Tag Archives: life drawing

What do Toucans Really Think?

Posted on May 6, 2016 by

Morning ritual in Panama: take coffee cup to the chair at the back door landing, open the sketchbook, raise the binoculars. The forest patch behind the house looks like a life-sized diorama of a jungle scene. A Nance tree blooms right outside … Continue reading →

Posted in Adventure!, Animals, Art, birding, Diversions, Drawing, Environment, field sketching, life drawing, natural history, Nature, Panama, rainforest, random speculation, tropics, Wildlife | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Friday Figures: A Few Small Gestures

Posted on May 15, 2015 by

Did these drawings using only a single strong light on a stand. Room lights shut off, blinds closed, drawing in semi-darkness. You can really see the figure that way. A single light source, simplicity itself. Every pose starkly beautiful. I’m … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Art Studio, figure drawing, life drawing | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

A Solid Afternoon of Life Drawing

Posted on May 14, 2015 by
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Speed Drawing with a Model

Posted on April 24, 2015 by

I recently hired a model for a gesture-drawing session. It was the first time I’d ever done such a thing, and it made me feel like a grown-up artist: in control, entitled to set the lighting, the poses, even the music. Artists are notoriously childlike. Anyone who … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Art Studio, Artists, figure drawing, life drawing, models | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Field Day Friday

Posted on April 3, 2015 by

I drove down country roads and looked for nice things to paint today. It’s been a bright pink and green kind of spring day, with redbuds in explosive bloom and floaty scrims of chartreuse across the gray windbreaks. The grass looked juicy. A herd of hump-shouldered cattle cropped … Continue reading →

Posted in Adventure!, Animals, Art, Cattle, Copenhagen, Cowboys, Drawing, Oklahoma, Wildlife | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Painting from Plein Air Drawings, Part 2

Posted on March 13, 2015 by

The routine: door closed, music cranked up, paint brush moves to the beat. Time flies agreeably as a painting takes shape. Yesterday’s soundtrack: Warren Zevon, Talking Heads and the ever-energetic Rolling Stones. These are places of rich history. The beautiful ruin of an apple-cider mill on … Continue reading →

Posted in archeology, architecture, Art Studio, bird art, Culture, Diversions, Environment, field sketching, Harvard Forest, history, landscapes, Music, natural history, Nature, New England, painting, Petersham, plein air, Pop culture references | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Sketch of the Day: Sunrise on a Spanish Marsh

Posted on December 7, 2014 by
Posted in Art, bird art, birding, birds, Environment, field sketching, landscapes, natural history, travel, Watercolor | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments