Portrait Drawing

Ebony graphite on newsprint / 45 minutes

Ebony graphite on newsprint / 45 minutes

 

Ebony graphite on newsprint / 10 minutes

 
This Tuesday morning was session 4 of 6 life portrait drawing classes and our model was the lovely Carol once again. Instead of standing to draw at an easel, today I chose to sit down and had a bit of an upward view of Carol as she was on a slightly raised platform. I am fairly happy with the results although I did not find myself getting into the zone as I had in previous sessions. I am not sure why as there were no distractions.

Equine #6 - another study in the series

This painting was done from one of the Equine Wednesday post drawings of last week and is 14 x 18 oil on linen.

Equine #5

Equine #5 / oil on gessoed cardboard / 15x11

Another quick oil sketch of equine power and motion. I am happy with this one for some reason :). I am resorting to numbering these studies rather than naming them as they have been coming fast and furious hence this is Equine #5.

Equine Wednesday

 More experimenting today with drawing on brown paper - possibly in preparation for a painting. The horse on the right is a second attempt to capture this gesture and is done in black charcoal with conte highlights in white and sepia. I will turn the drawing over so you can see the second drawing in the upright position.

You might be wondering about the positioning...... In order to do this drawing, I taped brown paper to a 24 x 36 canvas and did the drawings to maximize the drawing space!

Here they are individually in their correct positions.

Thank you for stopping by - and, as always, your comments inspire me and make me think!

Tuesday Portrait Drawing

Alejandro / graphite and white chalk on heavy brown paper / approximately 14x17

Alejandro / ebony graphite on newsprint / approximately 15x14

Alejandro, with his heavy five o'clock shadow, was our model for portrait session this morning. The studio has concrete floors and it was cold! Outside at 9 am the temperature was 16 degrees F and it wasn't much warmer inside. A space heater was brought in and finally the room warmed up a bit and we could draw without shivering! The top portrait was done a little smaller than I usually work as I wanted to include the models hands. I love drawing hands! He was straddling a chair (which I eliminated from my drawing) and resting his arm across the back, He was lit from the back and above so I didn't have much opportunity to use the white chalk for highlights on the brown paper but did manage to catch a few. The second sketch was done in about 15 or 20 minutes and my goal was to get a likeness in that short time. I like the looseness and scribbly character of the second drawing.

Remote Possibilities

Remote Possibilities / oil on linen / 18x14

Ebony graphite on sketch paper / 18x24

Still exploring - with an oil sketch and a pencil drawing.

A Day Spent with Pencil in Hand

Three Horses / graphite on white sketching paper / approx 24x36

Trying to find a good composition for a possible painting I have in mind.. This is done on two pieces of 18x24 paper pushed together and is quite rough. You can see all the erasure marks and smudges all about the paper. But I am getting a feeling for where I want to go with this.

Probing Remote Possibilities

Probing Remote Possibilities / oil on canvas/ 12x16

Oh, this fellow was so elusive! I wiped off my first attempt after realizing the anatomy was not quite right. I am more pleased with this outcome and he is happy to join the other energetic equines in this series.  In my last  painting post, Kathryn's comment expressed a concern that I might be adding human qualities to my horses (anthropomorphism). I found that to be an interesting observation, however, that is not my intent. I realize, as with all art, each viewer may see something different and interpret the paintings in unique ways. That is what art is all about as I think the viewer adds so much to the experience of seeing what the artist has wrought. In my mind these recent paintings are totally equine but I admit they certainly are stretching their athletic abilities! Thank you  for making me think about this, Kathryn!

Drawing What I See

Stephanie / ebony graphite on newsprint / approximately 18x14

Stephanie / ebony graphite on newsprint / approximately 18x14

Stephanie was our very professional and  lovely model in life drawing this morning. She wore a red felt hat and turtleneck sweater as well as funky dangling earrings. She has quite an interesting and unique face and I had a great time drawing her. The top drawing was about 40 to 45 minutes and the bottom was done in two 45 minute sessions. Stephanie is a professional photographer and does some stunning female nude work. If you would like to visit her site, her work can be seen at: Stephanie Hogen Fine Art Photography
As always, thank you for stopping by my site and I appreciate all thoughts, comments, concerns.....!

Held Fast by Delight

Held Fast by Delight 18x14 oil on linen panel

Looks like I might have the beginning of a series!

A Fundamental Shift in Emphasis

A Fundamental Shift in Emphasis 18 x 14 oil on linen

Had a LOT of fun this Sunday - once the oil sketch was correct as to proportions and placement in space, this one was easy!

Pink Hat

Oil on canvas 16x12

I made the mistake of buying my daughter a flamboyant pink hat and scarf for Christmas. She reluctantly modeled them for me and I thought she looked adorable. Later she explained that adorable is not quite the preferred  look for a Senior Manager CPA at Price Waterhouse! Oooops!

Portraiture from Life

 

 

Life drawing once again. I find it so exhilarating! This is my first time drawing a portrait in ebony graphite from life. As usual, on the first session I felt nervous and so rusty - not even knowing how to begin. So I just use my painting philosophy when confronted with a blank canvas - jump right in and get going. To my mind, there is quite a difference between figure drawing and portrait drawing from life. When doing the figure the concentration is on capturing the gesture of the form, the weight distribution and tension of the pose. The face is a whole new ball game as the focus is not only on capturing a likenss but, perhaps, if one is very lucky and very skilled, of capturing something more - something about the mood or character of the model. No easy task! The way the light falls and contours and shapes the face is the same so I took some little comfort in that!!
This model was an older lady, quite beautiful, with a kind and gentle face, gorgeous cascading hair and an overall serene countenance. I loved drawing her and spent about 30 to 40 minutes on the top two drawings and 20 minutes on the last. The class instructor is Martha Voyevidka - a classically training artist whose own drawings are superb and quite an inspiration.

New Year's Eve at Lake Tahoe

Squaw Valley Resort - home of the 1960 Winter Olympics

No lines at the ski lift!

Hot chocolate by the roaring outdoor fireplace.

Icicles at least 3 feet long!

Large boats on Lake Tahoe shrink wrapped for the winter.

View from Mount Rose over Lake Tahoe looking south.

Sunset over the lake. It was not quite frozen but the water was stiff with the cold. It was 23 degrees F when I took this photo.

It was such a glorious day - cold and crisp and exhilarating! The final view (I could not get a photo) on the drive home from the summit (9000 feet) of Mount Rose was of the city of Reno carpeted in snow from end to end - breathtaking. The entire day was a feast for the eyes and a banquet for the soul - a lovely way to wrap up 2012.

I normally do not make resolutions for the new year but I do hope to be more rigorous in my approach to painting this year - more disciplined. I hope to begin the year with life drawing sessions and long days at the easel. I can't wait to see what surprises and delights 2013 holds! A happy, prosperous, healthy and creative New Year is wished for all!