Study for Papaya with Bowl of Walnuts graphite/colored pencil/gouache on hand-toned paper 11 x 15″
Do you make studies before you start a painting? Seems like most painting students don’t. We want to paint, not prepare to paint. Making a study prior to painting isn’t required for good artwork, but we learn about a subject every time we draw or paint it, so the act of sketching sure can help to clarify the conversation before we get knee deep in the sloppy stuff.
If drawing before painting causes you have fits of impatience because you want to paint and you want to paint right now, then let ‘er rip!
Here’s the test: take a look at the painting after you’ve made it. (“After” is wide open on the time scale. This be minutes, hours, or months.) Disregarding efficiency, did you get what you wanted out of both the painting session and the finished work? If yes, then continue with your sketch-as-you-go process. If no, then consider shifting how you think about your creative time. It might just be a matter of renaming your “painting” session to a “creative observation” session, or something that includes sketches. That way drawing and studies are seen as part of painting, not something in the way of painting.
Take a look at these drawings below. Notice the attention to individual objects, the spaces, proportions, and the interactions of shapes. Notice the compositional changes that were made after the drawing. She still had plenty of puzzles to figure out in the painting phase, but the conversation behas been clarified.
Blueberries in a White Cup
Study for Blueberries in a White Cup graphite/colored pencil on hand-toned paper 11 x 14 3/8″
Grapefruit with Black Ribbons
Study for Grapefruit with Black Ribbons graphite/charcoal/colored pencil/egg tempera on hand-toned paper 10 1/2 x 13 1/2″
Blueberries in A Bowl with Bean Pod, Cork, and Knife
Study for Blueberries in A Bowl with Bean Pod, Cork, and Knife graphite/colored pencil/gouache on hand-toned paper 11 x 13 1/2″
Elle
Study for Elle graphite/colored pencil/gouache on hand-toned paper 11 1/2 x 12 3/4″
Papaya with Bowl of Walnuts
Study for Papaya with Bowl of Walnuts graphite/colored pencil/gouache on hand-toned paper 11 x 15″
Welcome another selection of faves from our January 30SAL Creative Challenge. Day 5 and 6 the challenges were Venus de Milo, and Coptic. Day 5: Venus de Milo This challenge was to finish the Venus de Milo. This was a fun one, and seemed to favor collage and digital work. Here are a few that …
[image_with_animation image_url=”7871″ alignment=”center” animation=”None” box_shadow=”none” max_width=”100%”] Claire Putney Draw/paint/collage/print/photograph what comes to your mind with the word “connectivity.” Share your sketches to this post on our Facebook page. (#salchallenge) The January Creative Challenge: 15 minutes, once a day, for 30 days.
Day 26 of our 30 Day January Challenge was Mashup! Mix and match figures with an interior from historical artworks. The sketches and collages were so inspired, mixing art history with fresh ideas, that I think we should host a Mashup class for drawing and painting at the school soon!
[image_with_animation image_url=”9399″ alignment=”” animation=”None” box_shadow=”none” max_width=”100%”] Francis Bacon’s studio Where do you make art? I find looking at artist’s spaces just as interesting as looking at the artwork made there. In part, what I’m looking at when I look at art spaces is how people adapt their space to suit their needs (how the studio …
Studies by Susan Jane Walp
graphite/colored pencil/gouache on hand-toned paper
11 x 15″
Do you make studies before you start a painting? Seems like most painting students don’t. We want to paint, not prepare to paint. Making a study prior to painting isn’t required for good artwork, but we learn about a subject every time we draw or paint it, so the act of sketching sure can help to clarify the conversation before we get knee deep in the sloppy stuff.
If drawing before painting causes you have fits of impatience because you want to paint and you want to paint right now, then let ‘er rip!
Here’s the test: take a look at the painting after you’ve made it. (“After” is wide open on the time scale. This be minutes, hours, or months.) Disregarding efficiency, did you get what you wanted out of both the painting session and the finished work? If yes, then continue with your sketch-as-you-go process. If no, then consider shifting how you think about your creative time. It might just be a matter of renaming your “painting” session to a “creative observation” session, or something that includes sketches. That way drawing and studies are seen as part of painting, not something in the way of painting.
Take a look at these drawings below. Notice the attention to individual objects, the spaces, proportions, and the interactions of shapes. Notice the compositional changes that were made after the drawing. She still had plenty of puzzles to figure out in the painting phase, but the conversation behas been clarified.
Blueberries in a White Cup
graphite/colored pencil on hand-toned paper
11 x 14 3/8″
Grapefruit with Black Ribbons
graphite/charcoal/colored pencil/egg tempera on hand-toned paper
10 1/2 x 13 1/2″
Blueberries in A Bowl with Bean Pod, Cork, and Knife
graphite/colored pencil/gouache on hand-toned paper
11 x 13 1/2″
Elle
graphite/colored pencil/gouache on hand-toned paper
11 1/2 x 12 3/4″
Papaya with Bowl of Walnuts
graphite/colored pencil/gouache on hand-toned paper
11 x 15″
See more on her website: https://www.susanjanewalp.com/
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Welcome another selection of faves from our January 30SAL Creative Challenge. Day 5 and 6 the challenges were Venus de Milo, and Coptic. Day 5: Venus de Milo This challenge was to finish the Venus de Milo. This was a fun one, and seemed to favor collage and digital work. Here are a few that …
SAL Challenge Day 27: Connectivity
[image_with_animation image_url=”7871″ alignment=”center” animation=”None” box_shadow=”none” max_width=”100%”] Claire Putney Draw/paint/collage/print/photograph what comes to your mind with the word “connectivity.” Share your sketches to this post on our Facebook page. (#salchallenge) The January Creative Challenge: 15 minutes, once a day, for 30 days.
30SAL Faves: Mashup!
Day 26 of our 30 Day January Challenge was Mashup! Mix and match figures with an interior from historical artworks. The sketches and collages were so inspired, mixing art history with fresh ideas, that I think we should host a Mashup class for drawing and painting at the school soon!
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[image_with_animation image_url=”9399″ alignment=”” animation=”None” box_shadow=”none” max_width=”100%”] Francis Bacon’s studio Where do you make art? I find looking at artist’s spaces just as interesting as looking at the artwork made there. In part, what I’m looking at when I look at art spaces is how people adapt their space to suit their needs (how the studio …