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.

Drawings - Remembering What I Forgot

I forgot how much I enjoy drawing, just for the sake of drawing! I have been concentrating so much on learning to paint over the last two years (started Feb 2006, not 2005), that I haven't drawn anything that wasn't going to be painted.
I started trying to do some sketches of the fruit still life pics I took, and just kept on drawing. I also remembered that I don't actually know how to sketch. I want to practise just sketching the subject, not drawing every detail. But I think I'll just enjoy drawing for a bit...worry about the sketching later.
So I did a drawing of a pear with two juicy plums. And then I did a drawing of my daughter from a pic of her that I just love...braces and all. Ain't she cute!?!? So that was last night's work. No painting! It's been a while since I've done that. Also, I got so wrapped up in the drawings that I forgot to smoke! Of course, I remembered later, and made up for lost time.
I also remembered that I have a cool book that concentrates on Wet in Wet painting. The Tao of Watercolor by Jeanne Carbnetti. It's a little cosmic, but I think it's gonna help me get the hang of this technique.

Go ahead and click on the pics to see them bigger.

That's about it. The temperature has risen some...only -24C...just in time for the snow storm.
But my house is nice and cozy, and I think I'll draw some...pears.

Drop me a line, tell me what you think about...stuff...

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.

Drop me a line...tell me a story!