Today I am posting another sketch of Cat. Cat used to be best friends with Henry, when Henry was toddling. I am interested in painting some watercolor pieces of Henry and Cat. So I thought I would practice with graphite. first.
Reference photo:
My sketch :
I spent my time on this one. It was a very enjoyable process. I think that’s because I have such happy memories of this time in my life. Back then we would drive to Albuquerque to visit our daughter’s family two or three times a year. Cat was just another family member back then.
I hope this drawing does honor to the memory those sun-filled days.
I’ve gone back to the photos of Henry and Cat. Today I chose this one.
The little guy has spotted Cat, and is just about to climb onto the adjacent tree stump chair. Cat is just starting to settle into a seated position. The photo was taken in Albuquerque NM on a late afternoon in autumn. I like this one particularly because Henry is smiling.
This time I gave extra attention to the cast shadows.
Anyone who is one knows that there are joyful opportunities and sacred privileges in being a grandparent. Over the years I have experienced more than a few of these special moments. Sometimes they is exist only in a shared photograph. That’s how I felt when I first saw this photograph of my grandson almost ten years ago.
Now as I begin to train myself in drawing and painting, I experience the profound pleasure of reproducing this moment in media.
My first sketch of Henry and Cat:
It warmed my heart to make this image. Thanks to my daughter and son-in-law for capturing the moment and sharing it.
Rather then draw the plant from the photograph I cut some stems and brought them indoors to draw them from life. They were set in a jar and placed on my wood table in the studio.
This drawing focuses on the leaf shapes.
The shadow on the wall is not evenly toned, the way a real shadow is. But I wanted to do this sketch quickly (for me, anyway) and therefore left it as is.
I have lots of this plant growing in shady areas of my yard. Last month it bloomed beautifully.
One sunny morning, I noticed that it had cast its shadow onto the weathered fence.
I have been wanting to sketch this view ever since. Well, truthfully I want to paint it. But I like to do a preliminary sketch before I paint. It helps me understand the details.
And boy, there are a lot of them.
I’m thinking that the scene needs some simplification to clarify its primary point. So I will work on that in another sketch. THEN I’ll pull out the paint.
We’re seeing lots of this little birds lately. The fuchsias, no, I don’t have any. But I find them charming flowers, and so I included them in this sketch.
This one’s for you, chrisknits, Alissa Head, mildygranola, Liz, Bonny, Marilee and all my knitting friends who have cast on so many projects this month.
Since I missed celebrating the equinox on the right date, I am belatedly posting pictures of spring flowers blooming in my yard. This one is the front yarn, showing multiple pansies, some grape hyacinths, and the foliage of daffodils whose blooms got zapped in the late February freeze.
Another view including late blooming daffs that just opened up this week.
Two views of the back yard.
On to more artsy subjects. I may have mentioned that I am taking a course in traditional art. It runs for ten weeks, five of which are devoted to drawing. Since I am nearly finished with the drawing portion of the course, I thought I would share some pages from my sketchbook.
Full disclosure: I am not really working very hard at this, due to other, more deadline-driven projects that have eaten away at my free time. Here are some pages with notes and examples of drawing adult and child portraits.
NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS OF UNIVERSAL PROPORTIONS APPLIED TO ADULT AND CHILD FACES.
The first lesson was about still life drawing.
Next came portraits of children. I chose to draw three girls from a photograph I found on Unsplash.com. I was charmed by their expressions.
Last Monday, we moved on to animals. This drawing is based on a magazine photograph – probably National Geographic.
SNOW LEAPORD
It’s been pretty fun so far. There is a lot light-hearted banter, and no-one is stressing about their performance very much. From feedback I have received, I am encouraged to try more portraits. I’m also ready to have a go at drawing those frisky squirrels which make their home in our trees and regularly steal food from the bird feeders.
