Sketch Study of Photo

A quick study sketch of an old photo of my maternal Grandmother in the Feather Journal. I used a Conte' Carbone pencil on a book page that painted over with white gesso. I wanted the page words to show through a little.

It doesn't look like her much, but I find it kind of charming. I love the photo, as I loved her and miss her, and I'm, for once, doing some sketches before I actually try to paint her.

Kind of taking a break from classes for a few days. I got overwhelmed with so much information so fast. :o Sometimes I just have to take a break from all the learning from others and just create by myself! :)

Happy Creating!

Self Portrait Attempt-charcoal and gesso

More practice for the Studying With the Masters Portrait class, Van Gogh!

This is a study of a Van Gogh sketch in my class sketchbook with a charcoal pencil. The practice was supposed to combine charcoal and white gesso, but I like the sketch and couldn't bear to add the gesso. So, for now, it remains as is!

Practice, using black charcoal pencil and white gesso together and an old photo of me. It stayed like this until this morning, due to life happening and a creative slump. Took a little courage to add gesso, but once I started, I liked it! 

So, after several days in the above state, this morning I sat down at my nest desk, plugged my favorite music in to my ears, opened the white gesso, picked up my charcoal pencil, and went to work. It felt sooooooo good!

Looks nothing like me, except for the wonkiness!, but I learned a lot and had fun. She is what she is!

Charcoal and I have never gotten along, but I'm determined not to let it get the best of me! :)

Don't be afraid to try! The journey is more fun than the destination! (It took me  years to learn that!)

Charcoal Face Practice

Some of the charcoal portrait faces on gessoed pages I've practiced in my "Feather Journal" altered book (the cover is still a wip).

I don't get along with charcoal real well, but I'm determined not to let it beat me!

From an old photo of my great-grandmother, vine charcoal...

From my imagination and a charcoal pencil...

Imagination and black Stablio marks all pencil and water...

Imagination and vine charcoal, I think...

My attempts at magazine images to practice different angles/expressions, not easy, charcoal pencil...

Magazine image with charcoal and gesso...

Magazine image with charcoal...

Magazine image with charcoal...

Imagination with charcoal and gesso...

None of these resemble the actual models in the magazine, but that wasn't really what I was going for anyway. Just practicing quick sketches with charcoal. And I need a LOT more practice! What fun! :)

Practice for a project in Studying With the Masters Portrait class with Jeanne Oliver, I've been in a creative slump, so thank goodness it's up for two years!

Thanks for visiting, and I hope you have a creative week! :)

Van Gogh Sketches-Practice

The altered book journal made from an old book that I made in Jeanne Oliver's class "Journey of Letting Go." The front cover is still a work in progress, but I gessoed several pages and am using it to do black and white sketches in for classes. So far, there's only one Sanguine color sketch involved.

I call it my Feather Journal, and the following sketches are in it, except for the last one. It's a watercolor study and is included in the sketchbook of notes for the "Studying With the Masters Portraits" class that I'm also taking with Jeanne. (same link as above) The other sketches are also for this class (not the same ones the teacher used).

Sien With Umbrella and Prayer Book-My version of Van Gogh's sketch in black gel pen and charcoal on white gessoed page...

Cypresses-My version of Van Gogh's sketch in Sanguine Pitt pen on white gessoed page...

Woman Lifting up Potatoes-My version of Van Gogh's sketch in black Pitt brush pen...

Woman Knitting-My version of Van Gogh's watercolor painting, using my new set of Chinese watercolor tube paints, which didn't include black and burnt umber, the colors in the sketch I studied.

These were such fun to study and do, and I'm sooo glad the course is up for two years, because life happens, and I can't always keep up with the rest of the class. For instance, the 4th master that we are studying starts tomorrow (Monday), and I haven't watched all the videos from week one yet. Thankful that we are encouraged to go at our own pace!

Among the many, many, things I've learned from these classes is how to look at the work of MY favorite artists and dissect them for study and practice, such as Renoir and Toulouse, who haven't been included in a course...yet.

Through these "Studying With the Masters" courses I have learned a whole new respect and like for some of the masters that I never really cared for before, such as Picasso, I've gotten acquainted with some masters and their work that I'd never heard of before and I really like, and I've met current artists/teachers that I didn't know before.

Can you tell that I like these classes? :)

What's on My Desk Right Now!

What's on my desk right now are practice sketches of Van Gogh's, whom we studied last week in the new Studying With the Masters Portrait and Figures class with Jeanne Oliver (This week we're studying Picasso with Teresa McFayden), and a wip charcoal face study, all on gessoed pages in the altered book I started in Jeanne's class "Journey of Letting Go", plus a small 6"x6" canvas portrait wip of my great-grandmother.

My version of Van Gogh's "Sien With Umbrella and Prayer Book" in gel pen...

My version of Van Gogh's "Cypresses" in sanguine Pitt pen...

My version of Van Gogh's "Peasant Woman Lifting Up Potatoes" with a Pitt brush pen...

WIP - attempt at painting my gr-grandmother Melinda in acrylics...

WIP-Charcoal face practice....

Having lots of fun and saving my sanity with these practices! :)