This is St. Patrick. Or, more accurately, this is a statue of St. Patrick.
This is a statue of St. Patrick with a bit of a glow, the outlines of gorse, and the outline of a headstone where the man who was born in the cottage was buried.
Cottage Collage, continued
Weird color – working late makes for some odd photography.
Same cottage, gable end.
Sometimes, I impress myself! Of course, the magnifying light is my Best Friend.
Irish Collage
Ever notice the word “collage” is the word “cottage” minus the t-crossing? I confused myself with my sloppy handwriting and couldn’t figure out what my notes meant – collage drawing or cottage drawing! Here is the Cottage Collage for Mrs. Bob in its current state of development:
And, for the sake of Mr. Google, this is a California artist’s report on a pencil drawing, a commission pencil drawing of several Irish scenes. Instead of being politically correct, I am trying to be technologically correct.
That Wisconsin Art Show
Remember I posted about entering a competition – juried and judged art show in Wisconsin? My 2 pieces are now in the show. They did not place, but they were juried in and look great on the site! This is the piece that is in the exhibit book but not in the show (go figure. . .)! The show is The Richeson 75, and as a California artist, I am quite pleased to be showing off the beauty of our state in Wisconsin.
WIP, part 2
Work In Progress, remember? Wowsa, that castle is full of teeniny little parts. Have a look at hours and hours and hours of drawing. Of course I exaggerate to make a point – you knew that, right?
Back in the olden days, the latter part of the last century, before digital cameras and personal computers and all that, I used to regularly draw from 3-1/2 x 5″ photos from a film camera. Hard to imagine. These days a 4×6 seems like a pathetic little miniature photo!
Cottage Commission Commenced
I am creating a piece of art to the specifications of Bob, My Favorite Customer. (Since he calls me his Favorite Artist, it is only fair that I return the compliment!) He and his family discovered a piece of their history while in Ireland, and I have the privilege of drawing it in pencil.
Bob requested a sketch before I began because the cottage is dilapidated and needed some artistic remodeling. That’s to be expected of something built in 1873.
Good thing Bob knows I can draw or this sketch might have frightened him away. Instead, he approved it, and I began the drawing. Notice the use of 2 separate words to describe what is taking place – “sketch” is loose, rough, for the purpose of conveying visual ideas. A “drawing” will be much more careful and refined.
Bob likes to see the process as it is taking place. Some people prefer to just be surprised at the end; others like to be included and involved. I do my best to accommodate my customers’ wishes.
In teaching drawing, I urge my students to develop the habit of shading from top to bottom and left to right (left handers should move right to left) because it lessens the smearing. Me? I’m experienced enough to do it any way I want and not have a smearing problem! Or it may be that I am experienced enough to know how to deal with the smearing problem, should one occur!
And more links to learning to draw
When I was growing up in Tulare County, I thought the only real beach, the beachest of all beaches, was Newport in Orange County. In fourth grade, we took a field trip to Mission San Miguel and then went to Pismo Beach. It was flat, had giant clam shells, the sand was fine and sort of muddy, and there were no noticeable waves. I was also stunned, just stunned I tell you, to learn there is another Morro Rock! Of course it is spelled incorrectly – the Moro Rock I first knew (and climbed at age 3 I’m told) has only 1 R in its Moro. And isn’t it odd they are both in California, within driving distance of one another? Most convenient for this California artist!
More Links to Learning
If you are here, I’m guessing you have finished the first 8 drawing lessons and are ready for more. Help yourself – I love to teach people how to draw!
- Chapter Nine
- Chapter Ten
- Chapter Eleven
- Chapter Twelve
- Chapter Thirteen
- Chapter Fourteen
- Chapter Fifteen
- Chapter Sixteen
My maternal grandfather, Eugene B. Maise was a maintenance foreman for the Santa Fe Railroad working in the mountains of San Bernardino. In the late 1940s, he was approached by a photographer who requested help taking photos of the trains as they climbed through Cajon Pass. Note the coal burning engine pulling the passenger cars; the new diesel engines couldn’t quite make the grade. I drew this from a photo from Uncle Frank. That was before I had totally cemented my resolve to work only from my own photos. Besides, I needed a gift for Mom! (Thanks Mom, for rearing me here so I can be a California artist.)
Links to Learning To Draw
In case you are a new reader of this blog and are wondering how to find the earlier chapters of Learning to Draw, here is a convenient clickable list of the first eight.
If you want to click on all these but get tired of going back to this page, just right-click on each one and open in a new tab. Then you can go through them sequentially without wearing out your Back button. How did a California artist become so computer savvy? By asking people and trying stuff!
- Chapter One
- Chapter Two
- Chapter Three
- Chapter Four
- Chapter Five
- Chapter Six
- Chapter Seven
- Chapter Eight
Ever say a word so often that it ceases to make sense? I just destroyed the word “chapter” for myself!
Reasons to Learn to Draw
#13 in the series “Thoughtful Thursdays”
Reasons to Learn to Draw
Drawing is a skill that can be both taught and learned. If you compare it to typing, this makes sense: some people top out at 25 words per minute and others can become as fast as 90 words per minute. All are indisputably typing.
Why should a person learn to draw? Back in the “olden days”, it was considered a necessary life skill and was a regular subject in school. Now that we have easy and accessible photography and even easier and accessible internet, drawing has fallen into the categories of hobby or talent. Why draw if you can take a photo?
A few years ago there was a retired gentleman in Three Rivers who had trouble filling his days. We became acquainted at various art shows, and we would discuss drawing. After several conversations, he approached me and asked, “Do you really think you could teach me how to draw?” I responded in the affirmative and asked him why he wanted to learn. His answer still cracks me up: “I don’t really care about art; I just want to meet women!”
Besides the social aspect of taking drawing lessons with a small group, drawing helps us to look carefully at the places and items in our lives. It teaches how to see what is really in front of us, not what we assume is there, or think we see. A number of my drawing students have told me that after a few weeks of lessons, they begin to observe the world around them differently. Details, light and shadow, shapes, and ideas for drawings are all suddenly visible as never before.
Some people choose to take drawing lessons out of curiosity. They’ve heard me say I can teach anyone how to draw, with the qualifier that he can listen to instructions. These folks wonder if they are the exceptions and decide to just give it a try. The only ones who haven’t learned are those who quit too soon!
Other students come to me because they are painters who are dissatisfied with their paintings. Still others want to become painters and they know that drawing comes before painting. By learning to draw in pencil, a person will learn to see shapes, proportions, perspective, and learn about values. Values are the darks and the lights, and without them, a picture gets described as being “flat”.
Several people have asked me for help because at some time in their past an art teacher crushed their spirits. If someone thinks he might have an artistic bent and his work is thoughtlessly dismissed, it can really damage his confidence. I have spent time listening to people’s stories, looking at their work, showing them new ways to do things, and watching them blossom into people who can draw.
Some of my drawing students draw better than I do! Although I thoroughly enjoy the time together, I ask them why they think they still need lessons. The answer is usually that if they haven’t reserved a spot in their week specifically for drawing, they won’t ever draw at all in spite of good intentions.
The man who just wanted to meet women did make some friends, and before he succumbed to cancer, he completed 2 beautiful pencil drawings. He just kept repeating, “I can’t believe I did this!” Rejoicing with him over his accomplishments is one of my happiest memories in all the years of teaching private drawing lessons.
