Wine and Wildlife

This Saturday I'll be displaying my work at an event called Wine and Wildlife at the Cedar Run Wildlife Refuge. So, my thoughts and drawing has turned to animals today. I stopped by the refuge yesterday and had to visit all the outdoor residents before leaving. The eagles were especially captivating as they were quite vocal the whole time I stood by their enclosure. By the way, I think tickets are still available for any of you locals that may be interested in attending a fun and worthwhile fund raising event for wildlife! This sketch is of a red fox, the refuge's official mascot.

Edgar Whitney on Preparation for Painting

Edgar Whitney said; "Plan like a tortoise and paint like a rabbit!" Known to be a bit rough around the edges, Ed would often say or do something shocking to make a point and insure that his students remembered it. Another of his favorites about proper preparation was; "It's like going to the bathroom without pulling your pants down first!". Yikes, like me, you probably won't forget that one either. Anyway it's true, the better you plan, the greater your chances are that your painting (or any endeavor) will be a success. Here I'm showing my painting table today at the end of a good day. My peony sketches, photos and thumbnails are taped up on a board before I start. I use this for reference as I paint. This way all the logical thinking is already done and I just let myself go into intuitive, auto pilot mode.

Thumbnail Sketches

Today's doodles are thumbnail sketches of Peonies. Now I'm working to come up with designs for my paintings. I usually use the rule of thirds, which I've illustrated here. Where the lines intersect is a good area for my center of interest, which is commonly the Poppa shape. Can you pick out the Momma, Poppa, Baby shapes here?

Peony Study 3

My paintings usually go by the formula of "Momma, Poppa, Baby". This rule, which was originated by Edgar A. Whitney, almost always applies, especially with my florals. Here's another view of a peony. This shape will most likely be used for the "Baby" element. Sometimes there are three babies in one of my florals.

Peony Study 2

Like in yesterday's sketch, today I'm showing more of a front on view, being careful to make it interesting by not making it too round . In my art I always strive to entertain the viewer by staying away from boring shapes like circles, squares and rectangles.

Peony Study

This drawing is a study for a commission I am doing of a large painting of peonies. These flowers tend to be very round and the shapes can get boring if one isn't inventive. Here I'm mainly concerned with creating and rendering an interesting shape.

Landscaping With Palm Trees

Here's the palm tree drawing with the watercolor wash applied. I tried to make the two foreground trees more sharp and dominant by using harder lines and sharper value contrast.

Seeing Differently

Since I've started up my daily drawing blog again, I've been seeing things differently. Today I noticed more beauty in my life and have become more aware of visual details. I think it is a benefit of this discipline. Sketching also provides a time to go within; whether for a minute or an extended amount of time. In drawing, we can carry on a happy, intimate dialogue with ourselves. I got a little carried away on this one. That's OK because I was having fun and with sketching you don't always have to stick to a plan. Let your muse be your guide!

"A sixty second sketch is worth more than a week of good intentions!" ~ Sandy

30 Second Sketch

Part of the purpose of this project is to convince some of you out there that drawing is not all that difficult! This sketch, taken from the picture I posted two days ago on my web log, took me 30 seconds!! Maybe I'll add some wash tomorrow. (I added an antique effect in iphoto.)

Cardinal on a Pine Cone

This is either a very small Cardinal or a very big pine cone! Tonight here's a quick sketch for you of a little figurine my sister in Florida just gave to me. When sketching a small object, be sure to raise it up to eye level by putting it on a box or other pedestal. If you don't, you'll be looking down on it, like in the drawing I did yesterday.

Little Old Rabbit

The really neat thing about sketching is that your subjects are all around you. There are no limitations. Just about everything is sketchable! Today's post is a quick study of an old concrete garden ornament that I inherited from my Aunt Milly.

WELCOME BACK TO DRAWING EVERDAY!

I've been really chomping on the bit and could hardly wait
to get back at it!

Today's sketch, "WILLIAM" THE HIPPO, is of a reproduction of an Egyptian Hippopotamus which is the NY Metropolitan Museum of Art's Unofficial Mascot. He's so cute. It's no wonder he's the best seller in the museum's gift shop!