In the Studio This Week – Flashback to the 60s and Dustin Hoffman

Time in the studio this week was limited as I was away from the studio for two days and felt like I lost my motivation a bit. I am behind in the Master Program by about a week and a half, leaving me feeling a little anxious. Thanksgiving in the US is coming up as well.

In a couple of weeks a few break weeks are incorporated into the syllabus giving me time to catch up, hopefully. I have been trying to get ahead of the schedule since I know I have some travel planned before the end of the year’s duration.  A lot of the lessons I was able to complete so far focused on using various mark-making tools and techniques. I felt a little frustrated with my efforts.

Abstract Art

A warmup lesson involved listening to music and feeling the rhythm and letting it flow onto the paper. I used a China marker, graphite pencils, and water-soluble graphite to make a variety of different marks. While doing this, you were instructed to keep in mind the elements of a good abstract with a lot of depth and a focal point using a variety of lines. I must admit I didn’t really feel this, but it served as a good practice for an abstract painting.

This painting echoed some of the lines and the focal point from the graphite abstract. I used primarily acrylic paint and acrylic inks. I also added some collage elements. Originally, I left the background color light.

I thought the painting lacked some depth, so I went over the whole canvas with a burnt umber glaze. I think it unified the painting. What do you think?

Foreshortening

Foreshortening occurs when a picture is taken from an unusual angle resulting in odd portions on the subject. IU started with a few sketches of my hand and then moved on to some figures done is perspective. This type of drawing is challenging as it can mess with your mind.

I did a foreshortened drawing of Dustin Hoffman. I used some powdered graphite since the photograph was so dark and I had a lot of space to cover. The graphite was messy, and I had to erase much of it that ended up in the wrong place. I like how it turned out.

Foreshortened Vision Board

This drawing was a challenge because you were given three photos to combine into one unified drawing. I chose this one

Trying to put all the separate references into one drawing was a challenge. I started with the figure and that was not especially hard except for the striped bathing suit bottom. The perspective on the columns were the most difficult to me. The finished drawing reminds me of the 60s psychedelic art. Do you see it?

Takeaways

This was a challenging week with schedule interruptions, frustration, and lack of motivation. I am behind but still doing the work and hope to catch up and maybe even squeeze in something fun. I am learning so much it feels like drinking from a firehose at times.

Thank you again for following me on this creative journey. As I reflect on the Thanksgiving holiday, I am especially thankful for all your support. I’m looking for something different to offer to subscribers. Any ideas? Comment on the post to let me know what you think would would be an attractive free gift.