Paper and Threads

"Art on Paper" at Pier 36 in Manhattan:  Each year my husband and I visit the annual Art on Paper exhibit on Pier 36 and then walk back through the Lower Eastside to lunch in Little Italy.  I never saw a Picasso blown glass piece before (not on paper I know, but with some Picasso drawings in one booth).  The Gallery owner assured me that it was a piece made in collaboration with Egido Constantini, a Murano glassblower.  Think of it as an upside down globe.

New York Philharmonic Young Peoples' Concert:  We take grandchildren to the New York Philharmonic Young People's Concerts 4 times each year.  Before the main concert, there is always a short concert for Young Composers (an NYC program in the schools) to have their work played by Philharmonic musicians, and I sat right in front of the bass player.

"Central Park Sketching and Art Meetup Group"  Yesterday was the 10th Anniversary of the Central Park Sketching and Art Meetup Group and we had a big party at the Manhattan Ballroom - during which we put together still life arrangements, from objects brought by group members, and sketched, painted, and ate!  Congratualiations Jesse Richards.  You're a great Meetup leader!

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In spite of our Tuesday snowstorm, both Battery Park City and Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) sessions were open on Wednesday.  I put on many layers and snow boots, and went downtown to draw. I was so happy I did. 

Here are 3 of my drawings of David, our model at Battery Park City.  They were all drawn with soluble graphite and then either painted with clear water or watercolor paint.

10 Minute Model Pose

20 minute Model Pose - with watercolor painting

20 Minute Model Pose: Drawn with General's Sketch and Wash soluble graphite pencil and painted with clear water.  I have never enjoyed drawing with charcoal, maybe because it is so messy.  But I love master drawings done with charcoal.  Wish I could make the leap!  So for now I continue to draw with the soluble graphite pencils.

We had a model dressed in costume at my evening FIT Illustration class.  We made quick drawings of her 20 minute pose and then painted her and a background during several more 20 minute poses.  I am really enjoying the emphasis placed on the use of watercolor in this class and look forward to the new assignment when we arrive each week.

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During February and March I spend Wednesday afternoon at Figure Drawing in Battery Park City, with multiple 2, 5, 10, and 20 minute poses.  These are two of my drawings of Marilyn from yesterday.  They were drawn with a General Sketch and Wash pencil of soluble graphite, and then "painted" with clear water.  I was thrilled that I had two great hands to sketch, and I'm trying so hard to improve these skills.

XXX 

After supper at Hudson Eats in Brookfield Center, I move uptown to FIT for my Watercolor Comps Class.  Last week we used a full palette, and tried to use pale and intense colors for a vase of sunflowers- reviewing  how to control pigment and water.   This week, our challenge was to significantly increase the amount of water we used, still controlling it, while painting a copy of a commercial perfume bottle photo.  We talk lots about illustrations and commissions during the evening and I love the studio time.  Photo left, my painting on the right.

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The first 4 classes of my Watercolor Comps Illustration class at FIT were designed to teach, or review, painting with watercolors.  We had two classes with nude models, and several exercises using very limited palettes.  The first model was painted with only French Ultramarine Blue and Burnt Sienna, and the second model was painted, in two poses, with Alizarin Crimson and Viridian Green.  The other exercises, in the first 3 weeks, also used limited palettes and photo illustrations to copy.  This week we had a demo using liquid Frisket and then were each given a color copy of a painting by Eli Rosenthal to try to reproduce.   We expanded to a full palette of our choice in an effort to maximize the lightest lights and darkest darks - beginning with an underpainting in some areas - and using varying amounts of water to soften edges.

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On Wednesdays I have Figure Drawing at Battery Park City in the afternoon and a Watercolor Comps Illustration class at FIT in the evening.  I really enjoy both of these classes, and look forward to dinner at Brookfield Place between the events.  Here are two figure drawings from last week - each were 20 minute poses.  I used a soluble graphite pencil for both but only had time to add water with a waterbrush to the first one.  I spent way too much time trying to draw his feet in the second pose.

Our Illustration Instructor gave us two photos to work with as he makes sure that the entire class gets some instruction with watercolors.  On the left is Sargent's preliminary watercolor painting of Madame X that we had to draw as homework and paint in class.  On the right are fruits to be painted in class after Madame X.

We had to paint Madame X with only Burnt Sienna and French Ultramarine Blue with a little Viridian Green for the couch.

And were expected to paint the fruit with combinations of colors, including the complementary colors for shading and shadows.  

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