One afternoon, while rearranging the studio between sessions with students, I picked up a vase of flowers. Holding the vase in my hands, I slowly rotated it to notice a cluster of freshly cut tree leaves embracing a curved carnation stem—they seemed to be performing a graceful dance together. Fascinating drawing subjects have a way … Continue Reading ››
While paging through Charles Bargue’s Drawing course book, Scout’s eyes lit up as we came upon the print of the plaster cast torso.
“It even has block-in lines!” she said enthusiastically, referring to the angled directional lines that would help her depict weight distribution of the figure’s muscles. We promptly bookmarked the page as the … Continue Reading ››
The world can be a crazy place these days. Ignoring the disturbing news of cultural upheaval and catastrophic disasters can be difficult, to say the least. Times like these make me think back to when I was a kid, and how easy it was to escape the world’s problems by hiding out in my bedroom … Continue Reading ››
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.
Juliette Aristides, In her book Classical Drawing Atelier, writes about the value of … Continue Reading ››
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?
According to … Continue Reading ››
Your parents probably told you to hang out with friends who will influence you in positive ways. It is important to find the right crowd for sharing new experiences together as well as helping you grow as an individual.
This advice holds especially true when looking for people to learn how to draw with.
[caption id="attachment_10575" align="aligncenter" … Continue Reading ››
Creating the illusion of three-dimensional form on a flat piece of paper is one of the biggest challenges in observational drawing. If only we could wave a sorcerer's wand to instantly make our drawings look three-dimensional. Like magicians, we would be able to create dramatically modeled shadows, realistic contours, and brilliant highlights without effort. But … Continue Reading ››
Studying composition is where the serious fun begins for Level 3 Drawing Lab students. We're learning to arrange objects on the page, measure accurate proportions, and depict tonal value masses.
After blocking in several basic shapes, then sketching contour edges, Scout (above pic) used a brush to blend lighter and darker tonal values in charcoal.
[caption … Continue Reading ››
