Randy Higbee Gallery 6 Inch Squared Show 2012

It is time again for the Randy Higbee Gallery 6 Inch Squared Show.  And I am proud to say this entry below was accepted!!! The show date is December 8th and it is located at the Randy Higbee Gallery in Costa Mesa, CA.

This show is awesome with every entry (and there are hundreds of pieces in the show) 6 inches by 6 inches.  Randy is already sharing artwork for the show via Facebook - Randy Higbee.

100 Series - The Journey

The '100 Series', which has 3 posts, will resume however before it resumes, I'll be sketching, drawing, and developing my technical knowledge of drawing.  Starting this last January, I started attending drawing fundamentals and figure drawing classes under Sadie Valerie, and will continue studying for the better part of this year.  Below is my current project, 'Studying Vessels'.  It is about 80% finished.  More will be completed on each vessel and the background.  It has taken approximately 36 hours of work to this stage.

I am learning how to compare the area immediately around my shading to more accurately select the correct value choices.  Measuring is important to establish accurate sides of the vessels and establishing the correct relationship of each part of the vessels to each other.  Ellipses are wonderful to learn about and they look great when done well.  When this piece is finished I'll post a photo.

Additional Works

While working on 'Michelle' am posting a few other works done recently.

#3 of 100 Series 'Michelle' - The Block-In Stage

Michelle at the block-in stage is not easy to do.  First, proportion is very hard to do correctly and to add to the difficulty, proportion from a photo (which compresses the figure/scene) creates other distortion problems.  But the good news is that because there are distortion problems, the artist will make the final decisions (a good practice always).

There will be several attempts at the block in stage.  Here are two.  As I redo the sketches they will get closer and closer to the vision I have and how I want this piece to look.  I am not there yet, but you cannot get closer until you take steps in the direction you want to go.  The darker image on the right is the photo converted to black and white.  The one on the left is the first attempt at free hand and is still incomplete (proportions not right yet).  I decided to post these attempts however, since it has been a while since 'Michelle' got any attention.  To help myself with proportion, my next block-in sketch will show red marks at the various stages showing how I made the decisions about proportion.  You will enjoy this next stage as it is right out of my portrait drawing 6 week class with Sadie Valeri  http://www.sadievaleri.com/blog/ . 

Some subjects are fun and interesting to do and some have you so enthralled that you cannot leave it until mastered.   This one is one that I have a very strong desire to master.  That is so exciting, when an artist feels that way about a subject.  How lucky can you get!

#3 of 100 Series 'Michelle'

After finishing 'Plein Air 100 Series' #2 this afternoon around 3pm, I headed out for inspiration to start #3.  After a few stops at various locations, Pajaro Dunes, Sunset Beach, Taylor Farms (all just down the street), I ended up at the bluff at La Selva Beach (where the train goes by).  There on the bluff, in just the right light, I found my next inspiration.  #3 -  'Michelle'.  Thank you Michelle!

Michelle let me take several pictures and we struck up a conversation.  Never let an opportunity pass and this one is a good one.  Michelle, it turns out, lives in La Selva Beach and is just beginning her artistic journey.  She showed me several paintings she did in acrylic on her iphone right there on the cliff.  She asked if she and her friend could call me with art related questions.  I said, of course, and offered for us all to paint together.  Without skipping a heartbeat, she said YES! I think an impromptu art group may have just started.

Reference Photo 

#2 of 100 Series 'Evening Train In La Selva Beach'

# 2 Plein Air Study 

Union Pacific Railroad runs through Santa Cruz County between Davenport and Watsonville.  U.P.'s major client, Cemex (a cement plant in Davenport) closed this year.  The Davenport to Watsonville line may discontinue as a result of the loss of revenue from Cemex.  On its daily run, it  comes through La Selva Beach near dusk.  The railroad bridge and approaching train at La Selva Beach face viewers on the bluff and the train continues along the base of the bluff as it travels southbound.  Following are:

  the reference photo

 initial block-in         

                   

First lay in of color  

Finished work         

The design is unusual with the bridge leading out to the right.  But the train comes in from the upper right and the design seems to work.  The land mass was difficult but I know it very well and I think I captured the height and depths pretty well.  The edges improved from 'At Rest' to this one.  Please feel free to offer insight.  Only 98 more to go!!

After a few days, here are more technical notes. 1) I like red but the red trestle detracts from the focus.  The drawing of cars and rail and engine are incorrectly drawn. Lines hill side to the viewer's right of the train need to be more vertical not diagonal.  Can you see it, the one dark brushstroke, it needs to be vertical.  The bluish color left and right of train needs to be less saturated, less blue.  Behind the hillside is the Monterey Bay.  The water needs more saturation and definition.  All in all, improve drawing, the right color in the right place, brushstrokes in the right direction, more definition and color in the bay.