Currently Browsing: Prompts 14 articles
Finishing Projects and a Little Bit about International Fake Journal Month
After decades of teaching art and creativity classes the many disguises of the internal critic never surprise me. But one aspect of the internal critic makes me the most sad—the way he pretends to be your buddy and fills you full of ungrounded expectations (for skill level and time to execute); and jollies you along […]
Doodle Portrait as an Aging Literary Character
I don’t paint a lot of selfies. But now and then I start to doodle and some braids emerge on the page… Regular blog readers know I’ve had the same hairstyle for decades, almost half a century at this point. What some don’t know is that there was a period in my childhood when I […]
The Dynamics of Hair
I’m also interested in the dynamics of hair not just as in beards, but in hairstyles. This brings me back all the time to the 1960s. (I collect old school yearbooks.) Here’s a page spread from a book I bound using the now defunct Zerkall Nideggen— toned paper with a wavy laid pattern and delightful […]
What I’m Thinking When I Make a Quick Study
Often I want to sketch something because something caught my eye, but I don’t have the time to really get down what caught my eye. I don’t have the time I need to blend and build up paint, or I don’t have the time needed to carefully hatch something. When that happens I make a […]
Get Some Sketching Done This Weekend
After reading yesterday’s post you all dialoged with your favorite painter RIGHT?! Or engaged with a new artist you’re not comfortable with perhaps? You’ve got a study sketch or sketches, lots of notes, tons of ideas, maybe even some big plans for your art going forward. Great. Really, that’s great. But now it’s time to […]
Lighting As You See It
In a week where I’ve written about creative momentum and using any space of time for your drawing habit, I wanted to remind you that simple, quick (30-minute) sketches can be so valuable if you follow through on your intention. The two direct brush portraits I did on this page spread were my end of […]
Making Time for the Steps that Support Your Goals
I have been pushing to spend a little more time on opaque paintings, but I don’t have the available time to do large paintings. To satisfy the urge to work opaquely, and to continue working on stylization, I’ve been focusing on smaller paintings like this three-portrait grid (ruled with pink Uni Posca Marker and filled […]
Now Use Even Fewer Strokes…
Did you spend your weekend working with your brush pen like I suggested on Friday? If so you’re ready to use even fewer strokes. Draw your subject with as as few strokes as possible. Think before you draw a contour line or make texture marks. Do you really need ink marks for that contour? For […]
As Few Strokes as Possible…
Pick up a brush pen. Get something down on the page in as few strokes as possible. Make each stroke count and enjoy the movement of the pen across the page. Repeat throughout the day as necessary. (Once an hour is great.) Have a fantastic weekend.
InkTober 2020—Setting Up a Plan and Enjoying What Comes of It
There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.