Up through the summer of my tenth year of life, my grandmother had a house at the beach. This house may explain my predisposition toward shingle siding.
When I lived near the beach, I missed the mountains. Now that mountains are a regular part of my life, I miss the beach. So, let’s go to the beach, figuratively speaking, through pencil drawings. (I’ll probably be in the mountains when these posts appear. . . )
Being on a roll with pencil drawings of Mineral King makes me think very carefully about what I should draw next.
This is a view I recently painted, and it sold right away.
Allllrighty, then. Looks and sounds like a logical next pencil drawing. However, all the other drawings are vertical, so this scene will need some cropping, stretching and improvising, all while maintaining its believability.
How’s this? Is it believable?
To contribute to the authenticity, I’ve included the trail sign. In real life, the thing is about 1-1/2 feet off the ground. Weird. Can you spot its goofy little self in this drawing?
Here it is in all its midgetry. (My blog, my word. . . any questions?)
Sawtooth is that very visible and distinctive peak in Mineral King that shows up in Visalia on a clear day.
Here is a pencil drawing of Sawtooth from 2003. It isn’t bad.
Here is a pencil drawing of Sawtooth from last week. It is a different view, and I think it is better.
Here: let’s do a little side-by-side comparison.
The contrast isn’t as marked as it was between the two Farewell Gap drawings, but the gap of years isn’t as wide either.
Over a year ago, I was at a dinner and ran into someone who had bought a colored pencil drawing of oranges from me in the early 2000s. He mentioned that it was still hanging in his office.
I said, “I draw better now; can I have it back to fix it?”
Yes, I actually said that to a satisfied customer. He was sort of shocked, but he agreed; then, a year passed and I heard nothing.
Last week, one of my drawing students came to class with the original colored pencil drawing. She exercises with the customer’s wife, and I guess the man decided to take me up on my offer.
I’ve learned more about color than I knew back in my days of colored pencil. This is probably a result of learning to oil paint. (Last week I said that growth is good unless one is a cancer cell. . .)
BEFORE: Central California Sunshine, a colored pencil drawing from 2001
AFTER: Central California Sunshine, revised in 2017
Here, let’s look at them small, so they show up on the screen at the same time (depending on your device):
The upper one looks almost finished, the lower one looks finished. The difference is probably too subtle for normal people to notice, but it matters to me.
This drawing is available as a reproduction print, 11×14, $40. One time a potential customer told me she didn’t like it because the light on the orange on the left looked like frost to her. Ever since that time, whenever someone buys a print, I add color to it. It is time consuming, and it has made me wish to get the original back so I could fix it.
THANK YOU, DENNIS AND PATTY, for a chance to redeem my reputation!
Happy Birthday, Lauren!!
At Arts Visalia, a non-profit gallery in (duh) Visalia, I gave a drawing workshop on Saturday.
There were 6 participants, all attending for different reasons – used to draw, always wanted to draw, tried it before but wasn’t successful, a painter who wants better shapes, draws a little but wants a boost. . .
We started with the basics. I explained that drawing is a skill, not a talent, and the only people who don’t learn are the ones who quit too soon (or don’t listen). We went through the tools and the steps, and then did a very simple copy-the-shapes exercise. Next was a shading exercise.
Then, we applied what we had practiced to working from 2 photos of oranges.
The workshop was 6 hours long, and this is how the drawings looked at the end:
The drawings are all unfinished, but these were eager learners, and I think each one will finish and keep practicing on her own. Very pleasant group of truly nice and interesting people. I feel blessed to have met you and am proud of you all!
Did you wish you had been to the reception for Gray Matter, but you had to miss it because you have such a full life?
Here’s a second chance to see original pencil drawings by me and three of my very advanced drawing students.
There might even be some fabulous brownies. . . not promising, just saying maybe.
This show is all graphite pencil, 3 of my (very) advanced drawing students and me. It is part of Visalia’s monthly Art Walk, an event in downtown Visalia on the first Friday of each month. See you there?
A pencil show? Yes, an art show of only pencil drawings by 3 of my advanced drawing students and me!
Some facts:
Title: Gray Matter
Dates: Friday, May 5 and Friday, June 2
Location: Brandon-Mitchell Gallery, 117 So. Locust in Downtown Visalia (between Main and Acequia, west side of the street)
Time: 5-8 p.m.
Participants: Kelvin Farris, Maggie Meling, Wendy Miller, Jana Botkin
We are part of the monthly “Art Walk” in Downtown Visalia. There are many business and art studios that join in this regular event. This is something I’ve never gone to, so I don’t know what to expect. However, you can expect some wonderful pencil drawings, including these.
That’s what I tell my students, and perhaps I need to specify that I am NOT speaking of a hummingbird egg.
But, sometimes my students test their skills while also testing mine. I warn, nag, deny, forbid, warn some more and finally capitulate, but with more warnings.
When someone insists on doing a drawing that I know from experience will be too hard, I just help them as much as possible, and moan the entire time. (Good thing I am not a parent.)
Susan is a classic case. She is determined, committed, focused, and perseverant. Look what she did! Yes, she erased the face multiple times, and there was one day where I almost shouted at every class, “LEAVE YOUR ERASERS BY THE FRONT DOOR TODAY!!” As she would leave class sometimes, I would tell her, “DON’T TOUCH THE FACE!”
Why she puts up with me, I’m not sure. She is a remarkable person doing a fantastic job of learning to draw. Congratulations, Susan, on a job well done!
P.S. To everyone else taking drawing lessons, NO FACE SMALLER THAN A GOOSE EGG! (At least I didn’t say an emu egg, although I felt like it.)
This began with an email, then became endless emailed photos and discussions and phone calls. Oh, and can you have this by the 22nd? Wait, we need cards made, so can you do it in time to give the print shop enough time?
No problem. Art Emergencies are one of my specialties.
The subject matter is a city park that is not yet completed. That makes things a little tricky. The chain link fence surrounding it further complicates things.
No problem. They call me “Dr. Pencil”. (Who is this “They”? Never you mind. . .)
Here are the beginning photos. ARE YOU KIDDING ME??
Better see what this looks like in black and white – sometimes that clarifies things.
Now I am ready to offer the customer some choices.
She chose B, my favorite. I love it when that happens. Makes me feel trusted. I got it laid out and began shading.
And then I had a long day at the drawing board. Not too long, just uninterrupted focused hours to listen to podcasts and figure this thing out.
The next step is the photoshop clean-up and prep work while I wait for the customer to make decisions about the cards.
Goodness, I hope the customer is pleased, because there isn’t enough time to redo anything!