Paul’s 100 Day Challenge; Sketchbook

[PaulDidier]

Hi Lucas. Yeah, the perfectionist bug is a real dilemma. A certain amount of it is good to help us want to do better, but too much can really get us to be too self critical and we become discouraged. I’ve known artists who were the opposite and actually didn’t care at all about their work as long as they got paid for it. Easier on the nervous system but they didn’t seem to grow too much as artists either.

[PaulDidier]

Hi Josseline,

Here’s another morning warmup that might interest you. I had no thought of posting this one so, of course, I was looser and I think it turned out better than yesterday’s. For this I just did each animal for 3 – 6 minutes and left it there rather than running the slideshow repeatedly. This is sharpies on 18 x 24 bond paper, (nicer than newsprint). Took pictures of these critters at the local zoo. I try to take hundreds of photos whenever I go, for sketching later like this. Sometimes animals are easier for me than people. No one notices if you get the likeness wrong of a mountain lion ; )

 

• This reply was modified 4 years, 6 months ago by PaulDidier.

[Joshua Jacobo]

These are wonderful, Paul!

[PaulDidier]

Here’s my day09 page. Tried adding wash, gouache and a little charcoal.

 

 

[RosaLarrosa]

Your sketchbook is going to look great at the end.

 

 

[Joshua Jacobo]

Beautiful. You seem to improve every day! I would try to group your values more clearly to make more of a picture. If I “blur” my eyes I see a bunch of details jumping out but lesson a composition coming together.

[PaulDidier]

Thanks Rosa and Joshua,

You’re right of course Joshua. This was a weird study. I initially thought it was done about 2 hours earlier, but then decided to work it some more. I should have stopped. This is my first toned sketchbook and I’m struggling as to how much the toned paper should constitute how much of the values. It’ll be a learning process. I also have a tendency to hit too much detail and too many highlights. That creates the multiple details you referred to. I need to squint more and step back more from my work.

[Lucas a.k.a “Roams”]

man i really like ur sketches paul. how long have u been drawing?

[Laura Espinosa]

I like your drawing a lot!

[Birgith Schei]

Thanks, Paul,  for your guide to the daily drawing session. I look forwarded to start.

[ZHI SU]

Wow, beautiful sketches!

[Shazad Madon]

Enjoying the Gouache sketches!

[PaulDidier]

Day 10- My Gouache Studies for today. Again, these are exercises from the Famous Artists Course (1960 edition) section on Gouache. The study in the upper right is from 2 days ago. Other than that the rest are for today.

The bottom two, in particular, I remember doing years ago and becoming VERY  frustrated trying to blend the paint.

I think I’m now realizing, (or remembering from before), what always seemed to mess me up using gouache. 1) Getting the consistency right. The course says to mix the paint to the consistency of “heavy cream.” Silly as it sounds, I really had no idea what that was. I think I usually mixed it to thick. 2) Keeping the paint that consistency as you paint I always found difficult. I have a small spray bottle that I “mist” the paint with, but gouache dries so rapidly I find myself spraying it A LOT, sometimes thinning it too much.

If anyone has used gouache and has suggestions for dealing with these two issues I’d sure appreciate any advice.

[Josseline Jeria]

Oh Paul, those animal drawings are simply beautiful! I love animals, especially birds, so seeing those is a delight. Your goauche work is improving so rapidly! Well done. I’m still struggling immensely with the gestures. But I will persist. Thanks again for all your advice.

[Joshua Jacobo]

Are you using a water brush?

[Author]

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