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In Context: More Brush Pen Talk—Hair
You can click on the image to read the text note on the spread for this “In Context” post. More brush pen hair for the week. The bonus of stubble. When you are sketching with a brush pen life is really pretty great. (And you can cope better with all the times you aren’t sketching […]
Playing with Markers in Backgrounds
There are a gazillion ways to use wide tipped makers for backgrounds on your artwork. Typically you see me put backgrounds on some of my portraits AFTER I’ve drawn the portrait. I like cutting around the figure with the wide tip. It’s just fun. You can’t really see the edge of the portrait all the […]
In Context: Studies Are Also Thoughts about Color Mixing
A peek in my journal—that’s what “In Context” posts are. And typically not a lot of text in the post. Here you see a gouache painting on toned paper. This happens to be a hand-bound book I made with Annigoni Designo. It’s about 7-1/2 x 9 inches closed. (All my rulers have migrated downstairs where […]
Keep Lighting and Contrast Always in Mind
Keep lighting and contrast always in mind when sketching—I couldn’t say it enough when I was teaching. In almost every instance where a student was having trouble with a visual focal point or showing form, what was lacking was a clear sense of lighting and a follow through with contrast. It doesn’t matter which medium […]
In Context: Meet Elvis a New Drawing Model
It has been awhile since I added to my menagerie of realistic animal and dinosaur replicas. This spring after a physical therapy appointment Dick and I stopped in at Hub Hobby to see what they had on offer. It was literally one block off the highway and I didn’t even have to pout or cajole. […]
TV Tips: Chef Shows—Lee Anne Wong
I’m a fan of competition cooking shows where leading chefs compete for prizes, money, titles… I have always enjoyed watching cooking shows since seeing Julia Child on PBS. (I most enjoyed her shows with Chef Jacques Pepin later in life.) In season 3 of “24 in 24” Chef Lee Anne Wong competed. I first saw […]
Short Painting Sessions Yield Impactful Results
Don’t let your internal critic, or your busy schedule tell you there’s no time to paint. Pick up a brush and soften some dark-valued watercolor (which can be diluted for lighter values) and make a quick sketch. Focus on the shadow shapes you see, don’t think about anything else. Even if your end result isn’t […]
In Context: Mixed Media Chickens
Sometimes it’s late and you want to get one more sketch in. I find this especially true when I’m trying to take a looser approach. Past bedtime—too tired to be fussy about details and accuracy—it’s a great time for one more sketch. But if something isn’t keeping you up I suggest you get to bed […]
Mixed Media Portrait on Toned Paper
If you’re going to play around with mixed media I encourage you to seek out toned papers. The strokes and values you achieve on the toned background make a fun departure from white paper. This sketch of an Earth’s World Fairgoer (who was wearing black lipstick) is in a hand bound journal I made with […]
A TV Tip: Still Standing
Some television travel shows focus on scenery and local cheeses and such. “Still Standing” shows you the residents of Canadian towns through the eyes of comedian and actor Johnny Harris. I can’t recommend this show enough. Each half-hour show is packed with interesting people and a view of life in their town. The premise is […]