Head Drawings from Last Term

We started head painting at LAAFA last term. I don't have those to post, and honestly most aren't worthy. However, my head drawing is getting better. Here's my best from last term (Kirk Shinmoto and Sang Bang helped me with some of these):

Some Quick Stuff from Last Term

Secret of Drawing Discovered?! Possibly...

Some things must be shared with the world.

It so happened that about a month ago or so I accidentally used my sketchbook as backing to do some drawing. This sketchbook has a plush, padded cover:



And something happened then that I never expected. I realized I had just discovered drawing, and whatever strange activity I had been performing before was nonsense. My strokes went down with ease, smooth and silky, each a caress rather than a scratch, something soft and lovely. The whole drawing experience became sensual. My quick tones went down smoother than I had ever seen, as if airbrushed on some papers. I was happy.

It seems that adding a soft undersurface creates some give to a broad-sided wax pencil stroke, which causes more of the paper's grain to be filled-in. This creates smoother tones, and creates a nice look even with cheaper, somewhat grainy papers like Biggie. The downside is it takes more pressure to achieve full value with the pencil.

I searched long and hard to find some material to use as the undersurface, and have settled on foam shelf-lining, rolls of which can be had at any department store. I have rigged my board as follows:



My paper is clamped in one direction and the shelf-lining in the other. As I turn to a new page, I lift it and place the lining beneath. Very simple.


You owe me, all of you...

LAAFA End of Year One Review: Long-Pose Quick Sketch

LAAFA End of Year One Review: Medium-Pose Quick Sketch

LAAFA End of Year One Review: Quick Gestures

LAAFA End of Year One Review: Long Pose

Well, here's the mighty post. Actually, I'll have to break it up; this blogger thing is a pain.

This is more or less what I presented at my review a few weeks ago.

Cast-drawing (still in progress) and some portraits from Rick Morris' class:

LAAFA Catalog Drawing

I need to update this more regularly! For a start, here's the drawing I did during the photo shoot for the LAAFA Fall 2009 catalog cover. Yes, it was all staged, buy my drawing was real.

That catalog photo is a horrible reminder of my bad posture. Ugh!

In a few days I'll post my review portfolio...

Fun and Quick Cast Drawing

Eric Pedersen showed me a fun way of doing cast drawing today, using charcoal powder, charcoal sticks and brushes. Cast drawings typically take forever but this painterly approach really jump-starts the process. This is maybe 1 1/2-2 hours, and it already has a sense of form.

Apparently this is how Rick Morris taught cast drawing. Too bad we never got that class!!!

Of course my shapes are unrefined and my edges too, and I've made this ancient Greek into a Frenchman by giving him a beret in place of hair. But I'm inclined to try more of these, and maybe push one farther...

Studio D 9/6/09

I went to the Studio D workshop for the first time. The neighborhood's a little scary, but the sketching was good, and James Galindo made us burgers. That's how you run a workshop!

Jennifer's the model.

I've completely forgotten how to push the gesture. And I still don't know how to deal with connecting core shadows...

A Proper Context

This will set the mood.

Okay, so I have improved since starting at LAAFA a year ago. I'll try to find my first attempt at quick sketch to post eventually.

Still, so far to go... At least I'm enjoying it.

And nothing is better than those four letters, burned into the paper with my pencil like a flaming knife, a brand of infamy, anger and pain. And worse, when the crap is mega.