February WetCanvas Portrait Challenge

Vine charcoal, compressed charcoal, and Conte charcoal pencil on Sennelier Pastel Card. I like shadows and enjoyed the challenge of obscuring the left side of the face and only suggesting details. The support is very attractive, but also very delicate. I damaged the paper as I was working and had trouble adding charcoal on the damaged areas. Lesson learned: Do not erase too much on this support. (Does this mean don't make mistakes?)

WetCanvas January Portrait Challenge

One of my resolutions is to participate in the WetCanvas Monthly Portrait Challenge. This is a charcoal drawing of one of this month's photo references; you can see the photo here. I used General charcoal pencils and a white Pitt pastel pencil on Strathmore charcoal paper. I am hoping to improve my likenesses and mark making ability.

Pumps

I first drew these pumps using water soluble graphite pencils, but I didn't like the results. So I went over them with charcoal. I don't think these two mediums were meant to go together, but I like the results.

Illustration Friday - Unbalanced

On Wednesday evening of last week, Mrs. Thea Gilberston from the town of Franklin was ajudged insane by Judge J.D. Perry and was taken to Mendota State Asylum on the Thursday afternoon train by Sherriff Buckley (Badger State Banner, April 13, 1893).

The above quote is from the wonderfully strange Wisconsin Death Trip by Michael Lesy, which chronicles crime and insanity in the 1890's in Wisconsin. I drew this portrait from imagination in pastel and charcoal on a watercolor-toned board and then adjusted in Photoshop Elements.

Illustration Friday - Strong

A strong padlock will keep your possessions safe. To render this drawing, I used techniques I learned in the book Drawing Realistic Textures in Pencil by J.D. Hillberry. The drawing is on hot-pressed watercolor paper. I used pencil, charcoal, and frisket film to render the image.

100 Heads: Head #64

Here is a copy of the Mona Lisa, made in charcoal. I had two purposes in making this copy:

1. To improve my observation skills, and
2. To study the planes of the face.

The copy is not perfect, but I am getting tired of making copies so I am going to call it quits for a while. Does making copies improve observation skills? I don't know. It improves skills for copying a two dimensional image. I cannot say if it improves observation skills for real life, though. Copying a flattened image is easier than drawing from life. And of course, copying, whether from a 2D reference or life, is not art. It is a technical skill.

For a change of pace, I am going to switch to more imaginative work in June. I plan to create art inspired by moody movie stills, study and invent costumes, and work on some sequences. I also plan to do a lot of sketching from life. Not drawing from life, as I am inclined to do, but quick & dirty sketching. I am also working on an oil painting in an oil painting class.

Here is my copy side-by-side with the real thing. OK, not the real thing, but a black & white photo of the real thing.

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 #58

This is a portrait of my son Christopher. You can see the reference photo below. I used medium vine charcoal, Conte H, B, HB, and 2B charcoal pencils, and General's white charcoal pencil on blue Strathmore Charcoal paper. And I used a little bit of red pastel too. I have recently made some portrait drawing process changes:

• I work standing up at an easel now, rather than sitting down and drawing in a sketch book. Being able to step back and look at both the photo reference and my drawing at the same time seems to improve my proportions and values.
• When I am standing back and looking at the photo reference, I squint in order to see the major shapes and values. Human beings do not focus on detail the way a camera does. There is no reason to try to copy all of the details in a photo.
• I work on the general shape and tilt of the head, position of features, and planes of the face before getting into details of the eyes, nose, mouth, and ears. This is contrary to my instincts and is hard for me to do. But slowing down and getting the big picture right is faster in the long run and leads to better results.

There is nothing new about any of these revelations, of course. Sometimes it just takes a long time for the basics to sink in.

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.

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 #5

I am studying the skull. I hope knowledge of the skull will improve my portraits. This is a copy of a skull from an anatomy book. Black and white charcoal on tinted Strathmore Charcoal paper.

EDM #167 - Draw Something that Needs Fixing

My wooden rabbit's leg came off and needs to be fixed. The rabbit keeps smiling, nevertheless. What a great attitude!

Illustration Friday - Tales and Legends

This is a scene from the 1931 movie Dracula starring Bela Lugosi. I originally posted this last October. I have been putting in extra hours at work this week, so I was unable to create a new piece of art for this week's prompt. Charcoal on paper.

EDM #150 - Draw a Candle

Black and white charcoal on cheap red construction paper. Hope Santa's reindeer are fit and ready for the big trip tomorrow night!

Chiaroscuro Plant

I drew a plant from life using chiaroscuro techniques I learned in the book Art of Still Life Drawing by Sterling Publishing Company, Inc. (2006). I first used a charcoal pencil to draw the contour of the plant , and then I applied compressed charcoal to the space around the plant. I used my fingers and a stump to create the tones. Yarka pressed charcoal and Conte charcoal pencil on Strathmore 500 Series 25" x 19" cream-colored charcoal paper. This is the first time I have used our new digital camera to photograph artwork. I love it! Before this purchase, I could only post artwork that was small enough to be scanned.

Happy Halloween!

This is a scene from the 1931 movie Dracula starring Bela Lugosi. This is the view from inside Dracula's castle. If bats come trick or treating to your house tonight, don't invite them in! Charcoal on 9" x 12" Strathmore Charcoal White 500 Series paper.

Journey to Dracula's Castle

This is a scene from the 1931 movie Dracula starring Bela Lugosi. In this scene, Jonathan Harker is traveling by stage coach to Count Dracula's castle. Turn back, Jonathan, turn back! Charcoal on 9" x 12" Strathmore Charcoal White 500 Series paper.

Dracula and Mina in Carfax Abbey

This is a scene from the 1931 movie Dracula starring Bela Lugosi. Charcoal on paper.