More Christmas Cactus

More Christmas Cactus

More Christmas Cactus

I follow many artists on social media and study their work for inspiration. Someone I especially admire is Menina Ricci; particularly for the way she uses color and brushwork. She often paints with gouache on black paper and you can see her work on instagram. After following Menina Ricci for half of the year I bought some new supplies and today began to sketch in her style.

One of our old Christmas cactus plants is in a blue and white ceramic pot that is shaped like a dove. I brought it inside, placed it on a tablecloth and sketched it off and on through the day as I had time. I enjoy the look of line in a sketch and like the way the black paper outlined my brushstrokes for the cactus and tablecloth. However, the shape of the dove seems overwhelmed by the outline.

This is a pastel and gouache sketch on black Bristol paper.

Posted in Deliberate Practice, Learning | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Christmas Cactus

Christmas Cactus

Christmas Cactus

We got a wonderful day of rain, which was good for San Diego and good for indoor sketching.

This is a pencil, pen and watercolor sketch.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Bird of Paradise

Bird of Paradise

Bird of Paradise

My neighbor has an enormous bird of paradise plant whose colors are particularly striking on cloudy days like today. I have been eyeing this plant as I pass it but have hesitated to sketch it because its colors are so uneven and my present skill set for dealing with color transitions is still shaky. I’m glad I tried it and I see how I would work with the color a little differently next time that I sketch something like this.

This is a pencil and watercolor sketch.

Posted in Landscape | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

The Moon above Us

The Moon Above Us

The Moon above Us

The full moon over San Diego tonight is gorgeous. There are flimsy clouds that catch the reflection of the moonlight. Together with the light that our house gives off, it creates an inviting and warm feeling. I tried painting this outside in the dark but, as beautiful as it was, it was too hard to see and too cold to persist for long.

This is a watercolor sketch on watercolor paper.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Street Ball

Street Ball

Street Ball

The model yesterday at the figure drawing class conveyed fitness. She was strong, limber and full of energy and I caught some of her athleticism in the brush drawing of her above.

One of my goals for this blog is to tell a story through image and today I developed the sketch further with this end in mind. The model’s fitness reminded me of my neighbors and the street ball they play in front of our house. I went out and sketched the basketball hoop and ball using Procreate on my iPad, thinking the detail would strengthen the message. I thought about adding shoes but the shoes never looked quite right so I left the woman with bare feet.

This is a brush drawing on multimedia paper with a background layer using Procreate.

 

Posted in Body Language, Deliberate Practice, Telling a Story | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Brush Drawing

Brush Drawing

Brush Drawing

Taking an art class means using unfamiliar mediums and this morning we drew with a paintbrush and black paint. The big difference from the way I use watercolor is that we painted directly on the paper without first drawing in pencil. Our beginning efforts were quick two and five-minute sketches so we could become familiar with the materials.

After I got to know which brush to use, how much paint to put on the brush, and how hard to press down, I began to enjoy the medium. I tried to use the direction of brushstrokes and color strength to show the shape to the model. The morning flew by and I am looking forward to using this medium on my own.

This is a brush drawing on multimedia paper using black watercolor.

Posted in Learning | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Man in Plaid Grades Papers

Man in Plaid Grades Papers

Man in Plaid Grades Papers

Another weekend, another pile of papers to grade and thus a great model who is willing to still for a long time while I paint him. Not bad for a Saturday evening. I overdid the pen lines on the face but like the lines in the clothing.

This is a pen, pastel and watercolor sketch.

Posted in Body Language, Facial Expression, Telling a Story | Tagged , , | Leave a comment