My last drawing today was this back study from a posespace.com photo. Luckily there wasn't too much going on other than some suggestion of scapulas (scapulae?), the spine, the sacral triangle, and a couple hips. I've seen well-developed guy's backs that would drive you crazy with all the lights and darks. I'm using vine charcoal… Continue reading Backs are tough
Tag: 2013
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
Got My Charcoal Working
After much searching and experimentation, I've found a good working combination, using compressed charcoal on Strathmore #400 18 x 24 inch paper plus a really hard eraser. I've been forcing myself to get the whole figure down in one minute before refining. This drawing is 25 minutes, the longest I can handle without getting bogged… Continue reading Got My Charcoal Working
Charcoal from Photo
My first charcoal drawing from one of my own photos! I've been doing a lot of copying from Internet photos—a lot of nudes from the site http://artists.pixelovely.com/practice-tools/figure-drawing/ for quick sketch practice, and some figures from Garry Winogrand photos. Copying the Winogrand photos gave me the idea that maybe I could use my own photos. I… Continue reading Charcoal from Photo
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
Charcoal in Chicago
One day's half-hour poses at the Palette and Chisel, trying to do things á la Graves's Life Drawing in Charcoal. 12 x 18 or 18 x 24 inches using vine charcoal and a kneaded eraser for the highlights. I'm working on my edge control. Right now I'm doing too much line drawing and… Continue reading Charcoal in Chicago
Practice, practice, practice
This is a half-hour charcoal drawing from a photo on the http://artists.pixelovely.com/practice-tools/figure-drawing/ Web site. My new large monitor makes it fun to draw at home. Although it's often-repeated that you shouldn't draw from photographs, I think it's helpful for practicing the basics such as proportion, layout, etc. and makes it easier to draw from a… Continue reading Practice, practice, practice
Ken Crocker Artist 