Currently Browsing: projects 13 articles
Look Around for Elastic Faces
You’ll recall that last week I wrote about starting projects. My drawing examples were all faces. If you’re looking for muses to sketch and your family won’t pose for you (or can’t because your schedules don’t align) there are lots of folks on the Sktchy App who have elastic faces. Exaggerate them on not, it […]
What’s the Deal with the 2019 Celebration of International Fake Journal Month?
In January I decided that after 10 years of a public celebration of International Fake Journal Month I’d end the public portion of this project. You can read about my reasons at the above link to the official blog. So this year there is no button and theme/tagline and most important, nothing for me to […]
Projects versus Series?
Sometimes in classes I have students ask me what the difference is between a project and a series. I believe the difference is basically slim to none depending on how the user of these words understands and defines them. Dictionary.com defines “project” as something that is contemplated, devised, or planned; plan; scheme. a large […]
Limited Choices Lead to Successful Projects
After my post last week about doing creative projects many people wrote in to tell me that they were inspired to start a project. One accomplished artist wrote in to ask advice: Just looking for advice. After listening to the podcast on projects I’ve decided to take up the challenge. Over the years I’ve […]
Everyone Needs a Side Project
A few weeks ago my friend Danny Gregory called me up to discuss my thoughts about projects. Most readers know my Daily Dots—daily drawings of my Alaskan Malamute bitch Dottie made the last 4 and a half years of her life. But friends and students know that I’m always engaged in whatever the latest project […]
Fitting More Pans in a Square Metal Palette from Schmincke
As the Minnesota State Fair approaches of course I’ve been testing pigments and making choices on what gear I’ll be taking to the Fair for sketching. Today I’m posting about adapting my favorite metal palette box to contain more pans of paint—because sometimes you need more pans. I’ve been a fan of the Schmincke metal […]
Still Scanning My Bell Museum Project…
This post was originally published on February 15, 2017 during my site transition. Above: All of the sketches in today’s post were done on 9 x 12 inch white Stonehenge. I used the Sakura Pigma Professional Brush Pen with a fine point. And on the final sketch I added some rapidly applied washes. (You can […]
Saying Good-bye To The Bell Museum—My Last Day There and Some Musing on Painting
Or as I like to subtitle this post: On Painting Dead Birds… Left: 9 x 12 inch sheet of Stonehenge. Pen and gouache, with Montana Marker Background. Not from my last day, read below to find out more. I love setting up projects with specific parameters, and scheduled times, and sometimes even special forms I […]
Changing Your Point of View
Left: Brush pen and acrylic marker sketch in a Shinola Sketchbook. See below for additional details. I think it’s important when working in a series to change your point of view frequently. On this day I tried to get a handle on my friend’s features from a lower vantage point. Which makes sense because he’s […]
Learning a New Face
Above: Water-soluble ink brush pen and light layers of gouache in a Shinola Sketchbook. For the past several months, off and on. I've been drawing a friend who has been kind enough to mug for the camera—all those faces that pass in an instant that I wanted to capture. OK, I just really wanted a break […]