Quick Sketch of Alan Posing in Class

Pencil and White Gouache on Brown Paper,

6" x 8" , NFS

This is a quick sketch of Alan, one of the best

figure models I've ever known, in one of my

favorite quick sketching mediums - mechanical

pencil and aqua-flow brush with white gouache.

Fun! The lovely brown color of the paper didn't

come through too well in the photo, unfortunately.

Essence Drawing of Sharon Posing

Essence on Laid Paper, 7" x 9", $100.00 SOLD

This is another painted drawing done in the

essence technique that I've talked about in

previous posts. I wasn't crazy about the color in

this one, but I do love the pose, light, and linear

work. The paint goes on the laid paper (Ingres

paper in this case) just beautifully once the oil has

been leached out of it, and of course it dries with

no ugly oil stains around it. I love this technique!

It is great for quick sketching of the model. I will

be offering a workshop in this at The Art League

School in Alexandria, VA next School year, and

will also ge using the technique this quarter in

my figure class.

Oil Paint Essence Drawing of Robert Saunders

Oil on Paper, 8" square SOLD

This man is one of my favorite models ever. He is tall and stately

with long red hair that is turning white, and a beard and mustache,

a big belly, and long graceful legs. A great leonine head. He looks

like a Viking.

It is really fun to do gesture drawings of him. He often will wear

this floor-length yellow and black kimono if I ask him to - he's

sitting on it in the picture. His body plus the kimono create

a wealth of shapes to draw gestures from. But, as you can see,

he is also good for longer poses, because of his elegant head

and posture.

This was not a particuarly long pose, but I was really on a roll

with my paint brushes. I sometimes find I can draw better with

a brush than I can with a pencil. It is odd.

I did already explain the essence technique a few postings back,

so I won't repeat it here. But, for people who love to draw and

paint at the same time (and you can do it in color too - Dover

Publications has a wonderful book on Degas' Drawings that has

quite a few of his beautiful essence drawings in it) it is a wonderful

medium. A lot of fun!

Oil Sketch of Alan

Oil on Gessoed Rag Board, 7" x 9" $100.00

This quick gestural sketch of one of my
favorite figure models, Alan, was done
with a limited palette, using burnt umber,
naples yellow, cadmium red light, and
cobalt blue. The gesso had been washed
with a light neutral gray before starting.

I was trying to demonstrate to my students the
mapping out of broad planes of light and dark, and
how one can simplify the complexity of the back
just to get started (the back can be so intimidating).

Although this is an "unfinished" sketch, I felt that
I had really "caught" Alan, and his energy and grace.

Sharon Posing during Figure Class

Drypoint Etching printed on Archival
Italian Printaking Paper, Image area
5" x 7", margins, 2" $100.00

I did this from a photograph that I took of
this model. She has been modelling for me
personally, and for my classes, for about 12
years. I have done at least ten paintings of
her. She is a fantastic model, even now at
the age of 50, after bearing, raising, AND
homeschooling six children! She just has a gift
for modelling. And, did I mention - she's also
an artist, with a real gift for color, but unfortunately
not a lot of time to make art. I own one of her
paintings. It's a luscious painting of a tomato done
in acrylic. I keep it in my kitchen, and get enjoyment
out of it every day.

I did say, when I introduced myself, that I would
be working in several different media. I just can't
help it. It is not that I am a dilletante. I actually
have a Masters in Printmaking, but have been
much more of a painter in the past 25 years. But,
every once in a while I get struck by the urge to
make drypoints.

They don't take long. All you have
to do is make a drawing with a diamond-tipped
scriber on either a zinc, copper, or acetate plate,
ink it up with etching ink, soak your paper and blot
it, and then run it through your etching press, and
Voila! You have a print. And you can make about
ten more good prints.

To get more than that you really do
need to have your plate electrolitically steel-faced
(can't do that to plastic, of course). They (whoever
"they" are...) have actually taken some Rembrandt plates
that he himself cancelled by scoring them with a big
X - indicating he didn't intend to make any more prints
from them - and had them steel-faced, just to make
money off of them. Greed will make people do really
inane things. Expecially in the art market.