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...the daily artistic strugglings to transmute fleeting imagination into Golden Apples of the Sun...
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Just got back from a *fabulous* weekend in Kansas City attending Spectrum Live (a full report will follow soon). Have been trying to think of a sufficiently celebratory song for the lingering elation... This isn't *quite* that, but close (and one of my favorite scenes from Practical Magic):
I had the same view this week at the Atelier (extreme foreshortening!) -
This week, I brought a 'cheat' - a quartered plastic sheet clipped onto a frame that you can 'trace' the image in front of you with a dry erase marker (a la
Betty Edwards - Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain).
I'd kind of forgotten about this tool - haven't used one for years (but I also try hard to not ever draw anything that foreshortened from life if I can help it!)
Hugely useful though. I didn't have to spend so much time referee-ing the knock-down, drag-out arguments that my right and left brain have when I attempt this kind of thing. It's generally paralyzing (see the incredible lack of progress with this same pose
last week).
After lunch, we continued to discuss composition. This week, Root Rectangles -
(with example armatures on classic paintings)
As well as a discussion on Golden Sections - all aspects of formal composition I've never really studied before. So, yay.
*And*, I'd asked about our instructor's approach to line work (SO beautiful!!!) -
So, we ended the day with a discussion on his thought process behind his line and brush making. Looking forward to seeing if I can apply this stuff!
Astronaut Chris Hadfield has been commanding the International Space Station for the last 5 months. During that time he's been posting photos, observations, and videos about his experience. (His
interview with William Shatner was priceless).
He is a pretty darn good musician as well. I love this joint-rendition from space and earth (with some help from The Barenaked Ladies):
Col. Hadfield returns to earth today. A few days ago, he posted a revised version of David Bowie's A Space Oddity... Quite poignant actually:
Thanks so much for all the views from space, Col. Hadfield! You helped to make the earth feel like one unified place...
Decided to draw my mother in church today (engaging in her favorite activity).
My mother is darling - elegant, kind of quiet, serene, proper...
That is, unless you get her in from of a camera!
To be fair, she is posing for photo-reference for me...
But, I am continually amazed (and rather tickled) at how 'in character' she'll get!
In the contest for "The Best Sport" award, I think my mom wins!
Thanks, and Happy Mother's Day Mom. xxxxx
Costumed model today (3-5 minutes. Pretty creaky warming up...) -
Lots of folding draperies to play with (10 minutes).
15 mintues...
45 minutes...
This week my easel was WAY over on the far side. Talk about adventures-in-extreme-foreshortening!
(Hurts my head, rather like perspective does...) Made an attempt. Got a draw over (although, the teacher is enough taller than me that the view differed quite a bit) -
Nudged my easel and tried again. Several times. Boy! one's left brain really fights you drawing what you see in situations like this! I didn't get very far - but was a good brain-stretching exercise...?
More surprisingly addictive Nashville goodness -
2-3 minute heads. In the teensy purse Moleskine...
Practicing features...
In the 5x7 pad...
In a few hours of downtime today, we got together again for another photoshoot like we did in
March -
This time we were in a tiny studio-condo...
(It was very entertaining seeing the contortions Greg went through to get interesting shots!)
Roxana was also on hand to give input -
- since a number of these shots are for her botanical fragrances...
There was some playing around and trying out the props-
(in this case, enormous elk antlers...)
(using the antlers in the actual shoot... Photoshop may or may not be involved in the outcome... :-)
Many different variations were tried..
A number of hours later, exhausted but happy, we called it a (lovely!) day...
Life drawing - short pose day...
I've begged my husband, the photographer, to teach me the ways of his fancy camera...
(it's got a crazy macro-lens, don't you think?)
I have some upcoming projects in mind that would benefit from the inclusion of some photo elements.
And happily, this is a lovely time of year for plant samples.
There was even sunshine to take advantage of.
And now to learn some photoshop effects to take these even further....
Life drawing morning.... I can pretty much tell how much sleep I've had the night before by how easy or difficult it is for me to get things put down proportionally... (Today was NOT a good proportional day...)
My teacher's draw over. Way prettier....
Afternoon lecture/demo on using Photoshop to check adjustments to your work in progress before doing it on the actual piece.
My comp and final value study for this piece....
Although not really a country music fan, I am loving the music on Nashville this season. Here's one sample:
Can I say how much easier it is to draw still things than moving, faraway heads...?
...Teensy Moleskine...
...5x7 pad....
On
museum day, after seeing the Fechin at the Frye, a friend took me to a fabulous preview of the new Fantasy exhibit at the
SciFi Museum -
My friend was doing a review of this exhibit, so we got a nearly private tour from the curator. There was only another media rep, some miscellaneous workmen putting last minute touches on things, and us.
They have a nice selection of print examples - from graphic novel art, to early manuscripts of The Lord of the Rings, etc...
There are also a number of interactive tables - this one talks about fantasy archetypes. You can take a quiz and see which of the 20 archetypes *you* are (I am apparently a trickster.)
The big main room is vaguely medieval in feel - lots of lanterns and barred cells -
-old European looking stone walls -
A dragon in a jeweled cell on top of his golden hoard...
A 16th century suit of gorgeous, decorative armor -
There's an enormous 'scaled' tree in the center -
And fun costumes! Originals from the likes of The Wizard of Oz -
-The Princess Bride -
-Labyrinth, amongst a number of others....
Another of the interactive displays will allow you to make your own fantasy map - which you can get printed out and purchase to take home.
There is a room of fantasy art - from concept art from the movie Brave to this ginormous
Brom original (gorgeous - but the lighting was no good for photographing in there)...
And there were a number of movie paraphernalia - like this maquette from The Dark Crystal -
Swords from the Dread Pirate Roberts, Inego Montoya, and the Highlander.
Staff and crown from the Snow Queen in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.
The 'library' inside the giant tree had some treats as well -
Another super-cool interactive table - with all kinds of fantasy literature and music information.
This was one of my favorites - a copy of an actual letter from 1908 for Peter Pan. :-)
The whole thing is beautifully thought out and gorgeously put together. My only wish was that it was about four times as large - it only scratches the surface of fantasy wonders. Definitely worth seeing though!
Yesterday was museum field-trip day!
Me and some of the gals from my critique group viewed and discussed the entire fascinating exhibit.
While his paintings are interesting, it is his drawings that I *love*. SOOO gorgeously nuanced and expressive. Couldn't get enough of those! (I want to draw like him when I grow up.)
Nice afternoon with the girls, as usual...
But that was only the first half... Stay tuned for the preview of the Fantasy Art exhibit at the SciFi Museum... So cool!
Life drawing session...
A bit of instructor draw-over adjustments...
(The model had changed her head position at this point, so brand new face. But such a *beautiful* face!)
Working on compositions with this particular pose. Very good feedback (lots of reading of Andrew Loomis' "Creative Illustration"). Some new things to try! Yay for that!
Even though it's not Sunday, and some of these were drawn tonight while at a meeting....
In the teensy purse Moleskine balanced upon my knee....
Costume day at life drawing -
Lovely gal. Fun to draw.
This was a gallery weekend!
Friday night, a few friends and I went to
Roq la Rue for the
Travis Louie exhibit (he is so one of my favorite painters).
The gallery was crowded with fans and ardent viewers -
Some of the attendees were nearly as interesting as the paintings themselves. :-)
(Found this amusing - this woman with LOTS of hair photographing the hair painting)
Got to *meet* and chat with Mr. Louie himself! (He is charming and personable).
Here - he is personalizing my book, and I am getting his contact info. Hopefully he can come teach for
TLCWorkshops in the future? (I would so *love* that!)
Here is my fabulous personalization!
(Oh, and I picked up a copy of the most recent Hi-Fructose - it has a whole
Marco Mazzoni sketchbook insert in it! Oh, the awesome!)
Here is the contemplatively debonair Mr. Post himself.... (sadly, his pug had already gone home).
Krab Jab has other art, from previous shows, also up for sale (my faery piece is there in the lower right corner).
(These patrons approve of this exhibit!)
2-5 minute heads...
30 minute 'talking head'.
In the teensy purse Moleskine balanced up on my knee...
From the Canadian Tenors...
(prayers and love to those in Boston tonight...)
New quarter - some new concepts (composition is now being covered. Yay).
Some lingering perspective discussion (ergh!!!)
Examples and assignments...
I spent the day working on composition and value studies - one based on the current model -
- and some from outstanding projects hanging on my desk..
Now to get some time to actually *paint* some stuff...
Long pose life-drawing day....
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By: Tara Chang,
on 5/20/2013
Congratulations on approaching the forced perspective. Forced perspective is a great tool to master, it has the power to really draw the viewer into the piece- and just a little can go a long ways. In fact, I find that a little is better, less obvious. Except when you really need it to tell the story as in Caravaggio's Conversion of St. Paul the Apostle.