Recently I posted about our family of New York Studio School influences, and Tina Kraft. I found a few more drawings that show aspects of a process that changed the way I draw.
These portrait sketches by Tina Kraft demonstrate a technique of using marks to activate the white paper. The marks are both in and around the head, describing the figure as well as the space around it, even the process of drawing itself. By jumping from mark to mark we learn the relationship of one point to another: the eyebrow to the mouth, the mouth to the shoulder. Our eyes are invited to follow the artist as she touches the back of the head, then touches the wall, then comes back to the head. By following her pathway of observations we learn about the space and the surface. Some marks are points to locate on objects, some are imaginary measurements that float like spider silk between elements, relating the subject to the act of drawing as observation (verb) to the physical drawing itself (noun). For all the space and form and curious searching that they describe, they also remind us that they are marks on flat paper.
When you think about linear perspective, do you think about this? Search the internet for perspective, and that’s pretty much what you’ll see. Billions of lessons illustrating the importance of one point, two point, and three point perspective. Lessons state that this is something every artist needs to learn in order to correctly render the …
Every week in figure drawing I teach a different drawing approach. Today was straight line measures; which always feels to beginners like they’re getting tangled up in bicycle spokes, but it’s invaluable and even relaxing for returning students. The basic idea of straight line measures is that you use straight lines to measure out the …
Shelters are seeing record adoptions during the quarantine, evidently, but that’s not why I got my puppy. After a lifetime of living with cats, my doctor said no more. My doctor said “get a poodle.” Lendy said “get a poodle.” I said I would never get a poodle. I got my poodle on March 6th, …
Pouncing is a technique used for transferring an image from one surface to another. It is similar to tracing, and is useful for creating copies of a sketch outline to produce finished works.
Tina Kraft: drawing the head and the wall
Recently I posted about our family of New York Studio School influences, and Tina Kraft. I found a few more drawings that show aspects of a process that changed the way I draw.
These portrait sketches by Tina Kraft demonstrate a technique of using marks to activate the white paper. The marks are both in and around the head, describing the figure as well as the space around it, even the process of drawing itself. By jumping from mark to mark we learn the relationship of one point to another: the eyebrow to the mouth, the mouth to the shoulder. Our eyes are invited to follow the artist as she touches the back of the head, then touches the wall, then comes back to the head. By following her pathway of observations we learn about the space and the surface. Some marks are points to locate on objects, some are imaginary measurements that float like spider silk between elements, relating the subject to the act of drawing as observation (verb) to the physical drawing itself (noun). For all the space and form and curious searching that they describe, they also remind us that they are marks on flat paper.
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