Still Life

I took a break from a larger painting to do a still life the other night. I had my wife set it up and we both spent a few hours on a painting. It's strange how much enjoyment and knowledge you can get out of just painting a few random objects.

I tried to set a rough time limit and didn't bother with too many details or get caught up in making a pretty picture. I just got to a point where I was semi-happy with it and then had to get back to other things.

Still Life

The painting and the set up.

Become an Artist

It's Been a Year

Last year in August I decided I wanted to post at least 52 times by next August (this August) and I have. I think this is number 58 since then. So, that's cool. I'm sure its been educational to me somehow over the past year. I try to post about once a week. I think I'll try to keep it up for another year; If anything, just to look back.

Here are some recent Famous Artist Course drawings I did this week.

a boot

a backpack

Lamp

The other night I was sitting in the living room and it was really dark except for the lamp across the room. So i tried to draw it with some markers and I couldn't see what I was doing at all. That's all, End of story.

Brush and Ink

Some of the homework I have in the Famous Artist Course is to do a bunch of "fashion drawings" from magazines. I've been doing some in pencil, gouache, wash, ink etc. This is the first time i tried brush and ink, and I really liked it. Something about using a brush to draw with is satisfying. 

So here's a brush and ink drawing of Nina Dobrev. I know who she is because my wife used to watch Vampire Diaries... 

I may or may not have also seen a few episodes as well.

Gas Pump in Gouache

I entered a contest on James Gurney's blog a few days ago, basically you have to paint a gas station or gas pump or something to do with a gas station. It had to be painted on location and it had to be in black and white gouache. 

I procrastinated until almost the last day (so I kind of deserved it) but It was about 95 degrees outside, raining, extremely humid, and my car A/C decided to break that day too. I pulled into an abandoned little gas station that I found (I was very worried the cops would show up and kick me out) and painted the whole thing in the driver's seat. I kept rolling my windows up and down whenever it started or stopped raining. I also flipped on my wipers frequently when the windshield would get too covered in raindrops to see through. Halfway through the painting a huge swarm of flies got trapped in my car.  In was an uncomfortable experience but it was pretty fun anyways.

halfway through

Here's a very short video of the trip. The tripod i was using stopped holding the phone correctly halfway through the painting so all the later footage is just of the steering wheel and dashboard.

Payless in Gouache

After watching Gouache in the Wild I was really excited to try out some gouache. I've mostly only mixed a little gouache with watercolor and never really done an entire painting in it. So this was my very small black and white attempt at that (it's like 3 x 5 in.). 

   I did this while waiting for my wife to get off work a few weeks ago, but she got out when I was about halfway through so I never finished it. That unfinished page in my sketchbook was getting really annoying so I went back last night and finished it.

And If you want to learn more about gouache...