Wednesday, August 23, 2006

Something of a mission statement I guess


An Early figure drawing.

I've mentioned in this blog that I've only been drawing for a short time, about nine years give or take, and I didn't start till I was pushing forty years old. And at that, I've had to put my drawing aside at times due to work demands or the like. But I really love to draw. I find it the most relaxing thing that I've ever done. I really don't have much for hobbies etc., but drawing really passes the time, and I forget all about everything around me. I've come home from work, pissed off at something, picked up my sketchpad and drew myself to sleep, literally. Drawing has a way of getting me to focus on the act, and everything else disappears. I've literally lost three or four hours of time just completely absorbed into the sketchbook.

Now that I'm pulling forty (in denial about that half a century thing, lol) , I can't help but wonder how my drawing skills would have developed if I had started to draw as a kid or student in an art class. I think this is why I'm building this blog. My best friend really did get me started in drawing, and after buying some drawing books, my drawing progressed. I'm still pushing forward to hone the skills I've learned to improve on my art. I've included a link to a section of my web page that I've put almost all of my earliest drawings from my sketchbooks, EarlyWorksSketchbookDoor

Yes, you may think some of the drawings in my early works page may be childlike in skill or just plain silly or poorly drawn etc. , especially because they were done by a thritysomething adult, but that adult found that he really loved to draw no matter what the resulting picture may have looked like. And this is my point, eventhough I found drawing at a later age than most, I'm hoping that the work that I have put together may inspire someone, anyone to give it a try. Some coworkers who have seen my drawings first hand have said things like, I can't draw a thing, and I have taken them for coffee and did the same thing that Jason, my artist friend, did for me. Some have picked up drawing and have stuck with it.

I think that is why I'm also searching the web to find sites, that I consider, have some form of decent tutorial or drawing tips that I can easily recomend to that someone who might give drawing a try as I did. And PLEASE, if you know of a good site that features pencil art and may contain a good tutorial or drawing tips, please comment and leave an url to that site. I will make a post crediting you as finding the site, and add your link and the link you recommend to my side bar.

If anyone does happen to pick up a pencil and draw something because of this site, please scan it and send it to me by email. I will post the picture you've drawn crediting you as the artist. It's the only way I can think of to show that this site did inspire someone.

Thanks ttfn

Thursday, August 03, 2006

Some good web sites

I've been searching the web a lot lately looking for art sites that feature pencil drawings, especially looking for sites that have tutorials within their site. I found three sites that are very different from each other, but I liked what they featured.

The Celtic Knot site
There is a nice tutorial in making Celtic knot drawings, and there is a font program that can be purchased that you can type in the design in most art software. I liked it because these celtic knot drawings can accent or frame almost anything you want to draw.

Pencil at work
Artists: Sushrut Chelwat & Ujjwal Agarwal

This site featured some of the most detailed pencil drawings in their gallery that I think I've seen to date. (I've been to 100's of sites lately and the artwork here really stands out). You can also submit drawings to the site. There is also a small tutorial within the site.

Doug Compton's Karmatoons
This site featured classic cartooning and animation. There is a neat tutorial (all handwritten and illustrated by Doug) that features the basics of cartooning and animation. I printed out the whole tutorial and am going to go through it myself (at work, of course)

The following drawings I drew a couple of years ago. American artist magazine was featuring an article which featured life study drawings from Robert Liberace.
Man In Motion
Pencil on Paper
11x14

















Dancer
Pencil On Paper
11x14
















Seated Lady Figure Study
Pencil on Paper
11x14