Promise 43: Eye No. 8

Today started as a very difficult sketching day--I just couldn't figure out why it was so hard. Then I realized I'd failed to draw the scaffolding lines on which the sketch is based...the foundation of the drawing as Harold Speed calls it. After establishing the support, the drawing came much easier, though there are a lot of corrections still to be made.

I read somewhere (wish I could remember where now), that drawing or painting is a series of constant and tiny corrections. How true. For me anyway. See you tomorrow.

Promise 42: Eye No. 7

I decided to draw an eye from 'life' today instead of copying from a drawing. And yes, it was MUCH harder. This strange looking eye is from a cast that's really interesting and handsome in it's entirety. It came from Bill's family and is a cast of two faces. Someday I'll draw the whole thing and you'll see! But today, just one eye. Some of my edges are too hard and lines too sharp or dark, but otherwise, a C minus for today's drawing, an A for effort. It was difficult!

Promise 41: Eye No. 6

Actually I sketched quite a bit today, but lots of 'just practice' stuff. This is the best of the lot, from another of Sargent's portraits, Mrs. Horace Weber. Sargent made all his subjects look beautiful or handsome.

Promise 40: Eye No. 5

Did I tell you I decided to do a series of eye sketches? Guess that's not a surprise to you now! This is another from Sargent's drawings. Much more sedate, soft and kind than yesterday's. I'm in a rush, company for dinner, but wanted to do something. I failed to capture the beauty and gentleness of Mrs. John Beals Mills' pretty eye. I'll try again.

Promise 39: Eye No. 4

OK OK, so I'm hung up on eyes. They're kind of fun actually. And I've been studying and reading about the anatomy of the eye as well. Absolutely fascinating. This is the 'other' eye from Michelangelo's Portrait of Andrea Quarates, 1528. I sketched the first eye day before yesterday.

Promise 38: Eye No. 3

Today's eye is from a portrait of Henry James by John Singer Sargent. At the recommendation of Paul Foxworth, I bought of a book of Sargent's portrait drawings published by the Dover Art Library. Paul had sketched this eye as part of one of his series so I thought I'd give it a try. Not too bad, eh? I used Paul's drawing as well as Sargent's drawing to do mine. I'm leaving the studio happy today with this little work.

Promise 37: Eye No. 2

Well, well, well. Finally a good and fairly easy day in the studio. I'm just posting these pics for now. I'll come back tonight with some info. Let me hear from you...

Promise 36: New Bowl

A tiny little bowl. I'll tell you about this practice later tonight. I've been neglecting Billy and Lilly...

Promise 35: Woman

Oh my, this poor woman. She looks much better in the original sketch in John Vanderpoel's book, "The Human Figure." Maybe tomorrow back to the bowl, or better yet, another familiar lime or lemon? See you then.

Promise 34: Bowl No. 3

Yep, the bowl again. I am nothing if not determined. Karen gave me a hand today and her advice is always invaluable. If you've never visited her blog or web site, boy are you in for a real treat. Just click here and away you'll go into a land of beauty from her brush and canvas. Thanks Karen! More tomorrow. I think the bowl, again.

Promise 33: Bowl No. 2

The bowl again. Not sure if I should thank you Karen! It's impossible. I have that old 'I'm moving backwards' feeling again. Discouraging. But on I go. No choice really.

Promise 32: Same Bowl

Did a tiny bit more work on the bowl sketch yesterday. Very unhappy with this. Ugh.

Promise 31: Bowl

What I learned today: It is far easier to sketch by eye and have a poor drawing result than it is to sketch properly, measuring and establishing a foundation, which then results in a poor drawing. The drawing above is a perfect example of the latter.

I have to remember that the goal is practice and improvement, not a finished piece. But this little bowl was simply impossible! So I left it at home! We are at Vashon for our last visit. We go home Friday and the new owners of the cottage move in. What changes life brings.

Promise 30: Practice

I know this doesn't look like much, but it's a practice of placing salient points, straightening curves with lines, and blocking in the form--from a wonderful book by Harold Speed.  It was a hard exercise actually. I'm sure every art student knows and has done it a million times but it was a first for me.

Promise 29: Lime & Lemon, Again

OK, today I left the first sketch of the lime with the lemon outlined in the background alone. Karen and I like it the unfinished way it is! Then I finished the second lime and lemon drawing. Just fair results. At least I think I achieved my goal of making it appear that there is a lime and a lemon, using black and white only.

Have a mentioned that I HATE the paper I'm using. I promise I will NOT use it anymore. It feels slick and cheap, whether it is or not.  See you tomorrow. It is exciting...I feel I'm moving in a forwardly direction, not sure of the path, but moving ahead.

Promise 28: Lime & Lemon, Again

For fear of messing up yesterday's lime, I transferred the outline to a new paper and sketched just the lemon today. I ran out of time and Lilly, the cat, ran out of patience waiting for me to pet her. So I'll touch up the lemon more tomorrow. I don't like it as well as the lime. If I do both sketches, then I'll have double the practice on two drawings of a lemon and a lime! Helpful critiques welcome!

Promise 27: Lime & Lemon

I know, I know, I said no more lemons or limes for a bit. But I've been thinking about this combination for a while now. Since I have to make the lime appear green and the lemon appear yellow, while only using black and white...well that sounded like a challenge to me and a good practice exercise. After all, I can't draw just one of anything by itself forever!

Promise 26: Nose No. 1

Today's nose and yesterday's eye are copies from an old Master study. Just for practice for me. Tomorrow maybe a nose from a very old granite cast-like scupture we have from Bill's family. It will be almost like drawing a real nose! Thanks for following along. I do have a plan now to guide me. I'll tell you about it later.

Promise 25: Eye, Lime

Whoa. TWO sketches in one day. Okay results. Something is wrong with the left bottom side of the lime I think. Any ideas out there? So today I reworked yesterday's lime and tried to duplicate an eye from a drawing. Good practice I suppose. See you tomorrow.

Promise 24: Stuff

I did sketch today though it was a frustrating and discouraging day. Here's the promised photo. I feel as if I am floundering, just drawing here and there, with no real focus. I have a desperate need for a plan of action--what to do now and next and then after that--instead of just drawing whatever comes to mind or is handy at the moment. I have a couple of books on order to arrive soon that I hope will provide some direction. Til tomorrow...

Promise 23: Grapes, Spheres

I am making another promise. I am leaving these grapes alone for a while. Sheese! All the time sketching on them today and I'm not sure I can see any significant difference from yesterday. Karen, I tried to push the background grapes back as you suggested, but not sure I succeeded. The little balls were just a last minute practice.

I have got to set up something new to draw. Hmmmm. Maybe a bow, a la Karen Appleton? Sounds hard, but fun, and off the fruit for a little while! Though I am thinking of doing a sketch with more than one fruit. A set up of a lemon, lime, pear, cherries, and grapes? Maybe I should just start with two different fruits. See how I get so confused about what to do next? So I just keep doing something! Advice anybody? Suggestions? Help!

Promise 22: Same Grapes, Again

Just got home from Vashon and thought I'd take just a few minutes to sketch, since I've missed the last few days. I didn't want to start anything new, so I worked on the grapes, trying to give more definition, weight and volume. The three on the right were coming along pretty well I thought, so I worked on most of the rest of them.

Constructive criticism would be greatly appreciated! Karen? Sadie? Theresa? Anybody. Thanks.

Promise 21: Cubes & Grapes

I did a 'lesson' a la Paul Foxworth on values of gray, black and white cubes which proved very enlightening. Then I did a tiny bit of work on yesterday's grapes--adding some darks to the grapes on the right. I think they look a little better. Anyhow, I did do some work and study in the midst of a busy busy day. Off to vashon with sketch pad tomorrow.

Promise 20: Grapes, again

Whew. Those are hard to do! Ack. I don't really want to draw them again, but I know I should. Maybe I'll just use five or six grapes tomorrow. Think I'll eat these now. They're so sweet and juicy.

Promise 19: Grapes

This is obviously going to be more than a one day sketch. Yikes. It's like drawing a million lemons or cherries. I need to slow down and study each grape.

An artist I admire told this story: Her teacher set up a group of apples and told her to do a painting of the apples. My friend took all day to paint the apples. At the end of the day her teacher came in, put all the apples in a bag, mixed them up, and then dumped the apples out on the table. He then asked my friend to identify each apple on the table with the apple in her painting. Maybe it's not quite so detailed for grapes, but you get the idea. Each grape is an idividual, unique and special in its own way. I must slow down and look so I can see.

Promise 18: Lime

I know, I know. You're tired of lemons and limes too! Well I really haven't done a lime, though at least one of the past lemon sketches looks like a lime. I was just lazy and not wanting to set anything up. We had a small party at our house yesterday and we are both still pooped! I did the this lime this morning, and the next post, the grapes, started in the afternoon.