportions, you can transfer it to good paper and do a nice drawing or like me use it paint for a painting.
You are learning to see. Most people can handle a pencil fine but seeing where a line should be is more difficult and takes a lot of practice. Another very important trick for drawing is putting a line down. It doesn't have to be right just put something there and you can then use that line as a fixed point to decide it you are too low/high/long/short/left/right.

Also, this is the basic measuring process I use for every drawing but all together at once on one page and without the tracing paper. This is just a good way to break it down and take a more analytical approach which helps with learning and makes problems more apparent.

shadows

2010-08-16T09:51:00.000-07:00

Flower sculpture

2010-08-02T11:14:00.003-07:00

*Update- the sculpture is "Nymph of the Fields", 1915, by Pittaluga, thank you very much Jane*

A new digital painting mainly as practice. Another sculpture I photographed somewhere at sometime but have lost track of the name or location. If you know where it is let me know. Maybe I'll do some more searching to narrow it down because it is a beautiful statue.
This type of painting is mainly value a value study since the color range is so limited. But it is still good practice.

Here's a little tour of previous statue paintings in case your interested:
-Prague cathedral
-National Gallery
-National Gallery 2

The Old Man and the Sea alternate ending

2010-07-26T14:20:00.002-07:00

From the below drawing which may or may not have been produced in a long meeting. Finally a little color around here.

It's been a while since I read the book so it may not be entirely accurate.

color?

2010-07-22T08:55:00.002-07:00

I need to get some color back into this blog. Here is a study that I really hope I can get some time to paint because I like how it turned out. Cross your fingers.

profile

2010-07-19T08:53:00.002-07:00

lawyers

2010-07-12T08:27:00.000-07:00

After Fechin #3

2010-07-06T12:10:00.003-07:00

One of the great draftsman of all time.

Precocious

2010-06-29T08:33:00.002-07:00

Please stop me if I sound like I'm bragging but this girl is the best. This is the "can I eat this chocolate that I found" look.

sketchbook #30

2010-06-24T08:15:00.001-07:00

Still no colors

Day late, dollar short

2010-06-15T08:22:00.003-07:00

Fresh off my European tour, I have this mediocre offering.

Saw some beautiful places, missed out on a lot of great art but I am happy to declare Bernini is the greatest.

2010-05-20T16:38:00.001-07:00

the Note

2010-05-17T09:07:00.003-07:00

A recent illustration for The Friend magazine. I was really happy with the colors when I got the printed version. The poses still feel awkward but I think that is pretty common when trying to stitch together different reference but generally I like it.
Also, the chairs were incredibly difficult so I gave up and just did one. I really prefer to do organic things, well people at least.

meetings

2010-05-11T11:07:00.001-07:00

If a person is semi-still you can draw them but still get an option of picking and choosing the best elements when they move.

sketchblog

2010-04-29T09:34:00.000-07:00

It's starting to feel like a sketchblog around here.

sketchbook #25

2010-04-22T07:53:00.002-07:00

Take a look at April 15th's drawing below and you may be able to see the very subtle preview to this post, which was on the following page.

Sculptor

2010-04-19T15:17:00.003-07:00

An illustration done for The Weekly Standard. The more cartoon style helps make a really quick turn around a little more manageable. This is Mr. Obama working away with his hammer (no sickle is visible).

drawing

2010-04-15T08:19:00.001-07:00

Pay no attention to the smudge up top where I stepped on it. This was not an artistic choice.

Exterminator

2010-04-12T07:10:00.001-07:00

There you go. Very moody, I am thinking of naming it "Death of a Bug Exterminator". Usually I insist on some amount of reference to work from. This has none. I am satisfied with the atmosphere which has been something I have been working to improve for a while now.
Done for a Avalanche blog topic on Bug Wars.

prep work

2010-04-09T10:09:00.000-07:00

All ready to paint(digitally)

collaboration

2010-04-07T08:21:00.004-07:00

Here we have the first collaboration between myself and my 1 year old daughter. She was great to work with.
We're actually pleasantly surprised she seems interested in drawing already, her specialty seems to be bird nests and stars. I anticipate more of these in the future.

sketchbook #22

2010-04-01T07:48:00.002-07:00

This was done before the previous 2 and for that its not quite right with all the proportions. I hadn't found the time to draw for a long while so I guess this is the break-in sketch. I find it takes a drawing or two to get back into my grove, thank goodness it sticks with me.

sketchbook #21

2010-03-25T08:28:00.001-07:00

I will always believe the mouth is the most difficult part to draw. People always say its the eyes, no it is the mouth.

vultures

2010-03-22T13:46:00.002-07:00

I wanted more for the background and finish work, but I am over it now. The likeness is fine but I kept losing it and giving up then it would drift back in, so it may or may look like the subject. I'll just let you guess.

reunion

2010-03-16T08:05:00.003-07:00

Sometimes I go for too long without finding the time to draw. I'm being distracted by a busy body 1-year old and a recent trip among other things.
Anyway I am back spending time with my old friend, the sketchbook. Its always easiest to find an old magazine or catalog, search out an interesting face or pose and draw it. This is this weekends result. I thought this was an interesting choice for a model but she looks like a Bouguereau painting IMO. Hair is always fun, my drawings get pretty abstract very quickly when I get to the hair.

simple hands

2010-03-15T07:59:00.006-07:00

Sometimes I really feel good about some quick sketch. I really like these hands, especially the one on the right. Just the right combination of stylization and realism and appropriately simple.

Of course these are always done on the very margins of the page. More drawings to come soon.

done

2010-03-11T12:40:00.001-07:00

I never really knew were I was going with this, but whatever. Here it is. I hope I don't loath it in a couple hours.

in process

2010-03-03T12:55:00.000-07:00

oh pioneer

2010-02-22T10:21:00.002-07:00

Based on a cool old time sepia photo I came across. I apologize if this is your great grand aunt. The finish work on this ended up taking forevah, but I think I am pleased with it. Sometimes you work and work forever on especially finish work, then I can't really say whether it is necessarily worse or better. It gets very subjective. Whatever, it's up and I can wash my hands of it, then move on to another old time photo.

in process

2010-02-17T15:37:00.002-07:00

I often start with a blue pencil, then just go right on finishing with a blue pencil. I think it looks nice. This one is in process.

doodle

2010-02-16T13:59:00.002-07:00

For no good reason.

Tracing paper

2010-02-10T15:32:00.003-07:00

A very good trick for getting an accurate drawing before you spend hours on an oil painting only to realize your initial drawing was way off: Do the drawing on tracing paper, then pull out that page and put it under the next page. Trace the lines that are correct then remove the page and do the drawing again. Repeat this process over and over, maybe 5 times or more if needed. Each time you should be able to tighten the drawing and get much closer to the correct proportions. This is the 3rd try at this drawing, the first was not nearly as close but I like this one. Actually the second and third were very similar, its a great exercise and you will get better as you do it.

I plan to paint this soon(I hope).

fridays sketch

2010-02-08T09:53:00.003-07:00

A good interesting angle for this weeks sketch. These angles are extremely tricky to get correct proportions but it is a very useful exercise that prevents you from relying on what you know, instead you have to measure and analyze.
This is close, I will not point out the problems though.

Here is Sam's angle. And Adam's.

Bump - Cover

2010-02-04T16:44:00.001-07:00

-Updated-
I wanted to give some extra publicity to the Author Bruce Newbold. For anyone interested in a Harry Potter type good read with a nicer cover, the book has just been released and can be found here: The Baseball Box Prophecy

A just completed book cover commission I am unveiling for the first time. The book is titled "The Baseball Box Prophecies" and is still in the late production process so it's not yet available but it was a fun project that turned out better then expected.
I used Adam Ford's layered painting method for this which turned out to be a fantastic process for a complicated lighting setup. It took more time to fully plan it out and resulted in huge files with many layers but again I am happy with the effect. I have tried it since with simpler paintings and it hasn't turned out so it may be just for specific uses.

Bell

2010-02-02T09:09:00.005-07:00

In a desperate attempt to drive traffic I have sunk to the level of painting Disney princesses in hopes of snatching a few unassuming Google searchers.

Actually it is a Avalanche blog topic which was prompted by these to nice princess paintings done by Sam Neilson(since childhood Disney princess coloring book pages seem to be a specialty of Sam's) and Ryan Wood.
Kind of enjoyable to not have to worry about the drawing, just go to town with colors. The color scheme was taken from one of my favorite paintings evah, Jean-Francois Millet's Louise-Antoinette Feuardent(I think the colors on the link are not that good) which you can see at the fantastic J. Paul Getty museum in LA.

fig. 38

2010-01-29T11:53:00.004-07:00

Another figure drawing form friday. About 90 minutes 9"x12" with a mechanical pencil in my sketchbook.

figure #37

2010-01-25T11:54:00.001-07:00

A recent drawing 18"x24" Nupastel on paper. With about 90 minutes I didn't have the time to detail out the lower half.

Le Corbusier

2010-01-21T12:51:00.002-07:00

I don't know about the buildings but I certainly approve of the glasses.

Brilliant Anyway

Bath time

Mind the gap

painting

Jindal

sketchbook #52

busy

fig. 54

sketchbook #51

sketchbook #50

the new me

portrait

Sketchbook #49

Coca Cola

fig. 53

*fig. 52

reading

these hands

fig. 51

Carry on

Figure drawing steps

.5 machine

Slayerette

sketchbook #47

fish in a barrel

figure #50

fig.49

Flower in oil

Schools out

farmer

Mucha kick

robot

fig. 48

drapery

Room with a view

Flower

figure 47

figure #46

Poker

Dorthy

more plagiarizing #4

Leyendecker

Character

sketch 40

sketch 39

Waterhouse

Peeking

sketchbook #37

Santa

study

figure drawing

sketchbook

fig. 43

Oil painting practice

Treaty

Figure #42

Sketch36

Bowler hat

sketchbook #35

Hoopes

Bandana

figure #40

Man on fire

Exercise

shadows

Flower sculpture

The Old Man and the Sea *alternate ending*

color?

profile

lawyers

After Fechin #3

Precocious

sketchbook #30

Day late, dollar short

more

the Note

meetings

sketchblog

sketchbook #25

Sculptor

The Old Man and the Sea alternate ending