What Should I Draw Next?

What Should I Draw Next could be the call letters of a radio station east of the Mississippi – WSIDN. Okay, there are one too many letters, but tell me how KMJ gets away with only three?? I stole this from Anne Bogel, Modern Mrs. Darcy, with her podcast WSIRN – What Should I Read Next – a wonderful resource for readers.

I digress.

I will be participating in an art show of pencil in May and June. Right now I am in between jobs – murals, coloring books, and fall shows coming, but all are waiting for decisions. That makes this a good time to draw ahead for the upcoming show.

A crystal ball would be helpful. There are too many ways to make this decision:

  • Draw what I like. My opinion doesn’t always coincide with the opinion of the art buyers and appreciators.
  • Ask for other people’s opinions. Which people?
  • Draw what I think might sell. Based on what?
  • Finish pieces already in progress. Why didn’t I finish them earlier? Lack of interest on my part, some instinct telling me the subject matter didn’t hold any appeal to my audience (who are they??), or an interruption such as a mural or a coloring book or an art festival/boutique/bazaar.
  • Something local, or something from my travels, but which travels? – China, Israel, the Central Coast, Lake Tahoe, Washington DC, Washington state, Oregon, North Carolina, Alaska, where??

Life is full of decisions, or as my Wise Friend often says, “Choices and Consequences – life is full of choices and consequences.” Oh yes, a crystal ball would help.

  • How do other artists make these decisions? Probably by sticking to a theme.
  • What is my theme? Tulare County.
  • Why Tulare County when it is so poor? Because I live here.
  • Why do I draw? I draw because I LOVE to draw!
  • Why don’t I just draw what I love? Because it has to sell.

Now, what should I draw next?

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Photos from Israel that have promise for pencil drawings.
pencil drawing in progress
A drawing of the Central Coast that is languishing (or mulling) in my flat files.
pencil drawing in progress
A pencil drawing of a fascinating scene in Beijing that I stopped drawing for some forgotten reason.
pencil drawing in progress
A local scene – Lake Kaweah when it was full.

 

 

Thoughts on Success in Art

I have 3 nephews. 2 of them are “creatives”, one an accomplished graphic artist supporting a wife and 2 children, and the other about to start his junior year in college as a music major. Might be performing arts, might be music theory. . . can’t remember exactly and embarrassed by asking him too often.

Music Nephew and I have been having an email conversation about “the arts”, and he mentioned how a musician friend of his gets in the way of his own success. I responded with something that I think you might enjoy, Oh Blog Readers (all 4 of you or so. . . maybe 6 or 7, but I still don’t know how to access or read the blog stats).

Most of us trying to make it in the arts are usually in the way of our own success. I’m gradually learning to redefine success. I know I don’t want to spend hours and hours on social media trying to build up a following, so I’m not – that’s success. I’d rather have real people that I know just happily following my blog and thinking of me when they have an art need – they do, so that’s success. I also don’t want to do the crazy hard work of building up a body of work that might appeal to galleries, which I’m not, so that’s success.

My life’s work is to discover and display the good things of Tulare County, a place I love to hate and hate to love. Sigh. Thus, the mixed ideas about success – I am portraying this place, but sometimes I want to live somewhere with a less hostile climate, cleaner air, and richer more educated populace.

If you made it to the end of this bloviation, you deserve a reward. Here, have a look at a successful pencil drawing of a bridge.

Marblefork Bridge, pencil on paper, 11x14 framed, currently hanging at the Courthouse Gallery in Exeter.
Marblefork Bridge, pencil on paper, 11×14 framed, currently hanging at the Courthouse Gallery in Exeter.

Commissioned Pencil Drawing Ready for Color

The commissioned pencil drawing will have a touch of color, but first I have to spray fix it so that the graphite doesn’t smear into the colors.

Here’s a thought-provoking question for you: Why do I say I work in pencil instead of saying I work in graphite? I don’t say that I paint in “brush” – I say I paint in “oil”. A pencil is a tool as is a brush; graphite is the medium as is oil paint.

Clarity is probably the answer. I’m talking to regular people who say “picher” for “picture”, “prolly” for “probably”, “hite” for “height”, and “gotta” for “got to”. Regular people most likely won’t understand “graphite” as the medium in a pencil. They prolly think it is something to unstick a lock.

Here is the commissioned pencil drawing in graphite, minus the color.

There is a bit of graphite where I’ll put color because it will serve to deepen and darken the color.

Clarity: what’s the difference between “deepen” and “darken” when discussing color? I dunno. I’m a regular person who prolly doesn’t always get stuff. Gotta go, see ya!LB#3

Coloring books will be available again on July 1, 2016. You may order, but it will involve a wait.

Commissioned Pencil Drawing Gets Fun

Of course a commissioned pencil drawing is fun for me. I LOVE to draw in pencil.

When I draw, there are several steps. First, I choose the size and location on the paper. Second, I lay out all the shapes in a light outline. Third, oh boy, this is the party, I shade.

Shading is how things go from a 2 dimensional piece of paper with height and width (in case you were wondering, the word “height” is pronounced “hite”, not “hithe” ) to an apparent 3 dimensional scene. Shading adds distance, texture and depth.

LB#2

I don’t expect you to be all chills and thrills about this, but you’ve got to admit it is starting to “look just like a picher” as people often say to me when I do art events. Those folks probably say “hite”  and “gotta” too. Prolly.

Coloring books will be available again on July 1, 2016. You may order, but it will involve a wait.

Sketches for Commissioned Pencil Drawing

A commissioned pencil drawing is a drawing someone pays you to draw specifically for her. Found Friend asked me to draw a view out the windows of the small chapel at St. Anthony Retreat Center in Three Rivers.

First, I took photos.

Second, I did 2 sketches to see if either one fit her vision.

LB sketches

Found Friend chose A.

Tomorrow I’ll show the beginning of the commissioned pencil drawing.

Coloring books will be available again on July 1, 2016. You may order, but it will involve a wait.

Designing a Book

What is book design? That’s a question I asked back in 1998 when Jane Coughran and I published The Cabins of Mineral King.

The answer was too complex and computerish for me to comprehend. We paid someone to prepare our book for printing, and I had no understanding whatsoever of what was involved.

When I published The Cabins of Wilsonia, I figured I could do that stuff myself, being the owner of a Macbook and having written this blog for 5 years (at that time).

Holy guacamole. I had no pickin’ idea. It involved buying InDesign and learning to use it. This necessitated 2 trips to Seattle for training and many desperate calls for help. It also involved a huge number of uncharitable and unChristian thoughts towards Adobe, the makers of InDesign and Photoshop Elements, the latter of which is supposed to be simple to use.

Fall down laughing. . .

In spite of the difficulties, I got ‘er dun.

This gave me a false sense of confidence in believing I could do the book design for someone else, 2 years of forgetting later.

Oh my. This calls for a calming picture, and I’ll have to continue this little saga tomorrow.

Willow 5
Pencil drawing of cabin porch from The Cabins of Wilsonia. This is a good place to sit and contemplate the peacefulness of no computers.

Drawing Lessons

Since 1994 I have been teaching people how to draw. Each class has 3-5 people who meet together for one hour per week. There are 5 of these classes in Exeter at the Courthouse Gallery on Tuesdays. (but not in July, August or December)

Each person works at his own pace on his own drawing. Some have been with me for a month now, some for about 10 years. The only ones who don’t learn are the ones who quit too soon.

Everyone comes for a different reason. Here are some:

  1. To learn how to get their shapes and proportions more accurate so they can paint better.
  2. A desire to prove some art “teacher” wrong, who told them they have no talent. (Isn’t that mean!? Wasn’t the “teacher” there to help?? )
  3. A love of learning how to do new things.
  4. A desire for a new hobby.
  5. Always thinking it might suit them, and finally making the time to investigate that interest.
  6. Already knowing how to draw but needing a specific time and place.

Have a look at what some of my students have either just completed or are currently working on:

Spice Cat

joshlyn

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There are specifics about drawing lessons here. (Click on the word “here”).

My classes are full right now but you can get on a waiting list. Sometimes people do quit. I don’t think I drive them away. . . life changes, or they got what they came for and move on.

Firewood by the Wilsonia Door

Wilsonia cabin drawing

What is it about doors that is so attractive? In this pencil drawing, it is the light and shadow.

Does this look like a cabin to you?

What is a cabin? A little home in the mountains, but it can be a big fancy-pants home in the mountains too. (Ask my sister-in-law who lives in Tahoe!) But is any home in the mountains a cabin?

So many questions. That’s how I am wired. That’s how I learn, think, make decisions, and roll.

This looks like a cabin because there is firewood piled by the door. Did you notice that?

You can get a copy of The Cabins of Wilsonia here: The Cabins of Wilsonia.

I Love To Teach People How To Draw

I love to teach people how to draw.

Every Tuesday afternoon, people come to the Courthouse Gallery in Exeter for lessons. Four people for an hour at a time, each one working at his own pace on his own drawing. (Yes, I know it is acceptable to say “they” as a singular pronoun now, but I cannot. Can not.)

Sometimes I demonstrate some drawing techniques to a group. Two weeks ago I did this for the Tulare Palette Club, a delightful and attentive group. I sort of talked a little bit too long. They were gracious, but told me to shut up at 9:05. It was very fun.

And occasionally someone makes an appointment and comes to my studio for a private lesson. This is also great fun. I find out why she wants to learn to draw and tailor the information to her specific needs.

Equal opportunity here: “his” in the 2nd paragraph, “she” and “her” in the previous. No “they”. However, the Theys used to live up the road from me. Had a sign in their front yard – said “The Theys”.

I am not making this up.

And I don’t make up stuff when I teach people to draw. I help them all learn, and we all have a great time.

Are you interested?

Here is a sample to whet your appetite:

Bandit

This pencil drawing is “Bandit” by Jennifer Logan. She has been taking lessons from me for about 3 years.

You can learn more here: Lessons.