artamaze by Katherine Hilden

Richard Diebenkorn and the Kitchen Sink

Posted in abstraction, Achievement, Composition, Negative space, Roundness, Seeing, Still life, Technique and Demo, Texture, tagged chiaroscuro, china marker, kitchen sink, Prismacolor marker, Richard Diebenkorn, Stabilo pencil, still life, studio sink, un-heroic on February 18, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Actually, the studio sink. But the idea is the same: it’s not what you paint/draw, it’s how you see it. After I gave a demo with Stabilo pencil and china marker on gloss paper, I encouraged the students to set time aside to practice—or what from now on I will call “treat yourself to drawing.” One student did just that. Her pleasure in drawing, the fact that this really was a treat, is evident in the five drawings she produced in one day. They remind me of Diebenkorn’s sink with their strong diagonals, the repetition of arched shapes, the chiaroscuro drama of light and dark, and the un-heroic nature of the subject matter. Diebenkorn’s studio sink, E.M.’s kitchen sink.In the Diebenkorn we see his much used tripartite composition, which we don’t have in E.M.’s drawings, but that’s a subject for another day. E.M. used china marker and Prismacolor marker on gloss paper to great effect. The solvent in Prismacolors picks up—on gloss paper– the china marker’s black and creates a personal texture, a painterly quality, a feeling of transition and process. There’s an urgency and concentration in these drawings that warrant the Diebenkorn connection. Pretty good company, there, Elizabeth! Richard Diebenkorn, 1922-1993. Corner of Studio – Sink, 1963. Oil on canvas. 77×70 in

Frédéric Bazille’s Sleeve

Posted in Achievement, Composition, Technique and Demo, tagged china marker, Frederic Bazille, Stabilo pencil on February 11, 2014| 1 Comment »

There were just four frames, taken in rapid succession. Here’s the second one. (See previous post.)

It must have been the sleeve.

When I brought my drawings to class, students remarked on the sleeve. The sleeve, its shape and drapery, take center stage. I had thought that part of the reason why I responded to this photo was that it associated to Frédéric Bazille’s self-portrait at the Art Institute of Chicago, my favorite hang-out. But the students said they didn’t know this painting and for them the mystique of the white sleeve came through unmitigated.

Both this pose and the previous one show the figure turned away from the viewer. The figure is introverted. When a figurative drawing has appeal despite an averted gaze, you’re probably attracted to the quality of the drawing itself. One student said, “I just want to look at it.”

Highest compliment, thank you for that.

Notice that in both drawings, the figure is anchored in a pattern of rectangles, which was suggested by the patchy paneling on the studio wall. The figure itself is a play of geometrical shapes and anatomically vague. But the rectangles in the composition add solidity and gravitas and make the elusive figure convincing.(Left, the first study, in china marker.)

The drawings are made with china maker on gloss paper. The final drawings have a touch of Stabilo pencil and some splashing with dissolved Stabilo.

Frédéric Bazille, 1841-1870

Seeing Shape

Posted in Achievement, Composition, inspiration, Seeing, Technique and Demo, tagged camera, china marker, repeated shap, s, shape, Stabilo on February 9, 2014| Leave a Comment »

My little Canon is always in my pocket. In class I take shots of students’ works in progress, of the view of the lake, of the photogenic mess in the sink, of finished work and even of unassuming students. I think it must have been E.M.’s white shirt and black cap that made the shutter click. Once the photos were on the computer screen, I immediately saw the repetition of the square/rectangle motif. (It’s easier to see this when the photo is black/white.)

I couldn’t resist. I treated myself to an afternoon of drawing.

To start, a sketch in china marker, 11 x 8½. Having learned from that exploration, I did a second drawing, 14 x 11, in china marker and Stabilo pencil.

Another drawing followed. More on that and students’ reaction in the next post.

Red

Posted in abstraction, Color, Seeing, tagged anger, blood, danger, language, love, Maria Palacios, passion, red, scale, warning on February 7, 2014| Leave a Comment »

It’s a small painting, only about 12” x 14”. As you look at it here, try to imagine it large, say 36” x 48”. We react differently to paintings, depending on their size. Small looks precious and controllable. A large painting envelopes us, becomes part of the atmosphere. Perhaps this work by Maria Palacios will inspire a larger incarnation of itself.

Not all languages have words for the same colors. But every language has a word for red, along with white and black. Think of all the associations we have for red: blood, passion, danger, warning, stop, anger, love…strong stuff.

No doubt, this painting needs to be big.

Drawing Hands

Posted in Seeing, Technique and Demo, tagged drawing, general to specific, hands, practice, treat yourself on February 2, 2014| 1 Comment »

Hands. Oh, no!

But hands are just more of the same: shapes, shapes, shapes.

Easier said than done.

Of course, drawing hands is hard. They’re so complicated! Downright weird sometimes.

The tendency is to either overwork them or to just put down some scratchy lines and walk away from the challenge.

The challenge is to practice drawing the beasties so much that you get to the point where you can gracefully suggest the gesture of the hand without belaboring it. Easier said…

I brought in Xeroxed copies of these two hands clasping. Turns out, you can put your non-drawing hand into the position of each of the two hands, more or less, and study the anatomy of your fingers to make sure you know what the photo is showing.

I did the demo, pointing out that you always draw from the general to the specific: draw shapes, not fingers. The fingernail should be faintly suggested, nothing more. Easier said…

One of the things I stress when we work from photos is that the drawing will not duplicate the photo. The drawing “translates” the photo into its own visual language. The students said that my drawing made the hands look more energetic than they are in the photo. Yesss!! Once you see that, you’re half way there.

Now all you have to do is practice. Practice drawing hands! A most rewarding way to spend an hour a day. Think of it as a treat. Instead of staying, now I’m going to sit down and practice drawing, say, woo-hoo, now I’m going to treat myself to an hour of drawing.

That Paper Bag

Posted in Achievement, Composition, Failed Effort, literalness, Seeing, Still life, Technique and Demo, tagged crinkles, face, Karen, Paper Bag on February 1, 2014| Leave a Comment »

Draw. Draw anytime. Draw anything. There’s always something lying around that begs to be drawn. A paper bag, for example. I recommend that students practice and here’s an example of a motivated student, Karen Gerrard, producing a fine drawing at home of, what else, an inspiring paper bag. It probably was a little more wrinkled than the drawing shows, but she simplified the planes to great effect.

Better than the drawing I did during class. A face kept coming out and I ended up shading the right side of the bag to obscure the grimace. Happens all the time with inanimate objects—oh, look, there’s a face. Once you see it, you can’t not see it. Drawing is always an adventure, full of unexpected turns and–crinkles. Simplify, simplify!