More Work Less Complaining

I went to portrait class last night to get a better finish on my drawing.  James did a painting demo using a black canvas and limited palette of Yellow Ocher, Vermillion, Ivory Black and Titanium white.  I wish I had pictures to show of this palette and the arrangement of colors he had there.  It was a nice fleshy palette and I learned a lot just watching him scumble it onto the black canvas.  Using the black to his advantage he let the natural graying quality show through, yet it had a pop to it because of the contrast.

Toni - Charcoal and Chalk on Gray Paper

 I worked on my drawing.  I spent a good amount of time wiping off a lot of charcoal and cleaning up the areas where I planned on putting the white chalk.  I tried to follow the contours of her face to make it pop.  I wanted to be sure to use the white sparingly for emphasis on her face.  I am pretty happy with the results.  As usual I walked away knowing what I would do if I were to do it again and other assorted notes to self.

We have one more session with her and I am contemplating if I want to paint or get a good line drawing.  I would really like a different angle.

I have learned a few things since I last attended the atelier that are making this time around much more exciting than before.  Not only do I have a much better idea of where I want to go with my education, but I understand what I need to do to get there.  It is going to take a tremendous amount of drawing and sketching and trial and error.  It is going to take much more than the two days a week (sometimes three) that I am scheduled for currently.  If I am going to make it on this list, I am going to have to work diligently.  Getting a scholarship like this is just as hard, even though I would like to attempt that as well. 

This is going to take a lot of hard work but, I think it is all together possible.  I have the time as long as I use it wisely and continue to stay focused on the dream.  Some of these guys are only 10 years or less into this.  If I remain focused that means I will see some positive outcomes by the time I am 55.  That is an awesome time to really get started doing some meaningful stuff. 

I am not sure how, but I want to make images of hope.  The world we live in now is scary and ugly.  There isn't a whole lot of beauty and hope going around.  People are getting tired of being scammed and told to believe lies by our governments, our businesses and yes, even our artists.  I am coming to this at just the right time, with just the right intent.  Honest beauty.

My images of hope are going to have to include nice feet.  I am horrible at feet so I am going to make special effort to understand them and draw them correctly.   There are 12 feet in my household and an infinite amount of pictures on the internet to choose from as I practice.

Hope begins with good feet.. 

so that is what I am going to really focus on in my home studies.

Most students of the bigger ateliers do not show sketchbooks.  I don't know if it is because they do not do them or if it is because they do not show them.  Perhaps every drawing is a finished product and each effort counts for them?  I don't know.  What I do know is that I need the sketching.  I need to work it out on paper.  I need to slowly whittle away at what I am seeing wrong and correct it until I see it right. 

The masters sketched.  They thought on paper.  They took visual notes about the world they lived in and the projects they would do. 

The inner critic?  His ass is not permitted in the building. - Steven Pressfield

It's time to work hard!