I’m in Portland, taking a 3-day figure drawing intensive with Fran O’Neill. Saturday was Day 2 of my intensive, and though about mid-day I was cranky, I ended the day on a high. I did not want to stop.
I learned a new way of drawing. Isn’t it thrilling that I can draw for so many years, and still learn something totally new. People underestimate the potential of drawing, I think. It’s just the same old burnt stick and paper, but the approach is new and interesting to my puzzle-loving brain.
In recent beginning figure drawing classes, I’ve been teaching League students how to draw with sight sizing, envelopes, construction lines, and what I call “straight line measures.”
Beginning Figure Drawing, student drawing
What I learned today is related to this process. I’ll call it a close cousin. In the hands of Giacometti, it might look like this:
Euan Uglow 1951-52
Antonio Lopez Garcia put white marks on fruit and leaves in a tree so he could measure properly, and then he painted those marks in the painting.
Peri Schwartz
This measuring process also might be related to to Ann Gale’s paintings, only she chooses not to have her image resolve.
My measured study (I think this was 40 minutes), vine charcoal on 90lb Arches coldpress paper, 4 pages glued to 56×40″ size
While somewhat frustrating to not “get it right” on the first round of marks, I felt this was a very fun game, and one I could play for a long time without getting bored. I also thought the effects of my measurements (the pentimenti) were beautiful. I thought they made the drawing more engaging, and gave the viewer pathways and interest points around the drawing. I did not want to stop drawing. It was such an enjoyable process, and unstoppable because it had not yet “resolved.” The only reason I did stop was because the models got up and walked away and they were locking up the building. Darnit.
[image_with_animation image_url=”9566″ alignment=”” animation=”None” box_shadow=”none” max_width=”100%”] Alice Neel, James Hunter Black Draftee There are a lot of reasons artists don’t finish paintings. Death, for one, such as in Vincent van Gogh’s “Street in Auvers-sur-Oise” unfinished from the June in 1980 that he shot himself. Lovely painting, horrible death. Correction: According to the research of Pulitzer Prize-winning biographers …
High Flight Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings; Sunward I’ve climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth Of sun-split clouds, — and done a hundred things You have not dreamed of — wheeled and soared and swung High in the sunlit silence. Hov’ring there, I’ve chased …
Never underestimate the beauty potential of a simple study on paper. These works are mostly vine charcoal on toned paper, some white charcoal (or white pastel), and pencil. The drawing above is watercolor. For most of these, regardless of color, the toned paper is standing in for medium value, so the artist only has to …
I asked Fran O’Neill from the New York Studio School to talk about her upcoming workshop “To Transcribe” and the benefits of transcribing masterworks. She offered a beautiful and inspiring response. Fran O’Neill’s 2 day workshop “To Transcribe” is coming to the Seattle Artist League October 24, 2020. Click here to learn more. “To Transcribe” …
Measured Marks
I’m in Portland, taking a 3-day figure drawing intensive with Fran O’Neill. Saturday was Day 2 of my intensive, and though about mid-day I was cranky, I ended the day on a high. I did not want to stop.
I learned a new way of drawing. Isn’t it thrilling that I can draw for so many years, and still learn something totally new. People underestimate the potential of drawing, I think. It’s just the same old burnt stick and paper, but the approach is new and interesting to my puzzle-loving brain.
In recent beginning figure drawing classes, I’ve been teaching League students how to draw with sight sizing, envelopes, construction lines, and what I call “straight line measures.”
Beginning Figure Drawing, student drawing
What I learned today is related to this process. I’ll call it a close cousin. In the hands of Giacometti, it might look like this:
Euan Uglow 1951-52
Antonio Lopez Garcia put white marks on fruit and leaves in a tree so he could measure properly, and then he painted those marks in the painting.
Peri Schwartz
This measuring process also might be related to to Ann Gale’s paintings, only she chooses not to have her image resolve.
My measured study (I think this was 40 minutes), vine charcoal on 90lb Arches coldpress paper, 4 pages glued to 56×40″ size
While somewhat frustrating to not “get it right” on the first round of marks, I felt this was a very fun game, and one I could play for a long time without getting bored. I also thought the effects of my measurements (the pentimenti) were beautiful. I thought they made the drawing more engaging, and gave the viewer pathways and interest points around the drawing. I did not want to stop drawing. It was such an enjoyable process, and unstoppable because it had not yet “resolved.” The only reason I did stop was because the models got up and walked away and they were locking up the building. Darnit.
More tomorrow!
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Unfinished Paintings
[image_with_animation image_url=”9566″ alignment=”” animation=”None” box_shadow=”none” max_width=”100%”] Alice Neel, James Hunter Black Draftee There are a lot of reasons artists don’t finish paintings. Death, for one, such as in Vincent van Gogh’s “Street in Auvers-sur-Oise” unfinished from the June in 1980 that he shot himself. Lovely painting, horrible death. Correction: According to the research of Pulitzer Prize-winning biographers …
Flying Machines
High Flight Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings; Sunward I’ve climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth Of sun-split clouds, — and done a hundred things You have not dreamed of — wheeled and soared and swung High in the sunlit silence. Hov’ring there, I’ve chased …
Degas’ Studies of Drapery
Never underestimate the beauty potential of a simple study on paper. These works are mostly vine charcoal on toned paper, some white charcoal (or white pastel), and pencil. The drawing above is watercolor. For most of these, regardless of color, the toned paper is standing in for medium value, so the artist only has to …
Fran O’Neill on Transcribing Masterworks
I asked Fran O’Neill from the New York Studio School to talk about her upcoming workshop “To Transcribe” and the benefits of transcribing masterworks. She offered a beautiful and inspiring response. Fran O’Neill’s 2 day workshop “To Transcribe” is coming to the Seattle Artist League October 24, 2020. Click here to learn more. “To Transcribe” …