Amazing what a bunch of acrylic paints can do!

With graphite, I'm limited when it comes to color (graphite really is a color). 


However, with a few tubes of paint, I just go nuts! (And yes, if I really want, I can mix a graphite "color".) 


Yet another beginner workshop to be in Drawspace classrooms in 2011.

Final section of Eden's "foliage"!

The far right section of my "Eden, Dawn of Feminism" painting. Needless to say, I had a ton of fun signing my name. :o)

The Values of Colors!

One of the primary focuses of my series of sequential painting workshops is color theory, most importantly the values of colors.  Without a full range of values, a painting can look flat and uninteresting. Here's another section of my Eden painting, shown in color and grayscale. When you compare the two, you note that the colors I chose, contrast nicely in both color and grayscale.


I only have the first two workshops completed and on the website, but eight more are in the works: http://www.drawspace.com/classrooms

The Garden of Eden: Post Feminism

This is one section of a fun painting created from my mind (and no, I’ve never tripped)! (But, I once walked face-first into a parking meter.)

In my mind, flowers have faces!

The skills needed to render this fun painting fall in between beginner and intermediate. Next week, I'll add one of my older paintings that was not created as a "how to paint" lesson.

Painting the origin of the term "cowlick"

A Sunday smile! Yup, I'm guilty of taking artistic licence! :o) 


A simple painting, but a fun break from simple beginner skills. 

Three seahorses lined up to play leap-horse!

In Chapter 9, of my new book, Drawspace Guide to Drawing Animals for Beginners (to be published in 2011), you sketch, outline, and add shading to three drawings of seahorses. 

Getting a little "out there"!

Coming up with painting subjects that use a very limited palette, as well as simple beginner techniques is becoming easier. A little fun with bright colors in an abstract this time; I used only Raw Umber, Cadmium Yellow, and Titanium White. The challenge for beginners is to create a smooth graduation of values in two sections, and of course, render lots of smooth curved edges with a scriptliner brush.

Enough with the beginner projects for a while! My next painting project is intermediate and takes me back to my typical, crazy subject matter (from my imagination) as I paint the origin of the term “cowlick”! 

Learning how to use a script liner

Another beginner level, super-simple painting also uses only Titanium White and Raw Umber. The student challenge is in the mastering of the script liner brush for hard edges.

Painting Simple Values

I've decided to take my painting skills back to their origin - back when I knew nothing. I hope to complete a simple painting each week (I miss painting!).  

I'm not sure what I'll do with these paintings yet; but I will scan the step-by-step progress of each, in case I decide to include them in a book or as curriculum for teaching online, interactive workshops on Drawspace. For now, I'm having fun!

This monochromatic painting is rendered with only Titanium White and Raw Umber. Skills include creating several different values with paint (painting a traditional value scale is boring!), as well as creating the illusion of atmospheric perspective.

Another new free lesson on Drawspace

How to Draw Curly Hair by Cindy Wider. 

The step-by-step process can be easily modified for various hair styles.
http://www.drawspace.com/lessons/p16/how-to-draw-curly-hair

Drawing Wesley: Completed drawing!

Drawing Wesley: Part 7

Finally! Back to working on Wesley's face! I've lightened some areas and darkened others.

Drawing Wesley: Part 6

More fun with the background! I added a few sections of darker values and used a kneaded eraser to create a few lighter values. The background now looks like out-of-focus foliage.

Drawing Wesley: Part 5

Squirkles work magic for shading dog noses! I still have quite a bit of touching up to do on the face; but for now, on with the fur (and there’s lots of it).  

Drawing Wesley: Part 4

Finally - the drawing is  beginning to look like Wesley!

Drawing Wesley: Part 3

More shading (with crosshatching) in the upper section of the background helps his white fur stand out from the white paper.

Drawing Wesley: Part 2

Now that I know the shading in the background will work, I begin shading Wesley’s face (I used hatching and squirkling with HB, 2B, and 4B pencils).

Drawing Wesley: Part 1

A future project on Drawspace shows you how a softly rendered background can successfully separate a white subject from white paper. This is Wesley, the proud owner of my daughter Renée, and her husband Dave. The reference photo is not very clear, so I may have to do a little research on Maltese dogs.

First of all, I lightly sketch him on a 9 by 12 inch sheet of Arches, hot-pressed, 140 lb. watercolor paper. I then add a little light shading to the negative space on the right.

Another new drawing of a moth (by Brenda) is in progress - about 6 hours to get this far. Should take another 10-12 more hours to finish.

A warm fuzzie!

Sometimes in the chaos of life, a complete stranger reaches out and takes the time to touch your heart. Brenda received the following e-mail a couple of days ago and felt so happy that she decided to share it (with Breck’s permission of course):

Hi
Quick note, by taking your online classes I've gone from the first picture to the last. Thank you for your tips and teachings.
Breck

Another new drawing by Brenda Hoddinott - soon to be a free lesson on Drawspace.

Another FREE lesson by Cindy Wider (J08: How to Draw with Charcoal) is added to Drawspace. Learn four popular techniques for drawing with charcoal.

http://www.drawspace.com/