Drawing Day

Drawing Day is a world wide ,done every year , encouraging everyone to drop everything and draw for one day and submit your drawing to http://www.drawingday.org/ or any of their participating websites. Here is a sample of some studies I did of Paul Klee's Senecio Man

Memorial Day Weekend

Just added a book list to the blog. Check them great reads for those who wish to become better artists. It is Memorial Day weekend to much to do and no time to do it. Still working on the website hope to have it done and linked by the end of the week. Say a prayer for all those who have passed on. God Bless.

Memorial Day Comments - Photobucket

T

The End of the Week

It is the weekend, reading some really great books. Can't wait to tell  you all about 'em on Monday. Have a great weekend. I am off to play soccer.

T 

Weekend Comments - Photobucket

Materials

Glitter Text Maker - eCards

Pencils
Pencils are the most basics of drawing tools. The major brands are Faber-Castell, Staedtler,(both German) Sanford USA, Rexel(England) and Koh-i-Noor( Czech Republic). There are 19 varieties or degrees of hardness .  The pencils are numbered alphanumerically. The letters B ( soft) and H(hard) stands for hard or soft. The B category runs from 8B( softest and darkest) to B. The H category runs from 9H ( hardest) to H. HB and F are in the middle and are commonly known as the #2 writing pencil. B,2B, 4B, H, and 2H are commonly used for most graphite drawing. I personally use pencils from all the major lines but I prefer the Staedtler pencils. My pencils range from 8B to 4H. Sanford makes a pencil called Prismacolor Ebony( formally known as Design Ebony) it is a jet black smooth pencil perfect for shading.

Paper
For drawing any reasonable quality paper for drawing will do. Strathmore, Beinfang, Canson, all make good papers at an inexpensive price to start out. Some authors recommend smooth Bristol board for shading practice, But I got by on regular drawing paper with a slight tooth just fine. make sure the weight is 50lbs( copy can also be used used but is heavier).

Tortillion
Are spiral wound cones of paper used to smooth out your pencil mark in shading.They come in small and large and can be used for light shading as well.
Eraser

A white plastic and kneaded eraser are a must for drawing. I like the white plastic eraser better than the standard pink pearl because it is useful for other techniques and cleans well. A kneaded eraser is like putty. You break off  pieces or mold it into shapes to get into small areas of your drawing. It is good for lifting out pencil marks and creating highlights

Craft Knife and Pencil Sharpener
The most common sharpeners are made of metal or plastic. In addition to the pencil sharpener, small pieces of fine sandpaper can be used and  there is a special type sold in art and craft stores attached to a small board that is hand held. Craft knives( x-acto etc.) and razors are used to obtain a very sharp point.
Drawing boards
Are good for drawings  that are 11"x14" or larger pieces and keeps your work clean by working on an angle instead of flat. Drawing boards are made out MDF or wood.  I have a 16"x20" drawing board with clips and a large rubber band going across the bottom to keep the paper centered. A drawing table accomplishes the same goal. Just a bit more expensive.

Drawing 1

I can't draw ! That is usually the first thing that comes out of my student's mouths. My reply is I can't either. I put down on my support what I see.

What is drawing? A necessity as far as I am concerned . I can't paint without drawing first and I try to make my drawing as good as possible to relay my thoughts and ideas through the painting. Sometimes I have success and sometimes not. ( see slide show for not too successful) . But I don't really draw 

Drawing is making marks on a support to create an image, form or shape.(verb)
The image is also called a drawing .( noun)

To be a happy visual  artist, one needs to be comfortable with one's own drawing style. The way you draw something is as unique as you are individual. I firmly believe there is no right or wrong way to draw something as  you see it. There are rules if you wish to render things realistically.  I follow them when  I want to portray the subject realistically.  When I want to just do my thing I do that too. 

I said that my paintings in the slide show weren't exactly a success. Some people were disturbed and completely  trashed them. While others sang my praises. When I finished the paintings I was very happy at the time. When I looked at them two  years later I decided to redo them . The coloring is a little off, I could have painted the faces better, I should have added more detail, etc. So we will see what I come up with this time.   
But first we must start with the drawing....

Have a Great Week Comment Graphic

Have a Great Week Comments - Photobucket

The Seven Elements of Art

There are seven elements of art. The elements are the tools artists use along with the principles of design. They are the visual language artists use to express ideas in a work of art. The elements are known as Line, shape, color, value, texture, form and space.

Line

Lines are described by their place in space. Some are diagonal, vertical and horizontal. They can be broken,  solid,curved, bent into angles,straight, thick or thin.  The two main groups of lines are gestures( which define forms) and textures. ( which refer to the tactile experience).

Shape

The natural extension of  a line is the shape. Shapes actually make two images referred to as negative and positive.

Color

Color is produced by various rays of light.

Value

In its most basic form is the difference in tone whether in color or black and white.

Texture

The tactile experience.

Form 

Two- dimensional objects bent into a three-dimensional form.

Space

Space makes a flat image look like it has form.