Heads on Tables - Learning Classical Drawing Techniques

SUPPLEMENTING MY ART EDUCATION

It's over. I am done studying at TCC. Almost. I still need to take an algebra test…damn it.

This semester, I took supervised study in drawing, hence all the photos of charcoal drawings, and to finish it up, I spent the past week with Chicago artist(and former VA Beach resident) Brett Edenton. It was a valuable experience to study with someone, even if just for a week, with a specific goal. In many ways, it made things more comfortable. He could tell me when I was doing something wrong and not be open to interpretation. This wasn't about creativity. It was about seeing and technical skills, and it's exactly what I wanted, and it made me eager to continue on this path. That said, I didn't do everything that was suggested. I tried to take advice and pick up tips and skills while not losing the methods that seemed to work for me.

I've touched on this before, but I want representational skills. I want those skills to make my work, whether figurative or not, more convincing.

It was beneficial not to be able to dodge someone's attention while drawing. At first, I was self-conscious, and while that feeling lingered, it was good for me not to disappear in a classroom of other students. Having someone watch you draw can be very scary. It reveals how you think…or how you don't think.

This isn't a masterpiece, but it's a step in the right direction. I hope my touch and eye will grow more sensitive as time and practice pass. I enjoyed that the project was to draw more heads on tables, something I already like to do.

I also stopped in at the Chrysler Museum of Art before it shut down for renovations and met this painting I had never noticed before. I call it The Log Lady of Norfolk, but it's a painting by Hugues Merle French (1823-1881) called The Lunatic of Étretat (1871, oil on canvas).

I love it. It's hard to see, but her eyes almost glow red, and her hair drifts away like smoke. Plus, it reminds me of Twin Peaks, and that's always a plus.