Currently Browsing: drawing practice 38 articles
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 […]
Warm-up Sketches and Studies
I don’t think people spend enough time doing warm-ups and studies. I think part of the hold up is that people listen to their internal critics and buy into the “it’s got to be perfect” baloney. But part of the hesitation in doing more studies and warm-up sketches grows also out of a worry over […]
In Context: A Portrait and Some Beans…and Some Paint
You can click on the image to see an enlargement. This is an “In Context” peak into my journal. (Hand-bound journal with the now defunct Winsor & Newton Watercolor paper which had gelatin sizing. I do not recommend the current paper sold under this name.) Fill some journal pages this weekend!
Simple Things to Sketch
There are a lot of simple things around your home to sketch. What you choose will reflect on what you’re interested in. Shapes, colors, values, negative space. Subjects around us keep us practicing for other subjects we’ve yet to meet. Enjoy exploring your home for simple subjects which yield greater understanding of all those skills […]
In Context—Painting Rocks
All my students are groaning right now as they read the title of this post: “In Context—Painting Rocks.” Don’t worry, I’m not going to go on about Ruskin, today. I just wanted to post this rock portrait because April marked a return to painting in color for me, after a long bout of pen and […]
Kuretake Ai Liner Brush—Sepia Brush Pen
I’ve reviewed the original Kuretake Ai Liner brush with black pigmented ink before on my blog. Recently I saw there is now a sepia version. Who doesn’t like sketching in sepia ink now and then? I ordered up a sepia Kuretake Ai Liner pen from JetPens. (They run around $7.50 and I typically buy enough […]
Go with the Line—And Finish
When you draw directly with ink every mark you make is permanent (or is it? More on that in a moment). If you don’t nail the line positioning, length, and weight (thickness and thinness determined by pressure) it’s decision time—what do you do? I’ve seen a lot of students figuratively and literally throw up their […]
A Sweet Dog to Wrap Up the Week
I think drawing a dog is always a good way to wrap up the week. Or the day. Even if you don’t have a dog at home (and I don’t any more) find a friend with an interesting dog, or go to the dog park, or, in a pinch, if you can’t get out, find […]
August Flowers
Even if you aren’t a landscape painter sometimes it’s great to simply look out the window and see the light and shadows. (Strathmore 500 series mixed media journal (7.75 x 9.75 inches); Sakura Pigma Professional Brush Pen, and Schmincke Horadam Factory Pan Watercolors.) What’s outside your window? Take your sketchbook and look now.
In Context: Familiar Faces
We all have subjects we love to draw over and over. This repetition allows us to go deeper into our understanding of form. In my notes on the page I refer to Rick Niece’s face as comfort food. He can be found on Sktchy and Instagram. He puts his talent and time into providing interesting […]