 |
| Ava, graphite, 6" x 8" |
 |
| Frank Auerbach, Artist, graphite, 6" x 8" |
 |
| One Margarita Por Favor, graphite, 8" x 6" |
 |
| Two thumbs Up, graphite, 6" x 8" |
 |
| YL, graphite, 8" x 6" |
 |
| Tech addict, graphite, 8" x 6" |
 |
| I think That's Gum? graphite 6" x 8" 30MDD Series. |
MORNING COFFEE WITH A SKETCH PAD is getting to be a habit again. Last week's efforts were a bit freer than the previous week's output and that's the idea. I'm still learning how to use stubs effectively and have come to the conclusion they must be bought by the gross, for they do get dirty fast. This, however, may be on the plus side. I had fun drawing with a dirty stub.
Ava is an example. Strathmore 400 series drawing paper, the stuff of my sketch pads, seems to be too grainy for the soft leads I keep reaching for The stub takes care of that with the added advantage of more painterly blending. Odd, I never found a use for them before?
The reference photo for
Frank Auerbach, an artist who would also prefer a soft lead I'd wager, is on the dust jacket of Catherine Lampert's biography
Frank Auerbach Speaking and Painting. The photographer was Bruce Bernard. A long time fan of DeKooning, this distructive portrait painter from the UK has my full attention--I am definitely split down the middle on ultra realism and ultra abstraction.
THE GRISAILLE began taking shape as soon as I got into the lightest lights. Working towards the lights wasn't working all that well considering the many midttones I found in the shirt, so I went into the whites and blackened the darks. Burnt Umbra by itself wasn't enough; Ivory black did the trick. This is a painting of extremes.
 |
From total darkness to brilliant light, Morris came alive.
|
