Experimentation

I am always impressed by truly original artists that use wild colors and composition that my mind is incapable of. But one of the best to my thinking is Alex Kanevsky, great rough brushwork, fantastic anemic color palette and intriguing compositions. I should add the point that many in this catagory are epic failures using gimmicks to disguise their lack of talent.
I found this fantastic reference from an old photo, I as usual neglected to write down any information, it may be a famous person, regardless he looks very cool. Then I used the color palette of one of Mr. Kanevsky's nice interior paintings. It's still obvious that my painting lacks the wild rough edges and loose paint strokes, but I try.

Skinny

In lue of any real work.







Hopefully it makes sense?

portrait

*note: please look at the larger version before you scoff, I think this thumbnail misses the highlight on her lip and makes the mouth look stupid.

A couple weeks back I did this figure drawing. It's big 18"x24" but turned out nicely. Its done as usual with "Bottle green" NuPastel on sketch paper.

figure #36

This last Friday's results.

Football

I love football just about as much as anything. This year will my first toe dip into the fantasy football world. My team will be called the "Furious goats, because of this logo I've stolen from a previous painting. I understand a lot of my time will be wasted, we shall see.

drawing

Submitted for your consideration.

childhood

For the Avalanche blog, the theme was something about what I drew as a kid. All I drew as a kid were dinosaurs(or some modern variations like sharks or alligators).

figure #35

This Friday's drawing done in my sketchbook. I use a .3mm size lead drafting pencil. I don't know why, I became addicted to the lines a few years back and never got back to the regular pencils. That explains why there is rarely and shading, just crosshatching. I was happy with the likeness here though.

my new secretary

I have a new ombudsman to deal with the substantial load of criticism coming into my website. He may be a little abrasive but he is eager to solve your problem. Please overlook his rough edges and give him a warm welcome.
I was playing around with a different brush. A little tricky working with edges but forced the more general abstract handling.

Vampire w/ blood

In keeping with the current societal trend to use vampires in every possible scenario I've continued work on my previous drawing. I desperately don't want to be left behind by any trend or fad. If everybody think it's cool, I completely agree.

Vampire

Sketchbook #37

My wife just got a new magazine with some good reference for my sketchbook. This is last nights study. I asked Natalie what she thought she said "You always draw things long, don't you." That is wife speak for "It's too long." This version is in fact squished to compensate because it is true I always draw things long, it's possible it is the perspective or it may just be in my head, I may want to get that checked.

practice

This is from a couple of years back. Just some style practice with Oil on board.

finally

Nu pastel 18"x24"
At long last a figure drawing that I am very happy with. I get comments sometimes about the generally negative view expressed on this blog about my own work. It's true I am very rarely satisfied with my work. I am happy to declare this as probably my best figure drawing ever, technically at least. I am extremely pleased with the result, in my opinion very accurate with good line work and finished to just the right level. There is a good mix of realism and graphic lines.

So I told my wife how I felt about this and she looked at me like I was crazy then she was good enough to point out that there are no hands. Now it may not be the best composition ever but I actually like it. I really like the non-traditional compositions and this falls within that category. The fact that the hands have been left off is unsettling but intriguing to me, you just have to take my word for it that I can draw hands and this is not just a ploy to hide my inadequacy.

I guess that is enough self congratulation for this post. You are welcome to agree with Natalie, let me know if you think this drawing is mediocre.

long time gone

figure #33

A figure drawing from not too long ago. I thought this guy was awesome to draw he had a really interesting boney figure that was just really interesting, and he was extremely friendly. I was happy with some of the character I got out of the lines especially on that arm though now I wish I had been able to emphasize the great lines even more.

Sorry for the slow progress lately, a new home and the baby who just gets cuter makes art production difficult.

Rockwell coloring book

Just an exercise, I thought I would do a little coloring on my Norman Rockwell drawing from a while back.

Thanks for the comments on the previous post. Don't take my writing too seriously, I am often sarcastic which doesn't always get conveyed through text. My wife accuses me of having no feelings because I don't get offended easily. Its a useful skill to deal with art show judges and to pick through to find the criticism that I can use. I don't really fit the passionate artist mold which I'm sure contributes to my analytic approach to my work. I do appreciate critiques though.

rejected

14"x 18" Oil on board
"The Other Door," A recent oil painting that was rejected by the big local show. This has happened twice now, I've taken in 2 paintings on 2 separate years that I thought were pretty good. I figured at worst one would be taken but no such luck.
I liked this one. It was actually a very relaxing process, working from a photo we took in Venice it was nice to just paint what was in front of me with no real difficult decisions beyond value and color. I thought the composition was interesting as well, but that may just be me. Maybe it is just too straight forward?

I guess I will have to just find a way to go on.

sketchbook #38

This man landed a plane on water, the least I could do was honor him in my sketchbook.

figure drawing #32

Circumstances allowed for a NuPastel drawing this week. I was happy to get back to this mainly because it adds variety to my art exercises. It's pretty different to do the full arm drawing on the 18"x24" sheets.

This was a good model who got the drawing as her reward. It was a tricky pose and she was having trouble keeping the rotation right making it pretty difficult to draw. But I really like standing poses.

figure #31

Friday figure drawing. You can see some of the construction work on this one. Standard pose, but I am more pleased with the way these are turning out in my sketchbook they've come under the blanket that is my style.

Movie poster

For the Avalanche blogs most recent topic "The Land of Oz".
Don't worry I too am ready to get back to the more fine art work.

Oz in progress

A painting in progress for the Avalanche blog

Whitman

I got a great project for the most last issue of The Weekly Standard. It's Meg Whitman, I was happy with the work on the face I like the sculpted feel, but the body is pretty stale IMO, sigh.

Friday's figure drawing

Usually on Friday's I find time for a figure drawing session. Here is this weeks contribution. I think another half hour of refining could have made it pretty good. I would guess this is more like 1.5 hours.

Taft yet again

But this time in color.

figure #29

Finally a live figure drawing done in my sketchbook that is a little more consistent with my regular drawing style. It has a much more polished look.

I would guess the structure is done in about 15 minutes the 20 minutes on the face and about 45 minutes on the hair. Total about an hour and a half.

Taft again

I'm sorry for my absence. Too many competing priorities.

I wasn't satisfied with Taft's shape but this is better.

"What's your favorite dinosaur?"
"Velociraptor!" "Velociraptor!"
"Did we just become best friends?"

Ice

After a long absence, a digital painting is ready to make an appearance. Don't read anything into the meaning because there is none, just done for the sake of an interesting narrative.
I've been a big fan of Thomas Fluharty's digital work. He doesn't try to hide the digital feel to it and there is an appealing mix of hard and soft edges. It's like a digital version of "painterly". This painting has a little of that with a more unfinished feel around the edges.

figure #28

A recent figure drawing. This model obviously didn't feel the need to comb his hair for this session.

I think my drawings from life have a different indefinable quality to them then those done from photos. Maybe less refined but more natural? I don't know.