- This topic has 347 replies, 42 voices, and was last updated 3 years, 3 months ago by
.
-
Posts
-
Thanks Joshua. You’re right. I may rework this a bit and make the corrections you pointed out. Funny thing, I felt pretty good about this last night when I posted it, but this morning when I looked at my page I was shocked at how bad it looks! Does this happen to you? I’ve noticed this all my life. I’ll think something looks good,then a day or two later I’ll look at it and see tons of mistakes I hadn’t noticed before. It sometimes works the other way where I’ll think a drawing or painting stinks then look at it days later and think, “Wow! This isn’t so bad. I shouldn’t have been discouraged.”
I’ve often wished there were a way to be able to look at my work after an hour or so break and have that fresh perspective one gets after a fairly long break. Does this happen to you? If so, do you have any methods for getting a “fresh look” at something you’re working on?
Yeah I think that’s common. At some point working on a piece our perceptions dull. When you come at it fresh you usually have several mistakes you can correct (hopefully). That’s a good thing. Imagine if you think it looks perfect and you’re missing glaring issues!
Day 19. Trying to loosen up a bit. I seem to be tightening up doing the gouache. Need to get looser. I’ll try to do some looser sketches and see if it translates to the gouache studies.
Day 20. New gouache study. Didn’t get it finished. Will try to complete it tomorrow. I’m trying to get a handle on blending and being more relaxed and loose.
Here’s my sketchbook page for day 21. Haven’t been too happy with some of the heads I was sketching, especially in my quick gestures so I thought I’d review one of Steve Huston’s head-drawing videos.
This thread is so inspiring! I would love to see a video on your sketchbook. Going to do some master studies after seeing yours.
Any tips on loosening up? I’m trying to focus on gestures here for my challenge.
Thanks Chi. I appreciate your kind words. I love gestures and drawing loosely and rapidly. It’s been a struggle to do the same with painting however. I’m hoping doing gouache studies may help since it’s a medium that almost demands that you work rapidly.
As to suggestions for loosening up, I really enjoy starting my day doing quick gesture drawings. If you go to this page,
https://www.nma.art/images/#page-1
at the top of the page is a “Daily Drawing Session” If you click on that there are over 30 sessions where the model is timed from 1 minute to 5 minutes. It’s a great way to get your eyes and mind engaged.
Also, I recommend working rather large, (I use an 18″ x 24″ newsprint or bond pad), and I usually fit about 8 figures on the page. I like to use a sharpie pen or charcoal and definitely, especially at the beginning, don’t worry about how it looks. I’m really trying to loosen up with sweeping strokes which I’m trying to do primarily by moving my entire arm from the shoulder. I’m about to start my day so I’ll do a page and post it if that will help. It’s not always pretty. It’s just to help me get loose, energized and excited about drawing for the day. I usually limit each pose to a maximum of 3 minutes. Oh, and it’s also helpful if you can draw standing, although I must admit I don’t always do that ; )
Hope this helps!
Oh, Chi, I just remembered you mentioned you’d like to do master studies. If you want to loosen up, I can’t recommend highly enough doing studies of Heinrich Kley and Daumier. Especially Kley. He’s absolutely incredible. Don’t try to laboriously reproduce his drawings, (it’ll make you crazy), but try to emulate his pen strokes and the fluidity of his forms, especially when he uses a brush.
Daumier’s drawings are also amazing. His ability to capture expressions and gestures is awesome.
Chi, here’s today’s warmup. I forgot to mention, if you use sharpies, it’s best to use them when they’re NOT new. Otherwise the line is just too dark and difficult to control. If you just have new ones, take the cap off one and let it sit for 15 minutes or so until it’s a bit dried. Also, try to pick a good model who does good gestures. This is Rajiv on the NMA model page.
Gouache study for day 22. The top study is the one I did day before yesterday that I didn’t finish. I worked on it some more. It could still use a bit more.
The other two are from today. Still just trying to learn how to apply and blend the gouache. The lower left study is my attempt to render a detail of a Dean Cornwell painting originally done in oil. Not too successful.
Paul, omg look at all these tips!!! I didn’t expect such a thorough reply (replies!!) I might say I love you but is it too soon? lol
Yes i’ve been doing the daily life drawing session but getting a little frustrated when I can’t decipher the gestures 😭
I’m taking notes religiously. Thanks so much Paul!
Gouache and watercolor are such difficult mediums for me, maybe because of the same reason that I focus on the accuracy and rendering too much, oil is my friend. But you inspired me to pick them up again! Nice studies! I like the lighting on the guy’s face in your new page.
Hi Chi. Yes, me too. I feel much more comfortable with oils. It’s sp nice looking at my palette and seeing a color and knowing it will be the same color and value when it dries!
But I also have a tendency to over render so I want to learn gouache. I AM finally deciding that I should embrace my rendering tendency instead of obsessing on doing everything loosely. I’m hoping doing gouache will help me be looser in one respect, while I enjoy rendering in other mediums.
CONNECT
New Masters Academy
16182 Gothard St
Huntington Beach, CA 92647
Contact US