Paintings in Progress

Drawing in Progress: long session pose

2012-01-27T09:38:00.002-05:00

A new long pose has started in life drawing at the Boston Academy of Realist Art. I'm psyched for this pose because I haven't had a back pose for the previous 2 sessions. Lots of fore-shortening in the arm and in interesting turn of the neck. Should be a challenge!

Daily Sketch: Boston MFA

2012-01-24T15:53:00.001-05:00

I just returned from a 4 hour trip wandering the Boston MFA. Today's sketch comes from the Greek and Roman Art area. I highly recommend a visit to this museum. You could seriously spent like a week in there and still have things to discover. Also, some of the work in the contemporary art area really got me thinking...

Drawing in Progress: Ear!

2012-01-20T10:36:00.001-05:00

The construct of this is officially done. 2 full days from start to finish. I will be adjusting the height and shape of the shadow, sine compositionally, it's not that interesting with a shadow the same size as the cast. Artistic license!

Next step, it is already transferred to the good paper, so I will be filling in the shadow and background. End product will be charcoal on Roma paper

Paintings in Progress: Turbines

2012-01-19T09:37:00.000-05:00

All the landscapes are done, as well as all the edges (obviously not shown here). Next, I will be focusing on the the actual turbines. #1 and #3 are pretty much done, just need to focus on details there. #4 and #5 still need serious work on the turbines.

#2 already completed

Portrait Painting class: progress

2012-01-18T09:39:00.000-05:00

Our model's name is Cory, I think. He has a beard so this should be a challenge once I get to the painting part!

After a 3 hour drawing session:

Daily Sketches

2012-01-17T09:28:00.001-05:00

Todays and yesterdays daily sketches. Coffee cup was not a half hour (and was also done while waiting at a diner for some friends... notice my eggy plate below it), but it was a holiday so I was lazy about it. The other one is a sketch of a drawing out of the Bargue drawing book that was use at school.

Foot Fetish

2012-01-16T10:00:00.000-05:00

Last weeks Thursday and Friday daily sketches were both centered on feet. Feet are horrendous to block in and create constructs for. Feet and hands, in my opinion are the hardest!

Portrait Painting Class!!!

2012-01-13T09:00:00.000-05:00

As a birthday present from my beautiful and generous mother, I am all signed up for the portrait painting class at The Boston Academy of Realist Art!!!

Class starts this weekend (Saturdays from 2 to 5)! You should totally do this!

Class description:

INSTRUCTOR BRIAN MACNEIL - Students will learn how to systematically construct, draw and render an accurate portrait from the live model. The course will begin with lessons on the structure, forms and planes of the head paying careful attention to the anatomy of the facial features. Accuracy in the beginning stages of the drawing will help to bring out the likeness and character of the sitter. The last half of the class will deal with careful observations of tonal relationships and how to conceptually compress them in rendering the forms. Students will gain a greater understanding of portrait drawing and learn how to resolve common problems associated with it. Lectures and demonstrations will be coupled with individual attention and critique helping students to progress at their own speed and level. 8 week course beginning January 14

Drawing in Progress: Can You Hear Me Now?

2012-01-12T10:00:00.000-05:00

Wednesday was our first day of the semester back at The Boston Academy of Realist Art. It felt like we had been on break FOREVER! So glad to be back!!!

After one full day of working on my cast drawing, I am almost complete with the construct. Wowzers.... I think all this sketching has really come in handy!!! Next class I will be filling in the shadow shape to refine.

Subway sketching- not a good idea

2012-01-11T19:31:00.001-05:00

Sketching while on the subway is not a good idea. I have about 25 minutes on the Red Line into school and I thought that would be a good way to get my half hour of sketching in. Bad idea. Jerky subway cars packed with people is not an ideal drawing place.

This is from a painting I liked that was in American Art Collector magazine. I kind of hate my sketch, but whatever!

2 Daily Sketches

2012-01-10T13:21:00.001-05:00

Today I decided to quickly do the ear. While the sketch is relatively simple.... tomorrow I begin working on my cast at school, which is an ear. I thought it would be helpful to learn the names of the parts so I can have an intelligent conversation about what's wrong with my drawing. Something like "I think my anti-helix is too large" sounds better than "I think that squiggly thing next to the ear hole is too big."

Yesterday I was not feeling the daily sketch. However, I trudged along and did my mandatory half hour. I believe this is the femur.

Painting in progress: Turbine #4

2012-01-10T11:00:00.000-05:00

The ground on this painting still needs some work. That is a sea wall made from rocks and stones at the waters edge. That will be a pain to do convincingly. Once the ground is complete I can focus on the turbine.

Painting in Progress: Turbine 3

2012-01-09T08:00:00.000-05:00

The overall landscape and sky/clouds are pretty much complete here. Next time I work on this I'll be focusing on the turbine itself.

Painting in Progress: Turbine 1

2012-01-07T16:00:00.000-05:00

#1 out of the 5 turbines is coming along. The landscape is pretty much complete and I'll move on to details and the turbine next on this one.

Hey, you've got fat knees!

2012-01-06T12:58:00.000-05:00

My knee has been an issue over the past couple weeks. I injured it playing capoeira before Christmas, and any injury that results in my husband or I not being able to go to capoeira practice is devastating.... not to be too melodramatic, but WE LOVE CAPOEIRA!!!

Well, I'm hoping the more I draw the knee, it will inspire it to heal faster. HEAL KNEE, HEAL!!!!!

Also, side note: Those puffy things are fat. Everyone has 2 little areas of fat in our knees. So you can always be like "Hey, you have fat knees!" and it would be true.

Man Pelvis... Elvis pelvis

2012-01-05T11:40:00.000-05:00

Thank you.... thank you very much.

Sketchy!

2012-01-04T11:56:00.002-05:00

I'm sketchy... in a good way. Today is the day of the pelvis.

Sketching Day 2

2012-01-03T11:34:00.000-05:00

Day two of sketching is a success. This took about 45 minutes.

Just so you're not under the impression that I can whip these up out of nowhere, I am currently working from the Artistic anatomy book which you can find here on Amazon. I decided to pick an illustration a day and replicate it. This book was recommended by The Academy of Realist Art as a good reference for figure drawing.

Now off to do some painting!

Resolution time... wink wink

2012-01-02T10:47:00.005-05:00

Why, hello 2012! Didn't expect you to arrive so soon. What's a year like you doing in a place like this? I think you and I are going to get along quite nicely, so why don't take off your coat and stick around for 365 days or so.

One of my many new years resolutions is to sketch once a day. Doesn't matter what I draw... just sit down with my sketch book for a half hour a day. Day 1: Success

New years is fun for me because my family, especially my sister, mother, and I, are goal oriented people and new years a a great time for that.... so we get excited about making lists of goals. And then make lists of how to accomplish those goals. We also love organizing. One of my aunts shares my intense love for thing to organize things with. Cubbies, cabinets, containers... oh my!!

Here's to an organized, productive, and sketching 2012!!!

Painting in Progress: Wind Turbines Commission

2011-12-22T13:25:00.000-05:00

Dead coloring in on all 4 paintings, plus reworked the skies once on each of them.

Today I will be trying to work on the "grounds" for the most part. I find leaving the most detailed parts (the turbines themselves) until last is a good motivator.

Painting 1

(This second painting is the COMPLETED painting. I am just inserting this so you can see how things are shaping up as a whole.)

Painting 3

Painting 4

Painting 5

Painting in Progress: On The Rocks

2011-12-20T10:00:00.000-05:00

This painting is done completely in oils. I'm still getting used to working with them. The only thing left to do is to put on the extreme white highlights.

New sketchy set up

2011-12-17T11:00:00.000-05:00

I don't like to spend money on anything unnecessary. The only things I don't mind spending money on are books, treats for my dog, and music. So when I originally set up my painting supplies, I was lucky enough to have been given an easel for christmas a while back because everything else was duct taped and rigged together with items from around the house.

Now that I am getting serious about creating more professional work, I decided to reconfigure everything in the room to allow for a light box so I can have ideal lighting... yet not have to spend any significant money.

WHY THE CREEPY BABY HEAD!?!?! Because it's what I had nearby to do the still life set up. And yes, there will be a creepy baby head painting at some point.

Items used: Box from Williams Sonoma christmas gift purchase, black foam core from previous use, old black t-shirt duct taped, tin foil used as light block, light from an old display.

the most important thing is to make sure the lighting from the easel does not cast any light onto the object(s) that is nicely lit within the box.

I do need to nail the box to the wall to stabilize it a bit, but overall, I think it works. The only downside is that the easel is very close to the wall on my right side and that's where I normally have my paint set up. It does help that I have a couple rolling carts in here to accommodate different set-ups. We'll see how this goes...

Bargues are done, onto casts...

2011-12-16T13:55:00.000-05:00

Bargues are done.... insert happy jig here. It took me a year and 4 months. My original goal was to complete the bargues in a year, so I wasn't too far off

Stage 2 of the program at the Boston Academy of Realist Art are casts. White casts are hung on the wall, or placed on a surface and you have to replicate it in charcoal. I chose the ear for the first one because it's one of the more simpler casts with lots of ambiguous edges. Plus I am bad at ears.

Another semester down...

2011-12-09T14:31:00.000-05:00

Today marked the last day of this long pose at the Boston Academy of Realist Art. I'm pretty happy with the end product... although I'll need a custom frame. There is no standard 11 by 21 frame unfortunately.

This may look dark on your monitor. I have two... and it looks great on one and dark on the other. Hope it looks good to you!

Laura

Carbon pencil on Arches watercolor paper

Commission is a go!

2011-12-05T08:34:00.001-05:00

And we have lift off! The commission of the remaining four turbine paintings is approved. Let the madness begin!

3rd time is a charm

2011-11-30T22:41:00.001-05:00

I have been trying to post a photo of this form my photo but the app is down-sampling the image before posting. Here she is in all her glory thus far.

Completed Painting: Dignity and Impudence master copy of a Sir Edwin Landseer painting

2011-11-17T09:55:00.001-05:00

It's not perfect, but it's done enough for me. I originally hadn't planned on finishing this... it was originally started with the workshop in oil painting I took back in the fall. However, the school show is coming up on December 2nd (see details here) and was asked if this would possibly be done for it. My super-human ability of saying yes to everything kicked in and here I was, trying to get this done before Thanksgiving.

Mission accomplished! It won't be framed but it will be ready for viewing. The distressed wood is not exactly up to par but I am very happy with the dogs themselves.

master copy of a Sir Edwin Landseer painting titled "Dignity and Impudence"

12 by 18 oil on canvas

Also, it seems nearly impossible to take a good photo of an oil painting... glare from every angle!

Bargue 4: Roman Woman

2011-11-12T10:52:00.000-05:00

Progress is slow with this one... the drawing is so light because it's directly on the good paper (Canson Watercolor paper, drawn in carbon).

Figure drawing progress

2011-11-11T10:49:00.001-05:00

This is about 75% the way through this figure drawing. The shadow shape is filled in, I'm starting to work the shadows a bit, the fall of light is dusted in the light areas.

Still... a lot to do. Face needs re-working as well.

2012 Calendar now available!

2011-11-08T13:33:00.000-05:00

Enough of these dinky calendars! Do you need space to write your insane life down but are looking for something with a little more class than puppies taking naps? Well then this is the calendar for you, my friend. A full size calendar that will look snazzy in any office, kitchen or hallway.

Each month is a different painting that I completed in 2011. So you get fresh fine art every month... what could be better than that?!?! Buy this calendar and impress your friends with how much you like good art and at the same time, stay organized so you don't forget that hair appointment.

Size: 8.5 by 11Hanging size: 17 by 11Upgraded quality paperSpiral BindingAwesomeness

Also, please note... there is a guy flipping the middle finger on a motorcycle. It's an awesome painting but maybe not good for a kids room!

Big commission out the door...

2011-11-07T13:31:00.003-05:00

This painting is now varnished, hardware is applied, and it will be shipping out by the end of the week. Let's hope they love it as much as I do and continue with the remainder of the project. Even if not, this was a lot of fun to do and I learned a lot along the way! I think I spent 2 full days researching clouds.

Bargue 4 in Progress

2011-11-04T12:00:00.000-04:00

Coming along grudgingly...

For the 4th Bargue we need to increase the size and we draw directly on the good paper. This is more frustrating than you can imagine.

Good paper

2011-11-03T09:00:00.000-04:00

We are halfway through the semester with life drawing at the Boston Academy of Realist Art and I just transferred my drawing to the good paper. I spent 2 days filling in the background and her "shadow-shape"so I don't have to waste time when the model is in front me.

Next up....

2011-10-29T12:00:00.000-04:00

My next Bargue has been chosen! it will be a master copy of "Plate II-18 Roman Woman"

This will be completed on teal/blue canson pastel paper and drawn with carbon pencil DIRECTLY ON THE GOOD PAPER. This is a perfectionists nightmare. It took me half an hour to get ANYTHING on the paper because I'm so paranoid of leaving marks and not being able to erase!

I did however, complete a value scale on the paper. Love the paper, not so sure I love the texture that will need to be filled in with a very sharpened pencil but I think I'm going to enjoy this!

Commission progress

2011-10-25T10:05:00.001-04:00

Stage 3: Dead Coloring sky and ground
Dead color on the entire image. It was hard for me to go over this dead coloring. I really like the appearance of the dry-brush peaking through. However, the colors were just not right and I needed to make major adjustments on the clouds.

Stage 4: Dead coloring turbine plus refinement on colors and gradient
I added some more refinements to the sky, still not happy with it. It doesn't feel light enough at the bottom of the gradient. Also dead colored the wind turbine. The front clouds got a little puny but I am starting to like the clouds far off in the distance

Working wet on wet is not easy when the acrylics dry so quickly.

Bargue-ing ain't easy

2011-10-20T12:00:00.000-04:00

Bargue-ing ain't easy. In fact it is long and hard. (That's what she said.) Bargue #3 is DONE. That's right...

DONE

If I couldn't insert a marching band into my blog playing a fanfare of wonderful music, I would. Please take a moment to imagine this scenario....Ok let's move on.

I have been working on this one day a week since February. My goal of finishing all 4 Bargues in 1 year did not come to fruition. An unmet goal should be no cause for disappointment. MODIFICATION of said goal.... now THAT is what life is all about. It's a motto we can all live by:

"Try your best, and then when you end up procrastinating and eating candy corn because you're depressed... make excuses and then figure out how you will actually complete that goal."

Take it away, Mr. Ed!

The Answer, My Friend...is a commission!

2011-10-18T12:03:00.001-04:00

I recently started a commission project of 5- 2 foot by 2 foot paintings. The concept is based on my original painting "The Answer, my Friend..." which is a small 12 by 12 painting of a wind turbine in a sparse landscape.

Original painting

The project, to start, will be one large format version of this... then, if they agree to the other 4, each painting will be the same composition, but with the turbine blades rotated a bit and a different type of landscape/clouds, etc.

Many factors go into a commission this large.

1. I need to be sure that my drawing has the correct perspective as my original reference photo, so the remaining 4 paintings all look to be a part of the whole set. I hired a friend who is a master of perspective to help me with the layout. I then used 5 sheets of tracing paper to draw all 5 turbines out separately.

2. The first will be sent before the others are started as a prototype. If they agree to the whole project, I need to be sure they are all consistent with color. The way I do this is by creating 2 canvases with the same base layer of yellow-oxide/white mix (because these will be chromatic paintings) so I have one to reference.

3. The drawing for the first rotation is traced on the canvas and then dry-brushed in with raw umber. This first one will have a field/grass landscape with a light blue and slight puffy clouds sky-scape.

Busy Week!

2011-10-11T08:00:00.000-04:00

On Wednesday this week, 2 galleries will be the lucky recipients of my paintings.

The First stop:
Silver Circle Gallery in Putnam, CT. Google Map Here.

The Silver Circle has sold my work for about 6 months. They are a beautiful shop right in downtown and have an amazing array of arts, crafts, gifts, etc. You can find many of my New England artist friends there as well!! They will be getting in more of my smaller work, and some of the larger work will be making it's way to...

The Second Stop:
The Living Art Studio in Northampton, MA. Google Map Here.

Part art gallery, part tattoo studio, the Living Art Studio was established in 1989. Living Art Studio has been an artist owned business for more than twenty years and at the forefront of the tattoo scene in New England. They participate in the Northampton Art Night Out so there should be plenty of traffic. Northampton is a very art-centered town.

The Living Art Studio will be displaying my paintings for 2 months into mid-December.

Go check it all out!!

Started in Acrylics, Continue in Oils

2011-10-06T09:00:00.000-04:00

This is another painting started in acrylics. Continuing with oils again... I liked how the last one went.

Started with acrylics:

Continuing with oils:

I realize it doesn't look too much different. The background and the surface were added to today. The gradients are smoother and the colors are closer. I hope to whip through this and move on to different subject matter other than glass containers!

Mr. Ed continued

2011-10-05T15:25:00.001-04:00

Sick of looking at this. Lots of work to do.

Painting in Progress - Jar of paint

2011-10-03T08:52:00.000-04:00

First painting done. Second painting to be started soon.

Painting in Progress

2011-09-26T12:00:00.000-04:00

This painting was started completely in acrylics. I was worried about ruining my progress if I moved to oils, since I am so new at them. However, I am glad I did. After returning from my trip (it was spectacular... more on that at a later time) I put a couple hours into the top of the lid on the jar. I feel like I am ready to move on to the "second painting" phase of this as soon is I tighten up the writing on the jar.

My darks are not as dark as I would like in the photo... they are "sunken in" which translates to "me being annoyed I can't tell the actual value of the surrounding colors when I am painting."

Close up of the paintbrush.

Ahoy Mate!

2011-09-13T22:47:00.001-04:00

Next week I will be on a cruise around Greece and Turkey with my family. My poor husband has to stay behind with the dog, but having full run of the house for a bit is kind of his own vacation, so no pity parties are allowed for him!

I will need to take a break in my two favorite activities... painting and capoeria. I am sure I will return refreshed and inspired by the two amazing countries. Will post pics from abroad and new painting progress shots when I return... but for now, I need to focus on packing 8000 pairs of shoes. See ya later alligator!

And don't forget! New classes start next week at the Boston Academy for Realist Art so sign up for classes ASAP!

Adventures in oil

2011-09-06T09:44:00.001-04:00

There are some struggles here and there... but overall, I am amazed with what is going on here with the oils. I have to reconstruct the drawing of the metal since I lost it when I was trying to get a smooth gradient for the background in acrylics.

There are other accents I will need to add on at the end. Some of the thin detail lines or bright highlights will need to be punched. Today I think I will tackle the paintbrush.

One aspect which is slightly annoying about oils is that when they are dry... the darks tend to "sink in" meaning they begin to look grey and matte in finish (as you can see from the bottom left and upper right of the background. This makes it difficult to determine if what you are working up to is correct.

C'est fini!

2011-09-02T10:37:00.003-04:00

It's done! Yesterday was the last day on this pose. Clothing is surprisingly more difficult than a nude, in my humble opinion. It always moves and is different every time the model sits back down.

Woohoo!

From Acrylics to Oils: Before and After

2011-09-01T09:00:00.000-04:00

Since the completion of the workshop, this is my first attempt at oil painting on my own. It took me a good 2 hours to get up the nerve to finally just sit down and dive in. I know, I'm a wuss.

This painting was about 40% done in acrylics. I was relatively OK with how the fabric was coming out but wasn't looking forward to getting the background smooth or re-doing the jar since I lost parts of the drawing.

The verdict? Sweet, sweet blending. BLENDING LIKE BUTTER! There are still some kinks but sweet jeebus... this is so much easier!!! I was able to get the bottom left quarter of the fabric done in one day. Then the bottom right and the solid red part done yesterday.

Do you know how long that would have taken me JUST in acrylics? I'll answer that for you... A LONG TIME!

Before:

After!

Day One:

Day Two:

Academy of Realist Art Boston Fall Classes

2011-08-30T22:43:00.002-04:00

The Academy for Realist Art Boston is starting it's fall semester in a couple weeks. They are offering some great classes! Check them out below, and if you interested, make sure you email them soon! Their regular daily program is also accepting new students as well.

Perspective class. 2 Monday perspective classes 9:30 - 12:30 and 1:30 - 4:30 This class is open to a limited number of students. 3 in the morning and 3 in the afternoon.

This class will prepare you to construct imaginary environments for your figure drawings, help you to understand the important elements regarding believable space in a 2-D piece of artwork and help you to sketch ideas.

Instructor Stephen Kivimaki

Construction/Anatomy class. 2 Wednesdays classes 9:30 - 12:30 and 1:30 - 4:30 Limit of 3 per class.

This drawing class will focus on learning to develop a constructed dimensional understanding of the arm and hand, overlapping forms and muscle mass in relation to the arm. It is meant as the next phase of the arm anatomy lessons that were taught last semester but now students are going to draw. No previous anatomy knowledge required - commitment to consistent attendance and some homework required.

Instructor Sean Krajnik

Figure drawing - Thursday 6:30 - 9:30 Starts Sept. 29th and Saturday 10 - 1, Starts Oct 1st.

Rendering the human form is the most difficult task in drawing and the beginning stages of construction are the most important. This eight week course will address these early stages and their challenges. Working from the nude model, students will be given a step by step system in which to accurately capture gesture, proportion and body type. From this general block-in, we will advance towards an exploration of the figure's specific contour and shadow line. Each class will consist of one three hour pose.

Instructor Emmy DeMusis $300 8 weeks

Portrait drawing - Saturday 2:00 - 5:00 Starts Sat., Oct., 1st

In a systematic way students will learn how to accurately construct, draw and render a portrait from the live model. The emphasis of the first half of the course will be learning to see the structure, forms and planes of the head. Much attention will be given to the proportions and anatomy of facial features. The purpose of which will bring out the likeness and character of the sitter. In the remainder of the class students will learn to carefully observe tonal relationships in order to compress values and render forms in a conceptual way. Lectures and demonstrations will be given to assist the class participants in their use and application of their drawing materials. The intention of this class is to help the student gain a greater understanding of portrait drawing and resolve common problems associated with it. Instructor Brian MacNeil

$300 8 weeks

Home stretch of life drawing

2011-08-25T17:28:00.003-04:00

I feel like I'm on the home stretch of this life drawing. The front hand will be difficult and needs adjustment, but at least the face is relatively close. I still need to push the light values and also develop the fabric of her jacket a bit more, but I like how this is coming out.

Next week is the last time we will get to work on this so barring any catastrophic hurricane damage... Monday and Thursday will be it.

Stay safe everyone!!!

Life Drawing progress

2011-08-23T08:21:00.002-04:00

The next 2 weeks are dedicated to life drawing. At this point I am still working in the shadows and trying to get the surrounding values in.

Day 9 Oil Painting Master Copy Workshop

2011-08-19T09:35:00.001-04:00

Day 9. Tomorrow is our last day on this. I am still doing "first painting" (smaller purposeful patches of color... at the end of first painting, the painting should look like exactly what is on the print.) 2 weeks is nowhere near enough time for a painting like this even with tracing the drawing. I do plan to continue this one outside of class and hopefully bring it more to completion.

I have learned a ridiculous amount of information from Joseph and I am excited to dive head first in oil painting... but not literally because they're toxic and a head-first dive into actual oil paints would probably give me giant brain tumors.

I highly recommend any and all workshops or classes at the Boston Academy of Realist Art. It's down to earth, practical, relatively affordable and amazingly informative. We actually had a woman from Iceland come to the workshop!!! That's dedication.

oil painting workshop day 6

2011-08-15T17:35:00.001-04:00

Dead coloring pretty much complete. Tomorrow we start "first painting". Already ran out of white paint.

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Day 5 oil painting workshop

2011-08-12T17:17:00.002-04:00

Yesterday and today we focused on dead coloring. This is where we place patches of color on the canvas over our dry brushing. I'm finding it difficult because we have to group certain colors, mix the color, then refine the color. It ends up looking kind of like a puzzle of geometric colors shapes. Also, I need a different technique for my wood grain. Apparently I am going to use layers and layers of dry brush so we will see how that goes.

day 3 of oil painting workshop

2011-08-10T14:12:00.001-04:00

Day 2 of dry brushing with burnt umber. Yellowish imprematura.

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day 1 of oil painting workshop

2011-08-09T15:28:00.001-04:00

Imprimatura and transfer of tracing. As you can see, from all your input I landed on the dogs!

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where have you been all my life?

2011-08-05T12:00:00.001-04:00

As I continued this painting, I was looking at my 2 reds I normally use, an orange and some yellows and thinking to myself... hmmm. How am I going to get the color of that pigment?

Now some of you (smart people) would immediately have said "OMG that is PAINT pigment IN THE JAR! So you probably HAVE the color!"

But I am not that smart. I later said to my husband "I'm surprised how far I've gotten with how little I know in life."

So in order to reach that conclusion... you know, the whole "painting paint pigment probably means you HAVE the actual color" thing...I went digging into my "Paints I never use" section and there is Cadmium Red Light. Squirt some on the palette and it was exactly that color!

*Insert light bulb ding above my head*

good paper

2011-08-04T13:52:00.001-04:00

I'm officially on the good paper. Carbon is flying everywhere. The next two weeks this drawing will be on hiatus for the painting workshop. Then once that is done, two solid weeks back on this one.

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Life Drawing Progress

2011-08-02T14:18:00.001-04:00

Next up: transfer to good paper. I know... it looks like she is wearing an eye-patch. I promise I will fix that in the rendering process.

AAAAAAAAHHHHHH

2011-07-31T14:02:00.000-04:00

Ahhhhhh. Time to peel off the painters tape. My favorite part of any painting. So gratifying. Sneak peak:

This commission has been a real challenge for many reasons, but I have enjoyed every second of it. I can also tell that the skills I have learned thus far at the Boston Academy for Realist Art have paid off. Big form modeling, value, tone, and the physics of light allow you to understand what you see.

Our eyes are deceiving and why focusing on details, tend to mostly take immediate surrounding area and use that to determine how we see it. However, once we take it out of that immediate context... we're left with what is REALLY happening. Which is what I shoot for. Hence why I am attending a school with the word REALISM in it.

I can't post a full photo of it yet... but I will once the recipient has received it!

If you are interested in a commissioned painting as well, feel free to email me with any questions at art@juliebcreative.com

Listed!

2011-07-28T09:00:00.000-04:00

I finally got around to listing some of my completed academic drawings in my Etsy Shop. Trying to clear out space... where the heck would I even store these!?!?!

Title: "Let's Be Frank"

It's funny because his name is Frank.

HELP!

2011-07-26T10:10:00.003-04:00

I need your opinion!!!! I can't decide which master copy to do for the painting workshop in August! I am trying to decide between these 3. Should I do the dogs, the chick or the dude?

Completed Painting: Cambridge Commission

2011-07-22T10:49:00.003-04:00

This painting was delivered this morning to a wonderful and enjoyable customer. She is the type of person who keeps me excited to sit at my easel and create!

I'm really happy with the way it came out and her house is so cute. They're still unpacking... congrats to the new homeowners!!!

new model

2011-07-21T15:38:00.001-04:00

New model today. Happy with progress in one day. Our other model was in an accident! We wish her a speedy recovery!

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Mr. Ed progress

2011-07-15T12:20:00.000-04:00

this damn horse! I have been attacking the halftones in the muzzle but the paper is being a giant pain in the arse. It's like drawing on sandpaper. Stonehenge paper is normally not gritty but apparently there's a new manufacturer and they don't exactly have the recipe down pat yet. Thus making my Bargue life frustrating,

Bargue Life... it's like Thug Life but with a lot less violence.

Detail:

Crash Course in Oil Painting

2011-07-14T16:11:00.000-04:00

In August I will be taking a crash course in oil painting. We will each choose a painting to copy... hence being a "master copy" class. I'm nervous about oils for a couple reasons:

1. Oils are toxic. I am a mess. Meaning that if I use oils the same way as I use acrylics, then I'll be dead in like a month. But then again, an artist is usually more successful post-mortem. I guess it's an even trade-off.

2. I have habits which are going to be hard to get out of. Acrylics are layers and layers and layer and layers. Plus I think colors are totally different.

3. Now I have to buy a whole new set of paints and brushes... want to help? Buy my existing stuff!

This will be a great course for anyone who wants to start painting. You should come take it with me if you're in Boston and can take 2 solid weeks to do this!

Dates: MON. AUG. 9TH - FRI. AUG. 19TH 10:00 – 4:00

Class description:
"This workshop introduces oil painting from A - Z. We will be going over all the basic technical information essential to know about oil painting. We will talk about mediums, canvas, fat over lean, blendings, glazing, etc. Students will learn the 4-layer step-by-step method academy students use to make their paintings. We will provide a selection of 20 high quality master painting reproductions for students to copy. We will individually tutor each student in how to make an exact copy in oil. You will also learn about the differences in the Flemish, Italian Renaissance and Venetian painting techniques. Register online. Cost of the workshop is $975"

I Heart Jason De Graaf

2011-07-11T11:28:00.000-04:00

Jason De Graaf is another blog I follow on a regular basis. His work is vibrant with color and chock full of visual interest. Jason is really an amazing painter... and acrylic painter. My heart goes pitter patter when I see an acrylic painter who is this successful!

He has a whole series of painting of marbles and other items placed on comics. Combining comics/graphic art with realism... you had me at hello!

In his statement on his blog he says " Though my paintings may appear photoreal my goal is not to reproduce or document faithfully what I see one hundred percent, but also to create the illusion of depth and sense of presence not found in photographs. " He does an amazing job with atmosphere and the sense of depth.

Check him out!

Painting in Progress: Custom Cambridge Home

2011-07-09T10:01:00.000-04:00

Currently working on the trees. To do list: Need to put the front fence in, the numbers on the door, and work the clouds a bit, also create a brick-like pattern on the red sidewalk.

Painting in Progress: Secret Commission

2011-07-08T09:36:00.001-04:00

I can't show all of this painting because it's a secret commission. However, I wanted to share a struggle I think a lot of people have. Out of focus trees.

What I find ironic is that I am sort of using an identical process as one of my first paintings ever. I was in sophomore year of high school and I sat across from a dreamy boy with wonderful hair. And for any teenage girl in the same situation, it was pretty much impossible to pay attention to anything but the dreamy boy. However the one thing that actually got through to me was when we had to do a whole landscape with a pencil eraser and paint. (She was trying to teach us impressionism). The whole painting was made with small circles of different colors.

The painting itself was pretty bad (hey it was one of my firsts!) but the human eye is easily fooled and it was somewhat convincing. I normally labor over ridiculous detail, but in an area like this, there ARE NO details. It's kind of just amorphous blobs. And if you try to just paint amorphous blobs, it looks ugly.

My technique at this point is using small somewhat transparent circles and overlapping as need with slightly larger circles. The photographic term for this visual phenomenon is "Bokeh". You can read more about it here on Wikipedia. But in short it is:

In photography, bokeh ( /ˈboʊkə/ boh-kə,^[1] Japanese: [boke]) is the blur,^[2]^[3] or the aesthetic quality of the blur,^[4]^[5]^[6] in out-of-focus areas of an image, or "the way the lens renders out-of-focus points of light."^[7] Differences in lens aberrations and aperture shape cause some lens designs to blur the image in a way that is pleasing to the eye, while others produce blurring that is unpleasant or distracting—"good" and "bad" bokeh, respectively.^[2] Bokeh occurs for parts of the scene that lie outside the depth of field. Photographers sometimes deliberately use a shallow focus technique to create images with prominent out-of-focus regions.

Cool right (example image below)? Hopefully when I am done, this will have the same effect.

I Heart Justin Taylor

2011-07-07T14:00:00.000-04:00

Since I just started life drawing, I have been more and more intrigued by people who have a creative take or portraits and people. Justin Taylor is one of these artists. I love his choice of color palette for each one. They are relatively simple in terms of content but his composition and the body language speak in-depth about the people. The "echos" of the people are amazing!!

One by Justin Taylor

Clarity at the End of Things by Justin Taylor

Painting in Progress: Custom Home 1

2011-07-06T09:00:00.000-04:00

Eh Voila! Maybe a glaze here and there but for the most part this is done. I'll let is set completely for a couple days and then do a whole batch of varnishing.

Painting in Progress: Custom Cambridge Home

2011-07-05T12:00:00.000-04:00

OOOO very happy with how this one is coming out!

Done!

2011-07-01T09:13:00.003-04:00

Yesterday was the last and final day for this pose... meaning I am DONE with my first life drawing class. I'm very happy with how this came out!! The end of the semester is always a good feeling, but I'll be back in class in a week for summer session.

I think this summer for our "kit kat" pose (no not the candy bar), since I am a part-time student, they may have me focus on dong hand studies. HANDS! GLORIOUS HANDS! I am so bad at hands so I am looking forward to improving.

Make sure you visit my Etsy Shop and buy everything you can so I can afford tuition at the Boston Academy for Realist Art!

Painting in Progress: Custom Cambridge Home

2011-06-30T12:00:00.000-04:00

This is my second current commission. This is an adorable home in Cambridge MA. Bright blue skies, lush greens and pink bushes are going to make this a very cute painting.

Here, I started by laying in the background almost completely. The house is a grey-ish blueish color so the base of the sky helped to establish a ground for it. however, right now, the color is a bit too blue and not enough grey. Also, I have to adjust the porch as it seems a bit off kilter with the rest of the house.

Painting in Progress: Custom Home 1

2011-06-29T10:46:00.000-04:00

Just a couple more details to add. I ended up adjusting the color of the house because it was too warm of a color. I made it more of a grey-green to make it slightly darker since the house really meshes with the environment.

A reminder to myself

2011-06-27T08:11:00.003-04:00

Although I did get some painting in this past weekend (mostly work on my custom home paintings and another commission), as I look back at the more recent posts, I realize I haven't had a completed painting posted in a quite a bit. So to boost my confidence and get the momentum going again... I am posting my current favorite completed painting that I am most proud of.

This was a vintage photo I found with very little crisp detail to go from, but my portrait class at the Boston Academy for Realist Art helped substitute for what I couldn't see in the face.

Actually now that I think of it, I never came up with an official title for this one...

Painting in Progress: Custom Home

2011-06-26T20:00:00.000-04:00

Made some good progress in a couple of sessions. Dimension and depth are staring to assert themselves. I am really happy with the way the trees are modeled so far. Everything I'm learning at the Boston Academy for Realist Art is making a huge impact on my painting! (even though this obviously isn't "realist"... but you know.)

Also, if you are considering one of these custom home portraits as a gift for someone for Christmas or Hanukah or whatever you celebrate... keep in mind that the estimated time frame is about 4-5 weeks before delivery and the holidays are crazy for everyone, especially the USPS. I do get a bunch of these orders during the holidays... meaning don't wait until December 10th to order! If your order is in by early November, you are guaranteed to be able to get one.

Just wanted to throw that out there for those who are interested. You can purchase via PayPal using the button below (choose US shipping, International shipping, or Pick Up):

Gandalf

2011-06-23T12:09:00.001-04:00

After today, only 1 more day left to work on this.

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Painting in Progress: Elements of Creativity

2011-06-23T12:00:00.001-04:00

I am currently working on 3 commissions (yay!), so I told myself that I couldn't start any more paintings until those 3 are complete (boo!). However, over at the Paint and Draw Together blog , they posted a new challenge that was impossible to resist. It's like putting a plate of cinnamon buns in front of someone who is on a diet. Cinnamony sweet sugary doughy goodness.... mmmmm cinnamon bunssssssss, nom nom nom.

ANYWAYS, where was I? Oh yes, naughty indulgence. I have little to no self-control... so here I am starting a new painting.

Original Image:

My cropping for a 12 by 12. I like to crop things relatively close. I like details. I like things off to the side. Not sure why... maybe I'm weird in the head:

Initial horrible start:
Background is too blue, the cloth is too saturated... blah blah blah. yuck. Golly, the way I write you'd think I hate painting. OK yes, sometimes I do. I hate painting at the very beginning of a painting. It's a love-hate relationship. Am I the only one?

Custom Home Portrait

2011-06-21T15:00:00.001-04:00

Earlier this year, I decided to once again offer custom home portraits in the "Three Trees" style. People would send me a photo of their home (and in the case below, I grabbed photos off of Google Maps!) and interpret them in this style:

A home is a place where memories are made, people's personal stories develop, and pretty much everyone remembers the home in which they grew up. There is a certain "imprint" or "ghost" of your life always with that building/space and vice-versa.

Amy is the latest customer for this type of portrait. She sent me the photos of her house... which is stunning!!! This house in particular will be fun to do because of all the unique details. Below as you can see, I have already transferred the drawing and applied the first couple layers of paint.

At this point, since the canvas is pretty dry, I am just applying pigment as a base so that the official colors go on easier. This canvas is a bit resistant to the first layer of paint for some reason. The sky will end up a blue gradient (no clouds) and there will be a myriad of greens within the ground and trees to represent a lush summer season. I also started to model the trees. The way I paint, layers are rather transparent... so the earlier I begin to model them, the better!

Initial sketch:

Initial layer of paint:

Mr. Ed

2011-06-20T15:40:00.001-04:00

Mr. Ed is as stubborn as a horse. HAR HAR HAR! No, but seriously this is going a lot slower than expected. Granted I am only doing Bargues 1 day a week... but I was hoping to have the 4 Bargues in the program done within a year. September 1st marks my 1 year mark, so we'll see how that goes. This is # 3.

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Call Me Rusty

2011-06-13T07:49:00.003-04:00

Last night I sat down to paint for the first time in over a month. Remind me not to take such a long break next time. Wow. Usually it's difficult after just a couple days without painting... but this is a whole new level of getting back into the swing of things.

I started a new scotch painting and transferred 2 drawings onto canvas for commissions. I started with the scotch one to get all my rusty quirks out before I go head first into the commissions.

There is so much beauty in this world...

2011-06-10T09:25:00.004-04:00

You HAVE to go see this painting.

This is one of my favorite paintings in the entire world. Boston Common at Twilight was painted by Childe Hassam in 1885. This painting is unbelievable. The way it glows in person is almost super natural. Seriously... go check it out in person.

It's so beautiful it sometimes makes me want to hug the world. Kind of like the plastic bag scene in American Beauty.

life drawing progress

2011-06-09T14:53:00.001-04:00

Spent all day working in the shadows.

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Mr. Ed

2011-06-08T11:49:00.001-04:00

A horse is a horse, of course, of course... unless it's a Bargue.

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An artist's confessional

2011-06-07T09:33:00.000-04:00

Forgive me artists, for I have sinned.

It has been 4 weeks since my last painting session. I spent one week preparing for an art show, another week sinning in Vegas, another week hosting the in laws, and another weekend in upstate New York.

I know. There is no excuse for avoiding the holy place that is my easel.

I swear June will be different! I want to be a better artist! I don't know what happened to me! No self control!

I'll say 4 Hail Liquitex's, 2 Our Paintbrushes, and make sure to donate to the Artists and Craftsman Supply Store charity in exchange for some new panels and canvases.

Amen

(Footnote: I have never actually participated in a confessional, so I'm just going on what I've seen in movies and TV shows. I hope it translates LOLZ)

I Heart Suzanne Berry

2011-06-06T09:12:00.004-04:00

I have been following Suzanne Berry's blog for what seems like forever. The first thing that caught my eye were her intensely up-close bug portraits. They are set in this bright background of white that give them an ethereal quality and the compositions combined with the title of the painting are good for a laugh. This one is titled "Touchdown." She's so clever!

She also has a series of faces... just that. Faces with expressions... no head, no hair. Just eyes and nose and mouth. It's amazing how much she can get across with such a small area.
I really enjoy the way she uses white space and color. I also wonder if she gets up close and personal with all those bugs and insects to get such amazing detail!! When you check our her blog you will also notice a wide range of people portraits including dog portraits which, of course, I have a soft spot for.

Suzanne is very talented and probably one of the most productive artists I've been following. She always has something new and interesting. I definitely look up to her as an artist and I strive to one day be as prolific and with such a solid artist style. When you see a Suzanne Berry painting... you know it's a Suzanne Berry painting.

carbon sucks

2011-06-02T14:19:00.001-04:00

This is freaking hard. My first time using carbon. Transferred to good paper.

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Life Drawing

2011-06-01T19:30:00.000-04:00

I recently finished taking my extra life-drawing class taught by Emmy. And by finished, I mean that I didn't go to the last 2 classes because of Vegas and In-Laws visiting. But that's OK! I am still happy with the practice I did get. You should definitely check out the night/weekend classes at the Boston Academy for Realist Art if you live in/near Boston and this type of drawing interests you!

I Heart Jeremy Geddes

2011-05-27T13:19:00.004-04:00

Jeremy Geddes is one of my favorite painters.

He uses an astronaut in a lot of his paintings and the way he uses them is surreal and thought provoking. To me his paintings feel so open to interpretation...yet both peaceful and chaotic.

This is a recently finished one that blew my mind. It amazes me how calm this painting feels in the middle of glass shattering. Check out the details of all the glass, books on the shelf, and the subtlety of the sheets/cloth. And the light flare on the left side is so dreamy! LOVE!

Check him out!

I am a Total Nerd

2011-05-24T18:36:00.003-04:00

I am a total nerd. I am obsessed with Stephen King's Dark Tower series, so when I saw this beautiful art nouveau rendering of the Dark Tower by artist Megan Lara I immediately pressed PURCHASE!!! You can get your own shirt, tshirt, hoodie, etc here.

I also bought her art nouveau rendering of Princess Peach on a maroon t-shirt. love love. I always choose Princess as my character while playing Super Mario.

See... total nerd. Here are a couple great examples of art nouveau style:

Life Drawing - long pose 1

2011-05-23T13:10:00.004-04:00

Last month, I began switching up my days at school to include a life drawing class. The human form is a challenging subject. It's constantly moving, even if the person is standing still.

This is my first long-term pose. I am sitting on a horse for this (not a literal horse... a wooden drawing horse), which is a change in my normal spot at an easel. That means I am at an angle to the model... looking up. So far, this has been a struggle. The drawing above is after 2 full days of drawing.

I hope this becomes easier over time!

Back to Reality

2011-05-22T17:42:00.006-04:00

A week in Vegas will do wonders for your sense of time, space, and reality.

My mother ends up on stage with John Cougar Melloncamp, wins an autographed Sheryl Crow guitar and I leave with a sprained ankle from dancing and a pretty severe hangover.

Tomorrow... back to reality. Painting, drawing, and freelancing. Hope you all here in the normal space-time continuum enjoyed the past 7 days. Lot's of new drawings to share!

Tonight: Red Sox vs Cubs!

Finally!

2011-05-13T14:13:00.003-04:00

After returning from the Twist show last weekend... I FINALLY have everything new listed in my Etsy shop. Go over, take a look, and happy shopping!

thanks twisters!

2011-05-10T14:51:00.002-04:00

We had a blast at this years Twist show in Northampton. Thanks for all the people who came out... especially my aunt and uncle who surprised me by visiting and taking me out for dinner afterwards!

It's always fun getting to hang out with my fellow artists and talk shop at this well run show. See you again in November!

Twist today and tomorrow!!!!

2011-05-06T09:00:00.000-04:00

Don't forget! Today and tomorrow I am in Northampton MA getting my art show on.

Come say hi and buy all my art!

Location
Northampton Center for the Arts
17 New South Street
Northampton, MA USA

Twist V Show Dates
Friday
VIP Reception 4:00pm - 6:00pm
Gen Admission 6:00pm - 9:00pm

Saturday
10:00 am - 6:00 pm

Admission
Adults $4.00
Kids (6-12) $2.00
5 and under FREE

VIP Reception $15.00

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Staring at Frank some more...

2011-04-30T11:42:00.000-04:00

Last thursday wrapped up portrait pairs. This was the last session I had on Frank, however I can always "fill in holes" and hair on my own using photos as a reference.

As promised, Frank's Interview!

1. Name, location, occupation (day job)
Landlord, Real Estate Agent

2. What is your default medium of choice? What do you love about it? Medium of choice is oil paint, I love the feel of the brush against the canvas and the way the paint flows.

What do you hate about it? Cleaning brushes, palette and getting paint off of hands.

3. What are your favorite subjects to draw/paint and why? The human figure, portraits,

4. What inspires you both artistically and in your everyday life? Studying and observing people’s faces every where I go. Seeing all their subtle features that makes them unique and the color of their flesh and hair and I imagine how I would paint them.

5. Why did you start attending the Boston Academy for Realist Art? I wanted a formal academic training.

6. Where do you see yourself in 10 years? See myself in my own studio painting portrait commissions and creating bodies of figurative work..

7. What do you do for fun? Hobbies? Activities? I am a social animal and love meeting friends out for dinner, laughing, good conversations, helping others, Design, Going to the Movies, walking around Boston, Weight training, keeping healthy, swimming, traveling the world learning about different cultures, drawing, painting, volunteering, time with family, visiting art museums, watching sporting events with friends, being out doors,

8. What do you feel is the purpose to human life here on our little
blue planet? To make this world a better place by being your true self, showing kindness and love and tolerance to all people.

Thanks Frank!!

Silver Circle Gallery - Big news!

2011-04-29T10:00:00.000-04:00

I am excited to announce that I am in my first official Gallery/Store! The Silver Circle Studio is really fantastic store/gallery with a wide range of handmade and artistic items. The front of the store is a dedicated gallery space... wide open, with fun openings and great light. The other half is chock full of amazing talent ... some of which I know personally. I was so happy to see goods from my friends at Crooked Moon Mosaics, Tanner Glass, Black Sheep Designs, and Made in Lowell.

Check them out at http://silvercirclestudio.com/
75 MAIN ST. SUITE 3, PUTNAM CT, 06260

860.928.2900
Winter Hours: Mon 11-5, CLOSED TUESDAY, Wed-Sat 11-5, Sun 12- 4pm.

Email: info@silvercirclestudio.com

Staring at Frank

2011-04-27T19:30:00.001-04:00

Last day in this stage. Next, we transfer to good paper and try to get a somewhat finished drawing out of it by the end of portrait pairs. As always, if you're interested in Portrait Drawing and are in Boston, the Academy of Realist Art in Boston has evening portrait classes which are very helpful!

Frank!

Painting in Progress: It's Us Against the World

2011-04-25T12:00:00.000-04:00

My submission to the Paint and Draw Together blog is complete (for the most part). I started this way too late and was only able to get about 4 good solid sessions into it. Have said that, I am ok with how it turned out. It's not as crisp and perfect as I would like... but not everything has to be a masterpiece, right?

I still need to finish up the edges but for the submission that was due yesterday, I only use a cropped photo anyways.

Voila!

Painting in Progress: It's Us Against the World

2011-04-22T12:00:00.000-04:00

Gradient fixed... lost a part of the drawing as a result :/

Guess i'll just wing it when it comes to the stems

Painting in Progress: Us Against the World

2011-04-21T12:30:00.001-04:00

Ugh. Backgrounds. I hate backgrounds. Large areas of color / gradient are annoying... especially in acrylics. Acrylics are lighter when the paints are wet... they darken a bit as they dry. Here you can see I created a nice smooth gradient for this paintings background. Lighter on the left, a touch darker and cooler tone on the right... also keep my drawing underneath pretty visible.

But alas... after it dries. Look how different it is from the reference photo! The wet paint in my mixed color was EXACTLY the color in the photo... but dry, it's significantly darker. Nerds!

2 more days to submit this! Oh no! I may have to submit it before it's done just to get something in on time...