Currently Browsing: The Drawing Life 186 articles
Sharpening a Pencil to an Ultra-fine Point
If the above video doesn’t play, please view it directly on Vimeo at this link. I’ve often been asked how I get an ultra-fine point on my graphite pencils. Some time ago I promised to make a quick video to show people the process. I apologize to all my students who just had rely […]
In Context—Playing Catch Up
I’ve been offline for five days and it seems like I’ve forgotten everything about the computer and the programs I work in. I’m playing catch-up and a post here was on the top of the list. It has been a difficult month physically for me: increased vision difficulties and a back spasm that made […]
The Final Lectures—Self-assessments, Goals, Working with Intention, Lies of the Internal Critic, and a Pep Talk
This is part 4 of my farewell to teaching series. That’s a long blog post title, but that about covers it. This 46 minute video is excerpts from my Wrap Up Webinar with my final Drawing Practice online session. I talk about the topics in the title. For past drawing students just showing up […]
The Final Lectures Series: Which Question
Note: If you’re playing the home version game—today’s image on the blog’s landing page is a sketch of Dame Margaret Rutherford. It’s in the video. This is part two in my farewell to teaching series of posts. In today’s video (an excerpt from the mid-session webinar in my last Drawing Practice class), I address […]
Wrapping Up Teaching…What Does That Mean?
This is the first in a series of posts in which I say goodbye to teaching. For the next two weeks I’m going to have posts and a couple fun videos which I like to call “‘The Final Lectures’ Series.” I hope you’ll join me. So what does the title of today’s post mean? Am […]
In Context: Acceptance
This is from my 5 x 8 inch or so Hand•Book Watercolor Journal I was carrying in my purse at the time. I was sitting in the eye doctor’s office for the umpteenth time, sketching people in line at the counter as I wanted for my appointment. (I am fascinated by winter coats and so […]
Making Fun Lines
Just a quick little post. I was waiting for an appointment. It’s a waiting room where I’ve already drawn all the walls, halls, furniture, and decor! I looked up a bearded model on the iPhone Sktchy App and sat there in very low light, scribbling away. Even thought the pen was going dry, it feels […]
Drawing in the Dark
Towards the end of last year Dick and I drove out one snowy night on an errand. We stopped at a gas station to fill up the tank. I took those few moments to quickly sketch the intersection before me. I did not have an interior car light. We were at a side pump that […]
Don’t Stop, Keep Going
I think one of the biggest mistakes an artist keeping a visual journal or sketchbook can make is to stop when he gets frustrated. That’s when you kick it up a notch, hunker down, repeat, repeat, repeat. Keep searching for that line, or that likeness, whatever it maybe. If you give up too quickly […]
Physical Therapy for Your Art Practice
I suggest to my Drawing Practice students that they do a six-week plan and goal setting session at the end of class; and that they repeat that every six weeks for the rest of their lives. Knowing what our goals are, and seeing how we executed our plans, helps us realign our strategy for going […]