Drawing Mickey at the Heavy Anchor

Sunday Sketching at Tower Grove Park

I have learned that it is best not to blend when sketching in pencil sometimes. It gives an unclarity if you do. It is best to put the lines down and let them be untouched with minimal erasing into with a gum eraser perhaps. This gives your lines strength clarity and purpose.

One other tip: Hold your pencil at it's distant end from the lead, if possible add a pencil extender, this  will make you use more energetic lines instead of fussing in details with a tight grip up close.

Museum Sketches

On Easter, most things were closed, but the Art Museum was open. I spent a few good hours sketching some sculptures at the museum. I drew a horse running, the ballet dancer girl, and a classical bust.

Drawing Stephanie at Marlene's

I am getting back to this blog after a bit of a break. This is Stephanie modeling for us at Marlene's studio. I am trying to use a more predictable technique lately. 

1. loose gesture in a few lines

2. drop in tone

3. add dark notes

4. revise contours

5. pull out hilights

6. finishing touches in mediating tones

In this second drawing, I skipped step 3 and didn't bother with steps 5 and 6. I felt like  I might have ruined it. Which makes me think about other thoughts I ave been having about being precious with things. This  is  contrary in a way to my thoughts. I almost am decided that I should keep the average ones, sacrifice the best and attempt too improve my average. The thing that is gained is in the mind after-all and not in the end product.

If we hold up the end-product too high with our admiration, don't we build a ceiling for ourselves?