Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Tree in snow study


pencil on Strathmore Toned Gray paper


Sketched in Blue Star Memorial Woods in Glenview

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

broken camera scans

I have 2 large canvases underway, but the real reason it's been so long since my last post is that my camera has been in for repair. In the meantime I was able to use the scanner to grab these two.






figure sketch from EAC class

colored pencils on Strathmore tan paper






copy of Madame François Buloz (1879) by Sargent

oil on Arches oil paper






Thursday, November 7, 2013

Plein Air oil paintings








oil on board



These are my first 3 plein air oil painting attempts. I have recently had the opportunity (while the kids are in school) to run up to Skokie Lagoons on a weekday morning. These were all painted there, with the most recent at the top.







Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Male Seated Figure study from EAC




oil on 8" x 10" canvas board


This painting started badly. I had a large panel ready to go at home for this day and forgot to bring it to class. (My instructor has been urging me to paint larger.) I plowed on anyway and would up being fairly pleased with the result. I left his hand until the very end and ran out of time - he had it in a somewhat strange splayed position.
I did think it odd that he was posed with a shirt on, but no pants. I think Eleanor Spiess-Ferris liked the pattern on his shirt (which I didn't get around to painting).



Tuesday, October 1, 2013

still lIfe with apples, knife, and shallot






I worked on this still life in Ken Minami's class at Evanston Art Center.
After some procrastinating and tweaking at home, I am at long last calling it done.


oil on canvas

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Plant Study




Plant study done at Skokie Lagoons the other day


pencil in Strathmore Toned Tan sketchbook

Friday, September 13, 2013

Giraffe, the Third



watercolor and colored pencil with touches of gouache in Holbein sketchbook



I finally finished the third giraffe in my series.
I got a lot of great photos last February when we visited Brookfield Zoo. They were indoors and very close to us.

This was a great experience in developing technique for rendering animals. I like the process of watercolor underlying colored pencil work.



Here's all 3 as they appear on one sheet:








Monday, August 26, 2013

Summer 2013 Figure Drawing Class pt.2


We got into using color.

colored pencil & pastel on Strathmore pastel paper



Sarah had us doing gesture drawings with ink & brush one night.
This was great, as each mark had to really have meaning, and there could be little fussing about.

2 of my more effective ones:

   




Using ink to strictly fill in the negative space:





pencil gesture:





Ecorche head from cast:






Monday, August 19, 2013

Summer 2013 Figure Drawing Class pt.1



pencil on Strathmore Toned Tan paper





Torso study

pencil on Canson Mi-Teintes paper





Torso study

pencil on Canson Mi-Teintes paper



I just finished Sarah Kaiser's class at EAC for the 2nd time. I learned a lot and came out with some drawings I liked.



Monday, August 12, 2013

Michigan 2013


watercolor (with touches of colored pencil & gouache)





watercolor with touches of gouache





colored pencil





watercolor with touches of colored pencil





colored pencil





fountain pen and ink wash with white pencil highlights





We returned from our summer trip to South Haven, Michigan a week ago.
I was fairly prolific this year, and here are the results.

Sunday, July 7, 2013

Saint Louis Lion






I made a quick sketch of this ornamental grotesque lion's head at the front of the Saint Louis Art Museum, which I visited on Saturday.



graphite and Staedtler colored pencil on Strathmore Toned Tan paper

Monday, July 1, 2013

Oil landscape color sketches





Oil landscape sketches from photographs
One or more of these will be made into finished, larger paintings.



oil on gessoed illustration board
6" x 20"






Friday, June 7, 2013

Yet another giraffe




Another Brookfield Zoo giraffe. A young one this time.



watercolor with touches of colored pencil and gouache



Thursday, May 30, 2013

Quick Still Life





A one-night (2 1/2 hour) still life painting in my EAC class.
I touched it up for about another hour more later, at home



oil on gessoed illustration board

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Abraham




A third (and final?) Abe
(other Abes: 1 & 2)


This was meant to have white gouache lightening here and there. I am now having trouble deciding whether to do that or just leave it as it is.


Daler Rowney Sepia ink on Canson Mi-Teintes paper

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

recent figure drawings

 



some recent figure drawings
(last one an underdrawing for a planned oil painting)

(reference images from pixelovely)

(first two) colored pencil on Strathmore Toned Tan paper
(bottom) conté crayon (sanguine) on gessoed illustration board

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Plein Air reeds and water





I made the short walk on Saturday to Emily Oaks Nature Center for a plein air painting event: A Brush With Nature. I just showed up and tried my hand at watercolors, the only really portable way I can paint at the moment. Unfortunately, I forgot to bring some white gouache, something I was counting on for certain effects as I was planning this painting. (I took a photo and finished it at home.)

I really loved being out in nature and trying to capture an impression of it. I will do this sort of thing again soon.



watercolor with touches of gouache and colored pencil in Moleskine watercolor sktechbook

Sunday, April 14, 2013

Dog portrait




This dog was walking his or her owner in Miami Woods when we were out on a walk.

pencil ("Trois Crayon" Watteau method) on Canson Mi-Tientes

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Saturday, March 30, 2013

iPad experiments


 







These are some of my early experiments with drawing on the iPad using the Sketchbook app. Mostly unfinished pieces. There's an attempted Sargent and a Hals copy in there.
This device is an unproven tool for me. I would prefer a touch sensitive stylus and a larger format iPad.

Saturday, March 23, 2013