As we welcome new Level 1 students to Drawing Lab sessions, our courageous Level 3 sketchers continue to lead the way, forging ahead to explore the possibilities of realistic and abstract drawing.
In the above drawing of a sand dune, youth student Jesse ventures out of his comfort zone to learn blending techniques of colorful Tombow pens. The realistic ridge of the dune is defined by a curved contour edge. Bold highlights and richly layered shadows show 3-dimensional form of the massive dune.
But we also become intrigued with Jesse’s experimental process of blending ink colors. We begin to share his fascination with orange, yellow, and black ink commingling with the paper’s surface. The line between realism and abstract drawing is blurred, and we are enthralled with Jesse’s subjective experience with materials as much as the image of the sand dune itself. Continue reading Realism or Abstract? You Decide→
The mountains of Santa Cruz are a great place to practice drawing fast. While on a mountain bike ride, I completed the ink study shown above in just a few minutes. Being able to draw anything, anywhere—fast or slow—is how I like to roll. Continue reading Fast & Furious or Slow & Curious?→
From our earliest days in school we learned that copying other students’ work could result in serious consequences, sometimes even a failing grade. But if you are a drawing artist, copying the other guy is a necessary virtue for improving your skills. Continue reading It’s Okay to Copy the Other Guy’s Drawing→
Much is written about the obvious connection between seeing and drawing. A lot of my time spent with students concerns training their sense of sight. Consistency in vision is an essential component in learning to draw. But what if there is another sense that is equally important in guiding you while drawing from observation? Continue reading There’s More to Drawing Than Meets the Eye→
“Yes,” answered the rooster, a stoic creature of few words, precariously balanced on the studio pedestal. But Thursday’s Drawing Lab students had a different answer. Continue reading Are You Chicken?→
My students often tell me their scariest challenges are drawing realistic human figures, faces, and hands. When I tell them drawing human beings can scare me too, they seem surprised. We all need to spend more time building our skills to overcome our fears.
Carrying a sketchbook can help you log practice time. Every sketch you do helps you overcome the fear of figure drawing. A single vantage point, while sitting on a bench in a nearby park, provided many figures to practice in my sketchbook, as shown above.
Each week, students increase their range of techniques and skills in drawing the human figure. Faith, learns about movement and gesture sketches from the book Spirit of the Pose, by Carl Gnass
Lucy and her mom, Jamey, are students in our Draw With Your Kids program. While vacationing, they sent us the above photo in an email last week.
“We miss you!!! I don’t think we have been in town for a Thursday this whole summer! Lucy asked me to send you this photo of one of her sketches…you will be happy to know that wherever we are she has the sketch pad with her.”
That unexpected bolt of inspiration can strike anytime, anywhere. It could be the sight of a colorful flower, a folded jacket left on a chair, the movement of an orchestra conductor’s baton, or an arrangement of umbrellas on a beach. Continue reading Aren’t You Glad You Have Your Sketchbook With You?→
