Erik’s 100 Day Challenge: Say More With Less

[erikdennes]

Day 24

Skull drawing from the Russian Drawing Course.

[Alice]

Fantastic !

[erikdennes]

Day 25

Observations: Using sight size really produces accurate drawings, but it sure is a pain in the neck to do!; I spent a loooong time on this and fussed over every angle, construction line, line weight, shape, and tone. I did a Sargent copy Of roughly the same pose before this to get warmed up and was trying to apply some of what I learned. I should use expensive paper more often.

[Myriam]

Hi Erik, this a a very nice drawing, I love the expression.
Myriam

[erikdennes]

Day 26

Thanks Miriam and Amelia. Trying to draw more from imagination. Invented skeletons over 2 min gestures from reference.

[Ian Coltman]

Hey Erik, I like this idea… I’ve been considering a connected anatomy and memory theme for a possible next 100.

I also like this page better than the sight size stuff… there is more urgent movement both inside and coordinated between elements.

Not sure about the whole sight size thing is to my tastes… seems like some potential attitude and tempo gets lost in the perfectionism of it all… would you try it again or are you done with it?

[erikdennes]

Hey Ian,

Regarding sight size, Florent Farges has a video where he likens it to working out in the gym to get ready for a sport. It is good exercise.  It is kind of like doing Bargue copies. Before COVID hit, I was going to use the method to draw from marble busts.  So I will do it again for exercise and if I need a really accurate drawing.

[erikdennes]

Day 27

[Christopher]

Hi Erik,

I really like following your variation of topics and approaches. Everyday something different/new 😁

I also like your recent toned paper work. Would you recommend that if I consider recognizing lighting, planes and overall shading/ value application as my weakness?

Anyway I really admire your work and hope to be on your level one day. I especially liked your project from the last side with the car in front of the diner? (edit: ah it was a store) but sadly I couldn’t add anything useful to the discussion 😅

• This reply was modified 4 years, 3 months ago by Christopher.

[erikdennes]

Hey Christopher,

Thanks for the words of encouragement!  It looks like from looking at your challenge that most of the work you are doing is with the fundamentals and construction.  That is great and necessary work. All of that value work that you are talking about, lighting, planes, and overall value application (as well as edge work) has to be studied (and mastered) separately.  You will definitely learn about all of that stuff in the Russian Drawing Course.   For values, its great to do just what you are doing with your drawing and construction: learn how to light and shade the basic forms (which is in the Russian course).  Then everything that you draw or shade you can simplify to those basic forms.

It takes a while to learn all of this stuff, but it looks like from your challenge, that you are moving right along.  Keep up the good work, and be patient with yourself.  Sometimes it seems like we progress so painfully slowly, but in a year, when you look back at the work you are doing now, you will see a big difference.

The most important part of your learning is that you stay engaged in the process of learning and are having fun with it.  That is why I switch stuff up often.  One day I’ll do a tight very accurate drawing, and the next day I’m going to have to work loosely.  Or after doing a long drawing or painting, I’ll have to do a bunch of quick studies.  Glen Vilpuu talks in one of his videos about changing up materials and keeping things fresh.

I really like working on the toned paper because it forces you to think about values simply.  You have to break what you are doing into 3 value groups: darks, the mid-tone of the paper, and lights.  It gives you a natural gap or separation between those 3 value ranges, something that Bill Perkins talks a lot bout in his lectures.  Once you get used to doing this, it helps a great deal when you move into painting.

 

[Christopher]

Wow I just threw that question in without expecting anything so thank you very much for that insightful answer and your encouragement. If I think about it I know feel kind of guilty having you talking about another ones work in your thread 😅

On the other hand that’s why I like this forum. You can absorb so much by just looking at what and how others are doing it and you can talk about it and ask questions since we all share the same interest in art.

It’s a bit frustrating being on a “lower level” and therefore often not being able to give useful critique but I thought I rather give you any kind of words instead of none and I’ll definitely check back again 😁👋

[Joshua Jacobo]

Great work here! I would like to see better lit photos. Also make sure you’re combining straight lines/ideas against curvy ones. If the curves become overpowering the drawing can look sweet, if the straights dominate too much it can be rigid and unnatural. The proper combination of the two (like warm and cool colors in a painting) is where the magic happens. It’s in the constrast.

[erikdennes]

Thanks Joshua for the feedback. I was having a horrible time posting yesterday. I did a bunch of sanguine Chalk line drawings On newsprint, and I just can’t get them to photograph well. Then I was having issues with Apple’s HEIC file format.  Any tips for photographing would be much appreciated. I created my own chalk holder to hold the Yaris chalk after watching a video on the materials DaVinci used. The holder they showed was made from bamboo, but I used a piece of half inch PVC and some framing wire.

[erikdennes]

Day 28

Decided to do some painting today and rescue an old painting of San Juan PR. I have definitely improved it, but I think it still needs some more work. It is an invented scene, but based on some reference I took when I was there the last time.

[Christopher]

Hi Erik,

I’ll try to give more “helpful” critiques so be warned and please ignore anything unuseful but I’ll try.

I think the city either should have been closer or at least there may should have been something in between the foreground and the city like sheeps for example to breack up that big empty green space. Also after watching a video about Major and Minor keys I think the picture looks a bit flat. Normally I would suggest to emphazise contrast and saturation in the foreground but since I assume the city is the focal point I’m not quite sure how to tackle that unless it’s intended to have overall similar values.

• This reply was modified 4 years, 3 months ago by Christopher.

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