My first love

I've been spending a lot of time drawing which is something I don't usually do.  Drawing is really the foundation of good painting and I'm finding that taking the time to draw is really helping me loosen up when I paint.  I did the cowboy yesterday and the flower today.  I am limiting myself to one or two brushes rather than my usual dozen.  

"Red Flower

"

10x12 oil

Having fun with sketching

 I've  called this blog Painting Almost Every Day because that is what I try to do but lately rather than painting I've been having fun with sketching especially sketching faces.  Since I have no formal art education under my belt with the exception of a painting workshop here or there, I've decided to get some instruction in drawing and painting the face and figure.  These are a couple that I drew of two different models.  The instructor, Paul Davis, met each of us at the level we were at and stretched us so we left the workshop a better artist than when we entered.

Homeless

Last night we watched Secret Millionaire on tv where a wealthy man took to the streets for a week to volunteer helping the homeless on skid row of L.A.  He didn't tell those he met that he had money but gave a story of losing his business and being on the down and out himself.  After a week, he not only revealed he was a multi-millionaire but he also gave sizable donations to the various organizations or people he had "volunteered" with.  The faces of those many homeless has stayed with me today and is obviously influencing my drawings.

More sketching

Rather than do 18x24" sketches while in my studio, I kept my family company today and sat in the family room and sketched in a 9" x 9" sketchbook from various images I found on the internet.  I usually paint or draw from my own photos unless invited by a friend to use theirs but today I have to admit I wanted the challenge of sketching quickly from photos taken by someone else.  On some, I went for speed and did each of these in just a few minutes.  All in all I did about a dozen sketches today.

Pencil sketch

The previous sketches have been with conte or charcoal pencils.  Today I got out my trusty #2 pencil and blended only by adding more strokes rather than smudging with my finger or a stub.  My son worked on this boy's computer while I tried to capture him with my camera.

18"x 24" pencil sketch

A professional photographer friend, Tom Szalay, invited me to sketch or paint from some photos he's taken of students of his.  This is one I did yesterday.

18"x24" charcoal

Familiarity breeds stress!

I'll start by saying I love everything to do with art.  I love looking at art, reading about art - I even dream about art.  The longer I draw and paint, the more comfortable I am with what I am doing EXCEPT when it comes to drawing or painting someone close to me.  Then I stress out.

A couple of months ago I painted my husband, using only a palette knife (see earlier post).  Today I sketched my daughter, Lisa.  I don't have a formal art background although last year I did take a drawing class from a local artist.  Actually, we would watch him do portrait sketches and then we would go home and copy from some photos, bring back our work to be critiqued by the class.  I learned a lot from him and am thankful for those four evening classes.  He didn't cover shading which really is what gives form, volume and shape to an object.  In the few weeks, I am taking a workshop on drawing portraits and I hope shading will be covered.  In the meantime, it is trial and error.

I am trying different drawing materials like conte crayon and charcoal.  In the past I've only used your every day #2 pencil or pen.

This is my daughter Lisa.  I wonder if anyone who knows her would recognize her in my drawing.  I can already see some minor adjustments I need to make.   The answer to all my artful desires is practice, practice, practice.