After Rembrandt

After Rembrandt. I like the drawing because the woman looks real.

Illustration Friday - Undone

She's coming undone.

.05 Micron pen on Bienfang Graphics 360 100% Rag Translucent Marker Paper, with a touch of pink Prismacolor pencil. I love the paper--there is absolutely no bleeding.

After Durer

I love Durer's pen and ink work.

Figure Drawing Practice

This drawing is based on a painting by Emmanuel Benner. I am practicing constructing the figure.

In the Blue Grotto

Figure drawing practice. This is after In the Blue Grotto by Jean Benner, which I found on this site by Mary Van Deusen.

100 Heads: Head #61

This is my copy of a self-portrait by Kathe Kollwitz (1867-1945), a German artist who specialized in print making and whose work highlighted the plight of the poor and oppressed. I used medium vine charcoal to outline the face and then used compressed charcoal for tone, on Strathmore charcoal paper.

In my last post, I mentioned I copy master portraits in order to improve my observation skills. Here, I was also trying to expand my toolkit of techniques. This portrait is an example of modeled drawing. Darker tone is used to push the form away from the viewer, and lighter tone is used to bring the form towards the viewer. The range of values do not represent the range of lights and darks that result from a light source shining on the subject. I like the exaggerated angular features and the way the texture of the paper is incorporated into the portrait. The resulting portrait is very expressive.

I think Kollwitz outlined the face in charcoal and then used a piece of charcoal on its side to quickly model the head. This technique is quick to execute, but requires great skill to do well. It must take years of drawing practice to get to the point where the tones are laid down correctly on the first try. My copy is 9" x 12", which I found to be a little small. I think a larger size paper would make it easier to vary the pressure and resulting charcoal tone in one sweeping arm movement.

Here is a side-by-side comparison of my drawing and Kollwitz's. I am going to try a self-portrait using this technique.

100 Heads: Head #60

This is a copy of one of Rembrandt's self-portraits. The original is in oil; my copy is in charcoal and pastel. I used Winsor & Newton medium vine charcoal, Conte H, HB, B, and 2B charcoal pencils, and a Pitt white pastel pencil on Strathmore charcoal paper. Why copy a portrait? I am trying to improve my observation skills. If I copy portraits and consistently get a likeness, I know my observation skills are improving. I am also practicing my approach to portraits: Start with the general and work down to the specific.

I check my work by putting my drawing and the original side-by-side in Photoshop Elements. I learned how to do this here.

The likeness is not terrific. This portrait was not as easy as I thought it would be. First, older, flabby faces are tougher than young, lean faces. Muscles and bone structure help. Second, I discovered there are a large variation of values in the dark areas. At first, I tried to render the dark areas with a uniform value. It did not work. Third, the texture of the older face was a challenge. Rembrandt effectively used oil point to render the roughness of his skin.

I have a new appreciation for Rembrandt's work. His portrait is beautiful and so sensitively rendered. It is something to aspire to.

100 Heads: Head #57

This is a copy of the painting Portrait of Gabrielle Cot by William Bouguereau (1825-1905). You can see a reproduction of the original here. I do not think I have quite captured the likeness, but I have worked on it long enough and am ready to move on. I am trying to train myself to be more observant; one way I judge my observation skills is by how close I can get to a likeness. In portraiture, precision counts. I used a HB mechanical pencil in a Canson sketch book.

100 Heads: Head #56

This is a copy of Portrait of a Peasant Girl by Alexei Alexeivich Harlamoff (1848-1915). The original is oil on canvas; my copy is black and white charcoal on gray paper. This is the WetCanvas April Monthly Portrait Challenge 2009.

100 Heads: Head #52

This is a copy of the angel's head from the painting Madonna on the Rocks (1483-1485 ) by Leonardo Da Vinci. This painting is in the National Gallery in London. The original is in oil; my copy is in graphite. I changed the angel's hair a little to make the woman look more contemporary. I have been using the egg shape as a basis for drawing heads. I draw guidelines on the eggs to help me position the features of the face. This method is not particularly accurate though; it is easy to get the guidelines wrong. I plan to try out other methods, such as the cube in perspective, to see if they lead to quicker accuracy.

The Couple (Rock of Ages Variation #1)

Here is the first variation on the drawing I posted here. I used charcoal on Ingres paper. At first, I had difficulty getting started on a variation of another drawing. I am so used to copying, either from life or from master drawings, that I struggled with imaginative work. Once I got started, though, the drawing took on a life of its own, and I no longer referred to the original drawing, but rather let my instinct guide me.

100 Heads: Head #47

This is a copy of Michelangelo's drawing Portrait of Andrea Quarates (1528). I have really struggled with this drawing and have decided it is time to call it quits. I found the nose particularly difficult.

I have not been posting due to a family medical emergency. My mother has been in the hospital for almost two weeks now. I work during the day and spend evenings in the hospital, so I do not have much time for art or the computer. To my portrait group: I am sorry about my lack of participation. I have been working on the portrait off and on. I will pop in this weekend to see your progress.

100 Heads: Head #45

This is a drawing of Bernini's Tomb of Pope Alexander VII [detail of Charity]. Actually, I thought I was drawing Bernini's Madonna and Child, based on this article on Britney Spears. As I was drawing it, I thought it was awfully sensuous to be a Madonna and Child. And now I know it is not a Madonna! Lesson: Do not take art history lessons from articles on pop stars. Graphite over pastel on card stock.

100 Heads: Head #44

Another version of Michelangelo's statue Madonna and Child. Graphite over blue pastel.

100 Heads: Head #42

Inspired by Michelangelo's statue Madonna and Child. Marker on card stock.

100 Heads: Head #41

This is a copy of a drawing by Michelangleo Buonarroti (1475-1564). The drawing is called Head of a Young Woman.

100 Heads: Head #34

This is a copy of the Leonardo da Vinci drawing Head and Bust of a Woman. I used a mechanical pencil and a kneaded eraser, but no tortillion or blending tool. As I draw the heads, I am experimenting with alternate drawing techniques.

100 Heads: Head #32

These drawings are copies of a Leonardo da Vinci study for Leda. The original is pen and ink over black chalk. The first drawing uses a variety of sizes of Koh-I-Noor Rapidograph pens and an Ebony pencil. The second drawing uses a .01 Micron pen and an Ebony pencil.

100 Heads: Head #21

This is a copy of Leonardo da Vinci's well known self-portrait. This drawing proved an opportunity to practice bags under the eyes.

100 Heads: Head #19

This a copy of the drawing Giovanna Bellelli by Edgar Degas (1834-1917). I love how the features on the left side of the face are suggested by masses of tone. This is a very painterly drawing.

I just returned from a business trip to Kansas City. I stayed up late Tuesday evening watching the election returns, and then got up early on Wednesday and did this drawing. Tuesday night was too exciting to do any artwork! Both McCain's concession speech and Obama's victory speech were moving, and it was wonderful to see excited masses of people celebrating across the United States. I am so proud of my country.