Currently Browsing: The Drawing Life 179 articles
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 […]
I Test the Ultra-fine Tipped Pentel Artists Brush Sign Pen
This ultra-fine brush tipped pen from Pentel—I don’t know what it’s called…The barrel reads: “Brush Sign Pen Artist.” It’s one of their Sign Pens in that it has dye-based, fugitive, water-soluble ink, but unlike their other “sign pen” it doesn’t have a solid fiber tip—it has an ultra thin, ultra fine, brush with individual […]
Sketching Faces: When You Feel You’ve Hit A Plateau
I sketch a ton of faces. I look back over the years and see how my approach to sketching faces has changed, how it’s constantly evolving. Often students write to me about experiencing a plateau in their drawing efforts. They feel that they have achieved a level of skill at which they remain […]
In Context—Richard’s Elbow
The sketch today and its caption pretty much explain everything. A couple weeks ago Dick had pain in his elbow and it was very swollen. I of course thought Lyme Disease since he’d been walking in a field a couple days before and ticks are still active up her. That turns out not […]
What Am I Going to Get Up To Now? Trouble?
We’re months out from my cataract surgeries. At last month’s eye doctor visit we learned more. I’ll write a detailed post about what’s going on soon. I won’t kid you, it has been a frustrating time. Not a day has gone by since January 30 (when they pulled off the first eye patch) when […]
Paper Matters: Is There A Right Paper?
For artists making works on paper media selection and method of application of course both matter, but too often artists forget that paper matters too. Have you been seduced by an art supply catalog into purchasing a substandard, non-artist grade paper? I see it all the time in my student’s questions. They’ve spent money on […]
Redefining the Self: Another Watercolor Portrait on Fluid 100 Hot Press Watercolor Paper
I tend to work in a series and this was item three in a series this spring that started with the image I posted in September 16th’s blog post. The second image in the series was the image in Monday’s blog post. What Do They Have in Common That Holds Them […]
Roz Is So Gross—Making Art By Any Means Available
I think it’s important to make art every day, by any means necessary—or in this case available. The other day I went to my massage therapy session. Dick dropped me off because I can’t drive with my right foot in a cast. I sat in the waiting area. Since there was no one else there […]