Collage and Figure Drawings

It had been a long while since I had checked into the Sketchbook Challenge blog to see what was happening there. I sort of stopped reading when the themes got too cutesy for me. I am not really into sketchbooks the way they are urging people to use them. From what I remembered they were pushing folks to create sketchbooks sort of like scrapbooks but with more personally created art/drawings.

Not my thing really, I did make a scrapbook way back when I was a teenager and continued it for a while when I was in college but eventually work got in the way and I outgrew that phase of my life. My sketchbooks are either practice drawings or doodles that may or may not become something else. Most are not meant for anyone other than myself to see. And even those meant for other to see are basically just drawings, which is my preferred artistic voice.

Anyway checking out the blog I found the theme for this month is Collage. Not my favorite kind of art work, either to create to or to look at. However I happened to have 4 cards with Japanese prints that I had been saving with the idea of one day using them in a collage. Also I had purchased some specialty wrapping paper for that purpose. Since the card images represented the four seasons I had my theme ready made.

Above are a couple of photographs showing my early stages of developing the collage. Top image is of my collected materials before I started to work . Obviously some work had already been done, separating the Japanese prints from the card stock (they were glued along one edge and were separated easily by using water to soften the card stock), selecting the colors of paper, printing out the season names and kanji characters.

Next step was to mostly cover a 90lb 11x15 in sheet of watercolor paper with various bits of my wrapping paper. I tore the wrapping paper not wanting shapes with finished (cut) edges. I selected a color for each season, blue - spring, red - summer, yellow - autumn and white for winter. I also started cutting the kanji characters and season names out of the paper they were printed on. Not wanting a lot of extra white I mostly cut around letters leaving just a bit of white paper showing.

Top photograph above show how I was arranging the cut out words and characters with the rectangular prints. Looked OK but I felt that something was missing. Lines, I though some black lines might help to link all the areas together. First impulse was to add them around the areas where the prints were going to be, but realized it would probably be better to just draw the lines on the background so that is what I did, you can see the background with lines in the bottom photograph above. I used a Japanese style brush and India ink for the lines.

Almost there, I re-positioned all of my objects but still felt there was too much open space. What to use, I thought why not some seasonal poetry. I pulled a book I have off the shelf (Little Pictures of Japan, a Book House for Children publication) and selected 4 poems that were applicable and short. Next step was to print the poems out, cut out the lines and arrange them on my collage. One of my last steps prior to gluing it all down was to use my watercolor pencils to tone the white paper for three of the seasonal names and characters, blue - spring, red - summer, yellow - autumn.

Everything was then glued down, the paper was a bit warped so I brushed clean water onto the back of the paper and stuck the whole deal under some books. When it dries I will apply some acrylic matte media to the surface to protect everything. Note that the printer I use is an Epson Ink Jet with permanent inks that won't run if they get wet.

Above are some selected figure drawings from last weeks short pose session. Top grouping were 2 minute poses, yes I know the one looks pretty sketchy, that is because I started over when the first start wasn't working out. I like the energy in this sketch even if it isn't very finished.

The middle grouping shows one minute poses. One of the other artists who attends the sessions is taking a class in downtown Boston and had homework to draw 100 gesture drawings of people. Scott though he would help her out so had our model do one minute poses for about 20-30 minutes. They are work, but fun, not sure I want to do this all the time but it was a good change.

Bottom section of drawings shows some 5 minute and some 10 minute poses.

In closing another photograph made in my local community. This tree as I recall is still alive even though it seems covered in Ivy. I will have to go back either in the spring or summer and make another photo of it . If we get more snow it might also be fun to make a photo of it snow covered. Hmm will just have to wait and see on that one.

That is it for today. Time to get back to my still life's and other drawings.

More Still Life's and an Experiment

I have been working on more pen and ink still life's. Well actually I have been working on more still life's period. The one above is from a WetCanvas Pen and Ink forum monthly challenge picture. I often download the monthly challenge images that I like and print them out. Course I may not do the drawing in the month the challenge is issued but when I am looking for something to draw they can be fun to pull out. The above photograph was part of the November 2013 challenge, various peppers and a few citrus fruits in a bowl.

This much simpler still life was done from the real deal, some bananas and an apple that I had on hand for snacks. First drawing is a quick pen and ink sketch. At least this time I think I managed to get the plate shape mostly correct.

Same grouping of fruits, just this time the media is graphite. The second drawing of the same subject is usually more accurate visually than the first drawing. That is true even without erasures which I can do with the graphite. It is certainly easier to get shading with the graphite than with the ink, but I do like the stark lines of ink.

 Last week I was playing in one of my sketchbooks with pen and ink and drew the above motif. I scanned it into the computer and pulled it into Photoshop.

The above image is what I ended up with after several hours of playing around. Have to say that the background is way too dark, though I do like the gradation. The advantage of a computer program is that I can easily go in and modify the background. Not sure that I will bother, I had thought before I started that I would like the results, but in actuality I don't. I won't say that I wasted my time making this, since I was using skills I haven't used in a while and refreshing my memory about Photoshop tools isn't a bad thing to do, but I think I will think twice before I try this kind of thing again.

During this experiment I was trying to use the color replacement brush in Photoshop. On the surface this looks like a very easy to use tool, in practice I found it very frustrating as it doesn't seem to really replace a color more like combine the color that was there with the new color selected. I am willing to believe that I wasn't using the tool correctly but I am more inclined to believe that it is doing what it is supposed to, after all if I were touching up a photograph I probably wouldn't want/need a total replacement of color. As I think about it what got me into trouble was trying to replace a color I had already replaced. Have to think about this a bit more and maybe if I am feeling like it do some more playing around.

The above photograph I made earlier this week and is of some old gravestones in a small cemetery. Small old cemeteries are tucked into corners here and there in Brockton. There is one just around the corner from me, though this one is a bit further away. They are fenced off so not accessible to the casual visitor (too many vandals) so I can't tell you the dates on the stones, but they are slate which was used in colonial times so I would guess that these date to the late 1700's or early 1800's. There was probably once a Church nearby, now long gone.

That is it for today, per usual comments are welcome.

ATC and 3 Variations on a Still Life

Above is an ACEO or ATC (Artist Trading Card) that I just finished. I was just playing around with one of my technical pens and drew those sort of pine tree looking trees, added some lines for what could be bushes or shrubs and others for what could be green areas on distant hills. Pulled out my green colored pencils and colored in the trees, shrubs and other green areas, then added some grey to suggest rocks, and clouds against a blue sky. Well the clouds could use some work. I mostly avoid drawing or coloring clouds in my landscapes and I feel it shows.

Still I rather like the results, looks better life size instead of blown up on the screen.

The other day I was having a snack on one of two golden delicious apples I had on hand and decided it might be a good idea before I ate the pieces to set up a still life and draw it. First go round I used one of my technical pens creating primarily outlines with just a bit of shading.

Next I hauled out one of my graphite pencils and sketched the apple and pieces on the plate. Did OK with most of it except the rear right corner of the plate, that doesn't work for me. Course by the time I had the sketch semi laid out I was starting to get a bit impatient with it, I was hungry and wanted to just be done with the drawing so I could eat my apple.

There is definitely a downside to drawing eatable objects, esp. if they were intended for a snack prior to the drawing session.

When I was scanning my drawings into the computer for this blog update I got the idea to add some color to the line drawing of the apples. Since I scan into Photoshop the image was right there and it didn't take too long to add some color and some additional lines. It was a fun exercise, quick and easy to do. I think I spent more time selecting colors than filling in the areas.

With our rather strange weather I haven't been out to any of the parks recently. First the snow kept me in, then the cold and then when it finally warmed up we had several days of clouds and rain. Today I finally managed to get out for a bit to run an errand I photographed this street of houses and roofs. I have found this particular street interesting for quite a while because of the roof lines.

This afternoon the sun was starting to get a bit low in the western sky. It lit up the houses and roofs but left the street in shadow.  Someday if I get back to working on Art Quilts I want to make a quilt out of this scene. 

That is it for today. Per usual comments are welcome.