This is the last drawing at last night's open drawing session at the Palette and Chisel. I did it on 18 x 24 inch Strathmore paper using vine charcoal, with a few touch-ups inProcreate on my Ipad. And here are some quotes from “The Complete Guide to Life Drawing,” the only complete English version of… Continue reading Fifteen-Minute Sketch & Gottfried Bammes
Category: Learning
Learning
Curves, Blocking, and Values
The following are Ideas about how to draw that I'm just becoming acquainted with. I put them to use as much as possible when I draw, but it's a struggle especially the concept of making up my own light. In general, I use the light I see which at this point I can modify somewhat… Continue reading Curves, Blocking, and Values
Never Give Up
Two drawings from last night's quick-sketch at the Palette and Chisel. I was tired: I get up in the dark and travel over a hundred miles to make it to the morning session and now it was dark again after a long day in Chicago and the model was late for the evening session.… Continue reading Never Give Up
Shadows
From “The Practice and Science of Drawing” by Harold Speed: “Nothing is more awful than shadows darker in the middle and gradually lighter towards their edges. Of course, where there is a deep hollow in the shadow parts … you will get a darker tone. But this does not contradict the principle that generally shadows… Continue reading Shadows
Avoiding the Christmas Blues
I woke up with one of the worst cases of the Christmas blues I've ever had. I often get down around the holidays, but it usually goes away on Christmas Eve. I suppose it's because I know it's almost over. Some of it has to do with being lonely as a kid at Christmas because… Continue reading Avoiding the Christmas Blues
What I Do When I’m Too Busy to Draw
Because I'm working a seasonal job this year, lately I haven't have much time to draw (or blog). To make up for it, I've been rereading Robert Beverly Hale's “Master Class in Figure Drawing” on my breaks. I also have audio copies of his 10 lectures that I listen to on my 40 minute drive… Continue reading What I Do When I’m Too Busy to Draw
No Where to Hide
Four-hour charcoal drawing at the P&C, drawing with the “pros.” It's been a long time since I went to a Monday long pose open studio, and I was really intimidated to go back. But I “toughed it out” and came up with this drawing, which I like. Of course, the face and arm are over-worked,… Continue reading No Where to Hide
Down the Rabbit Hole
I wasn't having much of a day drawing at the Palette and Chisel, first in the morning and then in the evening yesterday. I was getting discouraged, so I thought I'd try something different—nothing to lose after all. Then I came up with this drawing using compressed instead of vine charcoal. I was trying to… Continue reading Down the Rabbit Hole
A Night with the Devil
The devil in this case being the seduction of details. I went to Philip Solomon's open studio last night and started out reasonably enough, using my newly-learned technique of roughing out the pose with the side of a short piece of soft charcoal. But I knew I had 4 hours and very quickly I was… Continue reading A Night with the Devil
How an Artist Does the Laundry
I'm at the point in my color studies where the assignment is to make color progressions that change hue, brightness, or saturation over a continuum. So I figured why make a household chore a study in color? I put all the neutrals on another line behind this one—sort of cheating, I guess.
Ken Crocker Artist 