Sumi Ink and Brush Drawing

For my last Fundamentals of Drawing class, we were free to choose what we wanted to do using techniques we had learned in class.  My first Sumi ink and brush drawing was not stellar and my instructor, let me know, in a kind way, that it wasn't very "interesting", i.e., I didn't let the ink flow.  So, rather than attempt the self-portrait again, I thought I'd give ink and brush drawing another go.  I drew what apparently is called a "brain" coral (I didn't know what it was called till my instructor said that was what it was...to which I was relieved, since it meant that my rendering was recognized as the thing it was intended to portray :)  Below, is the result.

Coral - Sumi Ink and Brush Wash

 

Photo of "Brain" Coral

I was not very pleased with my results, but it's not too bad for a 2nd drawing.  The instructor indicated that I had demonstrated more mastery of the skill with this drawing.  So, I got credit for improvement. 

I do enjoy the brush and ink drawing since it is more expressive to me. I'd like to learn more about it.  The quick 15 minute demo we had in class was not enough for me to learn and remember the various applications of the medium and technique.  Maybe I can find some good tutorials online.

 

Paintings from Masking Fluid Drawings

I recently created a work for a friend and thought I'd take pictures to illustrate the process I've been using to create my recent works.

In this case, I first looked up some pictures of prayer flags on the internet to get some ideas for composition, then I made a sketch.  Sometimes I just start drawing with no particular image(s) in mind.

 

Next, I paint the surface of my canvas with black gesso.  For this painting,  I taped off a 2 inch border after the gesso dried.

Next, I "draw" an image with masking fluid and let it dry, then paint over it with a layer of off-white paint:

 

After the paint dries, I begin rubbing off the masking.  I've found that  gum eraser makes the job go a little faster:

Here's what it looks like after all the masking has been removed:

 

Next, I begin painting in the areas of the painting...

 

Here's my finished painting, I scattered lines for a loving kindness prayer throughout:

 

May you be filled with lovingkindness

May you be happy

May you be well

May you be peaceful and at ease

May you feel safe and secure

May you feel loved and cared for

Class Assignment: Charcoal Self-Portrait

My assignment is due in two days.  Fortunately, I had the foresight to take a day off to give myself plenty of "last minute" time to complete my assignment.  Here's how my work progressed today:

After 1 hour, I had my facial features roughly laid out:

But something wasn't right with the eyes, nose and mouth.  I could see "me" in this drawing, but something wasn't quite right. 

6 hours later...it was me!!  Well, sorta.  Hey, with a facelift I could resemble this drawing...at least the mouth was more like mine.

Time to recheck my proportions, positioning, etc.  My nose isn't that long and thin and, after a little analysis, I realized that the eyes weren't quite right either.  The one of the left (my right eye...I'm looking at a mirror image) was proportioned differently from the one on the right (my left eye).  There is a slight difference between my eyes for real, but it isn't like this:

I realize what's wrong with the drawing...I resemble a Siamese cat.  I'm more like a Tabby ; )

Eye tweak 1 - I made the eye on the left closer to the width of the one on the right as well as increasing the height near the middle:

 

 

Eye tweak 2 - line refinement:

 

 

After 7 hours, I have tweaked the eyes and fixed my nose, this is where I stopped for the day:

 

 

 

It looks a lot more like me, but I still see that something isn't right.  I need to recheck the eyes again.

 

After taking a break and asking others what they see, I realize that the cheek on the right looks too concave.  That side of my face is shadowed, but I need to figure out how to indicate shadow without caving the cheek in.  I also realize that I need to remove the "apple" of my other cheek.  It was more appropriate earlier when I first started drawing with my mouth in a smile.  It looks too youthful.  Looking at the photo above, I realize that I need to revisit the neck area too.  It looks like I'm wearing a turtle neck...if only I were : )

 

One other thing I need to work on is the my hair.  After looking at these pictures, the hair looked pretty good at one point, but by the time I stopped, it looked terrible (boxy and fraid on the ends).  I have curly hair and I'm not sure how to render that.  I'll play around with it a little more tomorrow.

Faber Castell Pitt Pen Demo

I went to a Faber Castell Pitt Pen demo by Don Colley at Texas Art Supply this past weekend.  By letting us have a peak into the contents of his sketchbooks, we were able to see a variety of effects that could be obtained with Pitt Pens.  He shared a few tips and tricks for achieving the effects, such as applying a layer of white grease pencil as a base for an area where you want a color to be brighter than it would be if it was applied directly to the paper. Apply the Pitt Pen over the grease pencil then smear or smudge to create various shaded/textured effects.  He discussed layering pens and putting ink on your fingers and then using them to apply the ink to the paper.  He also shared with us how he has perfected the ability to draw people without them knowing he's drawing them. If you set up your drawing surface in front of you at such an angle that all you have to do is move your eyes up from the paper to see your subject, you will not attract as much attention as you would if you had to move your head up and down to see them and then your paper.  You can move your eyes down quickly, when necessary, to avoid the person(s) seeing you looking at them.  

I admire people who  spend a lot of time drawing and sketching the scenes around them.  It's been long time desire of mine to sketch on a regular basis.  Maybe I'll make that my new year's resolution, but I'll have to learn to draw a lot faster if I want to be able to draw people or animals.  Maybe I'll just start with landscapes and buildings first :)

Check out Don's website www.buttnekkiddoodles.com.  And watch this video:


BTW, the demo was very effective as a means for selling product : ) I bought several new Pitt Pens in basic grays to practice value drawings with.  The friend who went with me also bought products mentioned during the demo. 

One other thing, anyone know where I can find an old ledger?  Used is okay. Don uses them a lot.  He said that in the old days they were usually made of rag paper so the ink from the pens they used would not soak through them.  Pitt Pens won't soak through them either so you can draw on both sides of a page without worrying about the ink soaking through.   Just another excuse to indulge my love of used old books?

Houston International Quilt Festival

A couple of weeks ago, my friend Phyllis and I braved the elements (torrential rains and flooding) in my little Mini Cooper convertible to attend the Houston International Quilt Festival.   If you've never been to the Quilt Festival, then you might not understand why we would have done this; however, if you have been to one and you're a quilter or crafter, then I need not explain.

We were in crafters' heaven for 8 hours straight.  All but 15 minutes were spent roaming the vendor aisles and having lunch.  Yes, tis very sad, but we only spent 15 minutes looking at a tiny little fraction of the beautiful quilts that filled over half the George R Brown Convention center.  The first 3 hours we were there we averaged 1 aisle per hour in the vendors section :)  After refueling, we hit the aisles again only this time we kicked it into high gear and covered many more aisles, but ran out of time, which was just as well since we were each already several hundred dollars poorer.  We didn't get to see a few of the aisles, but we were okay with that since, after awhile, it all started to look the same and, though we would have enjoyed seeing and buying even more, we were really tired.

Here are a few of the quilts we saw:

 

 

 

 

 

 

And here are some of the goodies I bought:

Beautiful baskets from Ghana, Sachiko pattern and supplies, ceramic hearts,
fat quarters, quilt board and pattern, i.e., a no sew quilt square

I also bought some felt balls and a felt pin cushion project from Handbehg Felt. The sellers in this booth were really nice and helpful and I fell in love with the projects they had on display.  I bought an assortment of felt balls with which to make a necklace, fringe for a scarf and a topiary like the one pictured below.  If you like felt projects, check out the free projects page on their site.  They have some really cute ones that would make great gifts.

 

Not pictured are the clothing items I bought, of which there were several :)

The Art of Drawing by Bernard Chaet

The Art of Drawing by Bernard Chaet (2nd ed.)

I'm so excited!  I love books.  I love art books.  I really love well-worn old books that have been loved by someone.  So when I got this old 2nd edition of The Art of Drawing by Bernard Chaet, I was in heaven.   It's been so loved and used, that the binding is coming apart!

"A well worn volume in nearly every artist’s library, The Art of Drawing, communicates how the basics of drawing are, in fact, the basics of seeing, and how seeing underpins visual invention in masterworks from the Renaissance to modernism". 

Almost every week in my drawing class, my instructor gets up from her desk, mid-lecture, to go to the cabinet in the corner of the room and start rummaging through her vast collection of art books, searching for one or more containing images that illustrate the concept she is talking about.  This past week, she pulled out a book to show us what we can do with ink wash.  She pulled out this wonderful book containing a section on student projects in which the students explore a theme for a period of time.  I was intrigued by the idea of studying the same subject for an extended period of time and exploring it in a multitude of ways.  In addition to this, I could see also from the age and condition of the book (binding coming undone) that this was a favorite book of hers.  I asked her the name of the book and when she told me "The Art of Drawing",  I knew from the name of the book, the condition that her copy and the few pages she shared with us, it was a must-have for me.  So, that night I went out searching for the book and found that it was no longer in print, but luckily I was able to find a copy on Ebay and I promptly bought it. 

So far, I've only perused the book, but I'm looking forward to delving into it further.  In the Preface, Mr. Chaet states  that the purpose of the book is "...to share with students and the general reader experiences I and my classes at Yale have had in resolving certain "problems" encountered in drawing."  My instructor frequently discusses our homework as "solutions" to the assigned problem.  I can't wait to dive into this book and see what "problems" are discussed and how the students and masters resolve them.

"The Window" project - effects of changing light

"One Tree" project - charcoal drawings of one tree

 

New Addition to My Art Collection

I'm so excited and can't wait to hang this painting.  I just bought "Market Day" from artist Brenda Furman.  I LOVE the colors and texture.  They made me say "WOW!!" the first time I saw this and Brenda's other paintings.  She uses such a bright and cheerful palette and her subjects are so lively.  This particular painting was inspired by her daily experiences from the time she lived in Cape Town, South Africa.  Brenda says she has yet to see anything here in the states that compares.  Brenda is a very nice lady with a lovely South African accent.  I love listening to her talk. 

As is the case with most of my art collection, I not only love the piece I have purchased, but I also have fond memories of the artist, and some place and/or time associated with each one.  This one will always bring me joy and remind me of my South African studio neighbor at Art Square Studios.

Packages in the Mail

I love getting little packages in the mail! Today, my order from Cathy McMurray arrived.  I had ordered one of her paintings online through her Etsy shop.  "One Fine Day" is a serene and cheery piece.  It came with a Certificate of Authenticity, a little gift card, thank you note and Cathy's biz card, each was a mini-print of her beautiful artwork. Opening this package was a perfect way to start my day :)

"One Fine Day" by Cathy McMurray

My First Open Studio

How did it go? Not bad...at least I didn't come away from it feeling like a big flop or anything :)  The five hours flew by because much of the time I spent catching up with dear old friends who stopped by to show their support for me. There's nothing like looking up at the door to see who is coming in and then realizing that the face you're seeing belongs to that of a friend you haven't seen in awhile.  It's a really good feeling.   

I owe big thanks to my friend Phyllis.  She was there by my side for the whole 5 hours.  She kept watch when I needed a break, helped with the pouring of tasty beverages :) and brought my attention to  potentially interested parties that I might otherwise have missed.  Thank you so much Phyllis!

I sold one painting to a really sweet friend and had an inquiry as to whether or not I was selling a piece of my student art.  I had been told to be prepared for such inquiries, and I was, sort of, but not really.  Next time I'll answer "yes" or "no", not "it could be".  Lesson learned : /

The day was definitely not a loss.  I had a good time, was able to catch up on the latest news with friends I hadn't seen in a while, met some new people, made a sale and took away a number of lessons learned. 

One lesson learned...take pictures for posting.  I was so busy, that I forgot to take pictures or ask someone to take pictures, so I have no pics to share with you : (  Oh well, maybe next time (that will be in April 2014).

Cindy 

Charcoal Drawing in High Key

The assignment from last's weeks drawing class was to draw a still life in the High, Medium or Low key.  Key being a term which describes the value range (light to dark) of the work.  We were free to setup our own still life and given suggestions as to what items to setup up under what lighting conditions provide conditions which would provide us with the proper items and light conditions to create the setup for our chosen key.  The pumpkin I drew last week was definitely in the medium range, so I wanted to try something difference.  I chose a rabbit figure( (in off-white) a white egg on a white bed of cotton inside a white cup.  I was aiming for high key and my instructor confirmed that I made it.  What do you think?

18" x 24" - "Easter Bunny?" by Cindy Jackson Griffin

T-4 Days

Art Square Open Studios is 4 days away and I'm almost ready.  Lots of little details left to take care of...I'm sure I'll forget something.  I have a bunch of ideas of things I'd like to do and I'm pretty sure some of them will be get done. The rest?  Well, as with the holidays, I usually have more ideas than time...what's important usually gets done, the rest is gravy :)   If I don't get anything else done, then I at least have artwork to show and that I feel good about.  I just finished "Joy" (below) today. I'm feeling a little guilty about working on it instead of the next charcoal drawing assignment due tomorrow evening.  I better get started on that...




JOY - 16" x 20"

Miniature = Fun Size

The Art Squares Open Studio is next Saturday.  It will be my first. I'm not sure what to expect, but I've been having fun preparing for it, tending to little details like starting the blog, updating my biz cards to point to the blog, cleaning up the studio and making it looking generally welcoming (I hope) and creating some works to display.  Up till now, I've only had my 2-D Design classwork on display...a little boring, so I figured I better get something else up on the walls. 

I've hung the framed paintings.  I have a few more that I finished this week that I will be framing and hanging. 

When I was cleaning up the studio, I came across some miniature canvases that I've had a few years.  I pulled them out and today I made a few miniature paintings of motifs that have been appearing in my works lately.  I love mini-things, they're fun size : )

Charcoal Drawing

Value Drawing of a "Fairytale" Pumpkin

In my Fundamentals of Drawing class, we are doing value drawings with charcoal...a very new medium to me. I like it alot. For last week's assignment, we had to draw a still life of something organic in nature. Well, I'm learning that my successful completion of these assignments, i.e., without a high level of frustration, is highly dependent upon my choice of subject matter.  So, for this assignment, I chose a pumpkin. When I went to the store I saw the typical Jack-O-Lantern style pumpkins in bright orange and in a variety of shapes and sizes. As I looked at each, I thought, "How am I going to draw that? I see too much texture." After looking them over and rejecting all of them, I came across what were labeled as a "doll house" pumpkin or something like that. These beauties had such shiny, smooth exteriors in a deep rust color with some chalky looking white areas around the creases. And the creases, well, I couldn't ask for a more defined crease. I was definitely going to be able to find highlights and shadows to draw with these babies. So I bought one, took it home, set it up on a sheet in the corner of the kitchen with a photography light as my only light source...I wanted singular shadowing, I'm not up to more yet :) I did one sketch and was hooked.  The charcoal is so forgiving and workable.  I loved putting it on and wiping it off, putting more on and wiping more off, blending, erasing...oh, erasing...I love subtraction as a means of adding definition.

The drawing above is my finished drawing on 18 x 24 drawing paper (which started out as white. I was able to do this assignment much easier than the others. I'm not sure if it was the subject matter or the charcoal. I'll find out soon. I have another assignment in charcoal due next week. We'll see how it goes...BTW, the pumpkin, I found, is also called a "Fairytale Pumpkin". It comes from France where it is called  "Musque de Provence".

What a difference a frame makes!

I've been a busy little bee preparing for the Open Studio next week.  I was just going to tack my painted canvas boards up on the wall with push pins, but decided to try framing a few.  Wow! What a difference a frame makes.  Masque IV is my favorite so far.  I'm working on others, so I can at least have a few things to display outside my studio, but I'm finding it difficult to find much time to work since I also have assignments to work on for my drawing class.  I'm tempted to be late on an assignment just for this week so I can get more done...not sure what my instructor would think about that :-)





Open Studio on Nov. 2

Come see me at 2711 Main St, Studio #208

Have masking fluid, will paint

In previous attempts I've made at painting on canvas, I've been extremely cautious.  I made sure every inch of the canvas was covered in paint and that the paint was evenly distributed everywhere, no transparency or brushstrokes could be seen.  The painted areas just looked solid.  On top of that, I outlined the painted areas with a Sharpie paint pen, not trusting myself to paint smooth, solid lines.  These paintings were very "crisp" and may as well have been prints on canvas.

Below are my most recent works. For these paintings, I used black gesso, masking fluid and acrylic paints.  I really enjoyed the process of making these.  I had so much fun drawing with the masking fluid.  My favorite part about it was the lack of control I had with the particular applicator I was using.  The lines came out thick, thin, skippy, blobby.  It was wonderful.  The imperfection of the lines helped me to be more relaxed with my painting and you can see this  in the color distribution.  I love it. These paintings taught me how to be a little less controlling of the outcome. 

My knowledge of paint and painting techniques is minimal and, up till now, the only painting class I've had was a Tole Painting class years and years ago. Since I am giving more of my time to creativity now, I'm letting myself playing with various types of paints, tools and techniques and I'm learning some things, but I definitely see a painting class or 2 on the horizon...but first I must finish my current drawing class : )





Masque III


Masque II - "Where Are We Today?"

 

Hello from PeaceHeartWorks!

This year is the year I decided to finally pursue my interest in art.  It's weird how everything kind of fell into place just when I finally had a little time available to dedicate to the pursuit of my artistic dreams. Thanks to my artist friend, LeeAnn Gorman, we learned about Art Square Studios, got on the waiting list for a studio and, in March of this year, I learned that one would be available in May.  At that point, I had to decide whether or not I was ready to take what, for me, was a really huge step and sign a lease on a studio.  This was one of those times when, although I was somewhat fearful of taking this plunge, my heart was saying "DO IT!!!! This is the first step in realizing your dreams!" So I did it, and then I promptly took a big second step and signed up for my first class at Glassell School of Art across from the MFAH.

While talking to my friend Cody at lunch one day, he suggested I start a blog so I could post pics of my school work and anything else I create along the way.  Thanks for the nudge Cody : )  With the Art Square Studios Open House just around the corner (Nov. 2), I figured now's as good a time as any to start the blog.  So, here goes....

Cindy