Uncle Bob & Other Stuff

My uncle Bob has recently moved here to Nanaimo so he's nearer to us. It's lovely having him so much closer, we get to see him much more often than we did when he was in Victoria, over two hours away. This week I'm doing selfies but in fact, I'm using the time to also feel more comfortable doing any portrait. So, I decided to include my Uncle Bob in my selfie homework. He has such lovely strong McLean features. We all share the same facial features, our noses are especially definitive. I used Roz Stendahl's methods of capturing a face, I love her style and hope to someday be even half as good as her.

I also got down and did the contour drawing that was required in my SBS homework. Here, you're not supposed to take the pen off of the page. Just do a quick sketch of yourself, following the contours of your face. I used a photograph of me graduating from high school. That was over twenty years ago, wow. I don't have a pic of my University graduation, probably because I actually went to two Universities so by the time I graduated, I just wanted it finished, lol. I did get a school ring, that sits in my jewelry box, all forlorn and never loved. It always felt boastful to wear my Grad ring so there it sits. Maybe I'll draw it up so at least it gets a little love twenty years later, lol. Oh, by the way, did I mention that I don't like doing contour drawings? Ya, not my favorite expressive  drawing style.

Finally, here's the first page of my new portraiture sketchbook. I'm using Stillman & Birn Alpha Series 4" x 6" sketchbook. I don't think i'm gonna like the paper but then I don't intend to use much watercolor on it, mostly pen & ink so we'll see how it holds up. (I'm going to be drawing whoever I fancy, probably from TV, so I can become more confident in my drawing skills.) I learned from a very smart artist (who I cannot for the life of me remember the name of) that a great idea for starting any sketchbook is to draw up all the art supplies you might use in the book. This way you don't have to decide on a first page or be afraid of beginning a pristine new sketchbook. You just sit down, draw some of your art supplies and be done with it, TADA, a newly started sketchbook, no fretting needed.

I'm off to either finish my homework from Danny's class last week, I never did my Fast & Slow piece of art. That's where you put down, with speed, a general shape of the object you're drawing using broad strokes in watercolor (or another equally useful medium). Then after that dries, go back and fill  in the details using progressively more detailed pens, capturing the minutia of the object. If that intimidates me (like it did last week) I may do another selfie. I want to do at least one more... maybe two if I can fit them in before Friday starts and another week's class begins. Next week is Brenda Swenson. I wonder what I'll learn next? ;o)

Best,

If you're looking for this week's APR just click here.

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