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Tuesday, March 17, 2015

Better

Beach Guy, Graphite, 6 x 8, TMDD Series 2015


All points line up and he is solidly seated on the side of that lounge chair with no danger of falling over.  I was happy--then I got interested in the patterns of light on his anatomy and may have gone too dark?   I stopped.  Values were not what I was after today;  points and associations were the goal.

Ellis said I was way too harsh in my criticism of yesterday's attempt.  He must be right; he never comments on my work.  Nevertheless, I still don't think so.  I think we have to be able to look at our work and see it  objectively with trained eyes unclouded by the fact that we made it. All that talk about stepping way back to get a clearer view of our subject and our handling of it is to move  away from personal attachment and apply what we've learned about form, values and colors over years of study and doing.  We subtract ourselves by looking at our work from a distance, through mirrors and up side down to get an objective perspective from which we can make judgments as to what needs doing, as to finish? Our skills are honed by our truthfulness.  What was good enough for Ellis, was not good enough for me.

8 comments:

  1. See, I even told u so!...btw are u sure that the first sketch wasn't more in line of how the man was sitting? Just sayin'... I don't think anyone sits in the right alignment... but, I can see u are determined, and got the result you wanted... and that is what matters... and u are educated on how a portrait should be executed...

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    1. All points are where they should be and the relationships are correct. I wouldn't have drawn him again if the other one was correct. I would have moved on. His weight in the reference was on his right buttock. His weight is on his right buttock.

      I like that he isn't sitting flat out, comfortably on the chaise, but is twisting and tilting ( so his wife can apply sunscreen) and on the brink of rising to go on the beach. The trouble with the first drawing was he was just sitting there not going anywhere.

      My portraits are not traditional; they are done from candid shots taken when subjects are unaware they are being observed and are usually about to do something or are responding to something going on in their lives.

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  2. Zo knap vind ik dat heel mooi Linda lieve groetjes Danielle

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    1. Thanks Danielle, I'm satisfied and could carry the information I collected onto the canvas. That's the purpose of sketches.

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  3. Sorry, Linda, time for me to be as harsh as you. The legs are not right, his right too small and left not joined at the hip at all! Top half is gorgeous!

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  4. I'm with Ellis . Yesterdays drawing is more believable

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