This is the second post in my journey through Bert Dodson’s Keys to Drawing. Find the first project here. This week I undertook Dodson’s Project 1-D–Eyes: drawing my own eyes using a mirror. The lead up to this exercise was a riff on the necessity to draw exactly what we see, not what weContinue reading “Keys To Drawing Project: Eyes”
Tag Archives: drawing
Sketchbook Update: August
With the exception of a few lapses, I’ve dutifully been drawing in my sketchbook everyday this month. Granted, it wasn’t an overwhelming body of work, but it was a good start and I’m noticing small changes in my drawing style and habits. Here’s some of what I’ve done this month, ordered oldest to most recent:Continue reading “Sketchbook Update: August”
The Great American Eclipse
In case you somehow missed it, there was a total solar eclipse on Monday. Because we have been inundated with news of this eclipse for weeks now, I will spare you the explanation of why this was kind of a big deal. But, just so we’re clear, this eclipse was one of the most beautiful,Continue reading “The Great American Eclipse”
So I have this daydream about charcoal . . .
I’ve wanted to start experimenting with charcoal for awhile. I love how it looks and how messy it is to use. With charcoal I can pretend I am an old-timey French artist in Montmartre drawing dancing girls and flowers. Anyway, my mom sent me charcoal drawing pencils and some willow charcoal. I proceeded to letContinue reading “So I have this daydream about charcoal . . .”
Blind Drawing: You Try Not Looking
It’s so difficult for me not to continuously look at the page while drawing. It’s like my eyes don’t believe I have hands I can draw with unless they’re looking right at them while drawing. If you recall from my last post, I’m trying to develop this new habit of actually looking at the subjectContinue reading “Blind Drawing: You Try Not Looking”
Keys To Drawing Project: Ugly Feet (and Other Sketches)
In the hopes of improving my sketchy drawing skills, I’ve placed myself in the hands of Bert Dodson and his highly recommended book Keys to Drawing. I’ll be going through each of the 48 exercises in the book and sharing some of the results and learning here. To begin with, I thought I’d show someContinue reading “Keys To Drawing Project: Ugly Feet (and Other Sketches)”
The Honeymoon Project
An old college friend invited me to her wedding celebration, and it seemed the perfect opportunity to practice my drawing and watercolor. Instead of buying a card, I would make one, and since my gift was a donation to their honeymoon fund I had my obvious inspiration. As always, there were lessons learned through thisContinue reading “The Honeymoon Project”
The Basics of Graphite Grading
I just found out yesterday that pencils have different levels graphite grading (resist your urge to ridicule, please), and this is what makes some pencils have harder lines and some softer. Previously, I thought a pencil was a pencil, and maybe just the size of the tip was what made a difference. I almost always used mechanicalContinue reading “The Basics of Graphite Grading”
Watercolor Portrait: A Beginner’s Attempt
I’m freshly new, like wet paint, to watercolors and this project was my second attempt at making a portrait for a friend (the first was for Claire, who upon hearing I’d just taken up painting demanded I make her a mermaid with the moon, because her expectations are soooo reasonable). This second painting was for my friend NickiContinue reading “Watercolor Portrait: A Beginner’s Attempt”
Compulsive Creation 