It's the Weekend!

I think I have decided to post once over each weekend for my blog, instead of trying to scramble to get both Saturday and Sunday posts done in the AM each day. The weekends are busy, and filled with family activities, so I have decided to give myself a little flexibility on the weekends.

Sooo, we were talking this week on ways to keep life in your art, and are settling in to the end of this week's theme. For my weekend post, I'd like you to consider how the energy of the brush strokes or marks made on the page can contribute to the spirit of your artwork.

Something fun that you can try this weekend, is to head on over to the Wetcanvas! site, a great website for artists that is comprised of many forums, an art reference library, projects and more.

Something that I have enjoyed participating in on Wetcanvas! are the Weekly Drawing Events (or WDE's) that take place in the All Media Art Events forum each and every weekend. This weekend's host, deepat, has uploaded 16 photos for you to work from.

The idea is that you will choose a picture and work from it, posting your results at the two hour mark. If you are not finished, post at two hours with a WIP (for work-in-progress) in your title, and then post again at the completion of the work.

I have decided to participate in the Weekly Drawing Event this weekend, so I will post one more time here this weekend with my results. I plan to focus on making exciting marks or bold brush strokes to help keep my work lively. Why don't you do the same?! If you decide to participate, leave a comment here with your Wetcanvas! screen name, and perhaps a link to your post there.

I will post again by the end of the day Sunday with something that relates to our challenge today, using the WDE reference pictures for my inspiration.

So why don't you get those lively brushes and pencils out and go to town on something too?! I know you'll come up with something great.

Artist "Field Trip"

Clip art licensed from the Clip Art Gallery on DiscoverySchool.com

This week, we have had some lessons that might have felt like WORK to some of you, so I thought it would be great to schedule an artist's date or field trip for inspiration today, and take a little break from our "studies."

Ideally, it would be terrific if you could take some time on your lunch break and see some art nearby today, but if you simply can't work it in today, make an appointment with yourself to visit a gallery, museum or art show over the next few days. Try to make it something easy to do and achievable so that you actually do it.

While there, try and find work that has life and gesture, and notice the elements in the work that make it come alive. Is the artist working loosely? Did they use a dynamic placement for the pose or objects that created an interesting composition? Does it look like they began with a gesture drawing or painting and carried the gesture through to the completion of the piece? Are the colors used and the brushstrokes working in a way that gives the painting energy and movement?

If you have a small notebook, make some notes about what worked in the pieces that you liked. If the museum or show allows it, take a picture (no flash!), to keep and compare to your notes later.

Try to carry some of the things that you noticed into your own work in the weeks ahead.

I am constantly stimulated by the work of other artists. Being around the creativity of others makes me feel more creative myself. Often, after I visit an art show or museum exhibit, I am fired up to work on my own pieces.

Where do you plan to go, or what art have you seen lately that has inspired you? Leave a comment and let us know!

Keep the Gesture Going

Yesterday, we took a quick look at gesture drawing, and how the process can create energy in your work by starting your drawings or paintings off with a lively kick!

I begin nearly every drawing or painting with gesture. Starting with a loose, quick gesture directly on the paper or canvas, I then spend time developing that gesture to completion as a finished work. This process of taking a drawing or painting to completion can take hours or days, but I try to work with the original gesture in mind always, as I continue to develop it. My goal is to keep vibrancy and immediacy in my work, and if I work in the way described, I am much more successful in reaching my goal than if I start out with a stiff, blocky, "perfect" under drawing.

If you look at the examples I am sharing today, you can see a little of the way I progress. I do not have my very first gesture drawing captured, but in the top example, you can see how parts of the bare-bones gesture looked, in the areas that are not yet developed.

Today, why don't you try beginning a small drawing that you might be able to bring to completion over the next few days? Using yesterday's post as a guideline, and perhaps reading a bit more about gesture in the two links here and here, start a drawing of your own, and begin with a gesture drawing.

Then go back into that gesture drawing, further refining it, as you progress. As you refine, try to work as much as possible on developing the entire drawing. Keep loose in some places, and try to keep the feeling of life throughout the work.

Let me know what you come up with!