Sleepy Girl

10-1/4"H x 7-3/4W

Colored pencil on paper.

From a sketchbook.

Dave

Dave

Colored pencil on Arches

21"H x 22"W

Annie

Annie

Charcoal on paper.
22" x 18"

At one time I made quite a few drawings and portraits using charcoal. Working on paper with charcoal is like working with water-based clay making a sculpture. There is a sensuous quality to both mediums.

Green Eyes & Nose Ring

Green Eyes & Nose Ring

Colored pencil on Arches

14-1/4"H x 11-7/8"W

Woman with iPod

Woman with iPod

12"H x 9"W

Colored pencil on paper.

Sketchbooks

Sketchbook

8-1/2" x 11"W (open)

Before the Covid-19 era I used to carry a sketchbook whenever I went out, especially if the destination was a museum or someplace I'd have to be waiting for a while. The sketches above were made at the courthouse in Washington, DC. when I was on jury duty, waiting to be empaneled.

The sketch on the left was made in the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC.

I also would sketch ideas for possible new projects: sculpture or paintings.

Portrait Sketch

Remember back in the day, when museums were open to the general public? At that time the Luce Center, at the Smithsonian American Art Museum in DC, held drawing sessions on Tuesday afternoons. Anyone could come and sketch works in the Luce collection. This is a drawing I made of a 1898 portrait bust of Ellen Goin Rionde by Laura Dreyfus Barney. I tried to make her eyes more lifelike which, I think, gives the sketch an unsettling aspect.

George Twice

 Color Pencil, 15"H x 22"W

Sometimes, at the Open Drawing sessions, I find the model's face more interesting than the whole figure. When this is the case I focus on the head. The fact that I don't have any control over the pose or the lighting adds to the challenge. In this drawing I really pushed the intensity of the colors and values.

René -Two Minute Poses

Pen & Ink with Wash, 15"H x 22"W 

At the Open Drawing sessions (see previous post), I usually use a pen and ink with wash for the shorter poses, and I make a number of sketches on a single sheet of paper. Each of the figure studies in this drawing was done in two minutes. 

Paula 2 Poses

Color Pencil, 15"H x 22"W 

Whenever I feel the need to get back to basics I try to draw using a model. Drawing or painting the figure from life is definitely a challenging visual exercise. There are several schools and groups in the area that provide the opportunity to work from the model. This drawing was done at one of the Washington Studio School Open Drawing sessions. They hold evening sessions twice a week with short and/or long poses. There isn't instruction, but there is a monitor who sets up and times the poses. 

Eileen

 A drawing of my daughter from a sketchbook.

Lincoln in the Library

When my daughter was younger, well, much younger, we spent many happy hours in the children's section of our local public library. We attended the story time run by the truly wonderful children's librarian (Hillary, we still miss you), read many books while sprawled on the foam cushions on the floor, and drew pictures. There was a large low table covered with a huge piece of paper, usually red or blue, a bin of crayons, and a bunch of small chairs. We would sit side by side drawing whatever came to mind. (This is my idea of heaven: a place with many books to read, drawing materials, and a lovely companion!) I usually left my drawing at the library, but sometimes photographed it with my pocket digital camera. The sketch above of Lincoln was done in honor of his birthday.