Graphite Sketches

Anyway. Did some more sketching last night. I realized that the shadows on the wall behind the pears was kinda cool. So I sketched them too. I like this one. So I think tonight I will paint it. I think the shadows are kinda neat, and I like the way the line on the tablecloth is about parallel with the shadow on the wall. We shall see.


The plums and pear one is okay, but I think I got caught up in the cloth, and didn't pay attention to making the plums not look quite so wonky. But I like this one too. The white cloth against the dark plums is quite striking.

So tonight I will begin my wet in wet adventure. Sandly Maudlin posted a fantastic little tutorial on her site today...all about this technique. Good timing...great lesson. Check it out!

Not much else to say. Kinda glum...need sunshine. February is a cranky month.

Tell me a story. I like the company.

Graphite Sketch - February. Already!?

Another month has passed. I learned many things in January. I think the most important thing I learned was..."Think before you Paint". Seems simple, but I know I don't do it enough. Or at least, I don't think about all the things I should. Value studies, color studies, planning composition...all get forgotten and I just jump in flinging.
So! February will be Learning to Think month.
Myrna's challenge this month is a little less structured than last month. I am to pick a subject, choose a technique to work on, pick one design element to work on, and add one more design element per painting to emphasize.
So I have purchased some lovely fruit, taken about 3 dozen pictures of it. And that is my subject for the month.
I am going to work on the same technique as Myrna - Wet in Wet. I use it in small areas, but would like to learn what it can really do in a painting. Many of the artists I admire use it to great advantage, so I'm going to give it a shot.
The design element I am going to work on is value. I don't pay nearly enough attention to value in my paintings. I never do value studies, and I do not really know how to plan the values so they enhance a painting. So that's what I'll be working on this month - The Values of Wet Fruit!

Here is the first picture I'll be painting from, along with the first sketch. I assume that as I work on seeing the varying values in a picture, I'll eventually better understand how to use them in my paintings. Any tips and critiques you can give are more than welcome!



I have some lovely pictures of these pears, plus some with wonderful dark purple plums, and a mango. But, I'll just start with the pears, and see how it goes.
Not much else going on around here. Had a house full of kids this weekend (nieces and nephews). They are great kids, and I love them all to pieces, but boy oh boy, I do enjoy the quiet when they go home!! Lovely.

Okay. Off to do some 'sketches' of fruit. See where it takes me.

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