Mirko Listening

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTUWciNVMqyU1w-ep84Px3jGC8Mvo0gFs6hfbAnoSwolqIhsnKeSIYPBVHNVF5errTi_cQW8qdtIq09Ruciuo7KETlbXF6ui1-q_M01LqZi7a45K2wGiQ5lXlP6cl6PIT5OvWlthnzXv4/s1600/Mirko_Listening.sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a>I did this little sketchbook portrait of my friend Mirko last Sunday. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTUWciNVMqyU1w-ep84Px3jGC8Mvo0gFs6hfbAnoSwolqIhsnKeSIYPBVHNVF5errTi_cQW8qdtIq09Ruciuo7KETlbXF6ui1-q_M01LqZi7a45K2wGiQ5lXlP6cl6PIT5OvWlthnzXv4/s1600/Mirko_Listening.sm.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTUWciNVMqyU1w-ep84Px3jGC8Mvo0gFs6hfbAnoSwolqIhsnKeSIYPBVHNVF5errTi_cQW8qdtIq09Ruciuo7KETlbXF6ui1-q_M01LqZi7a45K2wGiQ5lXlP6cl6PIT5OvWlthnzXv4/s400/Mirko_Listening.sm.jpg" width="290" /></a><br />He sat a few seats away from me at a choral concert last week. He was deeply concentrating on the music of Schumann and Tchaikovsky. He didn’t notice I was sketching him.<br /><br />Those blurry pools of dark ink on his coat were done by first wetting the surface with the clear water brush and then applying a second water brush filled with black ink.<br /><br />In addition to the two water brushes, my left hand held three water-soluble colored pencils: russet, brown and black. To avoid distracting people around me, I minimized all my hand and head movements. The tools are absolutely silent on the paper.

Mirko Listening

I did this little sketchbook portrait of my friend Mirko last Sunday. He sat a few seats away from me at a choral concert last week. He was ...

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Gaze Direction

Which way are these eyes looking? Do they seem to be looking right at you, or off to the side?<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhseZhfexkp6cpCUH2Q5xQOv69MQY7ARKmm9hK09Qun48wkdS23DSa649Et51HqiI2qzTT0BniK4pbPgpOp9RVYJVjQXsJN3Ji_6L55bwnn4E4GJImeXK_YwUP7jEVHO_3zaQhvVBYOFZ8/s1600/Gaze_Direction_Wollaston.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="152" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhseZhfexkp6cpCUH2Q5xQOv69MQY7ARKmm9hK09Qun48wkdS23DSa649Et51HqiI2qzTT0BniK4pbPgpOp9RVYJVjQXsJN3Ji_6L55bwnn4E4GJImeXK_YwUP7jEVHO_3zaQhvVBYOFZ8/s400/Gaze_Direction_Wollaston.JPG" width="400" /></a><br />Our perception of gaze direction is influenced by the position of the iris inside the visible surface of the sclera (the white of the eye), but that’s only part of the story.<br /><br />In 1824 William Henry Wollaston made exact duplicates of an engraved plate of eyes and eyebrows. He then placed them in two different facial contexts. One face is turned one way, and the other points in the opposite direction. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQxfMLnzLJLW8HrmVFz9cO2ZNETwU9xEHgbvyPVwHh9vEg-L2z8JbaiLmDNSJ7vXWujt0DEhHu9isOuouA62Agx6CmVgH9eifH98PAckKnxRf0QTGkCmJ_aSpbnzzcNLFLZPSlQH7iGCI/s1600/William_Wollaston_Gaze_Direction.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQxfMLnzLJLW8HrmVFz9cO2ZNETwU9xEHgbvyPVwHh9vEg-L2z8JbaiLmDNSJ7vXWujt0DEhHu9isOuouA62Agx6CmVgH9eifH98PAckKnxRf0QTGkCmJ_aSpbnzzcNLFLZPSlQH7iGCI/s400/William_Wollaston_Gaze_Direction.JPG" width="400" /></a><br />Surprisingly the exact same set of eyes appears to be looking in different directions solely because of the surrounding facial cues. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzrmexnq5s42_NBeaVT1hY4fQ-GD9G6wxN2nXP76sJ54B3-Os_qMMV0r3WOJmcAkx2A30BZJ6lqylXCXna-eSTKD0dp9QD_AmGBYjLSdA7RsK9BIbQPXYa-ltqkMFi4cFU0aHGN7J5wyQ/s1600/Wollaston_Gaze_Direction.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzrmexnq5s42_NBeaVT1hY4fQ-GD9G6wxN2nXP76sJ54B3-Os_qMMV0r3WOJmcAkx2A30BZJ6lqylXCXna-eSTKD0dp9QD_AmGBYjLSdA7RsK9BIbQPXYa-ltqkMFi4cFU0aHGN7J5wyQ/s400/Wollaston_Gaze_Direction.JPG" width="400" /></a><br />Even if you take a matched pair of eyes and eyebrows and just shift the nose beneath them from one side to the other, you can shift the apparent direction of gaze.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTUovNBUqV6nvhIeAbaCVtC9OU8RTchgwj1lMyyZVpaUXQrMjYnM_L8DnTgk473eYjYUucaM8eMWl7_29jE3Ze4autdT3rN8cB_0LsiCBQEzrgwySgRSgHbLKsX4E3J2ghZVJEZPHjNow/s1600/Donald.Duck.copyrightDisney.gif" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTUovNBUqV6nvhIeAbaCVtC9OU8RTchgwj1lMyyZVpaUXQrMjYnM_L8DnTgk473eYjYUucaM8eMWl7_29jE3Ze4autdT3rN8cB_0LsiCBQEzrgwySgRSgHbLKsX4E3J2ghZVJEZPHjNow/s200/Donald.Duck.copyrightDisney.gif" width="190" /></a>Why this happens is still not completely understood. Ophthalmologists Michael F. Marmor and James G. Ravine, authors of the new book “The Artist’s Eyes: Vision and the History of Art,” suggest a psychological cause: “Our judgment of the direction of someone’s eyes is linked, in part, to the direction we believe that person to be looking.”<br /><br />This might explain why cartoon eyes drawn "crosseyed" still seem to be looking at us. <br />------<br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Artists-Eyes-Vision-History-Art/dp/0810948494/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1304700420&sr=1-1-fkmr0"><i>The Artist’s Eyes: Vision and the History of Art</i> by Marmor and Ravine</a><br />William Hyde Wollaston, <a href="http://www.jstor.org/pss/107715"><i>Apparent Direction of Eyes in a Portrait</i></a><br />Donald Duck is copyright <a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1680357987">Disney.</a><i><a href="http://disney.go.com/index">http://disney.go.com/index</a> </i><br />-----<br />Don’t forget to vote in the video contest (scroll down to view the videos).

Gaze Direction

Which way are these eyes looking? Do they seem to be looking right at you, or off to the side? Our perception of gaze direction is influence...

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A Small Thought

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd3K_0rj8v_NBRFvGQjeaFYWVk1861aOXccaBNc4PlkfyTiqUsIM3E_p-Uz_Nxzyn92L76q6_gKlHRhO27ovc1-NNmm5KR4YvBjuFgeJv0IXv2Lg6h7k-xr1xVMuFFjkBrU6AY8nCtjRM/s1600/If_Christ_Appeared.sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd3K_0rj8v_NBRFvGQjeaFYWVk1861aOXccaBNc4PlkfyTiqUsIM3E_p-Uz_Nxzyn92L76q6_gKlHRhO27ovc1-NNmm5KR4YvBjuFgeJv0IXv2Lg6h7k-xr1xVMuFFjkBrU6AY8nCtjRM/s400/If_Christ_Appeared.sm.jpg" width="396" /></a></div>

A Small Thought

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Club Passim Gig

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpVJUQ64dnZwH4PqAi_ZSXaehU_M8c-MkZFrakYX1Qbgw04Z6NCFKC2Tk1J601yrvo3qJqXhRGOD0rfEI2tYessyLif8yMxgG538N_gW2G1jthd5D55c6rE5G59Bd_NYx7yrlSyMHNUOA/s1600/IMG_2911.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpVJUQ64dnZwH4PqAi_ZSXaehU_M8c-MkZFrakYX1Qbgw04Z6NCFKC2Tk1J601yrvo3qJqXhRGOD0rfEI2tYessyLif8yMxgG538N_gW2G1jthd5D55c6rE5G59Bd_NYx7yrlSyMHNUOA/s200/IMG_2911.JPG" width="200" /></a><br /> We had a nice turnout for Dan Gurney's traditional Irish concert at Club Passim, which was broadcast on <a href="http://concertwindow.com/">Concert Window </a>two hours ago.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx6h4NaTGiVNLibNtsLdnxPD_9OSKFpuysFjvOojA7-TW2jc9VpzxgXCFt4I9zaqeYa6HctpAP8J0Yt55lR1wVo5dKOCTZo8xN00QsbNAYYHhZa00tiVtUn7J5_8r7CZrvyr-ApRE5RPo/s1600/IMG_2914.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx6h4NaTGiVNLibNtsLdnxPD_9OSKFpuysFjvOojA7-TW2jc9VpzxgXCFt4I9zaqeYa6HctpAP8J0Yt55lR1wVo5dKOCTZo8xN00QsbNAYYHhZa00tiVtUn7J5_8r7CZrvyr-ApRE5RPo/s1600/IMG_2914.JPG" /></a><br />And there were sketchers! Nice to meet you, Chris, <a href="http://www.natalya.com/">Natalya</a>, and Emily. Emily drew the band as a foursome of dinosaurs.<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="290" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/_XBFH00yW9A" title="YouTube video player" width="480"></iframe> <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigW1OxzniQrnDxxMWk4lXcCK4qa7R4ObxcgeA_Qv-K-09rtEKo_jGsp8SPxC-4RHNhHZpJabSGau0GN53OqL2mqyMLiyUObyBtSGUURVW8610WD9gdvg6-JHincfbi93pwa1FraoFa5xI/s1600/IMG_2913.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigW1OxzniQrnDxxMWk4lXcCK4qa7R4ObxcgeA_Qv-K-09rtEKo_jGsp8SPxC-4RHNhHZpJabSGau0GN53OqL2mqyMLiyUObyBtSGUURVW8610WD9gdvg6-JHincfbi93pwa1FraoFa5xI/s400/IMG_2913.jpg" width="255" /></a></div>Here are my little portraits of the band--<br /><div class="merch"></div>Sean Earnest (guitar), Dylan Foley (fiddle), Isaac Alderson (flute and uilleann pipes), and Dan Gurney (accordion).<br />----------<br />P.S. Thanks, Boris Vallejo and Julie Bell for your nice <a href="http://imaginistix.blogspot.com/">review of <i>Color and Light </i>on your wonderful blog Paint and Brush! </a>

Club Passim Gig

 We had a nice turnout for Dan Gurney's traditional Irish concert at Club Passim, which was broadcast on Concert Window two hours ago. A...

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Character Design Interview

I'm really excited to have been interviewed by the <a href="http://james-gurney-interview.blogspot.com/">Character Design blog</a>. If you scroll down to end of the chat, there is a portfolio of 35 drawings that I did of people, animals, and cars, mostly from observation.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPpX9DMmdWiFPCWfR2mBMNpBWpKLgfljsyO9eOIsEyWg8gj7hH8St-8ZWPXLvqjQOTmI-4rhISDADvBnK9IJqtb5zXlGd33Z879fAg3CDSp34SL3eYBY3YPg9hTDAq83D4pZ3D4oXDFP4/s1600/Character_Design_Blog.gif" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="97" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPpX9DMmdWiFPCWfR2mBMNpBWpKLgfljsyO9eOIsEyWg8gj7hH8St-8ZWPXLvqjQOTmI-4rhISDADvBnK9IJqtb5zXlGd33Z879fAg3CDSp34SL3eYBY3YPg9hTDAq83D4pZ3D4oXDFP4/s400/Character_Design_Blog.gif" width="400" /></a><br />The blog has a very deep archive of interviews with artists who work for the most part in the field of concept art, character design and animation, such as <a href="http://nate-wragg-interview.blogspot.com/">Nate Wragg</a>, <a href="http://jason-deamer-interview.blogspot.com/">Jason Deamer, and </a><a href="http://kei-acedera-interview.blogspot.com/">Kei Acedera</a><br /><br /><a href="http://james-gurney-interview.blogspot.com/">Character Design interview with James G.</a><br /><a href="http://characterdesignlinks.blogspot.com/">List of all interviews on Character Design</a>

Character Design Interview

I'm really excited to have been interviewed by the Character Design blog . If you scroll down to end of the chat, there is a portfolio o...

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Van Dyck’s Little Masterpiece

<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_van_Dyck">Anthony Van Dyck </a>(1599-1641) was so proud of his portrait of Cornelius Van der Geest that he carried it around with him throughout his career as an example of his abilities. He did the painting before he was 20 years old. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE-OV-3j6_b39PnkaXRfZkJaWkEy_qCz7PB1VztDdfIBaf34granvsLFDaKVuMQKG5mz3iWrycrmajxCnS0wPF6H-9M0CaY-vifCxhuTSB5vpFdLlMeFQBg6sm8VV-P0Tyxv0Ykfrl60c/s1600/Van_Dyck_Cornelius.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE-OV-3j6_b39PnkaXRfZkJaWkEy_qCz7PB1VztDdfIBaf34granvsLFDaKVuMQKG5mz3iWrycrmajxCnS0wPF6H-9M0CaY-vifCxhuTSB5vpFdLlMeFQBg6sm8VV-P0Tyxv0Ykfrl60c/s640/Van_Dyck_Cornelius.jpg" width="521" /></a><br />The tonal organization is very simple, aided by the soft frontal lighting. The plane of the forehead and the front plane of the nose have the highest tonal value. The cheeks and the rest of the face are slightly darker. <br /><br />Allowing the forehead to shine as the highest value in a portrait suggests a person with spirituality or intellect. It gives the face a generous, luminous quality. <br /><br />According to Royal Academy instructor Solomon J. Solomon (writing about a century ago), the painting was made with the following steps*:<br />1. A brown grisaille, keeping the shadows warm.<br />2. Loading of stiff white impasto in the forehead and the ruff.<br />3. When the impasto was completely dry, glazing the skin tones and lips. The glaze sank into the pits around the impastos, making them come forward even more. Translucency like this is almost impossible to achieve with an opaque alla prima handling.  <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQnDxzoZpwoAoqhdiJ9Z-9bIWiBmTbzGhbfbKA1LKfRWCSFTi1chwnnZysWi3JloO_4vxIIm32SKQMOwwJtXMkvSQXvGzEoExnGhxzcwb5nRUJPbPRP92iX8bjT2yzFiIpfYGjq628J5o/s1600/Van_Dyck_Cornelius.det.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQnDxzoZpwoAoqhdiJ9Z-9bIWiBmTbzGhbfbKA1LKfRWCSFTi1chwnnZysWi3JloO_4vxIIm32SKQMOwwJtXMkvSQXvGzEoExnGhxzcwb5nRUJPbPRP92iX8bjT2yzFiIpfYGjq628J5o/s400/Van_Dyck_Cornelius.det.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />Note the softness in the eyes:<br />1. The edges of both the iris and the pupil are soft.<br />2. The eyelashes and eyebrows are understated. You don’t see individual hairs.<br />3. The highlights are very carefully placed. On the bottom eyelid, there’s a highlight on the edge of the lid and the moist area where the lid meets the eye.<br />4. Finish is not a matter of greater detail, but rather of more complete consideration.<br /><br />Softness takes conscious, deliberate effort, and it’s often the mark of greatness.  <br /><br />According to British academic master Solomon J. Solomon, “there is more to be learnt in the painting of flesh from this picture than from almost any other I know, so luminous is this masterpiece.” <br /><br />The painting is 14.75 x 12.75 inches. It is at the National Gallery, London. <a href="http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/anthony-van-dyck-portrait-of-cornelis-van-der-geest">Their website </a>lets you zoom into it.<br />---------<br />* ADDENDUM. Note: a friend of the blog, who knows a lot more than I do about historical painting methods, sent me the following clarification, based on his research:<br /><br /><div>"I've one disagreement though. Your step by step list says that he did a brown grisaille, upon which he impastoed with plain white. Then, on top of the dry impasto he glazed down.</div><div><br /></div><div>Generally, the evidence does not seem to support that as his usual procedure. Both the <a href="http://yalepress.yale.edu/book.asp?isbn=9780300078886" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1301935038_3">NG (London) Technical Bulletin #20</span></a> and the catalog from the <a href="http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.49015001275362" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1301935038_4">1990 exhibition in Washington (NG)</span></a> show flesh <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1301935038_5">cross sections</span> which contain other pigments in addition to lead white, within the lead white layer.</div><div><br /></div><div>Contemporary writings, written by those who purport to have known van Dyck also do not mention a brown grisaille followed by a white system as you have described. All list a dead color layer followed by a carnation color layer."  </div><div></div><div>Thanks for the insight! </div><div></div>Previously on GJ: <a href="http://gurneyjourney.blogspot.com/search?q=eye+highlights">Eye Highlights</a><br />Wikipedia on <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_van_Dyck">Anthony Van Dyck </a><br /><a href="http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/anthony-van-dyck-portrait-of-cornelis-van-der-geest">National Gallery website</a><br />“<a href="http://muddycolors.blogspot.com/2011/03/eyes-have-it.html">Muddy Colors” blog post on eyes.</a>

Van Dyck’s Little Masterpiece

Anthony Van Dyck (1599-1641) was so proud of his portrait of Cornelius Van der Geest that he carried it around with him throughout his caree...

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Salt Art

<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="290" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/1mV433j_LUI" title="YouTube video player" width="480"></iframe> Spill some salt, paint a portrait.<br />----<br /><a href="http://bestofyoutube.com/">Via Best of YouTube</a>

Salt Art

Spill some salt, paint a portrait. ---- Via Best of YouTube

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Face Contour Tip

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5-7TaqEtvjW88ZviWCapcEELZXcVBZr99jIkG0TpLNDNAPbg6Vaf_ErlgAMcfMHugoJlLWYDTx1Ws1MR2Av5B1hDDf4EOlnLhNsfoqnSm3nGaNZ2_mUeagqlN9VQgdhhD3fsePgLMmZY/s1600/Solomon_Face-Book.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a>Royal Academy instructor <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solomon_Joseph_Solomon#CITEREFRankin2008">Solomon J. Solomon</a> (1860-1927) offers this trick for head drawing.<br />  <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5-7TaqEtvjW88ZviWCapcEELZXcVBZr99jIkG0TpLNDNAPbg6Vaf_ErlgAMcfMHugoJlLWYDTx1Ws1MR2Av5B1hDDf4EOlnLhNsfoqnSm3nGaNZ2_mUeagqlN9VQgdhhD3fsePgLMmZY/s1600/Solomon_Face-Book.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5-7TaqEtvjW88ZviWCapcEELZXcVBZr99jIkG0TpLNDNAPbg6Vaf_ErlgAMcfMHugoJlLWYDTx1Ws1MR2Av5B1hDDf4EOlnLhNsfoqnSm3nGaNZ2_mUeagqlN9VQgdhhD3fsePgLMmZY/s320/Solomon_Face-Book.jpg" width="268" /></a><br />By holding the straight vertical edge of a book adjacent to the model’s face, it’s much easier to accurately judge the far contour of a face seen in three quarter profile.<br /> -----<br />Solomon J. Solomon, <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=4ndAAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA234&dq=solomon+j.+solomon+drawing&hl=en&ei=diCKTdanJ4n1gAfcqbC5DQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=5&ved=0CEgQ6AEwBDgK#v=onepage&q=solomon%20j.%20solomon%20drawing&f=false">The Practice of Oil Painting and Drawing.</a> Philadelphia and London, 1910.

Face Contour Tip

Royal Academy instructor Solomon J. Solomon (1860-1927) offers this trick for head drawing.   By holding the straight vertical edge of a bo...

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Menzel’s Drawings

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgib8izholqOXxci1ayHYlBZaTyLalSVeAsLU7IRQKzFhkc3rWij5IYIrS81tJLhYuvhvfqlHeUlO4jV5SwcKeNOnz7Xw85BpPbAqVjaKtIrreekjeb33dnQxobLAB22TxOs2dlwyC91xg/s1600/Menzel.Portrait.sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a>Nineteenth century German artist <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adolph_Menzel">Adolf von Menzel </a>(1815-1905) was a tirelessly curious artist who drew everything, from buildings to wagons to his own big toe. Here’s one of his late drawings, a study of an old woman. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgib8izholqOXxci1ayHYlBZaTyLalSVeAsLU7IRQKzFhkc3rWij5IYIrS81tJLhYuvhvfqlHeUlO4jV5SwcKeNOnz7Xw85BpPbAqVjaKtIrreekjeb33dnQxobLAB22TxOs2dlwyC91xg/s1600/Menzel.Portrait.sm.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgib8izholqOXxci1ayHYlBZaTyLalSVeAsLU7IRQKzFhkc3rWij5IYIrS81tJLhYuvhvfqlHeUlO4jV5SwcKeNOnz7Xw85BpPbAqVjaKtIrreekjeb33dnQxobLAB22TxOs2dlwyC91xg/s400/Menzel.Portrait.sm.jpg" width="265" /></a><br />“I never do drawings with a view to selling them,” he said. “As a rule I do them only as nature studies for a particular picture or as a casual thing for later use.” <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQSjfK1UINCoyANUXfrw2A_cKbvBhSBeunIOkgeYalJDcCL4NEtF-dcZ-XfLQgzV5dqcXUlbSlmd3Hnn3qliIxO9GbOQhShGc8uQRZmgLgXwUNjOqBaeQsf5ILR95z27Glc8s4SPll-Vc/s1600/Menzel_Rolling_Mill_Study.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQSjfK1UINCoyANUXfrw2A_cKbvBhSBeunIOkgeYalJDcCL4NEtF-dcZ-XfLQgzV5dqcXUlbSlmd3Hnn3qliIxO9GbOQhShGc8uQRZmgLgXwUNjOqBaeQsf5ILR95z27Glc8s4SPll-Vc/s400/Menzel_Rolling_Mill_Study.jpg" width="275" /></a><br />His drawings often capture life on the run. “Art is a bolting horse,” he said. His pencil captured the tumultuous modern scene around him. He made many studies on location for a painting of the interior of an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Adolf_Friedrich_Erdmann_von_Menzel_021.jpg"> iron rolling mill (link to painting)</a>. “For weeks on end from morning to evening I stood between the huge whizzing, oscillating wheels and belts with red-hot blocks, and sketched.”<br /><br />“Art has kept pace with all the advancements and deviations of the development of the mind and will always keep pace with them, as artists, like mankind, are an integral part of this development.”<br /><br />Quotes from <i>Menzel</i> by Bruckmann <br />Previously on GJ:<a href="http://gurneyjourney.blogspot.com/2009/05/menzel-beyond-appearances.html"> Menzel: Beyond Appearances </a><br />Portrait of old lady from <a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_406539947">"The Later Work of Adolf von Menzel," by Jarno Jessen, Magazine of Art, 1902, page 49 </a><br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adolph_Menzel"> Wikipedia on Menzel</a><br /><a href="http://www.getty.edu/art/gettyguide/artObjectDetails?artobj=60">Drawing of rolling mill worker from the Getty collection</a> (which I believe incorrectly states that the drawing was not drawn on location. All the studies were done on site, according to Menzel's own letters.)

Menzel’s Drawings

Nineteenth century German artist Adolf von Menzel (1815-1905) was a tirelessly curious artist who drew everything, from buildings to wagons ...

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Three Years of Daily Doodles

Larry Roibal has been doodling portraits of famous people on his newspaper for three years now, and posting the results on his <a href="http://www.roibal.net/blog/">blog. </a><br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="290" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Sl4Gieh6LFY" title="YouTube video player" width="480"></iframe><br /><br />To celebrate, he made a video mashup. The result is a fun experience of face recognition, and an impressive display of drawing.<br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sl4Gieh6LFY">Link to YouTube video</a><br /><a href="http://www.roibal.net/blog/">Larry Roibal's Blog</a>

Three Years of Daily Doodles

Larry Roibal has been doodling portraits of famous people on his newspaper for three years now, and posting the results on his blog.  To cel...

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Piano Slim

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiZDu37JbstBL1QO90I0gI26NA3RGbVovkz8aGtvuWYo7oCDS_Q-bnmCZWE-tLykaOmuOO9XCYk7yEWgHkOrYM4TKtQLJG3NCpsKC878bcwB9UewN_lInNUOFF1SUDbx5Boz1p4dzsU8A/s1600/Piano.Slim.sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a>My cab driver in Saint Louis was a guy who called himself “Piano Slim.” At night he parked the taxi and played the blues.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiZDu37JbstBL1QO90I0gI26NA3RGbVovkz8aGtvuWYo7oCDS_Q-bnmCZWE-tLykaOmuOO9XCYk7yEWgHkOrYM4TKtQLJG3NCpsKC878bcwB9UewN_lInNUOFF1SUDbx5Boz1p4dzsU8A/s1600/Piano.Slim.sm.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="377" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiZDu37JbstBL1QO90I0gI26NA3RGbVovkz8aGtvuWYo7oCDS_Q-bnmCZWE-tLykaOmuOO9XCYk7yEWgHkOrYM4TKtQLJG3NCpsKC878bcwB9UewN_lInNUOFF1SUDbx5Boz1p4dzsU8A/s400/Piano.Slim.sm.jpg" width="400" /></a><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>I sketched his portrait from the back seat. “The blues ain’t no more like they used to be,” he said.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2VfHT8rwPdOLW9NWA3PRcmKCZ-o36KbTtEY0eU8YcGvE9re4pZX-QcTwQW3FHTy5Jeo1fgL82vrWo2kh3ojuNsZEEVZg1tlz9OkP-crWT6gmPOp7bnHDPG2phrAfEqe2m9Aew4_LZx8E/s1600/piano-slim-mean-woman-blues-lp-(vinyl)-dutch-swingmaster-1981-album-cover.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2VfHT8rwPdOLW9NWA3PRcmKCZ-o36KbTtEY0eU8YcGvE9re4pZX-QcTwQW3FHTy5Jeo1fgL82vrWo2kh3ojuNsZEEVZg1tlz9OkP-crWT6gmPOp7bnHDPG2phrAfEqe2m9Aew4_LZx8E/s1600/piano-slim-mean-woman-blues-lp-(vinyl)-dutch-swingmaster-1981-album-cover.jpeg" /></a>

Piano Slim

My cab driver in Saint Louis was a guy who called himself “Piano Slim.” At night he parked the taxi and played the blues. I sketched his por...

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Britain Audio, Part 2: Paul LaMarque

The second installment of our 1985 audio tour of Great Britain begins with street sounds of London, after which we hear a boys’ choir practicing in York cathedral.<br /><br /><object height="81" width="100%"> <param name="movie" value="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F8719425"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="81" src="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F8719425" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%"></embed> </object>  <a href="http://soundcloud.com/james-gurney/britain-1985-part-2-paul-la-marque">Britain 1985, Part 2: Paul La Marque</a> by <a href="http://soundcloud.com/james-gurney">James Gurney</a> <br />Click on this Soundcloud player to hear the audio. <br /><br /> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlSkTPtZySoGG19b_A-DLu6XC-6TRvcrkYn8_Vv6i8mkvR4G6NkWy8ehBi1xsDW8DRefmBzM5X09yS5YgZBLkoTszfGNh6hFPKVS49_iEK86V0fSazHtpL2T2sWgANhD_jwaBgyzxJRgA/s1600/Paul_La_Marque.sm.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlSkTPtZySoGG19b_A-DLu6XC-6TRvcrkYn8_Vv6i8mkvR4G6NkWy8ehBi1xsDW8DRefmBzM5X09yS5YgZBLkoTszfGNh6hFPKVS49_iEK86V0fSazHtpL2T2sWgANhD_jwaBgyzxJRgA/s400/Paul_La_Marque.sm.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />You’ll hear the voice of Paul LaMarque, weekend manager of the Saint Margaret’s Hotel in London. As I recorded his jokes and stories, I sketched this pencil portrait, so it's a rare chance to have a sketch "talk."<br /><br />Mr. La Marque wrote in my sketchbook, describing himself: “Mentally a vacuum, physically a waste of skin, socially riff-raff, nevertheless ‘given from God.’”<br />------<br /><a href="http://soundcloud.com/james-gurney/britain-1985-part-2-paul-la-marque">If the player doesn't work, try the direct link to Soundcloud File</a><br />Scroll down for part 1. Tomorrow we’ll finish with part 3.

Britain Audio, Part 2: Paul LaMarque

The second installment of our 1985 audio tour of Great Britain begins with street sounds of London, after which we hear a boys’ choir practi...

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Posing in the Picture-Show

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1GEwvd9oFy9_iFMlohwmq7qCPav7xr1-I9yySl-ozBJg3kn3GnNdu8-ar7MbSJH7DZp6mnF8lOtS7wQWMvEiipg4IgTRRtK8pLS9lq_dcL9qS_oGgdg3ZWIDRISW9tajfPWHFg7s4180/s1600/Shepard_PictureShow.sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a>In 1922, Punch magazine published the following E.H. Shepard cartoon:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1GEwvd9oFy9_iFMlohwmq7qCPav7xr1-I9yySl-ozBJg3kn3GnNdu8-ar7MbSJH7DZp6mnF8lOtS7wQWMvEiipg4IgTRRtK8pLS9lq_dcL9qS_oGgdg3ZWIDRISW9tajfPWHFg7s4180/s1600/Shepard_PictureShow.sm.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1GEwvd9oFy9_iFMlohwmq7qCPav7xr1-I9yySl-ozBJg3kn3GnNdu8-ar7MbSJH7DZp6mnF8lOtS7wQWMvEiipg4IgTRRtK8pLS9lq_dcL9qS_oGgdg3ZWIDRISW9tajfPWHFg7s4180/s640/Shepard_PictureShow.sm.jpg" width="456" /></a><br />“To brighten the modern picture-show, could not people be persuaded to pose in front of their own portraits?”

Posing in the Picture-Show

In 1922, Punch magazine published the following E.H. Shepard cartoon: “To brighten the modern picture-show, could not people be persuaded to...

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Youth and Age

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN3kofjV3SIKrfj_bGbmYCo0GmT9AAZ_oYKH-oUykOxmdgUtnbM0nOD2mbz4Lnu6YalFH-e-Pv5PL1zUb9vOIzc4Oo-6rmsr4E7nClLwyX6BWba3RGqZJ3FY3aoMecjo7g1WuPKNPlmGV-/s1600/Baby_On_Bus.combo.sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a>The bus ride from downtown Florence to the airport takes twenty minutes.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN3kofjV3SIKrfj_bGbmYCo0GmT9AAZ_oYKH-oUykOxmdgUtnbM0nOD2mbz4Lnu6YalFH-e-Pv5PL1zUb9vOIzc4Oo-6rmsr4E7nClLwyX6BWba3RGqZJ3FY3aoMecjo7g1WuPKNPlmGV-/s1600/Baby_On_Bus.combo.sm.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN3kofjV3SIKrfj_bGbmYCo0GmT9AAZ_oYKH-oUykOxmdgUtnbM0nOD2mbz4Lnu6YalFH-e-Pv5PL1zUb9vOIzc4Oo-6rmsr4E7nClLwyX6BWba3RGqZJ3FY3aoMecjo7g1WuPKNPlmGV-/s400/Baby_On_Bus.combo.sm.jpg" width="400" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN3kofjV3SIKrfj_bGbmYCo0GmT9AAZ_oYKH-oUykOxmdgUtnbM0nOD2mbz4Lnu6YalFH-e-Pv5PL1zUb9vOIzc4Oo-6rmsr4E7nClLwyX6BWba3RGqZJ3FY3aoMecjo7g1WuPKNPlmGV-/s1600/Baby_On_Bus.combo.sm.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br />Across from me, a mother tenderly holds her four-month-old baby girl. The baby rests on her mother’s shoulder. The little girl lifts her head from time to time, enjoying the feeling of balancing as the bus moves.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN3kofjV3SIKrfj_bGbmYCo0GmT9AAZ_oYKH-oUykOxmdgUtnbM0nOD2mbz4Lnu6YalFH-e-Pv5PL1zUb9vOIzc4Oo-6rmsr4E7nClLwyX6BWba3RGqZJ3FY3aoMecjo7g1WuPKNPlmGV-/s1600/Baby_On_Bus.combo.sm.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBDvYuR8PvoyrAYOEJYF2DJixEPSGq9F8Y8eP4uYcP1WmHWqKXXIrD3MsbR22MhNbJ8lNS4T0oxmx_pOlZOwftiHGsgARe0jBTAsckcL6xwoEwtxyKuz9pTjS4-e7MCQtHSviGO6zjX33D/s1600/Youth_Age2.sm.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBDvYuR8PvoyrAYOEJYF2DJixEPSGq9F8Y8eP4uYcP1WmHWqKXXIrD3MsbR22MhNbJ8lNS4T0oxmx_pOlZOwftiHGsgARe0jBTAsckcL6xwoEwtxyKuz9pTjS4-e7MCQtHSviGO6zjX33D/s320/Youth_Age2.sm.jpg" width="320" /></a> <br />A man stands on the bus, looking out a window. His eyes scan the traffic. He glances at the people around him and smiles at the baby. He has taken a long journey inside his skin and bones since his mother held him on her shoulder.

Youth and Age

The bus ride from downtown Florence to the airport takes twenty minutes. Across from me, a mother tenderly holds her four-month-old baby gir...

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Elder Mad Man

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimq1xve-H4SNACpRhYUg1K0BeXwbPnxqZ8aI-OKJGyIjrxhcaiv5DqwfSHI7y7VDxac8q0v-qO11IK7Z5aQQO8gOZubNmF42ICxPuKUf_5qQmXB0zdd321M3aVVCsSberJFaNgcATTIz-_/s1600/Mingo_Alfred_E_Neuman_1956.sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a>Some artists of advanced age might feel that they’re too old to really make a mark in their field. The business belongs to the young, they might think. <br /><br />Consider the career of Norman Mingo (1896-1980), Mad Magazine’s most celebrated cover artist. A veteran of the World War One, he painted his first Mad cover in 1956 at age 60. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimq1xve-H4SNACpRhYUg1K0BeXwbPnxqZ8aI-OKJGyIjrxhcaiv5DqwfSHI7y7VDxac8q0v-qO11IK7Z5aQQO8gOZubNmF42ICxPuKUf_5qQmXB0zdd321M3aVVCsSberJFaNgcATTIz-_/s1600/Mingo_Alfred_E_Neuman_1956.sm.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimq1xve-H4SNACpRhYUg1K0BeXwbPnxqZ8aI-OKJGyIjrxhcaiv5DqwfSHI7y7VDxac8q0v-qO11IK7Z5aQQO8gOZubNmF42ICxPuKUf_5qQmXB0zdd321M3aVVCsSberJFaNgcATTIz-_/s400/Mingo_Alfred_E_Neuman_1956.sm.jpg" width="300" /></a><br />And what a cover! It was the definitive portrait of the cheerful simpleton Alfred E. Neuman. Every Mad artist thereafter has been required to match Mingo’s version, and they agree: no one can top it. The painting sold at auction two years ago for more than 200,000 dollars.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiE2kcfkyHlADPE1gk0FW46JfSG4qgjewdBbU9JKzvujUKjWbz4hAhtDdNMuc165f4EWXJWyYIM2Gs0NoHQQ54iIp9OJbA_mF-toD-rqB9MttZaA9cVpKus8YIvaXa0y-9ZM4QTR_hXNro/s1600/Mingo_Mad_1968.sm.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiE2kcfkyHlADPE1gk0FW46JfSG4qgjewdBbU9JKzvujUKjWbz4hAhtDdNMuc165f4EWXJWyYIM2Gs0NoHQQ54iIp9OJbA_mF-toD-rqB9MttZaA9cVpKus8YIvaXa0y-9ZM4QTR_hXNro/s400/Mingo_Mad_1968.sm.jpg" width="297" /></a><br />Norman Mingo went on to paint well over a hundred classic covers for Mad, up until his death in 1980. His influence on the current generation of American picturemakers is right up there with Frank Frazetta, Jack Kirby, R. Crumb, Chuck Jones, and Jim Henson.  <br />-------<br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mad-Art-Visual-Celebration-Magazine/dp/0823030806/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1291487674&sr=1-1">The book “Mad Art” by Mark Evanier tells the story of Mingo and the other Mad artists.</a><br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norman_Mingo">Norman Mingo on Wikipedia  </a>

Elder Mad Man

Some artists of advanced age might feel that they’re too old to really make a mark in their field. The business belongs to the young, they m...

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Loomis Baby Heads

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXRT8JD5Z3WMHSxlAJkZegLmlN7TBthCBFyEaQ15h9FEtuBL-k3lJnF6_VtLyHlELtxKxbtJqy4Rf7ID-i6AH70JYbtWUlkfNHEAbrnkCb4wAV2z-8tuJsqxJ2IUyM0tW4YDBZ1lDg3PWr/s1600/Babies_Loomis_FunwithPencil.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a>These drawings of baby heads by Andrew Loomis show the importance of careful construction, especially in foreshortened poses.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXRT8JD5Z3WMHSxlAJkZegLmlN7TBthCBFyEaQ15h9FEtuBL-k3lJnF6_VtLyHlELtxKxbtJqy4Rf7ID-i6AH70JYbtWUlkfNHEAbrnkCb4wAV2z-8tuJsqxJ2IUyM0tW4YDBZ1lDg3PWr/s1600/Babies_Loomis_FunwithPencil.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="311" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXRT8JD5Z3WMHSxlAJkZegLmlN7TBthCBFyEaQ15h9FEtuBL-k3lJnF6_VtLyHlELtxKxbtJqy4Rf7ID-i6AH70JYbtWUlkfNHEAbrnkCb4wAV2z-8tuJsqxJ2IUyM0tW4YDBZ1lDg3PWr/s400/Babies_Loomis_FunwithPencil.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />When the head tips upward, downward, or to the side, those center lines and equator lines really help to place the smaller forms in their proper relationship.<br /><br />Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! <br /><br />From <a href="http://www.alexhays.com/loomis/Andrew%20Loomis%20-%20Fun%20WIth%20a%20Pencil.pdf">“Fun with a Pencil,”</a> by Andrew Loomis.

Loomis Baby Heads

These drawings of baby heads by Andrew Loomis show the importance of careful construction, especially in foreshortened poses. When the head ...

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Christophe

I did this portrait in a bistro while waiting for the salad. Christophe Curien is an painter/sculptor from Paris. He was concentrating on watching the drawing, so he has a rather serious expression. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR5Jr-3cMnpmBPzAJ6K-BOwNZG41iysnP_X753MAS1lNbL9nKinchvN9f_K1URip73uX366LBsnrRpAXNcd97EU2ShuQZveWBWtHxlXqb7Exso6UAtPTHSd7eWWFeos0s1aqRnHY6lUxRJ/s1600/Christophe.sm.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR5Jr-3cMnpmBPzAJ6K-BOwNZG41iysnP_X753MAS1lNbL9nKinchvN9f_K1URip73uX366LBsnrRpAXNcd97EU2ShuQZveWBWtHxlXqb7Exso6UAtPTHSd7eWWFeos0s1aqRnHY6lUxRJ/s400/Christophe.sm.jpg" width="322" /></a><br /><br />I used two or three water-soluble colored pencils, and I painted the background with a water brush filled with fountain-pen ink.<br /><br /> -------<br />Thanks, Christophe and Michael.  <br /><a href="http://www.christophecurien.com/">Christophe's website</a>

Christophe

I did this portrait in a bistro while waiting for the salad. Christophe Curien is an painter/sculptor from Paris. He was concentrating on wa...

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Krüger One-Man Show

A one-man gallery exhibition of the portraits of Sebastian Krüger is on view in Boston Massachusetts through November 30.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJDpdGisT-FCz26wOeEvHffMmolq61hI4SwGuDyhDcsl5Jk8BAQ96lT6MflE4qU9Tus3IFF3sPRm6iez4RXgX3STVQb5v081yHlA2KTfu3gdgKXP-H9VnLBgPdCi7in7eVHs27Pmelydhc/s1600/Stones_Kruger.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJDpdGisT-FCz26wOeEvHffMmolq61hI4SwGuDyhDcsl5Jk8BAQ96lT6MflE4qU9Tus3IFF3sPRm6iez4RXgX3STVQb5v081yHlA2KTfu3gdgKXP-H9VnLBgPdCi7in7eVHs27Pmelydhc/s400/Stones_Kruger.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />Krüger is known for his large-scale acrylic portraits of rock stars, particularly his friends, the Rolling Stones. That’s Charlie, Keith, Mick, and Ronnie above.<br /><br />The portraits are mostly larger than life-size. They command prices in the five- and low six-figures, and large giclée prints are also available. Krüger delights in the craggy topography of the aging rascals of the pop world, often exploring their wrinkled faces in photographic detail, but he generally reserves other areas of the canvas for a looser painterly flourish.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNl5sRF1k2BiPlXL7awzX7ve8brS1pGi7UG5v2-SA3LrVltUr0NYNRtZTBnpdbaNJ3_dWiyRJNWDpxGPAg22Mt6F2IoOWmBNcBpO1KxtpBKbalOosA0F0GZwi0Shcuoe2vdo21eE4ZhPt8/s1600/Keith_Richards_Kruger.sm.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNl5sRF1k2BiPlXL7awzX7ve8brS1pGi7UG5v2-SA3LrVltUr0NYNRtZTBnpdbaNJ3_dWiyRJNWDpxGPAg22Mt6F2IoOWmBNcBpO1KxtpBKbalOosA0F0GZwi0Shcuoe2vdo21eE4ZhPt8/s400/Keith_Richards_Kruger.sm.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />All of his portraits have a keen attention to what constitutes a likeness. He knows how far to push the exaggeration to make his point. Some of his portraits of Mick Jagger are in-your-face and over-the-top, but others are amazingly restrained and sensitive. <br /><br />The painting “Keith Richards: The Devil in Focus” (200cm x 140cm) shows the old pirate just as he appears. <br /><br />Krüger wants to use the term “New Pop Realism” to describe his new direction of subtler interpretation  He’s interested in exploring the intersection between the image of the pop icon and the identity of real person—both the mask and the man.  <br />-------------<br /><a href="http://www.newburyfinearts.com/artistsmej/krugerhtml/kruger_P.html">Newbury Fine Arts Gallery</a> Phone 617.536.0210<br /><a href="http://sebastian-kruger-publications.blogspot.com/">Sebastian Krüger Publications</a>  <br /><a href="http://sebastian-kruger-news.blogspot.com/">Sebastian Krüger News Blog</a><br /><a href="http://www.sebastiankruger.com/">Official Krüger site site</a><br /> ---------<br />Thanks, Liz and <a href="http://www.seemikedraw.com/Site/Caricature_Artist_Boston_.html">Mike</a>

Krüger One-Man Show

A one-man gallery exhibition of the portraits of Sebastian Krüger is on view in Boston Massachusetts through November 30. Krüger is known fo...

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Tao of Painting People

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgASI3gjMtqS0ZAyLkM926cFpIq2zUNdSM2RebrG_uU-8aSUosK_OO4fBYVlZJJrP38PLwttTTM-tCPNXWZ_POgQL7cb8zI0l2XOjqfa2sAkzhAd3W3umZbGq4edE4NU1zLncmenO1SsO1B/s1600/kroyerportraits+copy.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgASI3gjMtqS0ZAyLkM926cFpIq2zUNdSM2RebrG_uU-8aSUosK_OO4fBYVlZJJrP38PLwttTTM-tCPNXWZ_POgQL7cb8zI0l2XOjqfa2sAkzhAd3W3umZbGq4edE4NU1zLncmenO1SsO1B/s400/kroyerportraits+copy.jpg" width="231" /></a></div><br /><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Don’t paint a figure; Paint a person.</i></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Don’t paint a head; Paint an individual.</i></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Be accurate, but see beyond the surface.</i></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Beware of pictures that are correct but lifeless.</i></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><i><br /></i></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><i>The face is the window to the soul. </i></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><i>All of humanity’s greatness and frailty can be found in a single pair of eyes.</i></span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0YD52u7HDnph3AduqPTDcTUEkaIjzBi7PxQ6Ztzs1FDJ4Ixcnw10xPdpYRoGpN-UVXYEQttP0U78q89VVeiuymSzI9TdcXglR1YFQLXKw3Upmt6UHutKrmUykIa9D5TADSaU65AOvCisP/s1600/Kroyer.Fisherman+copy.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0YD52u7HDnph3AduqPTDcTUEkaIjzBi7PxQ6Ztzs1FDJ4Ixcnw10xPdpYRoGpN-UVXYEQttP0U78q89VVeiuymSzI9TdcXglR1YFQLXKw3Upmt6UHutKrmUykIa9D5TADSaU65AOvCisP/s400/Kroyer.Fisherman+copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />---------<br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">Portraits by Peder Krøyer (1851-1909). Thanks to Tim Adkins for the close-up.</span><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peder_Severin_Kr%C3%B8yer">Krøyer on Wikipedia </a></span>

Tao of Painting People

Don’t paint a figure; Paint a person. Don’t paint a head; Paint an individual. Be accurate, but see beyond the surface. Beware of pictures t...

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Piccoli Ritratti

Here are some little portraits of some of the amazing people we had supper with in Lucca:<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoRl_ci_6sW0dHp6sdMWVtMh7FKeUkQ10wOx39UJxV6DUfyMLlgCbn0hfup2WTcOHEPzpvP92iUJjIhYllQa_l1eyMwlZQQud-vGTUG3Ry-UqvDFa86lSQ2hMl1Qwoh7plMGIw8B-4DbKi/s1600/Max_Frezzato_sm.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoRl_ci_6sW0dHp6sdMWVtMh7FKeUkQ10wOx39UJxV6DUfyMLlgCbn0hfup2WTcOHEPzpvP92iUJjIhYllQa_l1eyMwlZQQud-vGTUG3Ry-UqvDFa86lSQ2hMl1Qwoh7plMGIw8B-4DbKi/s400/Max_Frezzato_sm.jpg" width="351" /></a><br />1. The incomparable comic artist Massimiliano Frezzato, creator of I Custodi del Maser, 2. Terry Brooks, author of Sword of Shannara, 3. Emanuele Vietina, vice-director of Lucca Comics and Games, and 4. Steve Perrin, game designer for Dungeons and Dragons and RuneQuest.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQNUy5JKTR3PI3Z5xbBb5D_7SeHpFVjblITKdMGTptpln3cSj3p_hc0Zxmz72yLk5uH8QZnLwsILJa39m6B4airKD4ha9nyZnX3-oeybEZm68NJX7XPJjst5ZwbPGR6EUTDjXfZKr7CVoK/s1600/Skippy.sm.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQNUy5JKTR3PI3Z5xbBb5D_7SeHpFVjblITKdMGTptpln3cSj3p_hc0Zxmz72yLk5uH8QZnLwsILJa39m6B4airKD4ha9nyZnX3-oeybEZm68NJX7XPJjst5ZwbPGR6EUTDjXfZKr7CVoK/s400/Skippy.sm.jpg" width="310" /></a><br />Also: 1. Skippy, 2. Mandy, 3. Athos, and 4. Andrea. These sketches were all made with water-soluble colored pencils, and all were drawn around the supper table (except the one of Skippy, which was a workshop demo).<br /><br /><a href="http://www.luccacomicsandgames.com/">Lucca Comics and Games </a>

Piccoli Ritratti

Here are some little portraits of some of the amazing people we had supper with in Lucca: 1. The incomparable comic artist Massimiliano Frez...

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