Sketches

Fireweed

2005-08-14T22:58:00.000-07:00

Fireweed -- I did this quick sketch for a future painting, using a photo I took while living in Fairbanks, Alaska.

The flower is called "fireweed" because it grows in areas that have been cleared by fire, hence getting its name "fireweed."

It actually grows in most states in the U.S.

Also, we know that summer in at an end when the all of the blossoms are gone, having fallen first at the bottom of the plant, then working its way up, until only a few blossoms are at the top.

Pastel on paper.

Girl

2005-08-14T22:11:00.000-07:00

This drawing comes from a photograph in National Geographic.

Graphite pencil on paper.

Door

2005-08-14T22:00:00.000-07:00

This oil painting was done with the intent to make a simple abstract image.

Monks

2005-08-14T21:55:00.000-07:00

This is another rough sketch for a future painting. It is still very crude, but hopefully one day will be a more detailed painting.

It was inspired by some paintings by one of my favorite artists.

If you can guess who that artist is, leave a comment.

The monks came from a magazine photo. I was practicing with oils.

Oil on canvas.

Polar Bear

2005-08-13T19:57:00.000-07:00

I really enjoyed this book which taught travel quick sketches --- I learned a lot about capturing the overall form and then having fun shading and blending.

YoungOld

2005-08-13T19:50:00.000-07:00

This is charcoal on paper

I actually did this about six years ago back when I first began to draw. It is of a black and white photo from one of my journalism textbooks.

Quick Animal Sketches

2005-08-13T19:46:00.000-07:00

These are more "quick" sketches where you draw very quickly in order to get an overall impression --- try to get the form by drawing the basic shapes fo the animal. I liked how the lazy seal turned out.

Piguins

2005-08-13T19:43:00.000-07:00

I probably spelled piguens wrong -- oh well. This is watercolor on paper and cropped from a larger painting.

Bowl

2005-08-13T19:41:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately this one didn't scan very well. Oh well.

Bug

2005-08-13T19:35:00.001-07:00

This sketch for another future painting was done from a National Geographic photo of a very colorful bug. I loved the colors.

Pastels on paper.

It is a first impression of the brilliant colors.

Pastels

Sailors

2005-08-13T19:35:00.000-07:00

This sketch was done while sketching the human form. It was also a photo I found in National Geographic, a great magazine to find people and colorful images to sketch or paint.

It is of some men on a ship pulling a pulley.

Models

2005-08-13T19:33:00.000-07:00

I wanted to stetch an old photo of my grandmother when she was a model, but make it look weird. This is a sketch of a staged photo of my grandmother (arms around man) -- and other models in Hollywood. The man is George Burns, who was part of the shoot. I edited out Gracie, who, in the photo looks worried in the background (obviously staged) -- I think the year was 1940-something, I think.

Sitka Harbor

2005-08-13T19:32:00.000-07:00

I did a watercolor from a photo I took while traveling in Sitka, Alaska. I love to sail and really love photos of boats while they are moored. I feel very peaceful looking at boats at rest.

Overlook

2005-08-13T19:30:00.000-07:00

This was sketched when I was trying out quick sketches --- for traveling, where you sketch the outline and shade in as quickly as you can and make the sketch part of a more refined painting or drawing later.

It serves as your first impression, like most of the sketches on this website are.

Backpackers

2005-08-13T18:00:00.000-07:00

And last but not least --- I wanted to publish some art that is not final and not "perfect" but rather part of a process. Someone made a comment once that I would never show my sketches and paintings if I didn't feel like I was at the point where I could show it --- I am still very far off in my techniques and so forth but look forward to taking more art classes once I have more time.