Light and Dark Study

For years I have walked around the book, Drawing the Light from Within by Judith Cornell, Ph.D. The art center had a book sale and this time I did not let it get away. There are two sections. The first part deals with paints and color and the second part is more on drawing. After a few simple marks with a 4B pencil that produce light to dark shading we were given this exercise to be done on a 18 x 24 inch piece of paper. We were advised to do random shapes and not try to convey a teacup or tree.

There was so much growth on my part from this exercise. I started on the left with rather small shapes. There was a great confidence surge after I realized that I could do larger shapes that were connected. Yes, it took over 12 hours, but well worth the time. Yes, I plan to do the next piece, but need to juggle all my different interests.

Hanging in there

Oh, has it really been a month since I posted! The computer part of my life has been slow, but drawing and traveling have kept me busy. Feeling grounded I was able to attend figure drawing. Trust me, we had a tall lanky model. Sri is about 6 feet tall and loves to wear 6" heels.

I decided that the lowly pencil was enough of a tool for me to use. Also, I placed myself between two very talented artists and took time to observe their techniques. One guideline was taking the time to observe. Even on the short poses, it is wise to stop and look before you place the first stroke.

On a day when I was so unsure about my ability to draw, it was delightful to be encouraged by the results.

Seeing the Figure

Friday morning figure drawing sessions have begun again after our summer break. I joined this group because of inspiration from members of the Everyday Matters group. Slowly I can see progress and its so relaxing to sit with other artists. Being around some very talented artists helps me to set goals.

Now I'm accepting the idea that it is OK to draw from images in magazines. Onward!

Time for Sketching

There have been moments during the last month when I did sit down to sketch. During one trip, I took a picture of this fallen tree trunk and I was determined to draw it. I finally did!

Pen and watercolor pencils were used.

During the 49ers win over the Panthers, I sketched from an instruction book and branched out to draw my own hand.

OK, I did enjoy the California weather today. Yes, we are facing a drought, but temperatures in the high 60's are to wonderful to ignore.