Rich Adams Fine Art

The new changing table I just completed

2011-03-11T09:41:00.000-08:00

I’ve been busy over the winter learning furniture construction. I recently completed a new changing table for our nursery. It’s made of red oak and finished with a blonde shellec top-coated with water-based polyurethane. I was fairly pleased with how it turned out. I chose a lighter finish to keep the furniture from feeling too massive. I’ll be moving on to a convertible crib / full-sized bed design this weekend.

New changing table installed in the nursery.

I also made the letters on the wall above the changing table. I found a nice font I liked on my computer and printed out huge versions of them which I transferred to a sheet of MDF using a carbon-transfer paper. I then cut them out with a jigsaw, sanded them smooth and coated them with acrylic spray paint. I tried using liquid acrylic but the yellow and blue were far too transparent.

The photo below shows a closer look at the table with one of the hand-painted knobs that I purchased for the drawer pulls.

Closer view of table.

One of the wonderful animal-themed drawer pulls.

I picked up the drawer pulls from Carolina Hardware and Decor who have a great selection of decorative pulls and knobs, many surprisingly still made in the USA. I used a mouse, bunny, bull, pig, lion, and tiger for the dresser.

Refinishing my Grandmother's chairs

2011-03-11T09:17:00.000-08:00

Chair #2 prior to the start of the process

I inherited two identical chairs from my grandmother’s estate when she passed away several years ago. They have been in need of a refinishing job since we obtained them and I am finally nearing completion on the work. I decided to refinish the wood myself and have a professional upholsterer work on the fabric since I had no idea where to even start on something like that.

The arms were in desperate need of refinishing

The well-worn arms with years of happy use.

The chair was ready for disassembly. After “carefully” removing the upholstery from the back, I disassembled the chair into the components.

The disassembled pieces.

The swivel-rocker component from the chair base.

Once the components were disassembled, I deployed the random-orbit sander for some tough love.

The sanded components.

A closer view of the arms, legs, and base.

Here are some photos of the progress as it stands today. I’ve managed to strip both chairs down to the raw wood and reapply an oil-based chestnut stain to give a pleasant reddish tint to the wood. I then followed this up with a sealing coat of garnet shellac before applying a liberalglaze of mahogany stain. This step was crucial to the overall look of the arms and require several days of fine-tuning the final look. I then sealed this layer with several (probably 5-7) seal coats of garnet shellac before finishing the job with three coats of water-based polyurethane. I was able to use water-based poly over the previous coats because I allowed 3-4 days of drying time for the oil-based finishes and then used shellac, which provides a material buffer between coats.

The first seal-coat of garnet shellac is applied.

A better view of the shellacked arms.

The re-finished arms, legs, and base from the second chair.

My goal was to stay true to the original finish while bringing out the natural grain in the wood a bit more (less of an opaque glaze with this application) and keeping that deep, rich finish I’ve always loved about these chairs. I should be getting the seats back from the upholsterer in the next week or so and can’t wait to see how the fabric we picked out looks with the new finish.

Hiker's Companion playing cards are here!

2010-12-16T09:15:00.000-08:00

10 months of work to get the drawings ready for this deck. I think it turned out great. Thanks toInkstone Design, Inc. for selecting me for the illustrations.

Here is a link to the product page on my website: http://www.richadamsphoto.com/Drawings/PlayingCards.html. They’re available for $12.95 and are shipping soon!

Yellowstone Drawing Workshop - June 2011!

2010-12-08T14:46:00.000-08:00

I'm excited to announce the return of Mike Sibley (my friend and mentor) to Yellowstone for a drawing workshop in June of next year. Some details include:

Dates: 12th -17th June 2011
Duration: 6 days, 10 am to 5 pm
Location: Holiday Inn, West Yellowstone, Montana

Illustrated talk by a Park Ranger so we know what to expect and look out for during our visit to…
A full day in the Park with assistance on photography, taking that unusual but useful shot, and looking for elements that can be combined into a useful setting. And we provide transport and lunch.
Improve your photography – late afternoon sessions by talented Artist and Photographer Rich Adams beginning with the basic uses of compact cameras.
Visits to the nearby Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center to get those photographs that eluded you in the Park.
Five days of uninterrupted drawing covering drawing from the basics up to advanced.
AND all tools and paper will be provided. Just bring yourself.

To find more details and to sign up for the workshop, please head on over to Mike's website:

http://www.sibleyfineart.com/_workshop_usa-yellowstone.htm

This workshop is limited to just 25 artists to ensure individual attention, so head over now to the workshop page and fill in the “Keep Me Informed” details to make certain of receiving the newsletters.

I'll be posting more details on the workshop and what to expect as an attendee over the winter.

I hope to see you there!

Dinosaur Sketch

2010-11-01T10:04:00.000-07:00

My wife and I attended the Montana Festival of the Book over the weekend and attended Jack Horner's presentation about his newest book How to Build a Dinosaur. I had my Moleskine journal with me so I started doodling one of the dinosaur images at the beginning of the presentation and was able to finish this small sketch before the presentation was completed. He was kind enough to sign my drawing along with my wife's copy of How to Build a Dinosaur. It's always a treat to meet an author we especially like and we found that Dr. Horner was a very approachable and patient person.

I had been lucky enough to attend a symposium in Bozeman, Montana (the home of the Museum of the Rockies, where Horner is curator) and listened to another presentation for the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators before leading us on a field trip to the Museum of the Rockies where we were given a behind-the-scenes look at the efforts that go into creating and preserving the many exhibits at the museum.

It was one of those experiences that makes you say, "If I ever got the chance to work here, I would be in heaven." Unfortunately I don't know how to weld, have never cast a bone in a silicone mold, haven't created exhibit displays where the specimen can be removed for study and reinserted without causing damage to the display or, more importantly, the bones themselves. Needless to say, I'd need a few more qualifications which is why their current exhibit coordinator is so unique. It's a great museum and well worth the visit if you even happen to be in Bozeman before traveling down to Yellowstone National Park.

New drawing completed: Raven Study

2010-10-28T10:37:00.000-07:00

Just in time for Halloween, here is a link to my web page with a recently completed drawing of a Raven. I tried to play around with the graphical elements of the raven to produce a dynamic pose even though he’s perched on a static limb. By spreading the feet, lowering the center of gravity and stretching the neck out just a bit, I hope it imparts a feeling of potential action that I was going for.

The print is available in both 11×14 and 16×20 frame sizes and printed on 100% cotton rag fine art paper with pigment-based archival inks.

Plans for our basement renovation

2010-10-28T08:30:00.000-07:00

I’ve been working on the plans for our basement remodel for the last couple of weeks. I ran across a great application by Google called SketchUp. It’s a great application to create 3-dimentional models and it’s FREE! It took a bit to learn the application and I would highly recommend anyone interested to view all of the online tutorials before diving in.

Our basement is partially finished and we’ve been making due with cold concrete and really inadequate lighting for quite a while. Our new plans will involve the finishing of two separate rooms, one a smaller bedroom that we’ll use for framing and matting and a large common room (shown below) that we’ll divide into an area as an indulgent reading room along with a separate office / studio space for myself. I’ve included some images from the SketchUp program showing our current plans.

Entering the main room through the archway from the hall.

Turning to the right to view the office / studio area. Wow! Countertops! The dividing wall to the left of this scene will actually include built-in bookshelves as part of the studio space.

Looking from my office towards the new reading area. The bookshelves on the right will include a nice padded bench and the small refreshment bar on the left will have a mini-fridge, coffee maker (a definite must), and some additional storage. The fireplace insert will create a nice ambiance and should help heat the area as well.

We still need to work out exactly where the lighting will be installed and the smaller details. Once the artwork starts to go up, it will create a much more intimate space.

Raven Study study

2010-10-27T14:26:00.000-07:00

I hope you'll excuse the quirky title for this smaller sketch. I am nearly finished with a raven drawing that I've been working on for the last couple of weeks. It's taking me so long because we are beginning the process of remodeling our basement and I've been developing the architectural drawings for the contractor. I'll try to create a separate post to talk more about this process.

Turning to the sketch, the first thing I'll comment on is the paper selection. I am a paper nut and have a large 14"x17" portfolio packed with numerous different papers (I believe there are 15 or more different papers in this single portfolio and I have another!). I use different papers depending on the subject, the size of the piece, or simply my mood for that day. This is one of those times when I went back to a paper that I seem to be drawn to whenever I really just want to have fun drawing a piece -- Arches Hot Press watercolor paper. I use the back side of the paper which lacks the laid pattern of the front side. It's a wonderful paper for pencil drawing because it's quite robust, allowing the artist to erase lines, lighten previously drawn areas, or simply scrub in some really beautiful darks.

The reason I selected this paper for the raven was that it allows an extremely wide contrast range and also allows me to create some intricate details at a fairly small scale. It seemed to work pretty well for this piece.

I am going to really try to use Arches more often as I really like the results I can obtain with it and it feels a lot more like sketchbook or drawing paper than bristol board. It's a little finicky with hard grades (2H or harder) but if you use a dab of blending with a tortillion occasionally, you can avoid having to use extremely hard pencils.

Currently reading...

2010-10-19T09:48:00.000-07:00

A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson

Extremely accessible, appropriately amusing, and very informative. I am really enjoying the book and can say that Bill Bryson's understated wit is very engaging.

View all my reviews

How To: Dog's Eye Tutorial

2010-10-11T09:37:00.000-07:00

One of the most common questions I receive at shows is “How do you draw an eye?” usually followed by “…and make it look real?”

Well, there’s a long answer which would involve talking about reflectivity versus absorption, varying textures, pencil grades, layers, etc., and then there’s simply showing what I mean step-by-step. This post will attempt to explain the process by walking you through a 15-minute drawing and how I go about drawing eyes.

This drawing was done on Canson’s Illustration Art Board with a 0.5mm mechanical pencil with 2B lead. I also used a kneaded eraser to lighten my guidelines created in STEP 1 and to remove a bit of detail in STEP 6. I used a reference photo of my youngest dog, Peanut, who is both a capable dog model and endless source of amusement.

STEP 1

STEP 1: The first step is to define the basic eye geometry. For those familiar with drawing, this is a simple step of looking for angles and slowly sculpting in the boundaries of the eyes. For those not adept at drawing, this is probably an important place to say that I spend more time practicing this stage than any other in my sketchbooks. Artists refer to this stage as “learning to see”.

STEP 2

STEP 2: Once the initial blocking in is completed it’s time to turn your attention to the structures in the eye. This is where you start looking for the basic details that comprise the eye. The iris, upper and lower lids, pupil, highlights, etc. This phase is still very similar to the blocking in phase except I’m no longer using simple straight lines and curves, I’m starting to sculpt in more refined details but not worrying about exactly where items intersect or extend behind other objects.

STEP 3

STEP 3: Now we can begin turing our attention to the actual tones in the eye itself. We start very simply looking for the deepest shadows and blocking them in. I really want to focus my artistic eye at this phase, frequently squinting at the drawing and ensuring I’m creating interesting geometry in the piece. I don’t want perfection at this point and I don’t want to overwork the paper, I’m simply blocking in the darks and finding out where things will disappear into shadow and where they will be emerging into light. This is where I really start to apply light to the 3-dimensional wire frame I created in the previous stage.

STEP 4

STEP 4: Now we want to create some mid-tones to provide the masses in the drawing that lie between the shadows and the highlights. These begin very simply with constant checks against the subject or reference photo. You’re looking for where the light rolls out of shadowed areas into highlight areas. For me, I really try to avoid large areas of solid mid-tones in a drawing. I’m constantly searching for gradients where the light is brightening or darkening, really pushing the 3-dimensional nature of the subject.

STEP 5

STEP 5: Now that the basic tones are established in the eye, we can begin moving into the adjacent areas building details up in layers. Fur is the subject of a future How To, so I won’t go into a lot of detail here other than to say, take your time with fur and vary your pencil strokes both in pressure and in length. The eyelids in this stage are further refined, the inner tear duct is shaded and the upper lid hairs are defined and refined in several layers building the tones slowly.

STEP 6

STEP 6: Final touches are applied the the iris, pupil, lids, and hairs. You might notice that I’ve lightened the hairs on the top of the upper lid to give the appearance of highlights in that area. You’re really trying to bring the elements together in this final stage. There’s no right or wrong answer for a lot of tweaks, you have to trust your eye and refine things that look weakly developed and remove details in areas that look too distracting. This is where I can spend a lot of time making a change, stepping back and checking it, squinting at the drawing, changing it back. This push and pull can be frustrating but you’ll eventually bring it together into a pleasing finished piece.

I hope this tutorial helps give you some ideas on how I draw eyes. There are a lot of different approaches, but these steps are fairly common among pencil artists. The basic idea is to:

So to recap, you’ll want to follow this basic format when drawing:
1) establish the basic geometry of the subject
2) block in the basic structures while thinking in simple 3-dimensional terms
3) establish your main shadow areas, these create interesting geometry in your piece
4) create mid-tones and look for gradients when shading in the remainder of the components
5) refine your mid-tones and establish additional details for interest
6) apply final tweaks to the various elements to tie everything together

Feel free to post comments or questions. I’ll do my best to better explain things that might remain confusing or simply provide additional details on how certain techniques are applied.

Results from our new panini grill

2010-10-07T15:38:00.000-07:00

We just purchased a new panini grill and here is the first sandwich prepared on it. It's a roast beef and cheddar with red bell pepper and basil. I think we'll keep it! :-D

REVIEW: Canson's XL Recycled Bristol pads

2010-09-28T14:11:00.000-07:00

In our age of increasingly bottom-line driven business strategies, it's a delight to come across a company interested in doing things right. I recently came across a new paper by Canson while surfing online and became curious about it's specifications. I've used seven other types of Canson paper and really like their consistency, versatility, and quality (Canson Field Sketch, Canson Field Drawing book, Canson Student Bristol Smooth and Vellum, Canson 2-ply Bristol Smooth, Canson 2-ply Bristol Art Board, Canson Pure White Drawing Art Board, and Canson Illustration Art Board).

This new paper is Canson XL™ Recycled Bristol. It's a 96 lb (260 gsm) stock, is bright white, and according to Canson, is the first recycled two-sided paper (vellum on the front side and smooth on the back).

I've never used a recycled bristol board and my main concerns were the archivability and whether it contained optical brighteners. As a quick explanation, archivability is critical to ensure long-term preservation of paper-based art. It's simply non-negotiable for my work. An acid-free paper will resist yellowing and when properly matted and framed, will remain in great condition and lasts more than a lifetime (and sometimes several).

Optical Brighteners (OB's) are often used in recycled paper to bleach the pulp and make it more pleasing to look at. It's not inherently bad but it can have detrimental long-term effects for artwork because it can change subtly over time, most often dulling unevenly. It's a bigger issue with printer papers but can be found in fine art papers as well.

With these concerns in mind, I sent off an e-mail to Canson hoping someone might be able to answer my questions. I must admit that I had very low expectations that someone might respond. Interactions with other paper suppliers have provided some convincing evidence that their salespeople don't actually know a heck of a lot about paper. Well, I can state definitively that my fears were completely unfounded. I received a a detailed and thoughtful response from Michelle R. She not only answered my questions directly and with clear knowledge of the paper manufacturing process, she went well above and beyond by offering to send a sample of the paper so I could try it out. I was simple stunned.

The First Tests:
I'm happy to report that the paper is even better than I had hoped. I've included a couple of small sketches from each side of the paper. These are 200% enlargements so the grain is much more visible than in person.

First the Smooth (back) Side:

and the Vellum (front) Side, which has a nice tooth for tonal drawings.

I can see applications for both sides of this paper. It is easy to scan, erases well, and is resilient enough to allow you to fine tune details and tones until you get them just right. Dual-sided papers can sometimes be a bit lacking in versatility because the manufacturing process doesn't have the same standards on each side. I would say that Canson has indeed made a truly 2-sided paper with both sides having independent and high-quality surfaces.

It will be interesting to see how the textured side responds to colored pencils. I would imagine it would be a great surface to accept numerous layers and being bright white should make the colors pop off the paper.

Summary

Overall I would praise the XL Recycled Bristol from Canson as a high-quality recycled (30% post consumer materials) paper. It's bright white, erases well, and is very resilient. With being acid free and lacking any added optical brighteners, it is a great choice and earns a Highly Recommended!

4 out of 5 Pencils
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Photos from Glacier National Park

2010-09-23T17:03:00.001-07:00

Moose enjoying a morning dip.

Continuing on my photo publishing kick. Here are a few from our trip to Glacier National Park.

I've posted the albums both to a Flickr album as well as another Facebook album.

I hope you enjoy them.

Photos from our horseback trip

2010-09-22T15:24:00.000-07:00

Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Ranch

I've posted photos from our horseback trip to a Flickr Album and to a Facebook Album (you have to be a friend to view these) for those with a preference for either technology.

These are from our trip to the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Ranch in May. It's on the Rocky Mountain Front and was our first experience in that area of the state. It was tremendous and it's very likely that we may go back from a return trip.

UPDATE: Uni-ball 2.0 mm Pencil Lead Sharpener!

2010-09-13T09:05:00.000-07:00

In my previous post, Review: Uni-ball 2.0 mm Pencil Lead Sharpener, I indicated that if you broke the lead off in the sharpener that you might have killed it. Well, I apologize that I spoke a bit prematurely. While sharpening a pencil this morning, I found that you CAN, in fact, open the sharpener to access the sharpening blade and rescue your $9.00 sharpener from a broken pencil lead. Here is how to do it.

1) Look towards the bottom of the sharpener and find the small squarish piece. There is an identical one on the other side of the sharpener. You're going to need to grasp these with your thumb and forefinger as shown in the second photo.

1) Locate the small square
at the bottom of the sharpener?

2) After firmly grasping these two squares, you're going to begin pull down away from the bottom of the sharpener, trying to slide out the inner sharpening mechanism.

2) Grip the opposing squares VERY firmly.

3) If you've got decent finger strength, you should be able to slide out the inner mechanism from the sharpener. If you need some assistance, I would recommend using the cushioned handle of a pair of pliers to assist you. Don't use the jaws or you'll either scratch the pencil sharpener or probably break it in the process.

3) Slide out the inner assembly.

4) Once you're able to free the sharpening assembly from the outer shell, simply remove the broken pencil lead from the sharpener being careful not to dull the sharpening blade. I typically use a wooden toothpick or if I don't have one on hand, an unbent paperclip (but be careful not to press firmly on the cutting edge of the sharpener.

4) Remove the sharpener and
remove the broken pencil lead

I hope that helps! I certainly am very glad I found this fix since it isn't mentioned in the instructions from the sharpener and I'd hate to throw away a $9.00 sharpener simply because it has a piece of graphite wedged in the blade.

I would have liked to have seen instructions (or at least diagrams, considering the directions are in Japanese) showing how to open the sharpener. It is designed so well that it's not obvious through any wobbling or gaps that the device actually opens.

I also wanted to update the score for the sharpener since it no longer has the limitation I mentioned. I've updated the previous review and will include the new score here as well.

4.5 Pencils
Highly Recommended

How To use the Staedtler 2mm tub sharpener

2010-09-10T13:29:00.000-07:00

I have seen several people post questions about how to use a Staedtler tub sharpener to sharpen their clutch pencils. Hopefully this little tutorial might help explain how to use one.

First, we need to look at the three holes on top of the sharpener. The biggest one, is obviously where the pencil will eventually go to be sharpened. The two smaller holes, however, aren't self-explanatory. The image below shows which hole is intended for sharp points and which is intended for dull points (which I hardly ever use).

First off, we need to press the button at the back end of the clutch pencil to extend the lead out a inch and a half or so (3cm) and drop the lead into the 'sharp tip' hole. Basically, touch the bottom of the hole with the lead.

Extend the lead until
it hits the bottom

The next step is to then press the button on the back end of the pencil again and this time, lower the pencil jaws until they touch the top of the tub sharpener. You want to make sure that the pencil lead is bottomed out in the hole while you're doing this step and you aren't picking the lead out of the hole before lowering the pencil to the tub.

Drop the pencil down
until it touches the tub

The final step is to remove the pencil from the 'sharp tip' hole and insert it into the tub itself and turn the pencil around until it stops making a sharpening noise against the metal sharpening ring.

Insert the pencil into the
tub and turn to sharpen.

You're done! Hopefully this resulted in a sharp pencil lead. If not, feel free to post a comment and I'll try to help out.

Review: Uni-ball 2.0 mm Pencil Lead Sharpener

2010-09-10T09:41:00.000-07:00

Uni-ball 2.0mm
Pencil Lead Sharpener

I recently acquired the Uni-ball 2.0 mm Pencil Lead Sharpener from JetPens.com (a wonderfully indulgent online pen and pencil store - highly recommended). I thought it might be useful to share my experiences with it for use with 2mm clutch pencils.

I typically use Staedtler Mars-780 clutch pencils, which are 2mm drafting pencils that accept a wide range of pencil grades. They are the best compromise between a mechanical pencil (e.g., 0.5mm) and a wood-cased pencil. I have long been using the Staedtler tub sharpener but find it a bit inconvenient when doing art shows for a couple of reasons. First, it is a bit bulky so I have to find a pocket to fit it into, which leads to the second issue, namely that if you tip it upside down, the graphite shavings from your previous pencil sharpenings tend to fall out and turn your drawing kit into a fingerprinting scene from CSI.

Isn't it cute?

The clever rotating
cap design

In an attempt to resolve these two issues, I picked up the Uni-ball pencil lead sharpener. It's quite a cute little device. Made of medium-grade plastic, it has a wonderfully ergonomic design. There are no sharp edges or projections to catch on pockets or clothing so it can be slipped into a shirt pocket or even thrown into a pencil case along with your other supplies.

The mechanism is quite simple and basically allows you to sharpen any type of clutch pencil by simply extending the lead into the hole and turning clockwise. Unlike the Staedtler tub sharpener, it doesn't require the lead to be extended to a specific length.

I've included some shots to the right of the sharpener in use to give you an idea of its size - one word, it's small. Very handy but quite a bit smaller than you might imagine given the product shots.

There is one drawback to an otherwise perfect little sharpener. The price. At $9.00 USD, it's simply too expensive to make it a simple solution for most casual pencil users. I draw 5 hours every day so this is sort of a no-brainer for me, especially when I'm at shows. But for those who are casual users, this is most likely too high.

If you happen to break the lead off in the sharpener, see my post on how to rescue your sharpener!

Overall, this sharpener earns 4.5 out of 5 pencils, and is highly recommended for those not on a tight budget and who don't abuse their pencil sharpeners. I would recommend purchasing this sharpener through JetPens.com but be forewarned, you might end up spending a lot more than you planned after browsing through their selection!


4.5 Pencils Highly Recommended

A sketch tribute to J.C. Leyendecker

2010-09-09T12:45:00.000-07:00

Sketch from J.C. Leyendecker painting

James Gurney posted a great overview post of J.C. Leyendecker's drawing process. After looking over some of this basic technques, I was truly impressed by how confident Leyendecker's approach appeared on canvas. His strokes are purposeful yet organic. A rare combination, found only with the true masters. I took it as a challenge to create a sketch of his little boy portrait included in Gurney's post.

The aspects of the painting that really stood out the most to me were the wonderfully bold line work in the painting. There's no doubt that he is a master illustrator and understood the importance of clarity of form. But the other aspect was the beautiful way he captured the reflected light along the cheek, lips and nose in the painting. It really speaks to his knowledge of lighting and his emphasis on keeping things bold yet simple.

I wasn't very familiar with Leyendecker's work, but Gurney's post really makes me intrigued with his techniques. I found a wonderful online portfolio of his sketches and studies for some of his Saturday Evening Post cover pieces. This one made me chuckle aloud...

A couple of new commissions recently completed

2010-08-17T12:04:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple of commissioned drawings that I recently completed. It's been quite a while since I had time to work on some commissions but those familiar black labs that are so common around Missoula have made their reappearance. These two dogs were owned by the same family, Kodak (the first dog) is owned by the mom and Oak (the second) by the daughter. They are a wonderful family and were so understanding about the long delay in getting the drawings completed.

I should hopefully be delivering them sometime this week and am eager to see their reactions to the completed drawings. My wife is doing the framing and is putting her well-developed skills to the test with these two pieces.

I used two different papers for these commissions, the first was done on Canson's wonderful Artboards (bristol plate version) and the second was on my tried and true Strathmore 400 Series Bristol Smooth. Both dogs are around 7.5" x 10" on the page. I will try to post some photos of the framed pieces once they're completed.

New notecards are available for order online!

2010-07-27T08:02:00.000-07:00

We've expanded our range of notecards this year and are offering five new designs. Be sure to check them out on my website:

Why I keep a sketchbook

2010-07-21T09:02:00.000-07:00

There are a lot of reasons to keep a sketchbook and I wanted to offer my approach and what its benefits are to me as an artist.

First off, I wasn't always a sketcher. In fact, it wasn't until about 2 years ago that I started keeping a sketchbook and using it on a regular basis. I sketched infrequently, usually when bored and I never had a clear goal of what I was trying to accomplish when I did sketch. That changed two years or so ago when I decided to get "serious" about sketching.

What type of sketchbook?
People prefer different kinds of sketchbooks but for me, a spiral-bound sketchbook is my favorite. It offers two advantages that a book bound sketchbook doesn't possess. First, you can fold the sketchbook so that you can work on a single page in your lap. This also allows for easy scanning of the pages if you're so inclined. I find myself constantly fighting a book bound sketchbook to stay flat or to work at a specific angle. This isn't an issue with a spiral bound book. The second advantage is that you always have the option of ripping out a particularly bad sketch, although this will truthfully happen much less as your sketching improves. Nevertheless, it's still an option and gives you that extra bit of confidence to try outrageous ideas without the embarrassment of them being a permanent fixture in your sketchbook.

Book bound sketchbooks offer some advantages over spiral bound, namely that they smudge less than a spiral bound book where the pages have a greater tendency to rub against one another. I resolve this issue by using a workable fixative on all of my finished sketches. Another advantage of a book bound sketchbook is that you can draw on two pages at once, creating a working surface twice the size of the sketchbook. I find myself almost never requiring more space in my sketchbook because of the next topic...

What is the size of your sketchbook?I use a 9" x 12" sketchbook to provide plenty of real estate for sketching. I have grown extremely fond of Canson's Field Drawing sketchbooks as the paper is very tough, has just the right amount of tooth for easy sketches, and the pages are slightly off-white making it easier on the eyes when sketching in full sun.

What's your favorite pencil/pen you use when sketching?
Invariably, I use a combination of mechanical pencil whiles sketching. Most frequently will be 0.5mm pencils in 2H for layout of the basic sketch proportions, refining of the subject, and the basic shading. I use HB grade once I've established the roughed in sketch and for refining details. I'll employ a 2B for deep blacks or for accentuating very robust lines like on the shaded side of an object to really make it pop.

How is your sketching different than "drawing"?
My sketching tends to be focused more on form and proportions than getting bogged down with tone. This is why I typically use 0.5mm pencils rather than my standard 2mm clutch pencils that I use for the majority of my finished drawings.

Do you carry a sketchbook with you all the time?
I do not carry my sketchbook wherever I go but I do take a smaller 3" x 5" sketchbook when I think there might be some down time while I'm out. Otherwise, I'll simply carry a pocketable digital camera to take snapshots of things that catch my eye.

Do you have a mobile sketch kit? What's included?

My mobile kit includes a Grande Pajaro field bag which is the perfect size to carry a 5.25" x 8.25" Moleskine sketchbook. I include my three 0.5mm pencils along with a kneaded eraser and a pair of dividers just in case I need to measure proportions in a book or I can hold them up to measure things at a distance.

How often do you sketch? Daily, weekly, never?
I would estimate that I spend dedicated time sketching around 3-5 times a week. It varies based on what else I happen to be working on.

Why do you sketch?
In all honesty, to simply make me a better artist and because all of my heroes keep a sketchbook. Leonardo da Vinci is obviously one of the most renowned for his sketchbooks, but I also admire the sketches of James Gurney, who is one of the most visually creative artists around and produces amazing studies in his sketchbooks, and Robert Bateman who said this about sketching:

"I have just discussed the most important aspect of my work. The technical details matter but are, to me, less interesting. I start with little sketches in pencil about the size of playing cards. I may do one or two or ten until I get the right composition. Since I was an abstract painter in my late 20’s and early 30’s, I can see the simplified shapes - or abstract qualities - on this small crude scale." - Robert Bateman

Moose Study completed

2010-07-13T09:03:00.000-07:00

Just completed a new drawing titled, Moose Study. The reference was from a 2008 trip my wife and I took to Glacier National Park. We were out for an early morning hike along Swiftcurrent Lake when we spotted a beautiful moose cow wading in the water and eventually taking a morning swim around the lake.

I was able to capture quite a few frames while we stood quietly watching her. The original reference was quite a bit brighter and less intimate than the version I've gone with here. Hopefully it conveys the peace and quiet that we experienced that morning. It was a great day.

The drawing is 4"x6" and was drawn on a new paper for me, Canson's Illustration Board. It's a very smooth, extremely durable board that I will definitely be using again. It's great for smaller pieces and really takes the darks well (as is hopefully evident in this piece). I was able to erase details in the shadows and lift graphite very easily while working through the piece. My next piece will employ another version of Canson's artboard, but this time will be their Pure White Drawing Board. It will be interesting to compare the two papers.

Article on art forgery

2010-07-12T12:50:00.000-07:00

An article appearing in The New York Times today describes an exhibit at the National Gallery in New York focusing on the tools used to ensure various works of art are authentic. One of my favorite quotes from the article is

"People love fakes because fakes play into the populist suspicion that much art is really just a scam, a suspicion encouraged by the fancy names wrongly attached to and insane prices often paid for the stuff."

Sometimes, this can be an accurate assessment when discussing high-profile works of art. Another quote might just edge out the previous one for its insight about another artwork of dubious origin:

"Its role in the evolving narratives of art history changes. Its price can go up or down. But cost is not value."

This quote reminds me of the book, Life Inc. by Douglas Rushkoff wherein he states,

"We look to the Dow Jones average as if it were the one true vital sign of our society's health, and the exchange rate of our currency as a measure of our wealth as a nation or worth as a people."

Does a work of art have less artistic value if it's determined that the artist isn't famous? It's an interesting dilemma and one that should make us all pause when admiring art and evaluate it on its own merits. This, of course, is different from setting a price in an auction based on the artist's name -- different market (literally) and the "value" of the artwork is its market price, not necessarily its artistic value.

The article concluded with this reminder:

"But look, never mind what the label says, and you may notice something else about the picture, too, some other truth.
It’s beautiful."

Some experiments in Photoshop

2010-07-08T15:13:00.000-07:00

Here are some recent experiments in Photoshop. Just playing around with the idea of a sketchbook format that has some pizazz!

Legs

2010-07-07T14:28:00.000-07:00

Moving to the other limbs, today's sketchbook page is dedicated to legs. I actually set up my camera for some reference photos of my own leg for one of the sketches. I wanted a reference that showed the shape of the calf when it is in a flexed position and none of my anatomy books had a decent reference.

I realized after setting up my camera and tripod that I don't have a remote trigger for my camera anymore. I used to have one for my Nikon D90 but when I went to a new system, I realized I no longer have one. Well, it was fairly comical to try to press the shutter and hit the mark where I had pre-focused and set up my pose in 2 seconds! Needless to say, it took me several tries to get a decent photo that wasn't blurry and had a relatively interesting geometry.

I am definitely going to investigate a remote control for my camera to help make things a bit easier on myself.

Arm studies

2010-07-01T15:57:00.000-07:00

Today was a great sketching day for some odd reason. I was working my way through Stephen Rogers Peck's Atlas of Human Anatomy for the Artist and really seemed to "get it" for some reason. I've taken most my drawings a bit further than his brilliant pencil strokes, which speaks to how well he is able to convey information with an economy of effort. The book definitely takes a bit of study to grasp some of the fundamentals he's trying to convey but I feel that it is simply the best book around to truly understand the mechanics of the human body.

All of the drawings were done with a 0.5mm mechanical pencil with B lead. Other than a bit of rearranging of the pieces for a more attractive layout and some desaturation to get rid of a color cast, the drawings are unmodified. The sketchbook is Canson's Field Drawing book in 9 1/2" x 12".

Another hand in colored pencil

2010-06-30T11:26:00.000-07:00

Hand in colored pencil #2.

Hand in colored pencil

2010-06-30T08:55:00.000-07:00

I've tried switching things up a bit with this sketch. I used a watercolor pencil (Faber-Castell's Albrecht Dürer in Venetian Red). I also borrowed a bit of hatching around the hand from my good friend Leonardo da Vinci. He really deserves more recognition as his work is pretty solid.

Kidding aside... I've worked from the illustrations in Giovanni Civardi's Complete Guide to Drawing, the section of that book is contained in his volume Drawing Hands and Feet if you're looking for an available copy to help work on your own illustrations.

Beginning the Process
I began this drawing with some very light 2H graphite pencil to establish the basic form of the hand. It took probably more than half of the total drawing time to get this right which is pretty typical for me when focusing on making an accurate drawing. I can't stress the importance of getting this stage right from the beginning. It doesn't matter how good your technical skills are if your proportions are off -- viewers have a lifetime of experience with proper proportions even though most of us probably couldn't articulate what seems wrong without close inspection. I still made a few errors but you'll have to find them yourself if you're interested but one clue is that it has to do with proportions (unsurprisingly). I didn't actually measure any of the proportions which I would definitely do on a more serious effort.

Once I had the rough proportions, I created a clean outline of the entire hand and fingers with an F grade clutch pencil lightly drawn. I then drew over this line with the colored pencil and then began the shading process.

Shading
Shading is basically done by following the undulations of the skin but there was no rigid rule followed here. The key for me is to start lightly and really focus on the 3-dimensional form I am trying to portray. The darker the colored pencil becomes, the more it has a tendency to blob up on the page, meaning it begins clumping together and smearing. This is when having a very sharp pencil makes a huge difference. Try to avoid just smudging your darks, work in layers and employ cross-hatching instead.

At the end, I ended up outlining the hand with some 6B and 2B graphite pencil just to provide a solid outline and a more concrete idea of the form. I'm not sure it was necessary but I seemed to like the overall image better after doing this.

The colored pencil effect has an immediate appeal which might result in me working more in this medium. I've been interested in trying my hand at some life drawing, so this might be a nice medium for that application as well.

I'll definitely be working in colored pencil when I turn to full body studies on toned paper along with charcoal pencil and vine charcoal.

Pelvis illustration

2010-06-29T16:13:00.000-07:00

Turning my sketchbook to the human pelvis today. It's quite an interesting and complex bit of architecture; quite the feat of natural selection in how it pivoted and morphed from the more horizontal primate-style structure designed for knuckle-walking to the upright construction in the early bipedal hominids. The angles the spine creates in the lower back as a result of this design continue to produce back strain even today after over 4 million years of evolution (as I can attest to after my trips to the chiropractor earlier this year).

I included a copy of the illustration with labels as it might appear in an anatomy guide. This is obviously a huge tip of the hat to Stephen Rogers Peck's Atlas of Human Anatomy for the Artist.

The Hand

2010-06-28T08:56:00.000-07:00

The hand is one of those amazing features of the human body that has confused and confounded artists since art began. For some reason, we appear to have a tough time judging the proportions of the hand with its little bits and bumps and it requires very concentrated effort for the beginning artist to begin to unravel its mysteries.

In this post I wanted to walk through the process I take in drawing a hand and the foibles I had along the way. To kick things off, we have to create a general shape for the hand. In this first figure, I have started by creating a very basic outline, what Anthony Ryder refers to as the "mitten" in his book The Artist's Complete Guide to Figure Drawing. It's an outline of the hand that connects the tips of the fingers, the sides of the outer hand, outer thumb and wrist. It's meant to provide a general mass to the hand that can then be divided up into smaller pieces.

Once we have the mitten, it's time to begin blocking in the fingers. My approach has centers around establishing the base collection of bones in the wrist first. This allows me to create a starting point for the rest of the hand. Next comes the middle digit. I start with relatively straight lines for the bones and try to breathe a bit of life into them by gradually curving them to avoid a stiff-looking anatomy.

You might notice that the ring finger has been lengthened in the figure below. I missed that error during the layout but thankfully caught it prior to the next step.

I lay out the basic structure and then start filling in the details, as Ryder describes as "drawing on the inside" of the lines you've created in the previous steps. Once this phase begins, it's a simple process of just continuing to observe your model (an anatomy illustration in this case) and paying attention to the details.

Here is a closeup of the drawing to give you an idea of the detail involved. The wrist is 2" across so this is actually around 125% magnification on your monitor.

Mammoth Skull Sketch

2010-06-24T10:32:00.000-07:00

This sketch was done recently after perusing through my photos from a trip we took to Cincinnati a few years ago. During the trip, we visited the Museum of Natural History & Science which resides within Union Terminal (the old Train Station in Cincinnati which is a beautiful building to visit on its own).

There is a full-size Mammoth skeleton in the atrium of the museum that immediately captured my attention. The lighting on the skeleton was brilliantly done by the staff at the museum and it lent itself nicely to a small drawing.

I've been working on refining my sketching technique based on a new book that I'll be reviewing once I finish it.

The drawing was done on a new paper for me, Strathmore's Field Drawing Book. The sketch is approximately 6" x 4 3/4" and was done primarily in HB with a bit of 2H and 2B in spots.

Color Calibration

2010-06-24T08:22:00.000-07:00

Color management is one of those things that you think, "I should definitely do that... some day". After countless "some days" you find yourself continuing to struggle with a monitor that fails to provide an accurate, objective color scheme for your photos or web graphics. You figure out some poor workarounds and say to yourself, "I should really get a calibration device... some day".

Well, I'm embarrassed to say that it took me a long time to invest in a color management device and I can safely say it will be the best investment I've made in my Macbook Pro. I have always operated under the assumption that a Mac has superior built-in color management compared to a PC so it should be "close enough" to do everything but the most critical work. As it turns out, that was a really bad assumption. My Apple Cinema Display is definitely a whole lot more accurate out of the box than my laptop display, as this little device showed me all too well.

I work mostly in Lightroom and Photoshop on my computer when I do printing and I've always complained about using my laptop to proof my images. I now have nearly complete faith that what I am seeing on the monitor is an objective, accurate representation of the actual colors and tones of the image I am working on. Gone are the days where I've had to do countless test prints to dial in the color of an image.

I read quite a few online reviews, some detailed some (typical of the web) woefully inadequate on specifics. I finally founds an extremely useful comparison of the major brands and devices on the Northlight Images website. Specifically, they discussed the devices, software, ease of use, and accuracy of the profiles created. There are numerous reviews of other devices under the More Info section at the bottom of the page.

The installation of the software is a bit archaic on my Macbook Pro (10.6.4). There is a standalone program on the installation CD along with two other applications that don't quite provide an easy way of determining their function or whether they're required to run the calibration. I simply double-clicked to install each of them and found I only needed one of the three (time wasted and almost solely due to poor installation instructions). Apparently, X-Rite decided a generic installation guide with pictures and multi-platform installation steps would suffice. Well, for the initial installation, it didn't. The Flash-based and PDF-based install instructions were a great addition, however, if you are the type who likes sitting through them. Fortunately, I am, so I was able to determine the majority of what I needed from those two sources.

The software that runs the device is very straightforward and walks you through the simple process of calibrating your display. I had to play around with the white point settings just a bit to get rid of a green cast resulting from using the Native White Point of my laptop and Cinema displays. I reverted to 6500K with a 2.2 gamma and the results were much better! I'd recommend this to anyone complaining of a green cast. There's nothing in the software to indicate that this will fix it, but I've read a few online forums discussing the default settings of the Eye-One Display 2 and they each recommended using 6500K and 2.2 gamma for a Mac.

Overall, this device, albeit a bit pricey as a one-time purchase, will produce reliable, high-quality color for a long time to come. I am planning on upgrading my computer next year and this will be the first change I make to the machine after getting it set up. It's simply that good. I highly recommend it to anyone doing their own printing who wants reliable results.

More skull drawings

2010-06-21T14:42:00.000-07:00

What can I say, I am fascinated by skeletal morphology. If I keep adding miscellaneous parts, someday I might actually have an entire Frankenstein's monster of skeletal pieces that I can assemble into a complete drawing.

These drawings were done in my favorite sketchbook, Canson's Field Drawing book. The skulls are approximately 2.5" in height. I used a variety of pencil grades from 4H to 2B.

More sketch work

2010-06-21T14:38:00.000-07:00

Just like a musician, it's really important for artists to continue practicing their scales, in this case, lighting practice. I've been slowly working my way through Giovanni Civardi's Complete Guide to Drawing and have reached the lighting section as it relates to portraits. He has a nice selection of various lighting schemes set up with a plaster bust seen here in the drawings done from the photos in the book. It was very interesting to see numerous lighting ideas and how they really affected the form of the subject.

Your truly...

2010-06-15T13:08:00.000-07:00

I don't often pose for photos, but this was one of those special moments that required it. The Artist's Choice Award still hasn't fully sunken in, but this photo is a helpful reminder of how indebted I am to my fellow artists whose vote of confidence means the world to me.

Standing embarrassed in front of my drawing.

First Friday, June 4th at the Dana Gallery. See you there!

2010-05-27T15:10:00.000-07:00

I wanted to post a quick announcement that one of my drawings "Grizzly Study" will be on display at the Dana Gallery this month as part of the 2010 Celebration of Missoula Artists.

The First Friday celebration for this year's show kicks off Friday, June 4th at around 5:00 pm. The show runs through June 12th and is showcasing over 100 Missoula artists. I hope to see everyone at the First Friday event.

And for those who didn't see my previous post, I am thrilled to announce that my drawing "Grizzly Study" was awarded this year's Artist's Choice Award.

Artist's Choice Award!

2010-05-27T14:49:00.000-07:00

"Grizzly Study"

Artists Choice Award
2010 Celebration of Missoula Artists

To kick off the good news recently, I had a drawing accepted into this year's Celebration of Missoula Artists at the Dana Gallery in downtown Missoula. I submitted three drawings and "Grizzly Study" (pictured above) was juried into the show. Being accepted was a huge honor and helped buttress my confidence that pencil drawing has a place among the wonderful art in this year's show. This isn't the end of the good news, however.

My wife and I have recently returned from a 5-day horseback trip along the Rocky Mountain Front and I received an e-mail from a friend asking why I wasn't at the reception at the Dana Gallery. She went further to say that I had won an award at the opening. Stunned, I replied to the e-mail with questions and decided to check this rumor out myself the following morning.

We arrived at the gallery the following morning and I was amazed to see a blue ribbon hanging on the frame of my drawing. I'm sure the look of disbelief and general bewilderment helped the staff conclude that I probably needed some kind of explanation of what I was staring at. It turns out that my drawing had been chosen from among the 114 artists accepted into this year's show for the Artists Choice Award.

It might seem strange, but I'm sort of glad that I wasn't actually at the opening night reception because I would have probably fainted. I am completely overwhelmed by the recognition the piece received and am honored to have a pencil drawing selected from among the wonderful pieces in the show. I'll provide details on the First Friday reception in the next post but couldn't wait to share the news!

More anatomical sketches

2010-05-27T14:20:00.000-07:00

Continuing the trend of facial features, this week's work included the ear, nose, and the first version of the mouth, which I'll be working on more, most likely with the nose as well. The sketches are a based on drawings from Stephen Roger Peck's excellent book, Atlas of Human Anatomy for the Artist and from Giovanni Civardi's Complete Guide to Drawing.

The Ear

I haven't studied ears much and was quite intrigued by the complexity when first looking at the ear but how well Peck's book described how to simplify the ear to just a couple of basic structures (middle part of the sketch below). Placement on the head is also important and I was able to go back to Leonardo's notebooks for some good tips on this.

The Nose

The nose is a strange organ. There are numerous facets comprising the nose but basically. The nose can be difficult to figure out without a simplified understanding.

The Mouth

The mouth is also fairly challenging in that no one will notice it unless it's wrong. Peck's book gives a great three-step approach (indicated below) that helps avoid being confused by the masses in the lips.

Skull on tinted paper

2010-04-30T08:55:00.000-07:00

I haven't drawn many skulls since my fascination with Paleoanthropology in college (at one point I really wanted to study ancient hominids). I should have taken the hint in college and studied art alongside my double-major of Anthropology and Philosophy. I would have loved to have been able to draw those things that fascinated me more effectively and perhaps become an artist like John Gurche. Click here to check out an example of his amazing sculpture of a Neanderthal. Humbling and mind-blowing at the same time.

In an effort to re-familiarize myself with human anatomy, I've been drawing and sketching various features. The drawing of a human skull is based on a plate in Stephen Roger Peck's excellent book, Atlas of Human Anatomy for the Artist, which I picked up at a used bookstore in 1991 or so. My copy is literally falling to pieces from being thumbed through, spread flat on a table while sketching, and generally serving to educate me about the human body.

I used charcoal pencil for the darks and a white charcoal pencil for the highlights. The medium tones are comprised of a touch of charcoal in places but mostly is simply the toned paper showing through. This is a new technique for me and I really enjoy being able to work from both ends of the tonal scale rather than simply building up darks with graphite. The charcoal limits the fine details I can produce compared to graphite, but it does push the darks much deeper than is typical for my drawings. This scan is nearly identical in tone to the original.

Here are some of the preliminary drawings I made before the skull drawing.

I've also been reading a new book, The Human Career: Human Biological and Cultural Origins, by Richard G. Klein. It's a textbook, so it's a massive tome (just shy of 1,000 pages) but is definitely a lucid exposition on the field of human origins. I haven't read much in the way of human development since the early 1990's, which was prior to the knowledge boom following the complete sequencing of the human genome. Some of the more recent discoveries have shed significant light on our understanding of our early history and I feel like a student again relearning a subject that has changed significantly since my first exposure.

I'd really like to delve more deeply into scientific illustration as it pertains to human origins and archaeology, so I'm hopeful that there may be opportunities to do this in the future.

The Eyes Have It (or at least they should)

2010-04-21T09:56:00.000-07:00

Drawing eyes realistically can be a finicky business. A drawing can succeed or fail based on how well the artist captures the reality of the eyes. I spend a lot of time sketching eyes and dedicated a page of my sketchbook to working on some of the exercises in Giovanni Civardi's Complete Guide to Drawing which I discussed in my previous post.

Eyes aren't really that difficult, there's simply a lot going on with their construction. First, you have the round iris and pupil at center stage, but the shading on each is handled differently: the pupil is treated as flat whereas the iris can be treated as an inverted bowl. The fleshly parts around the eye have lots of nooks and crannies and here is where an excellent anatomy book can help tease out the various parts.

The mini-tutorial above shows the steps I've followed in creating the eyes in my sketchbook. None of the sketches are perfect (the irises aren't round, the symmetry is off, there are details overemphasized or underemphasized), but the main point is that practice makes perfect. The more you sketch something, the better able you are to recall those details when you draw it later.

I find eyes very satisfying to sketch. They're a good challenge and help keep your technical skills honed. I would highly recommend Giovanni Civardi's book Drawing Portraits to get you on your way to understanding the anatomy more clearly.

Sketching my way through a new book...

2010-04-16T08:44:00.000-07:00

I've recently purchased a new drawing book entitled, Giovanni Civardi's Complete Guide to Drawing. My friend, Diane Wright had a copy and was impressed by the quality of the drawings. It was initially available on Amazon but they discontinued it after I attempted to purchase a copy. Nevertheless, I tracked down an excellent used copy from a bookstore in Washington and have been working my way through it over the last few days.

The sketches below were done based on the excellent drawings in the book and really helped me understand the structure and masses around the eyes, especially with regards to the fatty pads above the outside of the eye.

Civardi's approach is a bit different for me in that he starts with a loose sketch and then creates a faceted version (like you see in the lower-middle sketch below). I have always enjoyed this type of structural study but have approached it as a first step rather than a second, which after trying it does, in fact, work better. I'm looking forward to applying this technique to future drawings.

I'll be posting some of my other sketches from my sketchbook as I work my way through this book. I am impressed with the content so far. The book is made up of Civanni's six standalone books including:

Drawing Techniques
Drawing Portraits (the section I'm working through now)
Drawing the Clothed Figure
Drawing Hands and Feet
Drawing Scenery, and
Drawing Light and Shade

I can't make an official recommendation on whether to buy the book right now but I'll offer my critique of the book along with my evaluation once I'm able to complete it.

A consolidated camera kit

2010-04-16T08:42:00.000-07:00

I have finally completed a consolidation of my camera equipment that's been in progress for the past 18 months. At one point I owned 3 separate camera systems including a Canon 50D with assorted lenses, a Nikon D90 with three lenses, and a Pentax K-7 with a handful of prime lenses. I really enjoyed each of the systems for different reasons but obviously I had to make some smart decisions about what to keep and what to sell. In the end, I decided to return to Canon for one very specific reason: affordable long lenses.

I made the transition official by selling my Nikon and Pentax equipment and using the money to purchase a used Canon 5D Mark II. Of course I don't need 21.1 megapixels, but the other alternatives were the older Canon 5D (which I previously owned and was frustrated with because of dust issues) or the big-boy 1D-series cameras which I simply can't afford. After deciding on the camera, I ended up basically breaking even on my camera purchases which made me feel pretty good.

A lot of people are lured by the claims of full frame cameras being better than cropped sensors and this is partially true but mostly an over-hyped marketing ploy. The real advantages of full frame are for photographers who got used to specific focal ranges and hate having to covert (I'm definitely in this camp) and those who have lenses designed specifically for full frame for their coverage (which I was also a camp member of). In the end, it's not the camera but the photographer taking the photos. You really have to figure out what system makes you want to shoot photos.

We have a wildlife photography trip / horseback riding trip to the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Ranch in May and I will be putting this kit into serious shooting for the first time. Shooting photos around town is much easier than dealing with everything while in the field. I know I'll have a much better understanding of my equipment once this trip is behind me.

Australopithecus sediba find in South Africa

2010-04-09T09:08:00.001-07:00

The incredible hominid discovery just north of Johannesburg, South by paleoanthropologist Lee Berger has yielded an entirely new hominid species, Australopithecus sediba. The finds give researchers yet another clue into yet another branch in the rich and complex history of hominid prehistory.

In hominid study, the age of a specimen is one of the most critical pieces of data in placing it in the proper context. Using uranium-lead dating in the deposits just below the finds, independent labs in Switzerland, and Australia were able to date the deposits in which the fossils were deposited at between 2.024 million and 2.026 million years respectively, with standard deviation of ±62,000 years million years ago. Paleontologists are also able to arrive at similar date ranges based on the animal bones found with the hominid remains

The researchers have uncovered some of the most complete skeletons ever found for a hominid of this age. Two skeletons in particular were noted, one of a young (11-12 years old) boy and an older female. The skull is one of the most complete early hominid skeletons uncovered.

Tim White, the lead scientist in the Ardipithecus ramidus find in 1992-1994, believes that the hominid is more closely aligned with australopithecines than the offshoot that led to modern Homo sapiens. The find could be a smaller verion of more gracile australopithecines like Australopithecus africanus.

Like most tiny pieces of an immense and complex puzzle of hominid development, this will produce as much controversy as clues. Nevertheless, it's an exciting and revealing discovery of the complexity that was sure to have been prevalent in early hominid development. These finds remind me of the quote by Darwin:

"Man with all his noble qualities, with sympathy which feels for the most debased, with benevolence which extends not only to other men but to the humblest living creature, with his god-like intellect which has penetrated into the movements and constitution of the solar system- with all these exalted powers- Man still bears in his bodily frame the indelible stamp of his lowly origins."
- Charles Darwin Descent of Man 1871

Cutthroat Trout Study

2010-04-07T10:53:00.000-07:00

Continuing on the theme of fish, this one is another combination of graphite and watercolor pencil with the Kuretake waterbrush to help blend out the colors into smooth layers.

I had a tough time deciding between the classic cutthroat trout and the westslope cutthroat, which is the species found here in western Montana. I opted for the Westslope Cutthroat (Oncorhynchus clarkii lewisi) since it's in my own backyard.

I tried to keep the drawing about the same size as the rainbow trout so they can be combined together at some point. The details in this version are probably a bit tighter and I actually used a little white gouache to add some highlights

Rainbow Trout Study

2010-04-04T10:05:00.001-07:00

It must be the emerging signs of Spring but I found myself trying out some new watercolor techniques. I started out with a simple sketch of a rainbow trout that ended up working fairly well so I grabbed some watercolor pencils and a Kuretake waterbrush and tried some new ideas that I've been reading about on James Gurney's fantastic blog. For those who have never tried out a waterbrush, you can probably find them at your local art store or can order then online through JetPens.com.

Anyway, this sketch was initially drawn with graphite pencil until I was happy with the general structure and tones of the piece. I then sprayed it with a couple of coats of a workable fixative which sets the graphite on the paper. This method has a fancy French name of grisaille but the term underpainting works just fine as well. Once this was completed and the fixative dry, I used a watercolor pencil to begin adding color to the piece which I then blended and smoothed with a waterbrush. This was the risky portion of the drawing and the one I tacked only after scanning and saving the graphite-only version (you never know when a drawing is bin-bound).

I then subtly toned the water around the fish to bring out the warmer tones in the head and did a little touch up with graphite pencil and some additional watercolor pencil. Overall, I like the effect and will probably explore a brown and cutthroat trout in the next few weeks.

Please feel free to leave comments or simply let me know what you think. The print is available for sale through my website.

Some sketches from The Discovery Channel's: Life

2010-04-03T08:27:00.001-07:00

I've been recording the Life series on the Discovery Channel (caution: the video on the webpage will play automatically when you launch it) and watched the opening episode last night. I was really impressed with all aspects of the program. The mighty Oprah is narrating the series and does a magnificent job. You can really hear the "mother nature" aspect in her voice.

I have to stop and say that I absolute LOVE recordable HD TV. No commercials and the ability to pause a program at any time. I've been pausing the program whenever an image strikes me and I do a quick sketch. This is a great way of training your eye to see better as well as really cementing the memory into your brain.

Here are a couple of the double-page spreads from my sketchbook from last night. These aren't intended to be finished pieces, just 10 minute exercises that train the eye.

Updates to the photo equipment section on my website...

2010-03-29T08:58:00.001-07:00

I finally got around to upgrading my photography equipment section of my website. I've been overhauling my lenses and camera body over the last 18 months, going as far as purchasing three different camera systems to ensure I was making the right choice.

It amazes me that we live in an age where you can buy photography equipment, use it for a while, and sell it for less of a loss than you would take to rent it for a week or so. It's a great way of testing equipment without having to take a huge hit when trading it in to a camera dealer. I have tried the Nikon D90 and the Pentax K-7 and eventually returned to Canon with the purchase of a Canon 50D. I ended up breaking nearly even throughout this entire exchange with perhaps a couple of hundred dollars lost here and there when reselling. Phenomenal!

Anyway, I've updated my website with the new equipment. I'm looking at purchasing either a 5D Mark II or perhaps settling for a 5D for landscape shooting and will update my page once I've made a decision. This will come after selling my 300mm f/4L IS USM and my Nikon D90 with 18-105mm, 70-300mm VR, and 35mm f/1.8G lenses. This will basically cover the cost of even the 5D Mark II so I am hoping to make this happen before our first wildlife photography trip.

Spring is Here! (at least on the ground)

2010-03-27T13:15:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm satisfied that Spring is here. I've not had a chance to hike for a couple of weeks and we finally managed to head out today for a couple of hours. I was pleasantly surprised to find buttercups flowering in numerous places along the trail.

This harbinger of Spring in western Montana is a welcome sight after the rather long, bleak winter we've had here. Combine this wonderful find with the bountiful Bluebirds, Western Meadowlarks, and chittering Robins, and it was clear that Spring is finally here.

Why illustrations are better than photography

2010-03-18T11:34:00.001-07:00

I received an interesting comment on my previous post about Botanical Illustration about why illustrations would be preferable over photographs. I thought it would be worth an in-depth explanation for others who might have the same question.

Not to come to the defense of my work too quickly, but there are four primary reasons that make illustrations more useful than photographs for scientific purposes.

First, illustration allows the artist to enhance particular traits (especially diagnostic ones) and de-emphasize those that aren't critical. With a photograph, the entire image is equally "resolved" with no single feature more prominent. Scientists or enthusiasts looking at the illustrations are focused on the diagnostic features rather than unimportant traits which can be obscured with too many details.

Secondly, the items being drawn are sometimes extremely small. Major features might be only 2-3 mm long with critical details being 0.2mm or even smaller in size. These details are nearly impossible to photograph without specialized equipment.

Third, It is quite difficult to effectively light an object that you are photographing from 1 or 2 cm away. There's simple no way to fit a flash or off-camera light into the space between the lens and the object.

Fourth: and probably most importantly, the samples being used for the illustrations are prepared specimens. In the case of botanical illustrations, I am working from pressed specimens that lose their natural structures in the process. Flowers are crushed flat, leaves no longer curve gracefully like they do in a live specimen. A photograph would be unable to restore "life" to the specimen, but with illustration, the artist can breathe new life into the sample and give it a natural appearance more useful to a botanist.

Good question. I hope that helps give a different perspective on why illustrations are still used in the age of computers. Obviously a lot of illustrators are starting to implement computer illustrations instead of pen & ink, but it requires digitizing tablets to be able to do it effectively.

Tutoring

2010-03-15T10:10:00.001-07:00

I will be starting a tutoring session tonight for an aspiring artist interested in drawing. I've been developing the course outline over the last few weeks and really enjoyed the opportunity to put down on paper the ideas and techniques that have come to be second nature for me. How do I tackle the geometry of a new subject? Do I always establish my tones the same way? When I am trying to create a new texture, do I start with the darks first or does it vary?

Teaching is one of the best ways of really getting to know a subject. To deconstruct, organize, and deliver fairly complex concepts to someone else requires a bit of soul-searching. This has been a great reminder that drawing is a complex, evolving set of techniques that each of us adapts to their own particular style as well as for each subject they are drawing. My hope is that I can get across some of the fundamental ideas and provide a basis for improving her drawing ability without forcing my particular style into the lessons.

As part of the preparation for the sessions, I recommended two books that were instrumental in helping me get started with drawing realistically. In order of complexity, they are J.D. Hillberry's Drawing Realistic Textures in Pencil, a concise guide to using charcoal, graphite, and carbon pencil to create realistic textures.

The more advanced book was written by my friend and mentor, Mike Sibley, titled, Drawing from Line to Life. Mike's book is comprehensive and covers the entire drawing process from sketching to realistic drawings.

I'll be posting a review of each of these books in upcoming blog entries. If you're looking to get started with drawing, I'd highly recommend J.D. Hillberry's book. If you've drawn for some time but are looking for a more thorough coverage of the challenges of pencil drawing, Mike's book is a great step up.

Where is that "Rich" guy?

2010-03-12T13:22:00.001-08:00

First off, let me apologize for the extended absence from my website, newsletters, and life in general. I am still alive, and yes, I am still drawing. I have been fortunate to have picked up a couple of projects that are keeping me very busy with very little free time for the last several months. I'll talk a bit more about them in an upcoming blog post but wanted to provide a brief update on what I've been working on.

Botanical Illustration

I was approached at the end of 2008 (see my website for the approximate point where I stopped posting) by a botanist from the University of Montana who was looking for an illustrator for a project he is working on. He had worked with a couple of other illustrators in town and was looking for someone to work on the final phase of the project. I freely admitted that my knowledge of plants was fairly limited but I was a sucker for punishment. He recommended we arrange a meeting to talk about the project and what he was looking for.

We discussed the project in detail and it sounded like a great opportunity to 1) expand my knowledge of the flora of Montana, 2) get back to some scientific illustration similar to what I loved doing in the early 90's, and 3) pick up a technical pen again for the first time in over 15 years.

The project is being funded by the US Forest Service through the Montana Native Plant Society and will culminate in the publication of a book at some point in 2010. The book is aimed at botanists more than the general public. There are a gazillion illustrations for the book and I signed on for the final 18-months of work. I have been working feverishly to be finished ahead of the deadline so there will be plenty of time for revisions, changes, or additions prior to going to press.

I have really enjoyed the work and have learned a lot about numerous genera of plants. I am hopeful that this experience can lead to other botanical illustration projects or other illustration projects in general.

Technical Aspects

I adopted a two-stage approach to the illustrations where I draw a fairly refined pencil drawing of each of the species. This is done in my favorite sketchbook, the Canson Field Drawing Book. The paper in the sketchbook is quite durable, allowing fairly easy erasing of allows me to draw fairly quickly but easily allows for fine details. There is a similar sketchbook called the Canson Field Sketch Book but the paper in it is quite thin and not nearly as resilient.

Once these semi-finished drawings are completed, I transfer the outlines to a bristol paper. After trying out about 10 different papers for use with pen & ink I settled on Strathmore 500 Series Vellum. Because it is cotton-based, it works great with pen & ink and I find myself using it for more pencil illustrations as well. I happened to have some of this paper on hand but I have to admit that cartoonist Tom Richmond really demonstrates why it is so useful for pen & ink.

The shading is done with stippling which is totally different than pencil work. Not only is it far more time-consuming, it also requires you to use the appropriate pen nib size. I frequently rely on a 0.25mm technical pen (Rapidograph 3x0 for those geeks out there) as it is very durable and can withstand the constant tap-tap-tapping caused by the thousands of tiny little dots.

An Abstruse Lexicon

I am just over the two-thirds point of the project and am starting to feel like I am beginning to learn a bit about plants. Oh, for those who've never taken a botany course in college or read a scientific journal, the technical jargon for various plant parts are simply mystifying. I'm not versed in Latin nor in botany so I keep my dictionary handy to look up "hard words". Examples include words like "hirsute", "campanulate", "foveate", along with a host of other "grown-up" words. Oh, by the way, the term "abstruse" used in the title of this section means "difficult to understand", it's a perfect way of summing up my feelings about botanical jargon.

I've created a separate Botanical Illustration page on my Drawings page. The four 'Carex' drawings begin to show true stippling techniques and will resemble the majority of remaining illustrations. The drawings may at some point be offered as prints and the finished book will be available sometime next year.

More information to come about additional botanical illustrations...

Technorati Tags:
botanical, illustration, drawing

The world of blogging revisited

2010-03-12T09:43:00.001-08:00

It's been quite some time since I considered a blog as a way of keeping in touch with friends. I've been using my website as my primary means of updating information about prints and projects but since it's a static object, it's hard to alert folks when new things are posted. It seems like a blog might be a better means of providing updates on an ongoing basis.

I've got a few ideas that seem like they are good areas to cover but I am interested in your ideas as well. New drawings, technical topics involved with drawing including materials, tools, and various techniques, it might be interesting to include a few reviews along the way of things like different pencils, books, or even other artists but I am open to other ideas as well.

Since I am also still planning on sending out a quarterly newsletter (resuming in the second quarter of 2010), this blog will serve as a great means of populating information for that as well, especially in case people haven't been actively following the blog.

I look forward to hearing your ideas in the comments section and am open to ideas for future posts that you'd like to see covered. If you've had a questions about either my artwork or drawings in general, feel free to post the question or send me an e-mail. I'll try to cover these question in future blog entries.

Have a great Spring!