This is the view from my sister’s backyard deck.
It is her husband Sam’s workshop. I decided to do a watercolor and ink sketch.
They both liked it so much that they framed it and hung it in the kitchen.
Sunday Sketching
Category: drawing
100 Day Project: Days 22 to 26
It seems that I’m drawing and/or painting just about every day, but not finishing very much. In the interest of keeping my progress on this project going, I’m posting some works that may not be quite done.
As usual, Bill’s photographs are wonderful. I chose two that focus on springtime, one vacation photo and an outdoor snapshot of the grand kids.
Day 22: Daffodil “Geranium.
This is an early morning shot. Besides the freshness and beauty of the flower trio, I am also attracted to the backlighting and the colors that lie in the shadows.
Day 23: An alley in Assisi.
I chose to make a pencil sketch. My main goal was to render the perspective accurately. After a few hours of work, I stopped with only contour lines in place – no attempt was made to capture values.
Oh, I did add a little figure to the picture, at its focal point. He is wearing a cloak and carrying a staff. Perhaps he is the saint himself?
Day 24 – 25: The grands at Olbrich Botanical Gardens in November.
This photograph totally captivated me, to the point that I’m intimidated to paint it. This week I got started.
UNFINISHED. I transferred the figures, laid down the first washes and one layer of second wash. I like where I’m going but feel the need to develop the painting slowly.
Day 26: Molting goldfinch
This little guy is transitioning to his summer plumage. Bill truly captured the moment.
I chose to make a sketchbook page, adding to the bird a few sprigs of plants that I gathered up from the back yard and brought into my studio. It’s a style I learned from Jean MacKay.
To learn more about Jean, check out her blog:
https://wordpress.com/read/feeds/20723534
See you next time!
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Sunday Sketching – Live Model
Yesterday I had my second opportunity to sketch from a live model. And what an interesting model he was.
Nate arrived somewhat breathless, resplendently dressed in Victorian garb from head to toe: black cloak lined in plum wool, waistcoat with satin lapels, brocade vest and ascot scarf around his neck.
The poses were held for fifteen minutes, with breaks in between each stretch. I sketched this first one fairly quickly in pencil, adding just enough detail to give the right impression.
Later in the session I focused on his face.
How was your Sunday?
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100 Day Project: Days 13 to 17
I had hoped to make more art objects in the week after my return from vacation. But then I decided it’s better to keep posting what’s done than wait for more progress.
If you are following this subject, you know that I am working with husband Bill. He selects the photos, I make art objects inspired by them. This week I selected five photos that feature interesting textures.
Day 13: Mosaic floor in Roman church
What struck me about this image was its illustration of single point perspective. As you look down and away, the medallions morph from circles to ovals. I started by drawing two straight lines, narrowing towards the vanishing point. For my texture, I went with Zentangles.
Day 14: What would you do with this object?
In case you can’t tell, it’s beachball floating in a pool. I found myself drawn to the reflection in the northern hemisphere of the ball.
Using pencil, I did my best to draw the shapes. Next, I combined it with this photograph of an orchid.
Day 15:
I added the orchid to the lower right corner of my pencil drawing, overlapping the edge of the circle. Then I dropped in color washes to the sphere. After that dried, I painted the orchid with darker shades.
Day 16: Ghost leaf
This is one of Bill’s favorites. The light is from behind, filtering through the oak leaf. The back leaf, peeking out between the lobes of the large front leaf, is casting its shadow.
I adore the color and texture of this image. It was impossible for me to do justice to the lacey network of golden veins. Instead, after painting on a golden wash, I lightly tapped the surface with a sponge dipped in masking fluid.
I also intensified the color of the background using orange’s complement, blue. The two hues side-by-side seem to throb.
Day 17: Shells
This photo was chosen for making a quick study in my sketchbook. I drew the shells free hand using a watercolor pencil in a neutral brown. Using that and other watercolor pencils, I added detail, color and texture. Finally, I dissolved and blended the pigments with a wet brush.
I recently read Painting Light & Shadow in Watercolor, by William B. Lawrence. Inspired by his work, my next set of photos will be chosen for the presence of interesting shadows. I’m excited to see what happens.
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100-Day Project: Days 6 through 12
For this week, I worked with a very nice selection of Bill’s photographs.
I was drawn to this one by its lines, texture and geometry. To bring those characteristics to the fore, I used pen and ink to render the cross.
DAY 6:
Day 7: Adding Sumi ink wash.
Photograph Two
In looking at this photograph of waterlilies, I got the impression that the leaves and blooms rising above the water line looked like actors on a stage, with the flat lily pads as the audience. To emphasize this impression, I used mostly pencil, and a cool wash to the background; warm, bright paint to the subjects.
Days 8 and 9:
Photograph Three.
Bill’s close up of a wood duck was begging for another paint swatch study. So that what I did on Day 10.
First, I brightened up the image using photo editing software. Using my watercolors, I discovered that it took eleven different pigments to match all the different colors of this bird. And after I finished the swatches, I was in love with wood ducks. So, I proceeded to paint him.
Days 11 and 12:
That finished out my week. Looking back at what I had done, I noticed that most of the work was realism. I’d like to challenge myself to try for more abstract images in the next week.
Daily Fiber 