My Favorites - Autumn Leaves

It was last autumn that I found myself wandering in our back yard which is a wet-land area filled with many trees including Red Maples.  I love walking through wooded areas where you find a sense of peace and see all that nature has to offer.  As I was looking around I spotted these maple leaves in such a beautiful layout that I had to get a shot.


Autumn Leaves

Just Black & White 9 - Class Lesson 2

Over the next few weeks Louise taught us several new ways to approach drawing.  I am not going to go into a lot of detail but will share a definition as well as the work I did in each of these areas.  


The first area we covered was Contour Drawing, click here.  Our subject was our hand.  In the first drawing we were asked to draw the outline of both the front and the back view of our hand.
In this drawing we were allowed to look at the drawing as we drew.  The end result is very much like a coloring book drawing.


Contour Drawing

For the second drawing we did the palm, the back and a side view of our hand.  This time we were not allowed to look at the paper at anytime and we were not allowed to lift the pencil off the paper until each drawing was complete.  This is called a blind contour drawing.  Needless to say the results are quite different.


Blind Contour Drawing

Contour Drawing Homework

The next method we learned was Foreshortening, click here.  This was another interesting lesson.  I had a little improvement in the second drawing.


Foreshortening - view 1

Foreshortening - view 2

Finally we learned Perspective, click here.  We were taught how to use the vanishing point to achieve proper perspective.  I have to admit that this is one area where I could learn a lot more.


Vanishing Point

Exercise in using Vanishing Point

Just Black & White 8 - Class Lesson 1

 At the end of the first class with Louise we were given a homework assignment to work on during the week.  She wanted us to do several of the R-mode upside down drawings of our choice to get a better feel for drawing using this method.  Below are pictures I found in our local newspaper to try with the exception of the first one which is actually a repeat of the handout I worked on in class but was not to happy with.  I was trying to follow the old rule of "If at first you don't succeed try, try again".  I feel like I did a little better especially in the area of the face.  Again each of these drawing was drawn upside down.

Just Black & White 7 - Misc 4

Since I'd done a little exploring on my own before I started classes with Louise I was surprised to find she taught the R-mode, L-mode method.  Much of her teaching comes from the book Drawing on the Right Side Of The Brain by Betty Edwards.   For more information on this subject click here.  Somehow it felt like I was starting all over again and in essence I was.  Louise started us out by doing an upside down drawing using a handout she gave all the students to follow.  It was very interesting to see each students interpretation and finished drawing.  Here is the handout we used and my drawing which was done upside down but you will view right side up.


Handout

My Drawing

Next she had us make a line drawing of our hand. 


My Hand

Then to our surprise she had each of us draw another student as they were drawing someone else.  That was an interesting exercise since we were all moving models.  I chose Del a sweet lady that I’m still good friends with. 


Del

All in all the first day was fun and I met a lot of wonderful people that are still part of my life in one way or another.

A New Direction

Okay, I decided that it was time to get serious about art and I didn't feel I could do that without taking classes from someone who knew what they were doing.  One day while looking in our local newspaper I saw an add for classes on drawing and watercolor, one in the morning and one in the afternoon.  The classes were being taught at a beach side facility in a town about thirty-five miles from where I lived but were offered at a price that made the drive well worth while.  I decided that since I would be driving that distance I would sign up for both the drawing and the watercolor class and make a day out of it.  Each class was three hours long with an hour between giving me a chance to get something for lunch.  Still relatively new to Florida and unfamiliar with Satellite Beach, the town I was driving to, I decided to scope it out before the class started to see if I could find the facility and figure out how long the drive would be before hand.  On the first day with art supplies in hand I meet my teacher Louise Cherwak.  Louise was an artist through and through and had spent most of her life in the world of art.  At this time she was in her late seventies and still loved teaching and working with her students.  For an interesting article on Louise check here.  As it turns out there were only enough students to offer one class so it was decided by Louise that it would be drawing.  After all one needs to know how  to draw properly in order to paint as she put it.  So I got started on a new adventure in art which I will share in future posts.  For now I will leave you with a look at Louise and one of her works of art.


Louise Cherwak

Graphite by Louise

In Living Color 3 - Misc

I found a local art studio that was advertising for a watercolor class that was held one class at a time and they furnished the supplies.  So even though Gary was not interested in taking art classes he agreed to attend one with me.  What a guy!  The picture below is the result and I have to admit it leaves a lot to be desired but I have to include it among my works.  Everyone in the class worked on whatever subject interested them and both Gary and I, not knowing what to expect, came totally unprepared with ideas.  It also seems that my color choices could have been better.  It looks like the hillside seems to have a slight eruption going on.  Could it be Mt. Saint Helen?


Countryside

Knowing that I wanted to continue with watercolor and not having any supplies of my own Gary bought me the cutest little travel kit that had everything I needed to start.  I wasn't interested in going back to the local art class so I again went back to the library to check out a few watercolor books.  Below are a few of the pictures I completed.  


Trees in Winter

Cardinal

Hillside

My Favorites - Black Point

Early one morning Gary and drove to the Black Point Bird Refuge, here in Titusville, to see if there were any birds that had migrated recently.  It was late December and chances were we would see many.  We got there just as the sun was coming up and I was able to capture this picture.  What a once in a lifetime shot.


Black Point Bird Refuge

Just Black & White 6 - Misc 3

Things are about to change in my drawing career and I want to share the last of my drawings before that change takes place.  I was still working out of library books and a new book, Drawing With Lee Ames, that my husband Gary gave me for a special occasion.  Gary has always been so supportive of everything I do and encourages me whenever I'm down and feeling like I'm not doing well.  How blessed am I to have him.  Again I have the initials of the book I drew from listed above each drawing.  


In the hand drawing it was my first time using the crosshatching method.  Crosshatching is a technique for rendering shading in which one set of lines crosses over (overlaps) another set.


Hand - DFD

Curly Q's - DFD

 The egg was another challenge in trying and create the look of a round object.


Egg - DFD

Seagulls - DWLA

The drawings of the little girl were both done from the Lee Ames book using a different method for each.  One was drawn using a step by step method outlined in the book and the other was drawn from observing the finished drawing in the book.  I am not certain which is which but believe the first is the step by step method.

Girl 1 - DWLA

Girl 2 - DWLA

Another area I wanted to improve was the drawing of eyes so here are a few of my attempts in doing that.

Eyes

Just Black & White 5 - Misc 2

As I was going through the book Drawing From the Artist Within I came across an interesting exercise in using the right side of the brain.  Apparently our concept of drawing is changed depending on which side you use, R-mode or  L-mode.  In this exercise it was  just a matter of doing your drawing upside down.  In other words I placed the picture I was going to draw in front of me upside down and drew it as I saw it.  By doing this it confuses your normal way of seeing things and causes you to draw by the shapes you see, both negative and positive, rather than drawing the object itself.  The two pictures below are very simple line drawings consisting of many of the defined shapes I referred to. You will notice my signature was signed at the bottom of the drawing which would normally be the top.  By doing this you automatically know it was done as an upside down drawing.  I had a chance to use this method many times as I continued drawing and will share more on this subject another time.


DFAW

DFAW

I wanted to venture out and try a few subjects of my own so following are a few of my attempts at doing this.

My Feet

My Hand

Girl

Love those Tulips

How blessed am I!  Gary and I invited one of his co-workers John and his wife Sue to join us for dinner one night last week, which we enjoyed immensely, and they brought us a lovely tulip plant.  I love tulips but can't grow them here in Florida like we could in Utah due to the climate.  Since we were going away for the weekend and I wanted to be able to enjoy them longer and decided to take photos.  This is my favorite.  Thanks John and Sue.


Love those Tulips

Just Black & White 4 - Gary

I was doing portraits so I decided to try one of my husband Gary.  I found a picture that had been taken a few years earlier at the twenty-five year anniversary celebration of the company I worked with.  Since I had worked for this company prior to the time they bought out the previous owner I was invited. It was a dress up affair and Gary was decked out from head to toe.  I must admit that he looks a bit stiff and he is much more hand-some than the drawing indicates but it was a new challenge and a fun project.


Gary

 The next step was a self-portrait which was very interesting.  I sat on the counter top in our bathroom and placed myself directly in front of the mirror.  With pad and pencil in hand I began.  It wasn't until later that I was told that most self-portraits done in this manner will have a very serious expression to them as you will see.  Reason being is that when you look at yourself in the mirror it is with a serious eye as you try to see all the detail you are about to draw.  Therefore drawing from a photo might get you better results.

Self portrait

The following drawings are a few more that I drew using the library books mentioned previously with the exception of the one titled My Imagination which was just as it is titled.  Also the second and third drawing were done using charcoal.

DM&T

DM&T

DM&T

My Imagination

DFAW

A Big Thank You!

I want to take this time to thank Tracy and Kirsten for the beautiful bouquet of flowers Gary and I received from them.  We were so surprised to find them at our doorstep and appreciate your thoughtfulness.  Gary and I had a wonderful time having you stay at our home and invite you to return anytime.  You are both precious ladies.

In Living Color 2 - 1986

Stepping back in time once more I have to include the class I took through the local high school extension in 1986.  This was my first Watercolor class which happens to be my favorite medium.
I talked my sister-in-law, Sue, into going with me and we had classes one night each week for six to eight weeks.  Our teacher used the watch me then try it approach which I found easy at the time but later regretted since I didn’t learn anything more than how to copy someone else.  She would show us a different style and technique each week and also used various types of watercolor paper to show  how they differed one from another.  The paper we used in the first few pictures was really cool to paint on and I loved how the colors bled into each other.   I would really like to try another painting using that paper now that I have a little more experience and as luck would have it I still have a partial sheet  which also has the embossed brand name on it.  So if I still really like it I’ll know what to buy that is if it is still produced twenty five years later.  One technique I learned in the picture titled Winter is how to use a toothbrush to make snow.  With a little paint on the toothbrush you place it above the picture you are working on and run your finger over the brush causing the paint to splatter.  For a first time painter I was intrigued.


NOTE:  As I was going through and organizing some of my art work I found another painting that belongs with this group and wanted to include the painting of the seagulls.  It was the first time I had used a product called Miskit which is very much like rubber cement and blocks any color you place on the paper.  Once you have finished the painting you can peel or rub of the Miskit and the paper will be white.


Trees - 1986

Barn - 1986

Sunset - 1986

Winter - 1986

Seagulls - 1986

Floral - 1986

Just Black & White 3 - Misc 1

Continuing on I decided I really needed another source to draw from, no pun intended, so I checked out several books from the library to give me new material and different techniques to try.   The books I used were: The Beginners Guide to Drawing,  Drawing for Dummies,  Drawing Media and Techniques and  Drawing From the Artist Within.  As I've listed the pictures below I have included the initials of each book for my future reference.  I found it interesting trying profiles from different angles, adding torsos and getting everything to fit on the sheet of paper without running short.  I also enjoyed drawing the cat since as you can see from My Favorites I like cats.


TBGD

TBGD

TBGD

DFD

DFD

DM&T

DM&T

DM&T