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Thursday, January 29, 2015

Who's Drawing You?

From Across The room, graphite, TMDD series

As I was drawing this woman I saw across the diner, I was wondering who was drawing me?  Could  happen.   It looked like she was involved in a serious discussion with her husband and she didn't like how it was going.  I've been there.  Off to the doc for mid year check up.  Rain and ice out there.  If I didn't need a script for the  new pneumonia vaccine I'd cancel. Wish me luck.  I'd rather be scumbling.

9 comments:

  1. Luck coming your way........in big bundles! Good drawing again,

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    1. I do love people watching. This gal was not happy with the conversation. I took her photograph just as she was shaking her head, so the likeness is iffy. But I did like the look in her eye--like she couldn't believe the dribble she was hearing. Thanks. Fun stuff in the morning. Not so much in the afternoon with all that scumbling. I took a look at Erin as I passed by. Today, I can be hard on myself and go for the neck--or I can continue to add violet and green to her hair. I'll probably opt for the hair and maybe rough in the top of her bathing suit. My reference is very poor--I over photoshopped it. The colors need a lot of calming down. One of these days I am going to download Adobe Lightroom; it allows you to undo back to the original, even if you've already saved and closed the file. That would be appreciated with this reference.

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  2. Another super sketch. Well observed.

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    1. Thanks Mick. I spent an hour looking closely at Holbein's English portraits today. His skin tones were constantly changing. He did his drawings on pink tainted paper using ink and chalk. There's a clue there for me. Did you run into any Holbein's while you were in London? I'd love to see one in real life. I have to investigate our collection--with fingers crossed.

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  3. What's with that goiter on her jaw bone?

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    1. I'll take care of it tomorrow. No, I haven't gone over the hill, I just notice imperfections when I scrutinize the work in this medium.

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  4. Just sending some good vibes your way.

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    1. And do your vibes tell you, I've been reading about the real Samuel Adams these last days. He was fifty two in 1775, had two children (from six born) and had lost his wife. He was NOT the radical rabble rouser the series ON THE HISTORY CHANNEL presented. He believed in following the laws and peaceful demonstration against laws he thought unfair to the colonists. It was a guy named Otis who was rough on anyone who stood in the way of the rights of the people. The seven year war with France had just ended and that in addition to a number of rebellions in England's other colonies left the country hurting for money. the American colonies were productive, so they were the ones that were looked to to tax to bolster England's coffers. The influences that put Sam squarely on the side of liberty were 1) the issue with the land banks that threatened to auction off his deceased father's estate, then the sugar tax and the stamp act. England finally gave up on the Stamp act, but decreed a declaration that the English Parliament's legislation preceded the colonists'. Of course the colonists thought not. That was in 1766-67. Ten years before the revolution. At that time Sam was a respected statesmen with a knack for writing. So the History Channel's Series was mostly Hollywood. Entertaining, inspiring, but only brushed the truth. And you thought I drew and painted all day. The historian I'm reading is no where as good as David McCullough. McCullough writes history like he was writing a novel. Unfortunately, he did not write about Samuel Adams.

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  5. Linda: There is so much more to discuss on this topic. Blog posts just will not suffice. That is what are kids are missing in school. As I indicated in my post, there were many historical inaccuracies in the series. However, Sam Adams should be honored. He might not have been quite the violent outlaw portrayed in the series, but any of those men subject to hanging were heroic. I don't recall anyone named Otis, but I don't doubt it, yet here is another problem worth discussing. In the 19th century, Sam Adams was considered a huge hero and patriot. That began to change in the 20th century, much like the images of all our founders. George Washington and Thomas Jefferson have been denounced as slave owners. Ben Franklin has been replaced in our school books with figures like Malcolm X. True in depth research is best achieved using primary sources. It is always better to read Caesars' commentaries on the Gaelic Wars than to learn about his exploits via a 15th century historian. The same holds true for Sam Adams.

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