INKED

Cinderella's Golden Carousel, Renamed Prince Charming Regal Carrousel in 2010
Fantasyland, WDW

One minute ink wash from carousel sketch collection. Burnt umber ink with dip pen nib and brush on Bristol board 9 X 12 inches

MOTION & SPACE

Study of crowds moving through Walt Disney World in Orlando.

MIDNIGHT PEARS

I wished for pears to draw. I find their shape beautiful as well as the multiple colors found throughout. They remind me that simple forms can make the strongest image. So here are my midnight pears, drawn from my memory since the pairs are still at the market. I hope to draw from a still life soon and expect that the next drawing of pears, from observation, will be very different.

LAST DAYS OF SUMMER

Closing up the kitchen for the night these perfect, constant reminders of sunny days caught my eye. I tried to quickly sketch them on the iPad, which grew heavy so I headed to bed. Once there, I continued without the visual inspiration that began the drawing. From there, the tomatoes in the kitchen were just another memory of the days of Summer.

• The tomatoes and pears are drawn in Procreate with iPad Pro and the Apple pencil.
• Brushes used varied mostly between Inking Brush Pen and Sketching Artist Crayon.
• The background is chosen to provide a medium shade, between the darkest shadow and lightest highlight. In the case of the pears, a green olive coloring was chosen to enhance the yellow while maintaining a natural environment.
• Noise was added to the tomato background below to produce a paper texture, but the pear background is left smooth. Smooth background for textured fruit and textured background for smooth.

The Time Spent

Through each attempt at observation and drawing, we grow closer to understanding our visual work and the world as we see it. Protecting precious time to be still or whatever makes us work, will always produce an expanded view of the universe and its intricate workings. Is there anything more exciting than creating something that was not there before? However good, bad, or indifferent, the process connects us all. Sometimes, In the end, we have only the time spent and not the rendition we chased.  At that point, the drawing can feel like a waste of time. Still, it's our responsibility to take time to explore the world around us in order that we may close the space between seeking and realizing our goal. 

Design Foundations

There are tried and true practices and techniques that are helpful to know, when it comes to layout, design, and function. Design is the foundation of style. It's all design. So where do you start in your pursuit of professional design skills? We begin with the elements of art and how they are arranged , the principles of design. However, not knowing these things never stopped an artist. That's because each person carries within them their own design. It's like a thumbprint. It can be traced through all your work if you know what to look for. It comes from your visual background, the faces you've seen, and your environment. It's your taste, your styles, It's what feels right to you. And without conscious intervention, a designer will repeat this style throughout their life. It's a fascinating, personal, and unique language reflecting the designer's world.