9 September 2009
Course Work: Continued work on Assignment 1, Section 5 (Still Life), p 24. Charcoal adhesion is much better on this paper.
Reading:
Keith Micklewright, Drawing
Harry N. Abrams, Inc. New York (2005)
Chapters 5-6 (pp 58-72)
Betty Edwards, The New Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain
Penguin-Putnam, New York, 1999
Chapters 5 (pp 68-85)
Personal Sketchbook Work: Several attempts at the cats, none successful: at the least skritching sound of a pencil or pen, they go from deep sleep to motion. A pencil sketch of a spoon in a glass of water, demonstration refraction. Three exercises from The New Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain, (in the companion workbook).
Total time: about three hours
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Thursday, September 10, 2009
8 September 2009
Course Work: Continued work on Assignment 1, Section 5 (Still Life), p 24. Decided that the drawing I was working on was not progressing well because of a bad match between the paper surface and the medium. Located some charcoal paper, trimmed it to A3 size, and started again, though I got little done other than drawing in the ellipse for the plate.
Reading:
Howard Etter and Margaret Malmstrom, Perspective for Painters
Watson-Guptill Publications, New York, 1990
The Circle in Perspective, pp 92-93
Phil Metzger, Perspective Without Pain
North Light Books, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA, 1992
Circles and Ellipses, pp 84-88
Other activity: My painting group met today; I completed the painting exercise I started last week.
Personal sketchbook work: None today
Total time: about an hour
Course Work: Continued work on Assignment 1, Section 5 (Still Life), p 24. Decided that the drawing I was working on was not progressing well because of a bad match between the paper surface and the medium. Located some charcoal paper, trimmed it to A3 size, and started again, though I got little done other than drawing in the ellipse for the plate.
Reading:
Howard Etter and Margaret Malmstrom, Perspective for Painters
Watson-Guptill Publications, New York, 1990
The Circle in Perspective, pp 92-93
Phil Metzger, Perspective Without Pain
North Light Books, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA, 1992
Circles and Ellipses, pp 84-88
Other activity: My painting group met today; I completed the painting exercise I started last week.
Personal sketchbook work: None today
Total time: about an hour
8 September 2009
Course Work: Continued work on Assignment 1, Section 5 (Still Life), p 24. Decided that the drawing I was working on was not progressing well because of a mad match between the paper surface and the medium. Located some charcoal paper, trimmed it to A3 size, and started again, though I got little done other than drawing in the ellipse for the plate.
Reading:
Howard Etter and Margaret Malmstrom, Perspective for Painters
Watson-Guptill Publications, New York, 1990
The Circle in Perspective, pp 92-93
Phil Metzger, Perspective Without Pain
North Light Books, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA, 1992
Circles and Ellipses, pp 84-88
Other activity: My painting group met today; I completed the painting exercise I started last week.
Personal sketchbook work: None today
Total time: about an hour
Course Work: Continued work on Assignment 1, Section 5 (Still Life), p 24. Decided that the drawing I was working on was not progressing well because of a mad match between the paper surface and the medium. Located some charcoal paper, trimmed it to A3 size, and started again, though I got little done other than drawing in the ellipse for the plate.
Reading:
Howard Etter and Margaret Malmstrom, Perspective for Painters
Watson-Guptill Publications, New York, 1990
The Circle in Perspective, pp 92-93
Phil Metzger, Perspective Without Pain
North Light Books, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA, 1992
Circles and Ellipses, pp 84-88
Other activity: My painting group met today; I completed the painting exercise I started last week.
Personal sketchbook work: None today
Total time: about an hour
7 September 2009
Course work: Worked on Assignment 1, Section 5 (Still Life), p 24. Did four thumbnail sketches of two squash and an onion on a plate, switching to pencil for these in the interest of variety and expediency. Selected one of these, and started a charcoal drawing on A3 paper. Think I need to find some paper with more “tooth” as the charcoal adheres poorly to this and uniform darks are difficult to produce.
Reading:
(No author listed: Translated by Natalia Tizon), Art of Sketching
Sterling Publishing Co., Inc., New York, 2007
Pp 6-60
Personal sketchbook work: A sketch of the dock from across the pond, done in my pocket sketchbook. (Worth trying again late in the afternoon, when light pattern should be a bit more favorable.) A hasty sketch of part of my remarkably untidy desktop in my A4 sketchbook.
Total time: about 2 1/2 hours
Course work: Worked on Assignment 1, Section 5 (Still Life), p 24. Did four thumbnail sketches of two squash and an onion on a plate, switching to pencil for these in the interest of variety and expediency. Selected one of these, and started a charcoal drawing on A3 paper. Think I need to find some paper with more “tooth” as the charcoal adheres poorly to this and uniform darks are difficult to produce.
Reading:
(No author listed: Translated by Natalia Tizon), Art of Sketching
Sterling Publishing Co., Inc., New York, 2007
Pp 6-60
Personal sketchbook work: A sketch of the dock from across the pond, done in my pocket sketchbook. (Worth trying again late in the afternoon, when light pattern should be a bit more favorable.) A hasty sketch of part of my remarkably untidy desktop in my A4 sketchbook.
Total time: about 2 1/2 hours
6 September 2009
Course work: Continued work on Assignment 1, Section 5 (Still Life), p23. Having decided that yesterday’s effort was far too large to qualify as “thumbnail” sketches, I selected some new objects (an assortment of wrench sockets). These had the additional merit of giving me additional work on reflective objects. Did four small sketches in ballpoint pen, and, I think, improved my hatching somewhat.
Personal sketchbook work: A pencil sketch of a cow vertebra, a fairly complex subject only partially realized.
Weekly thoughts on learning experience: Got a good bit of experience with hatching this week, but I can tell that I have a great deal more to do before I even approach competency. The A3-size charcoal drawing of reflections on two shiny objects was a useful exercise not only about reflections, but about charcoal handling. I am still not doing personal sketchbook work to the degree that I should be: despite the advice to “Draw or paint anything you see” I persist in seeking “interesting” subjects. Will try to work on this shortcoming.
Total time: about two hours
Course work: Continued work on Assignment 1, Section 5 (Still Life), p23. Having decided that yesterday’s effort was far too large to qualify as “thumbnail” sketches, I selected some new objects (an assortment of wrench sockets). These had the additional merit of giving me additional work on reflective objects. Did four small sketches in ballpoint pen, and, I think, improved my hatching somewhat.
Personal sketchbook work: A pencil sketch of a cow vertebra, a fairly complex subject only partially realized.
Weekly thoughts on learning experience: Got a good bit of experience with hatching this week, but I can tell that I have a great deal more to do before I even approach competency. The A3-size charcoal drawing of reflections on two shiny objects was a useful exercise not only about reflections, but about charcoal handling. I am still not doing personal sketchbook work to the degree that I should be: despite the advice to “Draw or paint anything you see” I persist in seeking “interesting” subjects. Will try to work on this shortcoming.
Total time: about two hours
5 September 2009
Course work: Started work on Assignment 1, Section 5 (Still Life), p23. Selected a kitchen knife, a potato peeler, a paper knife, a box-cutter, and a pen knife. Sketched two arrangements, using ballpoint pen: the latter chosen in part to keep me from erasing and redrawing, as I tend to do, in part to provide more hatching practice, and in part to use a drawing tool I don’t particularly like.
Reading:
E.H. Gombrich, The Story of Art,
Phaidon Press Limited, Oxford 1978
Chapters 4-5 (pp 65-93)
Keith Micklewright, Drawing
Harry N. Abrams, Inc. New York (2005)
Chapter 4 (pp 42-56)
DeMartin, Jon, Value Basics (pp38-43)
in American Artist Drawing, Volume 6, Issue 21,Summer 2009
Interweave Press, Loveland, Colorado, USA
(A pretty clear introduction to tone, with a clever demonstration using a bent piece of cardstock.)
Personal sketchbook work: Four views of a pear, in pencil.
Total time: about 2 ½ hours
Course work: Started work on Assignment 1, Section 5 (Still Life), p23. Selected a kitchen knife, a potato peeler, a paper knife, a box-cutter, and a pen knife. Sketched two arrangements, using ballpoint pen: the latter chosen in part to keep me from erasing and redrawing, as I tend to do, in part to provide more hatching practice, and in part to use a drawing tool I don’t particularly like.
Reading:
E.H. Gombrich, The Story of Art,
Phaidon Press Limited, Oxford 1978
Chapters 4-5 (pp 65-93)
Keith Micklewright, Drawing
Harry N. Abrams, Inc. New York (2005)
Chapter 4 (pp 42-56)
DeMartin, Jon, Value Basics (pp38-43)
in American Artist Drawing, Volume 6, Issue 21,Summer 2009
Interweave Press, Loveland, Colorado, USA
(A pretty clear introduction to tone, with a clever demonstration using a bent piece of cardstock.)
Personal sketchbook work: Four views of a pear, in pencil.
Total time: about 2 ½ hours
4 September 2009
Course work: Completed work on Assignment 1, Section 4, p 20. Application of workable fixative gave paper enough “tooth” to hold more charcoal in the darker areas, and I was able to complete the darker reflections and shadows, as well as the black pot-handle and knobs.
Summary Observations on Reflected Light (Check and Log): the shadow pattern cast by the primary light source is relatively easy to see, but the reflected shadow is often confusing. Reflections of objects distant from the setup (including my own) have added to the many shadows and reflections already present. I think that I managed to capture most of the contour-following nature of the reflections. Trying to get not only the reflections, but the reflections of the reflections, has proved challenging. Doing this exercise in monochrome media has made me realize how difficult it would be to do in color.
Personal sketchbook work: Did a sketch in my pocket sketchbook of a nice, symmetrical young cedar tree I saw while out on my morning walk. Spent some largely-wasted time trying to sketch horses in my A4 sketchbook, but was defeated by almost-constant motion.
Total time: about 1 ½ hours
Course work: Completed work on Assignment 1, Section 4, p 20. Application of workable fixative gave paper enough “tooth” to hold more charcoal in the darker areas, and I was able to complete the darker reflections and shadows, as well as the black pot-handle and knobs.
Summary Observations on Reflected Light (Check and Log): the shadow pattern cast by the primary light source is relatively easy to see, but the reflected shadow is often confusing. Reflections of objects distant from the setup (including my own) have added to the many shadows and reflections already present. I think that I managed to capture most of the contour-following nature of the reflections. Trying to get not only the reflections, but the reflections of the reflections, has proved challenging. Doing this exercise in monochrome media has made me realize how difficult it would be to do in color.
Personal sketchbook work: Did a sketch in my pocket sketchbook of a nice, symmetrical young cedar tree I saw while out on my morning walk. Spent some largely-wasted time trying to sketch horses in my A4 sketchbook, but was defeated by almost-constant motion.
Total time: about 1 ½ hours
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