Centerline Box thought

Walt Stanchfield used to really get cranky when our sketches where too straight up and down.  So when I'm teaching (and drawing my own sketches) I try to tell the artist to LEAN the pose, push that hip out, move the pose more left and right etc....

If you imagine a box around the drawing from it's furthest edges you should be able to also imagine a centerline down the middle.  That centerline helps you see if the drawing is too straight up and down.  It also helps to keep the work asymmetrical and balanced.

My sketches below show the box that I'm talking about.  I didn't actually draw the box but I was thinking "no straight up and down, no straight up and down!"

Hopefully this works for you because it really helps me to get that LEAN in that Walt talked about.

Forgive the quality of the Iphone pics.

 

Observational Drawing

I want to share my impression of what it means when I say observational drawing.  

Many times people can get the idea that observational drawing means to literally observe every nook and cranny of the object or model.  Wrinkles, cracks, knuckles, follicles, pours, nose hairs or whatever can be seen is put into the artwork.  

I think there can be a place for such detailed type of artwork but when I teach the idea of observational drawing I teach the study of story telling through drawing.  That’s the most important part of it all.  If the drawing conveys story and meaning it’s that much more valuable as a piece of art.  

We need to connect with the meaning of our drawings.  If there's no story or meaning to the drawing that was supposed to be from observation then theres less interest by the viewer.  it becomes lines smudges and medium on paper rather than impressions of moments captured that evoke an emotion or reaction.

That’s my goal in observational drawing.  To capture a story or a meaning that makes you think or inspires you to feel something.  One thing I definitely do not do is force anyone into a particular style by forcing details into their art that don’t tell the story.  

the key is what are we observing?  the Story or literal detail that can add up to no meaning?

Don’t let style define substance.  

These one and a half second sketches were of my wife in P90x mode.  I tried to convey the energy in the effort and I thank her for letting me show these.  Frankly I should have joined her.  I could stand to loose a few pounds haha.

A New Year

In my recent class I was pretty excited to see so many people wanting to draw!  The class was electric and the students really pushed themselves.  We had two models "Daniella Traub" and "John Tucker" and they had us speeding through ink and paper.

When drawing two models at a time you really want to build the first trajectory lines around both models simultaneously.  If they're drawn seperately time may run out on the pose and then we're left with half the drawing done.

I likened it to a sculpture who may see the two character pose in a large chunk of marble.  The sculpture sees into the stone and carves out the two characters simultaneously.  I wouldn't think that they'd completely carve one model leaving the rest of the marble in tact.

There's a relationship happening when there are more than one model or person on the street that you're sketching.  An electricity that goes between the two (Or more) subjects that we need to notice and capture in our work.That's the spark of life and interaction that we are trying to catch.  Some of my favorite art has this storytelling in it and draws us in. It can be anything to illicit an emotion- a coy look, a smile back and forth or one chasing another. 

Here's to a new year of lots sketching!

Angel in Heels

Here's some quick sketches from last monday.  Rachel Bailit really helped us out with her wings.  We were talking about commiting to shapes and caricature!  

Con 2011 Drawings

I had Jennifer Fabos Patton from the GalleryGirls joined me in my Booth at the Con.  She's one of the best models in the Biz!  Have a good day!

Monday's Class

Sometimes I get inspired to draw instead of teach as I watch the models do there great work.
Here's a few bits of inspired pieces.

Baseball Player

Here we go with the bi-daily sketch I'm doing with Jeff Snow! Baseball player is it!
sketch away! Louie Del Carmen joined in too!
check out
Dave Derrick
Jenny Lerew
Josh Lieberman
Max Lawson

Out at the barn

Went out to the equestrain center last week with Jenny Lerew and Dave Derrrick. Drawing while having a cold wasn't easy, but I had a blast!

Midstride


Discussion

Equestrian girl

Equestrian man

Walking back

Zoo trip

I went to the zoo with Dave Derrick last week and ended up drawing more people then animals.

Dave will kill me but I forgot what these are called..."Skinny stick legged deer things?"

An odd couple

A Mother and child who didn't want to ride in the stroller

The Hat lady

Trajectory of a pose

The trajectory of a pose is set up in the first minute! There's something that happens as we wave the pen around the page waiting for it to contact. We are aiming! Eventually we feel comfortable putting a line down and hope that its the right one. In the onset of the drawing those lines need to have a sense of directon aiming for a target! Imagine if a there existed a magic bullet that when fired it didn't just go straight, it wiggled around and drew a line that formed our drawings. The same kind of aim a marksman may have when he fires a bullet to a target is the same kind of aim we need when we fire off a sketch, but our bullet moves around in that magical line. All too often we don't take the moment to aim and we start putting lines down that mean nothing or fight against each other on the way to that target.
Those first few structure lines are the most important because those are the ones that we are building on and they act as your scope for the rest of the drawing to follow. So all the best as you aim and fire, drawing out lines that are purposeful and hopefully.........hit a bullseye!

Diaz VS. Marquez 2-28-09