Opposite Drawing

Opposite drawing is a great way to exercise the artist mind. Recording the highlights on a dark surface, instead of looking for the shadows and putting them down on white paper.

Last Sunday with the kids, we produced pictures of Jesus laughing.

I got to keep those gears in my mind well-greased to have creativity remain alive and my drawing skills improve. Changing what I am looking at, to see the shapes of, and put down, really does a “switch-a-roo” on the mind! It makes the journey through the mind go on nerves not used very often which builds new bridges for my brain to walk on. Hence. Synapses!

I will work with kids in art at our church every 2nd or 3rd Sunday through the summer. Check us out at svmchurch.org

Jesus smiling. Chaulk on Black paper
Jesus smiling. Chaulk on Black paper

Playing at the Beach

Grandkids playing at the beach portrait is commissioned by the Franks family. For those of you who know me, this location/subject did not need to be researched to be able to paint it. These are the children of the first son named Nathan and his wife Nikki.

Franks grandkids 02
Franks grandkids 02

This first image shows the pencil sketch with both boys laid out sitting on the beach sand with their buckets, shovels, and the waves in the background.

Franks grandkids 03
Franks grandkids 03

The background wash of the waves and the sand around the figures is now complete.

Franks grandkids 04
Franks grandkids 04

The basic skin light washes with some shadow are added to show shape. Colors on the swimming suits are placed carefully to save highlight areas. The same with the sand buckets and shovels.

Franks grandkids 05
Franks grandkids 05

Eyes and faces are detailed with darker tones, shadows are darkened too. Opposite color wheel colors are chosen to shadow on the sand and in the water. Greens are added to the tans of the sand. Red or orange is touched to the ocean water to bring it into shadow.

Pencil Drawing Work

Got a commission for pencil drawing work, sketches about prehistoric tribe characters and wildlife. Creating illustrations to be used on John dini’s initial book tour to help present ideas behind his book.

He based a lot of his thoughts while writing this book on prehistoric logic. These pencil drawings were made in his direction, for a slide show presentation of the prehistoric ideas as he presented his new book. He is a successful speaker, writer, and coach doing many book tours and speaking engagements throughout his career. He was a joy to work with, his name is John Dini, and the book is entitled, “Hunting in a Farmer’s World”.

Pencil drawing is one of my favorite mediums.

Here are two of the sketches for the preliminary test to get the job. My pencil drawings are not published in his book but hopefully, they assisted in making his book successful.

Hunter stalking prey.
Prehistoric hunter in bush, stalking.
Prehistoric deer
Large prehistoric deer.

You don’t always know where your art will end up. It is always a happy day, just to be hired as a working artist! Drawing is a great way to spend any day.

What Does an Artist Do

What does an artist do on the weekend? Paint neighborhood address signs of course!

painting neighborhood signs
painting neighborhood signs

Here are two signs masked off ready to shoot with black for the arrows.

paint address signs
paint address signs

If you have ever been over to visit our place you would know why these signs are needed. I bet you we are in the UPS and FedEx drivers “stink list” for being hard to find.

Oh well! These are directional signs (for the two bends in our private road debatable as a driveway) made of signboard (expensive smooth plywood) and coated with white house paint 2 coats yesterday. Now the (black) arrows are laid out and masked off with masking tape so I can shoot the arrow backgrounds.

border boards
border boards
black backgrounds
black backgrounds

Painting neighborhood address signs process. Honest occifer! I did NOT use that spray can of paint! Oh, my fingernails… it is a new way to do my nails I tried using the spray paint to see if I could airbrush them myself. Has anybody got bail money?
😉

Now I spray the (black) arrows’ backgrounds.