This was the last full week of school and it ended for me yesterday, I have my crit week next week. Here are some of the final class drawings and paintings. The cast drawing of Brutus was the only one I did in Oliver Grimly's class, it was a semester long drawing...and I may still do little tweaks based on what my teacher, Oliver Grimly says. So many students whine about him or complain, and he busted my balls, made me start my drawing over 4 times, but you know what? He made me do a much better drawing.
It was done using a mechanical lead holder, in F lead. He didn't want any texture, wanted everything very well finished. So i sat or stood there with that little spinny sharpener, moving my hand in a fanning-like fashion over the drawing, almost glazing on the lead.
I entered and was rejected from the certicicate show. I entered my Nike cast hall drawing, but I guess it was too pedestrian for them? Who knows, lots of people were rejected and some stuff I cratch my head at got in---always thus in the art world. One has to deal with rejection, that's just part of the process.
The great news is that Echo got her drawing accepted as she was rejected last year. I'll enter it the drawing into the Phily
Sketch Club show. The cast drawing of Brutus seemes to be getting good reviews from everyone who wathced me doing it, students and faculty alike. I like it, but man, I never spent this much time on a drawing in
my whole life! What a commitment! I know the 25 years of drawing for a living helps me here.
This was the grisaille done in Doug martenson's calss last week, and this week he showed us how to go over it and glaze the color on. the mix was 20% paint, 80% linseed oil.
Once I had glazed on my color, I had to let it dry, so I ran across the street and grabbed another canvas and did this quick 25 minute or so oild sketch of the model.
Here's Doug giving us a demo on glazing our paintings.
This was the 2 week dawing from Scott Noel's class. I had to redo the cloth this week as the ones we used last week couldn't be found, so a lot of the class was redoing the colors there and that of course effected everything else too colorwise. I even had to go over and cover the first skeleton drawing to get the coor of the forground blanket. By the time class was over I was rushing to get some of Mr. Bones back on. I have to say I think Noel is such a fantastic teacher and I always learn so much from him each week. I feel I made the most progress in his class, though I did make progress in all of my classes and the challenge of working in pastel I think is starting to pay off. The color is always off in these photos and teh cast drawing being in lead makes it trick to get that softeness you see in real life.
I am happy for a bit of a break, but I'll miss all of my teachers and really pushing myself. I feel I've grown in ways I hoped I would and in ways I didn't foresee, which I have to say is great. I'll be filling my downtime from school with lots of commercial work though, so it won't be a total vacation.
You are an inspiration, mate. You are a talented and professional artist, yet your attitude to criticism shows humility and a willingness to be shown where there is room for improvement.
ReplyDeleteLoved the Brutus drawing, and even more loved the earlier drawings which definitely exemplified the w
avowed influence of Degas.
This work is very awe-inspiring, Mike. It's awesome to watch you on this path.
ReplyDeleteMr. Manley, that pencil drawing is crazy good!I think it's great, the way you show by example, that no matter how skilled on is, he can always learn more.
ReplyDeleteThat Brutus drawing is just amazing. It must be very different going form the high-pressure deadline driven world of commercial art to being able to spend so much time on one drawing. Norman Rockwell would sometimes spend a month on a single painting. Which do you prefer?
ReplyDeleteThanks Gannon. I can't say I prefer one in a way because i think what we prefer is to have the time allowed to do the job we want on something. Commercial art, and specifically comics by nature in high pressure, it is about deadlines and volume. I know that a certain amount of energy is created by that rush and i think it ads to the kenetic-action of the medium. If I was painting a large cover like Rockwell, then I think in that case I'd like a month because I'd need the time. However artists like Frazetta produced the bulk of his work in short burts. I think it has a lot to do with your personality as well.
ReplyDeleteAgain, the new experiences in school are opening me up to many new ways of exploring ideas and one of them is time, art without deadlines, allowing the piece to dictate what is needed.
Alan, thanks, growth cannot come without being open, and humble yet confident enough to listen to another point of view. If I were to be too egotistic then I would simply be a fool, and rob myself of the great opportunity I have here at the school.
ReplyDeleteI won't agree, don't, with everything I hear and see at school, but i can catch it all in my net and dump out what doesn't work later. I have inspiration every day in school with my fiance Echo and the great teachers and other students I see growing around me. I wish i had this when i was 20, but I don't know if I would have appreciated it as I do now.
WHAT??!!! You entered that piece of crap in a certificate show competition??!! What WERE you thinking?!!!!!
ReplyDeletekidding
I've been admiring that one for weeks now. I'm guessing the rejection has something to do with seniority. I know--that kind of thing shouldn't have any bearing on choice for events such as this, but I believe it does. The proof of that is in the fact that Echo was rejected last year and accepted this year. I KNOW she had some work that was better than others last year that got it without even seeing what went up, just as I know there were many this year that aren't nearly as good as yours.
It is truly beautiful.