Category: drawing

Pencil Commission of Wilsonia Cabin

For over a year, a pencil commission of a Wilsonia cabin has been waiting for decisions to be made by the cabin owners. I too have been waiting. And waiting and waiting and waiting.

2 other sketches

We finally got together in person and discussed some details. They chose a view, chose a size, and paid a deposit.

I got a little ahead of myself in this commission. Normally the customer decides the size, pays 1/2 down, and then I take the photos and do the sketches. For several reasons, I didn’t do this one in the right order, which made me nervous. In the past, when the steps get out of sequence, I usually do a bunch of work for free. Then, the customer just flakes away, because he has no monetary commitment, or as in today’s vernacular, “no skin in the game”.

Not these folks. I persisted, we finally connected, and now this drawing is in progress!

cabin drawing

Lots of fuzzy background trees – my hope is to add interest (and distract from all the vagueness) by adding that closer branch.

Lots and lots of little details too. I was relieved they didn’t want all the signs, the 2 bridges, the bird house, the bird bath, the wind chimes, the plaque, etc. The water wheel and wishing well were fiddly enough.

As a right-hander, I work from top to bottom, left to right. This minimizes the smearing from my hand dragging across the piece as I draw.

Kaweah Post Offices

The eBay painting went to a very happy lady!

Kaweah P.O.

Chuck’s painting progressed quickly.

IMG_1798_2 IMG_1214_2

This is a photograph of it while it was drying. Hang on, Chuck, it’s coming soon!

My Favorite Customer bought this painting and I split the sale with the Kaweah Post Office fund.

1293 KPO VII

Several friends gave cash toward the project. Some of them received a package of these cards. (The others didn’t receive cards because I was caught by surprise and didn’t have them with me.)

pencil KPO

Something just occurred to me as I think about this project: EVERY SINGLE PERSON WHO CONTRIBUTED IS NOT FROM THREE RIVERS!!

Isn’t that amazing? That may be part of what has blown me away – so many people from other places have a soft place in their hearts for the Three Rivers landmark of the Kaweah Post Office.

Kaweah Post Office oil paintings Three Rivers

Drawing a Cabin

My business is called “Cabinart” because when I began, I lived in a cabin and I drew people’s cabins.

I still live in a cabin part time and I still draw cabins. When someone pays me to draw a specific cabin, that is a commission.

A friend asked me to draw a cabin that he borrows as a gift for the owner. I asked for specifics, and he said, “Do the voodoo that only you do so well”, or something equally unusual. He is an unusual person – no one like him in the world, and I think he is a treasure.

Sorry. Distracted by thoughts of my funny clever friend.

I drew it.

friend's cabin 1

Not enough pizazz. Let’s add some color.

friend's cabin 2

Still not quite good enough.

friend's cabin 3

Nice. Commissioned pencil drawing of a cabin.

cabin drawings commission pencil work drawing

Weird Little Contest Entries

Small sequoias Small pinecone Small cabin

Each of these drawings are 2-1/4″ x 3-1/4″, drawn directly on the entry form called “Blank Canvas” for the magazine “Professional Artist”.

The 2 colored pictures are colored pencil. It hurts my wrist to use colored pencil over an extended period of time, but these went quickly.

And I love to draw in pencil. Pine cones are one of the hardest, most confusing subjects to draw because of all the repeating shapes, both in the dark spaces and the light places.

This was fun. If any of my pieces are chosen, they will be published in the magazine.

These subjects are definitely all part of a Central California artist’s life.

Yes, I know it is a good ploy by the magazine to acquire new subscribers. So?

It was fun!

California Artist commission pencil work

Weirdly Easy Little Contest

Small sanddollar

Competitions and contests are usually a waste of time for a professional artist. This is just my opinion – there are bound to be those who disagree. One can win awards and not sell a thing. Or, one can sell but not win. I’ve been in both places, and frankly, I’d rather sell than win.

Contests usually have an entry fee, a form or two, a bio to be written, photos to submit, and then involve long drives to deliver the pictures, see the show, and retrieve the pieces. My time is better spent drawing or painting or preparing talks or planning art or teaching drawing lessons or blogging or. . . you get the idea.

HOWEVER, I found an exceptionally easy, fun and FREE contest. It is sponsored by a magazine called “Professional Artist”, and this is how it works.

Go to their website and print out the entry form.
Make art in the little bitty space (2-1/4″ x 3-1/4″) on the form itself.
Fill in the few blanks with contact info.
Put the form in the mail.

That’s all. No fee. No photography. No bio. No delivery.

Why bother? Because it was fun! It was so fun that I did 4 entries. My first entry is the sand dollar above, drawn in pencil.

I’ll show you the other 3 tomorrow.

Another Decision Made!

As I began the previous commissioned pencil drawing of a cabin, another customer notified me of his decision.

3 sketches

A, B, or C?

Decision Made!

A pencil drawing commission customer made a decision about which view to have me draw of her cabin!

2 sketches

A or B?

What appears to be a slight difference between the 2 views matters to the customer. I am here to make the customer happy. She knows her cabin; I do not.

Sketchy Decisions

So many pencil drawing commissions are awaiting decisions. I’ve sent sketches and more sketches. Can’t start drawing until I know what the customer/commissioner wants!

2 other sketches 1 cabin 2 sketches 3 other sketches 3 sketches

Sketches, called “thumbnails” or “thumbnail sketches” were required in most of the assignments in art classes, both in high school and college (I went to 4 different colleges – a full-fledged Transfer Student) More often than not, I had one good idea, and the rest of the sketches were just a waste of time, mindlessly fulfilling the assignment. The reason for the sketches was never clearly articulated – just do it because the teacher said to do it. (As a Questioner, I despise that sort of “teaching”.)

Now that I am a professional artist, I know that customers need to see things sketched out because photos don’t do the trick. People also like choices, but not too many.

Too bad the “teachers” didn’t teach us how to guide a customer to a decision. My cynical mind says this is because those “teachers” never had any customers. They only had teachers, giving them time-filling assignments.

COME ON, PEOPLE, DECIDE, PLEASE? Please? pleeeeeeese? I really want to start drawing!

commission pencil work drawing

About Learning To Draw

Sara's Swing — Swing, by Sara Evans, graphite on paper, 8×10″

Since I have been teaching private and group drawing lessons for 21 years, I have lots to say on the subject.

In looking at the photos in yesterday’s blog posting, it reminded me that yes, a slanted drawing table would be more effective. However, my classes last for one hour, so we just make do with what is available.

I hear critical voices out there, saying “She’s only teaching them to copy photos.”

Spice, by Jennifer Logan, graphite on paper, 8×10″

I am teaching people to see what is really there, providing tools which help them see proportions correctly, showing them how to break down complex shapes and textures into manageable forms, teaching how to plan and persevere and persist.

They are learning about values (the darks and lights), proportions, perspective, how to make things stand out, how to drive pencils to their furthest possible use (“It’s just a pencil!” – Nope, it’s a magic stick of graphite!), how to discern what is worth drawing.

Ripe, by Wendy Miller, colored pencil on paper, 14×17″

To top it off, my students get to meet a variety of people from different walks of life, of different ages and backgrounds. All have a common interest – learning to draw in a realistic manner.

I love teaching people how to draw, and I really do love my students!

Very Effective Drawing Teacher

May I say that I am a very effective drawing teacher?

I’m 55, so I can say whatever I want. However, I think this assessment of my ability to help people learn to draw is accurate, not boasting.

I’ve been teaching drawing lessons for 21 years, and my students are FABULOUS. They are fabulous people, tremendous students, and “at the of the day” (what an overused expression), they turn out remarkable drawings.

learning to draw

I have much more to say about this, but will tell you tomorrow.