New Project... Just for the Record.

From July, I have decided to do one drawing per week and post it on this blog. I have been neglecting my drawing for so long and it is showing. I intend to do small sketches which shall sometimes contain water colour and, at this stage, I am not too sure what the content will be as I am not going to drawing class, but I do want to put down 'thoughts' on paper. I shall have to get the relevant materials out which is a bit of a pain because I don't have too much space, but if I don't do this, I shall forget. Just for the record....

Looking back on previous posts, I am somewhat annoyed. There it is; evidence of challenges, unfinished and undistinguished. I ran out of time for both the Wig and Diana challenges, and apart from the fact that I absolutely do have a time problem because I can only draw and paint at nights and on the weekends, I am also guilty of not practicing my drawing and, because of that, I am working a lot slower than I need to. This has got to stop; a simple 'quickie' here and there all adds up to that magical figure of 10,000 hours to get mastery at something. I'll talk about the '10,000 hours' in a future post. The thought of it is too overwhelming at present.

However, I am in one way relieved that this blog is a sort of 'documentation' of the blog challenges I enter, finished or unfinished. I can use those ideas for future challenges,which might not have been at all possible had I thrown these works in the trash. See?

Humble First Sketch

I had intended to send in a drawing or a painting to a web challenge a week ago, but time got the better of me and I only got as far as the first rough sketch (and it is very rough and sketchy) which would give me a feel for what was going on visually. At this stage I didn't know whether or not I was going to paint it or draw it. The subject was taken from a photograph of a statue of Diana with her companion, and it was quite a tough one to say the least. In the end, I really did want to paint it but didn't have the time, even though drawings were permitted. I am posting it here for the record.

First Sketch of Diana

Painting Challenge 1. Sketch - Second Phase

I've done another sketch. I wasn't too sure about the first one because I felt the figures were too large. I am not too sure about this one either. I think there was a better dynamic with the rendering and positioning of the painter in the foreground of the first sketch, but the background is more resolved in the second and there seems to be more confidence with the drawing of drapery as well. We'll see. I can't do any more today but I have given the canvas one coat of oil with Liquin. This will serve as the basis for the glaze I am going to put over the whole format. The light is going and even though today was brilliant as the sun was just shining in, I cannot do any more. In fact, after reflecting on this second sketch, I think I am going to base the painting more on the first sketch. It is amazing what one has to work through to get something clear. It's also good to see so many new sketches on the Drawing Vault in two days after such a long absence. I hope to post more sketches tomorrow and start the painting itself. Then, I shall be posting my progress over on my other blog, the Painting Vault. I just hope I have enough time to finish the project to send it in by 4 March. Time is very tight and I have complicated things out of all proportion. Ambition is good, but this.....?! T'was a Good Day Today.

Second Sketch.

Painting Challenge 1. Sketch - First Phase.

At last! Some real sketches for the Drawing Vault. An explanation of what they are 'for' is required, because they don't stand on their own; they are sketches of a painting I intend to send into a competition/challenge in a couple of weeks. I posted the full story on my other blog, Painting Vault, yesterday.

I have accepted a challenge to paint a picture, send it in to a website and have it published. Well that sounded prosaic and dull, but luckily for me there is a fantastic and extremely generous artist in the USA who has started a blog 'challenge', open to all, where a photograph is put up every two weeks and anyone can create a painting based on that photograph. The basis of the challenge is to be 'inspired' by the photograph and use it as a basis for our art. The photograph is extremely challenging in itself as a subject - a shot of a window display for wigs! Who would have thought of issuing such a challenge to artists? Here is the photo:

So what on earth can one do with such a subject? I would never have noticed this display and I guess that's what this challenge is all about; stretching oneself. What flashed into my mind after staring at this picture for ages, was something probably a few steps too far from any real recognisable representation of the photo above. Here's what I am going to do: I am going to create an 8"x10" oil on canvas of myself painting a fresco, partially finished, with these heads and wigs turned into either minstrels or angels. Okay, well, that's the idea and I had to get home tonight to do a rough, very rough, composition of what I wanted to create. These are give below. You can see the development of the rough idea with all its tentative, pale marks, developing into something a little more confident and resolved. I have also learned a lot from doing this sketch which took about an hour inbetween serving dinner and making tea. I hope to post more sketches tomorrow. The only problem I have is that I have two weeks to complete this painting and I only have weekends. If only it was high Summer with available light after work...... Apologies for the photography....it will get better soon.

First tentative sketch.

Figures more resolved and the addition of myself.

Mapping in the oval as a compositional device


Random Sketch - Close Up


Close up of detail


Key Figure emerging on the left.


Close Up of Key Figure.

Drawing Vault: No 2 Link on Google Front Page.

Yay me!

Today I checked on Google's front page and 'Drawing Vault' was No. 2. As I said before, those two words are hardly the most searched-after keywords on Google, but it is fun watching it go up and up and up. Now off to get some drawings done after my earlier rant.

No. 2 Link on Google Front Page Today!

Time For Drawing Has Been Zero

I just need to write this here to calm myself down. I have been longing to do some really intense drawing for weeks, but work has overtaken everything else. This has got to change. Maybe next weekend? If I wasn't so tired now I would turn this blog entry into a full blown rant. I don't even like looking at the Drawing Vault as it has hardly any drawings on it at all. This wasn't supposed to happen. A thought came to mind recently and that was I should just photograph all my sketches and record them here. I'll think of that, but I wanted to retain this site for some really good work. We'll see; rambling over. Ish.

Drawing Vault: No. 3 Link on Google Front Page

I just have to record this day. The link for my blog has now risen to No. 3 on the Google Front Page. It is a tiny blog and the words-Drawing Vault-are hardly typed in by millions of people, but watching how these links slip backwards and forwards from the front page to the second, almost overnight in some cases, makes this a good moment. Yay, back on the front page. Pray for light for me for this weekend so I can draw. I promise to put some sketches up soon - I promise!

And, I can't WAIT.

Moved up one spot on Google!

Sorry to be so boring, but this blog is No. 4 today (up from No. 5 yesterday) for the keywords, "Drawing Vault". The other blog Painting Vault is still at No. 7. Now off to paint an onion.

The results of my first attempt at painting an onion (Phase 1 only) are over at my other blog: file://paintingvault.blogspot.com/.

My Blog is No. 5 on Google Front Page Today

Over on my other blog, Drawing Vault, I have just written a post about how it is on the Google front page at No. 7, and hey, then checked to see how Drawing Vault was doing and it is No. 5!

These results are really because I am going into my blog every day and checking to see if anyone is reading it. Well, they are coming in slowly and due to a life drawing sketch, both on this blog and the painting blog, I have picked up readers from all over the world. Hello Boys! Sorry, that was presumptious of me; a lot of women like the dynamism of that sketch. I proudly show below the photos of my No. 5 spot and the visuals that have brought up this rating. I shall have to get more drawings going on this blog similar to this life class sketch, but in the interim, I am forgiving myself for a pat on the back! I shall try and post a sketch tomorrow on the Drawing Vault.

No. 5

In Situ

List of Ataliers or Schools that teach Academic or Classical Realism

In my search to become a super draughtswoman, I have trawled the internet to find a really good academic school where one can learn, and I mean really learn deeply, how to draw like the Masters, I found a phenomenal website called Art Renewal. The address is artrenewal.org. It is a huge website, a bit slow, but who cares. I found the page with their approved Ataliers all round the world, so if anyone stumbles across my blog looking for a place to learn, just click on this link or type it into your web browser and you will land on a page with a list of the best studios and art schools in the world. http://www.artrenewal.org/asp/database/atelier_list.asp.

I am sure they won't mind my putting this link of theirs on my humble blog. It might help a prospective Master of the future!

I have clicked on most of them and I am completely in awe that there are so many of them. It took me hours to get through the list and it was the most superb entertainment I have had in a long time. I had no idea that the demand for training in classical or academic realism was so huge. I hope to go to one of them in Italy. Raising funds for this won't be easy.