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Day 100 02/01/2022
A bit of a weak finish to the challenge, but here’s a little thumbnail sketch of a Ruisdael painting (Two lark oaks at the edge of a pond).
This challenge was… all over the place. I spent way more time not doing the challenge than in any previous one. It took me near on 5-6 months to finish the 100 days. My interest in skies and atmosphere is undiminished – but I’ve just pivoted to focusing on drawing and commiting to following Course Guide. My hope is to put in the training now, so that once the better weather rolls around I’ll be in a better position to tackle subject matter that interests me (e.g. trees). We’ll see!
I won’t be doing any more 100 day challenges on the NMA forum, migrating everything I do to Discord instead -> https://discord.com/channels/699135570491867138/1059123356760276992/1059123356760276992
See you there!
Day 99 31/12/2022
- I started a new notebook. My hope is to use it for outdoor sketches and small studies I can use in the studio to assemble pieces. Let’s see aye! I have a bad track record with sketchbooks. I got started with a thumbnail study of Daubigny’s Banks of the Oise at Auvers.
- I also did a little figure drawing for Intro To Figure assignment for week 3. I feel like my drawings are getting stiffer 🙁
Practice Time: 2h
Day 98 30/12/2022
- I finished week 10 assignment for Fundamentals of Drawing and Perspective. I’m rushing a bit… but admittedly I’m finding these assignments a tad boring. It’s fine for 3-4 hours, but eventually I’m finding my stamina isn’t lasting much longer. I’m not particularly satisfied with this one, and I’m tempted to do a second assignment… I’ll see how it looks tomorrow.
- I attempted a small postcard size master study in charcoal on a panel, with the idea that I might attempt an underpainting too… but it was soon clear that my panels have way too much tooth for a charcoal drawing. I made them up a while ago and intentionally made them toothy because I found the smoothness a problem painting plein air…. I will need to get sand paper to sand ’em down tomorrow.
- I did a little figure drawing.
Practice Time: 3h 30m
Day 97 29/12/2022
Well, well, well. Look what we have here. After almost three weeks of nothing tree or sky related, I finally spent just a little time on the actual challenge… albeit just a few quick sketches.
Despite my lack of consistency in sticking to the challenge, my interest in trees has only grown. I’ve picked up a few older books that I’m excited to make use of in the upcoming year (Cole’s British Trees, Step’s Wayside And Woodland Trees, Trees and Groom’s Their Life Histories).
I finished Artist Anatomy of Trees. The last section on “details” was perhaps a bit too detailed for my current use. But will undoubtedly turn to it again in the future for reference. I’m now reading the introduction to Collins Complete Guide to British Trees , which I received for Christmas.
The reason I’ve been neglecting the challenge is simply because I haven’t been doing any personal work. For whatever reason, I just haven’t had the energy for it. But I do have the energy to follow NMA courses, so that’s what I’m doing. Here’s a work-in-progress for Fundamentals of Drawing and Perspective. It probably has another 2-3 hours in it.
My hope is to finish this challenge off in the new few days and start next year afresh.
Practice Time: 4h
Day xx 28/12/2022
- I finished up week 2 of Intro To The Figure, seated and prone poses. I did more than the assignment said, doing a drawing for each of the reference photos provided. But I don’t feel like I really ‘got’ week 1/2. Something tells me I’ll need to return to it a few more times.
- I copied more of the gesture drawings from Villpu’s Drawing Manual.
- I also got started on week 10 – both watching the demo and the assignment. Hopefully complete it tomorrow to keep the course momentum. My goal is to complete it in January.
Practice Time: 4h
Day xx 27/12/2022
Okay, Christmas is starting to wind down. Time to get back to work…
- I spent a couple hours on figure drawing, mostly reviewing chapter 1 in the Villpu Drawing Manual on Gesture, and tying this with Intro To The Figure – which I think cover similar ground.
- I also finished up the assignment for week 9 of Fundamental of Drawing and Perspective. This could probably use another 30 minutes, and I know Im being impatient, but this got really boring all of a sudden. I’m keen to move on.
Practice Time: drips and drabs
Day xx 19/12/2022
- Intro To The Figure, week 2 – 1-2 hours of figure drawing
Practice Time: 1h
Day xx 20/12/2022
- Second assignment for Fundamentals of Drawing and Perspective, week 8.
Practice Time: 1h 30m
I’m not getting a lot of time for art due to family being in town. Normal service should resume once Christmas is all wrapped up.
Day xx 14/12/2022
I’ve been missing in action due to getting married, so I haven’t gotten much drawing done.
Before I left I did finish the portrait I was working on. Not as successful as my previous, I don’t think. The orientation of the mouth just looks wrong, it’s facing towards the viewer, appears flat and doesn’t wrap around the muzzle. This is sort of how the reference looks, so this is probably an example of where I should have deviated. I like the eyes though.
The only drawing I did whilst I was away were some spheres, which I drew at 4am as I couldn’t sleep on the hard hotel beds. I’m counting these as towards the Fundamentals of Drawing and Perspective
Practice Time: 2 hours?
Day xx 18/12/2022
- I watched week 2 of Intro to the figure, a continuation of gesture but for seated/prone figures. Then did some drawings…
- I also did one of the two assignments for week 8 of Fundamentals of Drawing and Perspective .
Practice Time: 3h
Hello Claudio – thank you for your kind words.
In terms of the pigments I use, they’re essentially the palette from Intro To Landscape with Ben Fenske – with a few modifications as I’ve gone along. Essenntially it’s a cool/warm for red/blue/yellow, plus a brown.
- Warm White (Michael Holland)
- Aliz. Crimson
- Cad Red
- Cerulean
- Ultramarine
- Cad Yellow
- Y. Ochre
- Transparent Oxide Red
Increasingly I’ve been experimenting with a more earth palette and fewer cadmiums, but this is a work in progress.
Cheers,
Jack
Day xx 13/12/2022
- I watched, and completed the assignment for, week 7 of Fundamentals of Drawing and Perspective on the sphere.
- I did an hour of figure drawing. I’ve done quite a few more figures than the assignment for week 1 of Intro to Figure, but I’m still not sure I “get it”. I think this is one of those courses/subjects you’ve just got to move on and periodically circle back.
Day 96 11/12/2022
- It was the Villpu Drawing Manual book launch, so I did a few sketches during the live stream of trees based on a few illustrations in Artistic Anatomy of Trees. It ain’t much, but if I don’t count them I’ll never finish this challenge!
- Based on coaching feedback, I’ve started watching Intro To Figure, and doing assignment one on balance. I’m finding it a real struggle to portray the figure in 2-3 simple forms. Even getting the basic tilt/orientation is a challenge. I’ve so much to learn, hopefully the course will help!
- I completed the second assignment for Week 5 of Fundamentals of Drawing and Perspective. Onto week 6!
Practice Time: 4h
Day xx 12/12/2022
- Mostly more figure practice from Intro To Figure, starting to do assignment two where you start to build out the forms along with the basic shapes. There were a few ‘ah ha’ moments, but on the whole it’s quite taxing. I’ve re-watched some of the lectures 3 times in two days. A real wrestle. The last two are a little stiff, but the process feels like it’s coming together.
- I also watched and finished the assignment for week 6 of Fundamentals of Drawing and Perspective. Admittedly I did this sort of quickly compared to the other perspective assignments, but I had to do it pretty small (postcard size) in order to fit all the vanishing points on an A3 sheet.
Practice Time: 3h 30m
Day xx 08/12/2022
What happened to my challenge? Nothing sky/tree related for a week now! Tut tut. Must get back on it.
I’m struggling to remember what I did this day. I know I did some figures with tone….
Practice Time: 3h 30m
Day xx 09/12/2022
- I worked some more on a master study from Master Monday… this one is so slow. I’m not convinced I’m doing it in a way that is time well spent, but I’ll persist. It’s a work in progress.
- I got started on the Fundamentals of Drawing and Perspective… but I didn’t take in progress pictures.
Practice Time: 3h
Day xx 10/12/2022
Despite being a Saturday, I didn’t have too much time due to family fun, but enough time to finish off the 1 point perspective assignment. It took way longer than I expected.
Annoyingly, I can see that the right windows are all not vertical and where the ceiling meets the back wall… oi vey…
Practice Time: 2h
Day xx 07/12/2022
- I finished off that portrait I started yesterday.
- I also did a bit of figure drawing, mixed result!
Practice Time: 3h
I need to accept that I’m not going to get as much practice in over the next few weeks (because of work and personal stuff) as I’d like! 3h a day is good for now.
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