Commissioned Pencil Drawing Ready for Color

The commissioned pencil drawing will have a touch of color, but first I have to spray fix it so that the graphite doesn’t smear into the colors.

Here’s a thought-provoking question for you: Why do I say I work in pencil instead of saying I work in graphite? I don’t say that I paint in “brush” – I say I paint in “oil”. A pencil is a tool as is a brush; graphite is the medium as is oil paint.

Clarity is probably the answer. I’m talking to regular people who say “picher” for “picture”, “prolly” for “probably”, “hite” for “height”, and “gotta” for “got to”. Regular people most likely won’t understand “graphite” as the medium in a pencil. They prolly think it is something to unstick a lock.

Here is the commissioned pencil drawing in graphite, minus the color.

There is a bit of graphite where I’ll put color because it will serve to deepen and darken the color.

Clarity: what’s the difference between “deepen” and “darken” when discussing color? I dunno. I’m a regular person who prolly doesn’t always get stuff. Gotta go, see ya!LB#3

Coloring books will be available again on July 1, 2016. You may order, but it will involve a wait.

Commissioned Pencil Drawing Gets Fun

Of course a commissioned pencil drawing is fun for me. I LOVE to draw in pencil.

When I draw, there are several steps. First, I choose the size and location on the paper. Second, I lay out all the shapes in a light outline. Third, oh boy, this is the party, I shade.

Shading is how things go from a 2 dimensional piece of paper with height and width (in case you were wondering, the word “height” is pronounced “hite”, not “hithe” ) to an apparent 3 dimensional scene. Shading adds distance, texture and depth.

LB#2

I don’t expect you to be all chills and thrills about this, but you’ve got to admit it is starting to “look just like a picher” as people often say to me when I do art events. Those folks probably say “hite”  and “gotta” too. Prolly.

Coloring books will be available again on July 1, 2016. You may order, but it will involve a wait.

Commissioned Pencil Drawing Begun

I began the commissioned pencil drawing for Found Friend of a view out of the window of a chapel at St. Anthony Retreat Center in Three Rivers. It was pure pleasure to draw in pencil after months of book designing, coloring book drawing in ink and oil painting.

I LOVE to draw in pencil, particularly to draw architectural subjects. A friend and customer once told me that he thinks I am an art-chitect. 😎

This is the beginnings of the drawing for Found Friend.LB #1

It was fairly simply to lay out and begin the shading.

To be continued. . .

Coloring books will be available again on July 1, 2016. You may order, but it will involve a wait.

Sketches for Commissioned Pencil Drawing

A commissioned pencil drawing is a drawing someone pays you to draw specifically for her. Found Friend asked me to draw a view out the windows of the small chapel at St. Anthony Retreat Center in Three Rivers.

First, I took photos.

Second, I did 2 sketches to see if either one fit her vision.

LB sketches

Found Friend chose A.

Tomorrow I’ll show the beginning of the commissioned pencil drawing.

Coloring books will be available again on July 1, 2016. You may order, but it will involve a wait.

A Found Friend Commissions A Pencil Drawing

“Commissioned Pencil Drawing” is a straightforward title for a nice story of friendship and inspiration.

I have a friend from summer camp when we were in grade school. We cannot remember the summer we met. We lost touch. She and my older sister became friends as adults.

Last summer I was reading one of my favorite blogs, Happier by Gretchen Rubin. Love her writing, her podcast, her way of thinking. . . for some reason that particular post was so interesting to me that I took time to read the comments. I recognized the married name of my old friend in one of the comments! Her name was clickable, so I followed links, found a picture and recognized her! She had her own blog and a contact button, so I emailed her and she REMEMBERED ME!

But wait. It gets weirder. Would you believe that is the only time she has EVER commented on a national blog?? And it was the only time I have ever taken the time to read the comments on Gretchen’s blog?

We now have a great email correspondence and have gotten together several times. She is a fabulous human, a deep thinker, a thoughtful and kind person, and a Major Blessing in my life. To protect her privacy, I will call her “Found Friend”.

What does this have to do with a commissioned pencil drawing?

Found Friend spent a bit of time at St. Anthony Retreat Center in Three Rivers several years ago, and was struck by a view out the windows of one of the chapels. When she visited me this spring, we went there and sat inside that chapel so she could show me the view because she wanted to commission me to draw that view in pencil.

She insisted that we conduct business in my normal way, no special friend discounts or freebies. This always feels weird to me, but I remember something a wise friend told me years ago: “If your friends won’t do business with you, who will?”

Here are a few photos I took that day.

Small chapel at St. Anthony's
Small chapel at St. Anthony’s
Alta Peak
Alta Peak

IMG_2623 IMG_2624

Tomorrow I will show you the 2 sketches I did for my Found Friend to consider and choose.

Coloring books will be available again on July 1, 2016. You may order, but it will involve a wait.

Firewood by the Wilsonia Door

Wilsonia cabin drawing

What is it about doors that is so attractive? In this pencil drawing, it is the light and shadow.

Does this look like a cabin to you?

What is a cabin? A little home in the mountains, but it can be a big fancy-pants home in the mountains too. (Ask my sister-in-law who lives in Tahoe!) But is any home in the mountains a cabin?

So many questions. That’s how I am wired. That’s how I learn, think, make decisions, and roll.

This looks like a cabin because there is firewood piled by the door. Did you notice that?

You can get a copy of The Cabins of Wilsonia here: The Cabins of Wilsonia.

I Love To Teach People How To Draw

I love to teach people how to draw.

Every Tuesday afternoon, people come to the Courthouse Gallery in Exeter for lessons. Four people for an hour at a time, each one working at his own pace on his own drawing. (Yes, I know it is acceptable to say “they” as a singular pronoun now, but I cannot. Can not.)

Sometimes I demonstrate some drawing techniques to a group. Two weeks ago I did this for the Tulare Palette Club, a delightful and attentive group. I sort of talked a little bit too long. They were gracious, but told me to shut up at 9:05. It was very fun.

And occasionally someone makes an appointment and comes to my studio for a private lesson. This is also great fun. I find out why she wants to learn to draw and tailor the information to her specific needs.

Equal opportunity here: “his” in the 2nd paragraph, “she” and “her” in the previous. No “they”. However, the Theys used to live up the road from me. Had a sign in their front yard – said “The Theys”.

I am not making this up.

And I don’t make up stuff when I teach people to draw. I help them all learn, and we all have a great time.

Are you interested?

Here is a sample to whet your appetite:

Bandit

This pencil drawing is “Bandit” by Jennifer Logan. She has been taking lessons from me for about 3 years.

You can learn more here: Lessons.

Unsolved Building Mysteries in Wilsonia

Happy Birthday, Audrey!

A man cave? A Dude Den? a tool shed? guest quarters (so they won’t be inclined to overstay)?

Even after four years of visiting Wilsonia while working on The Cabins of Wilsonia, there are still many unsolved mysteries.

Get your copy here to learn about (or at least just look at) many mysterious buildings in Wilsonia: The Cabins of Wilsonia

Willow 4
Pencil drawing of Wilsonia outbuilding

Neighborly Wilsonia

wilsonia cabin drawing
Pencil drawing of Wilsonia cabins

Sometimes the backsides of cabins were more interesting to me than the fronts. There are porches, fire rings, sheds, and little paths (in the mountains we tend to refer to paths as “trails”) leading from neighbor to neighbor.

Mountain communities like Wilsonia tend to be very neighborly.

To learn more, you can order your copy of The Cabins of Wilsonia here.