LCC Sun Life Drawing - 2013/04/07 - Nick

So on Sunday, I decided to go to the figure drawing class at Leeward Community College. I have been having trouble getting to the University of Hawaii Manoa by 8:30 in the morning in order to get to a seat on the lighted side of the model.

I was told about the LCC Sun Life drawing class. I'm assuming the Sun stands for Sunday.

The model was named Nick, it was his first time modeling and he did pretty well for his first time. 

I am happy with these gesture drawings. They came out nice.

This was the one page that I did that morning. It came out well.

I planned to watch a movie at the Hawaii International Film Fest spring showcase, so I had to leave the class early.

The LCC Sun Life drawing class is located at the LCC Art Room. The class begins at 10:30 and will run until 1:30. There is a 10 dollar class fee. 

"A word as to the education of the heart. We don't believe that this can be imparted through books; it can only be imparted through the loving touch of the teacher."

 ~ Cesar Chavez

Glen's Store

This is a drawing of the interior of Glen's Store, the Armchair Adventurer. The store is more like something out of hoarders then a store, but there is so much wonderful stuff there. This is another in a set of sketches trying to define large areas of sometimes chaotic clutter.

This is a small space more like a wide hallway then a room. I think I could have illustrated this better by including more of the doorway. I could have borrowed a trick they often do in movies--  shoot through a doorway to make the scene seem more intimate.

I had a lot of fun with the Tombow pens in this one. I'm a little unhappy with the perspective, but in general I really like this page.

"Sort out your life by sorting out your junk."

~ Karen Kingston 

Zwick Studios - 04/06/13 - Betsy

So another morning painting session at Zwick Studio.

The painting is progressing nicely. I was a little unsure about how the layout of the page would read; I thought I made the figure too small, but I am finding with more of the details on the form, it looks pretty good. 

I am a little unhappy with the face. I am not quite getting the likeness the way I would like.  Although the portrait is by far the more progressed part of the piece. I think for next week I need to focus more on the body and get color into the background.

 "Begin at the beginning and go on till you come to the end; then stop."

 ~ Lewis Carroll

Robert

This portrait is of Robert to match the portrait I did of Tatiana last week. I managed to get him to sit down for long enough to get the sketch done. I am pretty happy with it.

"When you plant a seed of love, it is you that blossoms." 

~ Ma Jaya Sati Bhagavati

HMoA Figure Drawing - 04/01/13 - Catelin

Monday drawing at the Honolulu Art Academy. Catelin was the model she has such a fun face to draw.

So above is my favorite of the night. This is the ten minute pose with the two fives fading in it. The colors from the previous poses are leaking though the portrait in such a nice way. The quickness of the pose also reads nicely.

I also love this sketch. The splatter in the back was me playing with the ink. I love the effect it creates. Again the speed of the drawing is evident and I do like that. I also really like the blue arm-- it is reading nicely against the red wash.

I think this was the least successful drawing of the night. I think it has more to do with my dislike of side views of reclining poses, then it being a bad drawing. I eagerly wait to see what this page springboards to.

So last week I did a neat pose of a model reclining and her hands and head. Over that drawing I did this of Catelin's feet as she laid down.

Catelin made the comment after the pose saying, "It looks like how I feel in the morning, a bundle of arms and feet." It is starting to look really neat.

"Ua ola loko i ke aloha

Love gives Life within."

~ Hawaiian Proverb

Dole Theater

Dole Theater Ticket Taker, Ink on Paper, 8" x 10"

I enjoy going to the movies and Dole Theater is a favorite of mine.

I was waiting for a friend to meet me here. I had a few minutes, so I decided to draw the ticket taker at the theater. I do like how this sketch came out. It does look like the ticket taker.  

Uncle Jerry

So Easter Sunday in our family involves going over to my uncle's house and eating dinner or lunch. While at the party, I asked my Uncle and Aunt to pose for a portrait.

My Uncle Jerry was looking up at the television as I was drawing this portrait. He was very engrossed with the A&E show about tuna fishermen. It seemed to be interesting, but I forget how much he enjoys fishing. It does make me think of my late grandfather, his brother, who also loved to fish.

I love the gray half tone on his face. I also think the likeness is right on. I am a little unhappy with the blue shirt; it looks fine but not as interesting as I wanted. I had to rush the shirt a little. The sun was setting over his outdoor patio, I was losing the sunlight to draw by, so I rushed. I regret it. 

"Looking at people who belong to us, we see the past, present, and future." 
~ Gail Lumet Buckley

Aunty Joan

Easter Sunday at my house means dinner at my Uncle Jerry and Aunt Joan's house.

I decided to take the opportunity to have my Aunt and Uncle sit for a portrait.

This is not the first time I drew my Uncle Jerry. A few years ago I did a nice watercolor of Uncle Jerry. I had not completed a drawing of my Aunty Joan. So this Easter was my chance. 

I did get a pretty good likeness here. I really like how I rendered her hand resting on the table.

I am struggling a little with the 18"x24" size to fit a drawing in. I think her head is a little big for her body in this drawing.

I do like how this came out.

"If you find it in your heart to care for somebody else, you will have succeeded."

 ~ Maya Angelou

Zwick Studio - 03/30/13 - Betsy

It is a new session at the Zwick Studios. Our very talented leader, Billy, has gone above and beyond trying to make the pose more interesting with a still life behind the model.

The model is Betsy. I actually know her from the show I had last year at Ong King. She was one of the other artists who contributed to the show.

During the three- hour class, I worked on the umber sketch for the new canvas and did a sketch in oil pastel. I felt like I managed to accomplish a lot in the time frame.

The point of the above sketch was to try and work out how to define her hair. Betsy's hair has an always wet look as well as prominent bangs, both things are a little tricky to render.     

This is the start of the oil painting. I wanted to fit the whole pose into the canvas. I think I could make the figure larger. I will have to think on this for a little bit.

"There's nothing like a debate to teach one quickness. I often wish I had gone in for them when I was a youngster. It would have helped me no end." ~ E. M. Forster

Tatiana

So this Saturday we had a get together at Robert's House. It was a Wine and Cheese party; we spent the night eating fancy cheeses and drinking good wine.

I am still in a portrait kick, so I did a portrait of Robert's Wife Tatiana.

I am very happy with this portrait. I like the texture of the scratching I did on parts of the face. I did a larger view of her face then I normally do. I think I like to do portraits with more of the body present, cutting of the picture at the waist.

I actually had a really productive night despite the alcohol.

"I shut my eyes in order to see." 

~Paul Gauguin