tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57726208121422115852024-02-06T21:36:23.007-06:00Revenge of the PencilSketching in Seattle, New Orleans, and all places in-betweenAlexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15774411160286125361noreply@blogger.comBlogger156125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5772620812142211585.post-63044753467106693102017-02-20T11:04:00.001-06:002017-02-20T11:06:06.354-06:00Nothing Lasts ForeverI've been posting to this blog since 2008 and I have enjoyed it immensely, but the internet seems to have moved on to other modes of communication. I really appreciate everyone who has come here to look at and comment on my drawings. You are all welcome to follow me on Instagram at <a href="https://www.instagram.com/alexwalker_himself">https://www.instagram.com/alexwalker_himself</a>. Revenge of the Pencil signing off.Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15774411160286125361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5772620812142211585.post-20547774967738827872017-02-02T16:36:00.002-06:002017-02-02T16:38:04.697-06:0030 Drawings in 30 Days<div style="margin-bottom:10px;">
The amazing people at the <a href="https://seattleartistleague.com/">Seattle Artist League</a> ran a daily drawing exercise throughout the month of January. Much to my own surprise, I did stick with it and did all 30. I wasn't always happy with the results, but I did learn something from all of them and I am very grateful to the good people at SAL for putting it all together. Here are a few selections:</div>
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Day 1: 15-minute self-portrait
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBhO7HpGp75T7sS0Lwq_jAE_GcGnAJmLbFc-0waWuTnkQyg9yBKTnVgpb3KDO1i_QJRmukBG2DSqVzbaGooXAwMHYwIBCFlTxXkx4b7NB5pWPOmZZmAnsg4RYcUuxXoTBm0LtH06TU4w4/s1600/self.jpeg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBhO7HpGp75T7sS0Lwq_jAE_GcGnAJmLbFc-0waWuTnkQyg9yBKTnVgpb3KDO1i_QJRmukBG2DSqVzbaGooXAwMHYwIBCFlTxXkx4b7NB5pWPOmZZmAnsg4RYcUuxXoTBm0LtH06TU4w4/s320/self.jpeg" width="240" height="320" /></a>
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Day 3: Automatic Drawing - Put pen to paper and watch what happens
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFJukZbPSiOhDtFYhIXRmjlU2Ys6YYQkV01Rzqz0ZkklgAxRQr9JR71TN0HvU4BINP0UWs3LKuWYbsyZeLuwNd00szdPMF1j1xBZ65C9cnyuOQsSptsA1_4m37cnzTLCOfFCVpJ5nQIZ0/s1600/auto.jpeg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFJukZbPSiOhDtFYhIXRmjlU2Ys6YYQkV01Rzqz0ZkklgAxRQr9JR71TN0HvU4BINP0UWs3LKuWYbsyZeLuwNd00szdPMF1j1xBZ65C9cnyuOQsSptsA1_4m37cnzTLCOfFCVpJ5nQIZ0/s320/auto.jpeg" width="210" height="320" /></a>
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Day 12: Combine features from different species and invent a new animal
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfz4I6WjX66eoXHTd_m-v7U3F3mfIXnr2AArNGlvyUnAlqXSB5ga7tzNMWdHYDG9pVzcFv3OSyCqBKLfmB59-UHm_hoSZZm9z9nPSCKRibsclleaYd6VkZOLVHd7EI83Ooy6Yi8y6E7j8/s1600/woof.jpeg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfz4I6WjX66eoXHTd_m-v7U3F3mfIXnr2AArNGlvyUnAlqXSB5ga7tzNMWdHYDG9pVzcFv3OSyCqBKLfmB59-UHm_hoSZZm9z9nPSCKRibsclleaYd6VkZOLVHd7EI83Ooy6Yi8y6E7j8/s320/woof.jpeg" width="240" height="320" /></a>
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Day 15: Draw the body as a vessel
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBmTpNxREkiXuA5OxPEqLkkK0mhHX-TBJjyD8t6xebkoY8i7XLiv63WHWTyIDWCKfXjd2-lrV5KYp-9v8uF9UT0fbcgOP_YMNVZWTTuZ3biHe290OGNT5KAAOGTknoea5cvWWTSpDqETk/s1600/vessel.jpeg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBmTpNxREkiXuA5OxPEqLkkK0mhHX-TBJjyD8t6xebkoY8i7XLiv63WHWTyIDWCKfXjd2-lrV5KYp-9v8uF9UT0fbcgOP_YMNVZWTTuZ3biHe290OGNT5KAAOGTknoea5cvWWTSpDqETk/s320/vessel.jpeg" width="320" height="194" /></a>
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Day 23: Draw something that completes an existing scene
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSP8wqLsQCgWC9FKAf3uUeUfMlKzmX40ZJ7HOyMEtprmZJY9feycgwuZar79gBJBgvBUVocvG0n3Gq6bXjPrd3uTOt05-pZmLohcFbteyjgO3H85T8VIaYD2IYeNJJSyP1V8f1BujdUaw/s1600/toaster.jpeg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSP8wqLsQCgWC9FKAf3uUeUfMlKzmX40ZJ7HOyMEtprmZJY9feycgwuZar79gBJBgvBUVocvG0n3Gq6bXjPrd3uTOt05-pZmLohcFbteyjgO3H85T8VIaYD2IYeNJJSyP1V8f1BujdUaw/s320/toaster.jpeg" width="320" height="204" /></a>
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Day 27: Draw a self portrait with something fabulously distracting on your head
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHHiHpzo9bhD-sreDiSuJz46ra_5rvefoxLx_sYHWEAWV_6IulsXF6cLU5-bhBLv5aN5mi8xsav_Cb2KlhP9DW_gTJ4EVqayqpUpDvHsFEYt_uzkTNpoTNvkjIUsdFb3Yz0Ok1tiG7A1I/s1600/onhead.jpeg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHHiHpzo9bhD-sreDiSuJz46ra_5rvefoxLx_sYHWEAWV_6IulsXF6cLU5-bhBLv5aN5mi8xsav_Cb2KlhP9DW_gTJ4EVqayqpUpDvHsFEYt_uzkTNpoTNvkjIUsdFb3Yz0Ok1tiG7A1I/s320/onhead.jpeg" width="195" height="320" /></a>
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Day 28: Draw a rooster, for New Year
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs7Su3RB_7wPkq63AD8S-WJUbaa7MyBuNjeYb7vCArtHxgEnWOHFx1JfYTOliuHk338x3aoreOljCx7ydpnyXlqc5OvN4ULyqXC1IUrZGOKom3T9A2MLQ6aRoDR9sRC9gG-4XOXZ3ZiSA/s1600/rooster.jpeg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs7Su3RB_7wPkq63AD8S-WJUbaa7MyBuNjeYb7vCArtHxgEnWOHFx1JfYTOliuHk338x3aoreOljCx7ydpnyXlqc5OvN4ULyqXC1IUrZGOKom3T9A2MLQ6aRoDR9sRC9gG-4XOXZ3ZiSA/s320/rooster.jpeg" width="320" height="199" /></a>
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Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15774411160286125361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5772620812142211585.post-38088414377229610852016-12-31T18:22:00.004-06:002016-12-31T18:22:58.858-06:00Sktchy<div>I've been spending a lot of time lately on sktchy (<a href="http://www.sktchy.com/">www.sktchy.com</a>), an iPhone/iPad app that works a lot like the Julia's Portrait Party group on flickr. It's a really vibrant group of artists and I would encourage anyone with even a passing interest in drawing and painting portraits to have a look. These are a couple of my recent entries.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU674GXRzZVEEDSOCIaE0TtvHprQoRjKi-GFHIDEk5NYgs_tFRrOP62AeBSknP9seqYTfD2cJkaA4Kt31y70CXDfPmJJJmXjRcKNYKOxqX-jBxe2ih7NNY8bBlrNfKcGpxZxH8cX5fkcs/s1600/sktcky1230.png" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU674GXRzZVEEDSOCIaE0TtvHprQoRjKi-GFHIDEk5NYgs_tFRrOP62AeBSknP9seqYTfD2cJkaA4Kt31y70CXDfPmJJJmXjRcKNYKOxqX-jBxe2ih7NNY8bBlrNfKcGpxZxH8cX5fkcs/s320/sktcky1230.png" width="214" height="320" /></a>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSpdaX1188xZVPHZymxggNep-9k0YBffwPLM-6MhVGyqW6UOmh_aWrlQRo78YbaHHOiRX4R9fyYDkzkGwbYIdOBT_7nmrrrmQGP9VfzzwAa3Jh5A2PQTf0BLmlOG-YDk6WRnM0X7j5U_M/s1600/sktchy03.png" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSpdaX1188xZVPHZymxggNep-9k0YBffwPLM-6MhVGyqW6UOmh_aWrlQRo78YbaHHOiRX4R9fyYDkzkGwbYIdOBT_7nmrrrmQGP9VfzzwAa3Jh5A2PQTf0BLmlOG-YDk6WRnM0X7j5U_M/s320/sktchy03.png" width="213" height="320" /></a>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMGUxECY5kmHieX3Qqc-Tfhal6QY9Yn5cl7wb6tQD5nzygSSMbZOgl_fk2xvH_sTf2e6WtCGCfxEey9ndn3pYKNjOqDbtgLWRTbuEKBqjQAaUNbRJOnm6UrAogp49YRQ10DCF4irbDShA/s1600/sktchy02.png" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMGUxECY5kmHieX3Qqc-Tfhal6QY9Yn5cl7wb6tQD5nzygSSMbZOgl_fk2xvH_sTf2e6WtCGCfxEey9ndn3pYKNjOqDbtgLWRTbuEKBqjQAaUNbRJOnm6UrAogp49YRQ10DCF4irbDShA/s320/sktchy02.png" width="227" height="320" /></a>
</div>Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15774411160286125361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5772620812142211585.post-59439641368076640822016-09-24T19:06:00.000-05:002016-09-24T19:06:18.618-05:00Gasworks Park<div>
We are enjoying the last gasp of sunshine here in Seattle before clouds and rain set in for a few months of the grey drizzle for which we are so rightly famous. What better way to spend the morning than sitting in Gasworks Park with the oatmeal sketchbook?
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Gi6z_jMuVhb5eiuw00jLQbxwYwxarVXNWnLT8rzUJxeQU9JJ3dbLsmcAdyat-QtccHVMNIGJdFQgO_lt_-K4xgvdxyQetkztcqqeynU4cbMSaP2_SahVQ6vYzzFmiHdTxgDdzRfQGmM/s1600/gasworks.png" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Gi6z_jMuVhb5eiuw00jLQbxwYwxarVXNWnLT8rzUJxeQU9JJ3dbLsmcAdyat-QtccHVMNIGJdFQgO_lt_-K4xgvdxyQetkztcqqeynU4cbMSaP2_SahVQ6vYzzFmiHdTxgDdzRfQGmM/s320/gasworks.png" width="246" height="320" /></a>
</div>Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15774411160286125361noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5772620812142211585.post-14218059081250746882016-09-04T15:13:00.003-05:002016-09-04T15:16:11.731-05:00The Owls Are Not What They Seem<div>
This was drawn from a photo in a calendar put out by the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle, which one of my co-workers was kind enough to share with me. It seems to me that the owl in the middle is probably the boss, but I can't help feeling like the one on the left has big plans to knock him off the top of the heap as soon as he lets his guard down. He and the other owl probably laugh at Boss Owl behind his back as they hatch all sorts of plans for hilarious owl-pranks involving rubber mice.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXqHW02qZ1chCKku4D42EnuSb1PyYy5KKYOWvGFyzJqwXope73EzCB0gKIUHsipBQKxAJ6GJsv97NYc8vTnOGMVtphVog4SrKHSmJVVKow7il9XZUMBRccNTUhlJUk7oA3N1TaI3Sb9sE/s1600/owls.png" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXqHW02qZ1chCKku4D42EnuSb1PyYy5KKYOWvGFyzJqwXope73EzCB0gKIUHsipBQKxAJ6GJsv97NYc8vTnOGMVtphVog4SrKHSmJVVKow7il9XZUMBRccNTUhlJUk7oA3N1TaI3Sb9sE/s320/owls.png" width="320" height="232" /></a>
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Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15774411160286125361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5772620812142211585.post-65195618393263289142016-08-07T16:33:00.000-05:002016-08-07T16:33:07.018-05:00Emu: Livestock of the Future<div>
A million years ago (well, the 1990s) I took a road trip to Oregon with a couple of my roommates. Oregon is really beautiful and we saw all sorts of stunning natural wonders, but I think I speak for everyone involved when I say that the highlight of the whole trip was the billboard outside of the emu farm declaring it to be the "livestock of the future." It would appear that the emu-dominated future hasn't quite arrived yet, but I'm sure it's just around the corner.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjNi3LNt82-Q0cWg1AoIIMuH1a-k_qOmEk0ITj2HhkFQ_eP6qtp9F6tpq0Q98pb8E4xTOtnjcLUS4ep3tT_0HAZP9_B81pz4NIEFeCVL03FSyP5iv9cd8jLK6-u6sHmG75_naMAX7oQTg/s1600/emu.png" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjNi3LNt82-Q0cWg1AoIIMuH1a-k_qOmEk0ITj2HhkFQ_eP6qtp9F6tpq0Q98pb8E4xTOtnjcLUS4ep3tT_0HAZP9_B81pz4NIEFeCVL03FSyP5iv9cd8jLK6-u6sHmG75_naMAX7oQTg/s320/emu.png" width="202" height="320" /></a>
</div>Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15774411160286125361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5772620812142211585.post-14090257856904105582016-08-03T19:38:00.000-05:002016-08-03T19:38:57.289-05:00Birthday Sketching at the Museum of Flight<div>
Today is my birthday and I decided to spend a good chunk of it running around the Seattle Museum of Flight drawing the airplanes. It was all kinds of fun and I really recommend this place to anyone who has a chance to see it. These drawings are all dedicated to my dad, who loved airplanes his entire life and who I really wish I could have shared this with.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio0yGiYkSdN5U68H5zYrdbX-1BhZFo-0tb2o4XZprn69xpJzWLs5HBAMq4mnnkmaP6lMTJTaGly8OEE7YdIROP5Ws_5pTCM-PoNkWQwRYOON3Hap5WvoOmClhqA7u80QqK8Dz4fZ19z_c/s1600/mof01.png" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio0yGiYkSdN5U68H5zYrdbX-1BhZFo-0tb2o4XZprn69xpJzWLs5HBAMq4mnnkmaP6lMTJTaGly8OEE7YdIROP5Ws_5pTCM-PoNkWQwRYOON3Hap5WvoOmClhqA7u80QqK8Dz4fZ19z_c/s320/mof01.png" width="320" height="193" /></a>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7jU0s81UEUgNUE96-HhQi2P67AdWl5rMIstYBT458YdPfB-7MHIqzyHB0MGKbjgBgttBwdXZbOKzcL5r3ux-JgEIUJC2Jg_jZ4gd1XnmP1T8aj1qK2XWRMy52vsTGJueLDV06rsbWxtA/s1600/mof02.png" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7jU0s81UEUgNUE96-HhQi2P67AdWl5rMIstYBT458YdPfB-7MHIqzyHB0MGKbjgBgttBwdXZbOKzcL5r3ux-JgEIUJC2Jg_jZ4gd1XnmP1T8aj1qK2XWRMy52vsTGJueLDV06rsbWxtA/s320/mof02.png" width="320" height="191" /></a>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGGtF51PFNWK6IxVRZ0E5Csy7xJ7UiysYQ7GhBwto3__rJadWZFC_HcYG1xrmPBHHgy-Bvox71m_GxZrjeVliEbKhB1yNHEsNUZSWpczM2l34-8y3yQ5kgDSvPsny-gnztt6xIaQMf-F8/s1600/mof03.png" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGGtF51PFNWK6IxVRZ0E5Csy7xJ7UiysYQ7GhBwto3__rJadWZFC_HcYG1xrmPBHHgy-Bvox71m_GxZrjeVliEbKhB1yNHEsNUZSWpczM2l34-8y3yQ5kgDSvPsny-gnztt6xIaQMf-F8/s320/mof03.png" width="320" height="202" /></a>
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Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15774411160286125361noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5772620812142211585.post-72017739874579232692016-03-06T16:18:00.000-06:002016-03-06T16:18:26.300-06:00Lokapala at the Seattle Asian Art Museum<div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbAL_ClDIAI_WyGhiaMCNscXy5CO1UaKs-dg6JSDtuRmExTMgM5IrdTtGNIgT3HACOgeqp38Cudvni5jWw5tNfiHPXOLzZcryu7SSSPHbY0HgCZNM0twmwP5HukPo-nHvnJtXNRFB8W8g/s1600/lokapala.png" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbAL_ClDIAI_WyGhiaMCNscXy5CO1UaKs-dg6JSDtuRmExTMgM5IrdTtGNIgT3HACOgeqp38Cudvni5jWw5tNfiHPXOLzZcryu7SSSPHbY0HgCZNM0twmwP5HukPo-nHvnJtXNRFB8W8g/s320/lokapala.png" /></a>
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This pencil drawing was done in a couple of sittings at the Seattle Asian Art Museum. The sculpture is labeled as a lokapala from the 8th/9th century. Yeah, I didn't know what a lokapala was either but, according to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lokapala">Wikipedia</a>, it is a guardian of the world and one of the "Four Heavenly Kings." It also makes for an imposing figure as it stares down at you from the museum wall.
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Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15774411160286125361noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5772620812142211585.post-91967073615100618522016-03-02T22:06:00.001-06:002016-03-02T22:06:07.993-06:00Exit, Pursued by a Bear <div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidPffw2J-IUduvLcNiht9CrT6goDk4obv0f3WZZ9qpOCGKtc6oAUE_ZBsNpZ5qFFk-MTEReT8VMoz1IY4D9lW_yV7yWJdMIK1HXvX14UuCVsDOy_a7Ng9HmcBzWPpVVqLtjgvOuWzRmo8/s1600/bear.png" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidPffw2J-IUduvLcNiht9CrT6goDk4obv0f3WZZ9qpOCGKtc6oAUE_ZBsNpZ5qFFk-MTEReT8VMoz1IY4D9lW_yV7yWJdMIK1HXvX14UuCVsDOy_a7Ng9HmcBzWPpVVqLtjgvOuWzRmo8/s320/bear.png" /></a>
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I recently went to see the National Theater Live production of Shakespeare's "Winter's Tale" with Kenneth Branagh and Judi Dench. The performances were amazing and I really enjoyed the play, especially when they got to the part featuring the greatest stage direction ever written: "Exit, pursued by a bear." I've been thinking a lot about bears ever since, so I decided to dip back into the endless treasure trove that is the National Geographic web site and try my hand at a bear drawing. Here's hoping I never find myself pursued by one.
</div>Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15774411160286125361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5772620812142211585.post-4243989520063206022015-11-28T12:41:00.000-06:002016-03-14T10:41:33.353-05:00Return to the Portrait Party<div>
Ah, <a href="https://www.flickr.com/groups/portraitparty/">Julia Kay's Portait Party</a>. Still one of the best things on the internet. This is a dump of a few of my drawings over the past couple of months that have been collecting dust as I have been too lazy to pull the scanner down off the shelf. In my defense, it is kind of a high shelf and there's been a lot of football on TV.
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Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15774411160286125361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5772620812142211585.post-86719853708688363652015-07-06T21:44:00.000-05:002015-07-06T21:44:39.967-05:00Helen Mirren is Unspeakably Cool<div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0f9U9d7pRm-D6xrdXIfJHxj588TpWR0khglN8zAnV7imP2gR1o-A0Jhzq6UADiZ_MPKH8ePK6nqyE_AMTE_Tcw1g5_CCDcSJIC6pJAIM17Ff530xgepcJTmyeGKkm3UQlX6VrtCBmX_A/s1600/heln_mirren.png" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0f9U9d7pRm-D6xrdXIfJHxj588TpWR0khglN8zAnV7imP2gR1o-A0Jhzq6UADiZ_MPKH8ePK6nqyE_AMTE_Tcw1g5_CCDcSJIC6pJAIM17Ff530xgepcJTmyeGKkm3UQlX6VrtCBmX_A/s320/heln_mirren.png" /></a>
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This photo of Helen Mirren riding the New York subway with perfect grace and style made the rounds of the internet a while back and I just couldn't resist giving it a try. My hope is to one day be 1/116th as cool as she is.
</div>Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15774411160286125361noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5772620812142211585.post-4459890044912670682015-07-05T12:25:00.000-05:002015-07-05T12:43:15.776-05:00Return of the Lunchtime Sketch<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnvTOpErDnjxrcXvsHVv-rHb7nkmReT-WX2_7b992KXJoVwzmN5xTYCwozNi2vr68bvmXm22IXetS9tHUMNeiCR6hj-jEviLFQehPn1DSfFEwDawowxlAnWBhEWlo5PjJ-oXZRY0bRRqQ/s1600/first_hill_house.png" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnvTOpErDnjxrcXvsHVv-rHb7nkmReT-WX2_7b992KXJoVwzmN5xTYCwozNi2vr68bvmXm22IXetS9tHUMNeiCR6hj-jEviLFQehPn1DSfFEwDawowxlAnWBhEWlo5PjJ-oXZRY0bRRqQ/s320/first_hill_house.png" /></a>
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When I lived in New Orleans, I would often head out on my lunch break to do a bit of drawing. This was sometimes a bit limiting since I spent most of my time working out in the suburbs, where the amazing architecture that has made New Orleans famous is replaced by strip malls and grim industrial buildings. Still it made for a nice break. I've done a lot less of that since I've lived in Seattle, but I have high hopes that I might get back into it. Here's my first attempt in a while, a house a few blocks from from my workplace in the First Hill neighborhood. This was done in ink over two short sessions that left me just enough time to get back to my desk and eat my sandwich.
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Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15774411160286125361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5772620812142211585.post-78152736528088718132015-04-05T14:07:00.001-05:002015-04-05T14:10:18.324-05:00Oily Experiments<div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-dfDabzQgj0Ep8FL4pXHHF_z3lx5hR2ayYJG2zI1rub9VtEr-wXOtbRr3gLS7NDPecHU4NGB4sghVmCLlGvHEVAgodP-9b5drwmgRW8rAn8OmqkBgBfYFIeMzVujXCbxuL5i_4_rC_24/s1600/Giovanni_Benedettini_jkpp.png" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-dfDabzQgj0Ep8FL4pXHHF_z3lx5hR2ayYJG2zI1rub9VtEr-wXOtbRr3gLS7NDPecHU4NGB4sghVmCLlGvHEVAgodP-9b5drwmgRW8rAn8OmqkBgBfYFIeMzVujXCbxuL5i_4_rC_24/s320/Giovanni_Benedettini_jkpp.png" /></a>
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One of the most exciting things about my new place in Seattle was an extra bedroom with good ventilation that my wife and I planned to use as a combined office/studio. We are now approaching the one-year anniversary of our move into the aforementioned "new" place and I have only just gotten around to setting up the easel and dusting off the box of oil paint that has been sitting in my closet for longer than I care to admit. The glacial pace of my studio set-up should come as a surprise to exactly 0% of all of the people who have ever met me.
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For my first attempt, I decided to head over to Julia Kay's Portrait Party for source material (the original post is <a href="https://www.flickr.com/groups/1384462@N22/discuss/72157645332409402/72157651315626907/">here</a>). This is my first ever attempt at a portrait in oil. I'll be the first to admit that I totally missed the tilt of the head, but I like to think I managed to capture a bit of the life of the original photo. It was also lots of fun to play around with, so there may be more of these.
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Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15774411160286125361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5772620812142211585.post-2021693613062945142015-03-07T21:31:00.000-06:002015-03-07T21:31:10.843-06:00Welcome Back, Adam<div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzh5TVtCVJKjPcO3fvX7-kMoMXglSsisJh_7kHxgQTedy_QpFLDxBHdZ6XcK_XBkcuB9UGFyINl0nOTBC29nHyw0bPSHeeHx46oE-awWWwzV2aY5RD_LosLtkPyuIl5Tdsp0IQdoZTwDI/s1600/adam_nyt.png" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzh5TVtCVJKjPcO3fvX7-kMoMXglSsisJh_7kHxgQTedy_QpFLDxBHdZ6XcK_XBkcuB9UGFyINl0nOTBC29nHyw0bPSHeeHx46oE-awWWwzV2aY5RD_LosLtkPyuIl5Tdsp0IQdoZTwDI/s320/adam_nyt.png" /></a>
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This drawing was done in compressed charcoal and is based on a photo in the New York Times from an article published a couple of months ago about a statue of Adam by Tullio Lombardo. The statue was smashed to pieces in an accident at the Metropolitan Museum of Art that is still something of a mystery (one of the conservators says that he suspects "foul play"). The museum spent about a decade putting it back together and restoring it to something very close to its original state. The article itself (read it <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/09/arts/design/recreating-adam-from-hundreds-of-fragments-after-the-fall.html?_r=0">here</a>) is a really fascinating account of a restoration effort that would not have been possible without some impressive technological advances and an incredibly dedicated group of people. I look forward to seeing it in person the next time I make it to New York.
</div>Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15774411160286125361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5772620812142211585.post-64656425429892564602015-03-01T20:38:00.000-06:002015-03-01T20:38:50.168-06:00First Baptist Church, Seattle<div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKjlns_NcajMU0YjoEXzfXw4MuUUQgN_fnjd8oN8cRNxVy5arbWjjqBeBQpakzZmbSldVR-6K6-TiQILkLlQYk0EhmUGcJUSSeWdJcmpd3EUN5QMlHH5fyGWjuGizSqgPonYyfifLw9Wc/s1600/first_baptist.png" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKjlns_NcajMU0YjoEXzfXw4MuUUQgN_fnjd8oN8cRNxVy5arbWjjqBeBQpakzZmbSldVR-6K6-TiQILkLlQYk0EhmUGcJUSSeWdJcmpd3EUN5QMlHH5fyGWjuGizSqgPonYyfifLw9Wc/s320/first_baptist.png" /></a>
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Every now and then, the sun does actually come out in Seattle. This is especially rare in the month of February, so when it happens all of us Seattle-ites rush outside in a desperate attempt to acquire a little Vitamin D. It also provides an opportunity to draw on location, so I took my skecthbook a few blocks down the hill and tried my hand at the First Baptist Church. I do wish I had set up the composition in such a way that the entire steeple had fit on the page, but other than that I'm pretty happy with how things came out. I look forward to doing more of this when summer rolls around.
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Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15774411160286125361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5772620812142211585.post-25045255859729530042015-02-20T21:45:00.002-06:002015-02-20T21:45:48.344-06:00When Is It Done?<div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip8Wyj8KuBhmRNrSpIKbcIw4esvqmk5ESaM0KfIS_Qc64rKjqZeNhCvcmbgv79MWbZK3Z9CxjPtdR5oHw0qS5Z8cSuDe1A47_WHl2AtyxZUgurcCHLIuHRFffGOApr_XxHMGJHA8HNdDQ/s1600/bresson.png" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip8Wyj8KuBhmRNrSpIKbcIw4esvqmk5ESaM0KfIS_Qc64rKjqZeNhCvcmbgv79MWbZK3Z9CxjPtdR5oHw0qS5Z8cSuDe1A47_WHl2AtyxZUgurcCHLIuHRFffGOApr_XxHMGJHA8HNdDQ/s320/bresson.png" /></a>
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This was an interesting exercise in learning when to step away. I have ruined many a drawing by getting overly fussy and deciding that some extra detail needed to be included or some element that I had labored over really needed to be erased and re-done.
<P>This is a pencil drawing based on a photograph by Henri Cartier-Bresson, from the catalog of a retrospective of his work that I was very fortunate to be able to see in San Francisco a few years ago. There's a lot more going on in the original photo than I included here and the angle of the figure's head is totally wrong but, after stepping back from it, I decided that it had gone far enough and that I needed to put down my pencil before things started to go downhill. I'm still not sure if this was the right decision, but at this point I think I'm ready to declare it "as good as it's going to get" and move on to the next one.
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Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15774411160286125361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5772620812142211585.post-29122669098687853982015-01-25T15:15:00.001-06:002015-01-25T15:15:56.551-06:00Me Vs. Hans Baldung Grien<div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM-gOX4N6c4GLw5h2mTW2xGAAYbbecarn_nrNFY5_faFBtRAtfA_oTotCiLkSksx4Rtm0zsiXb7DPffV5vFWIXeIAC3T6MQSPuopQvSwfFmztV6HR_w8LoCHBYslWSpfnmJA2evuGkfhE/s1600/hans_baldung.png" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM-gOX4N6c4GLw5h2mTW2xGAAYbbecarn_nrNFY5_faFBtRAtfA_oTotCiLkSksx4Rtm0zsiXb7DPffV5vFWIXeIAC3T6MQSPuopQvSwfFmztV6HR_w8LoCHBYslWSpfnmJA2evuGkfhE/s320/hans_baldung.png" /></a>
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This is a copy of "The Head of Saturn" by Hans Baldung Grien, done with charcoal pencil in my oatmeal sketchbook. I was really struck by how tightly controlled the original drawing was, with every line placed perfectly while still maintaining a sense of life and motion. I think I managed to capture a bit of that, although I feel like I missed something with the expression around the eyes and mouth. The face in the original drawing really conveys God-like power scowling at the folly of lesser beings, whereas mine kind of looks like a guy who is annoyed because he can't find his car keys.
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Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15774411160286125361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5772620812142211585.post-62038854746471520122015-01-04T21:18:00.000-06:002015-01-04T21:18:56.359-06:00A Chimp Named Frodo<div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiekNwQMRSwfyD9CpRbdeuLCq9drVSf7S_Qj5kZ0nidKoWQiXiyc9-Lv_mFGma3ml_6GfXne0rTVcCWEPjR9O8i6xTjwR8LQIGYXAMiNECSBqZ5Z64f8JFM0LLMbMWPmIeqhgHCwGzEv6s/s1600/frodo_chimp.png" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiekNwQMRSwfyD9CpRbdeuLCq9drVSf7S_Qj5kZ0nidKoWQiXiyc9-Lv_mFGma3ml_6GfXne0rTVcCWEPjR9O8i6xTjwR8LQIGYXAMiNECSBqZ5Z64f8JFM0LLMbMWPmIeqhgHCwGzEv6s/s320/frodo_chimp.png" /></a>
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Once again, I'm digging into the photo selections on the National Geographic web site for source material. This worried-looking fellow is a chimpanzee who, according to the caption, is named Frodo. I suppose I would be concerned too if I had to carry the ring all the way to Mordor. This was done in my oatmeal sketchbook using a charcoal pencil.
</div>Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15774411160286125361noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5772620812142211585.post-31698388570574956142014-12-31T19:13:00.002-06:002014-12-31T20:35:28.241-06:00Albatross!<div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKEfBYC3WLLlHYmp581nECxQkDkndD_AblBCLC14lXVH9WzwcHmC-hEG5fT2Ns2QqtH6zYK-nBzg2wg6Z6DsnAPXMVvMDTZoh5XrPEiC9_P3IfGe5-Z4ES_IOd3AVUc30tjz5m3eDUr84/s1600/albatross.png" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKEfBYC3WLLlHYmp581nECxQkDkndD_AblBCLC14lXVH9WzwcHmC-hEG5fT2Ns2QqtH6zYK-nBzg2wg6Z6DsnAPXMVvMDTZoh5XrPEiC9_P3IfGe5-Z4ES_IOd3AVUc30tjz5m3eDUr84/s320/albatross.png" /></a>
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I'm going to dedicate this one to my dad, as he was so fond of the Monty Python skit with the albatross that he was prone to wandering around the house shouting "Albatross!" at random intervals. This one was done with the beloved brush pen and a couple of ink washes from a photo on the National Geographic web site.
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Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15774411160286125361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5772620812142211585.post-81967341278267805422014-12-23T13:33:00.000-06:002014-12-23T13:34:06.132-06:00Another Batch of Portraits. Consistency is For Chumps.<div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4Pxt_R2M_1m9LzJTZkPwomRwyxy6bbgCUEADo39N-f8WvEGY6Gw8SqCwzGqP0vr_67qF9hMef9YhI9lWUVs6zj8fJvOBFwxHnGtATZkzYNEQzAZiANKOGmQskjmuf1Q2ANSzXjkD7A9k/s1600/jkpp_agnes.png" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4Pxt_R2M_1m9LzJTZkPwomRwyxy6bbgCUEADo39N-f8WvEGY6Gw8SqCwzGqP0vr_67qF9hMef9YhI9lWUVs6zj8fJvOBFwxHnGtATZkzYNEQzAZiANKOGmQskjmuf1Q2ANSzXjkD7A9k/s320/jkpp_agnes.png" /></a>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcY5xLjO56f5LljyfFwvKPZ7F4qobcPSZtOCAQ9e-EmapG2xwZvluDqXiCiliIi8gfj3xzniwXwNQ3meQOWpw3FHQgeAVg59ds3gaRC9o1I4W3KXimNpQ6wzQ7lhLBl64BojRmEiplL54/s1600/jkpp_paul.png" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcY5xLjO56f5LljyfFwvKPZ7F4qobcPSZtOCAQ9e-EmapG2xwZvluDqXiCiliIi8gfj3xzniwXwNQ3meQOWpw3FHQgeAVg59ds3gaRC9o1I4W3KXimNpQ6wzQ7lhLBl64BojRmEiplL54/s320/jkpp_paul.png" /></a>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2e4eDpfoNzrYAtBaGoe1H4qmypsbGsMOrOlReSsTa3jl-lOLm6k0Ibdpk_LshI4t8PCOro7LOuPc9XTbxuLmJRZH4R5OAohQutAp2YgRaReG6EYlXdk-m5tQ_ywmzxOw18nyH6EB541c/s1600/jkpp_tom.png" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2e4eDpfoNzrYAtBaGoe1H4qmypsbGsMOrOlReSsTa3jl-lOLm6k0Ibdpk_LshI4t8PCOro7LOuPc9XTbxuLmJRZH4R5OAohQutAp2YgRaReG6EYlXdk-m5tQ_ywmzxOw18nyH6EB541c/s320/jkpp_tom.png" /></a>
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Here are three more recent entries from Julia Kay's Portrait Party (<a href="https://www.flickr.com/groups/portraitparty">https://www.flickr.com/groups/portraitparty</a>). I generally do these pretty quickly and use them as a way to play around with different materials. Pencil? Sure. Pen? You bet. Ink wash? Why not?
</div>Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15774411160286125361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5772620812142211585.post-60216372585418656572014-12-21T16:38:00.001-06:002014-12-21T16:38:30.316-06:00Me Vs. Rubens<div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIN8kZjxceriFUuzz5A55cP-g4O1gqFRWr-T5tkZ1l87fAMW9HZe9rUCAanPHw4_coPTv6Kfbm0m8KnE49Rwu3GqgwgJ4ZH3iUMRTF8wvc8cJ-tSJR_2Xe1d1iQomSGg-XmnWErZLs6Qw/s1600/rubens_woman_holding_tray.png" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIN8kZjxceriFUuzz5A55cP-g4O1gqFRWr-T5tkZ1l87fAMW9HZe9rUCAanPHw4_coPTv6Kfbm0m8KnE49Rwu3GqgwgJ4ZH3iUMRTF8wvc8cJ-tSJR_2Xe1d1iQomSGg-XmnWErZLs6Qw/s320/rubens_woman_holding_tray.png" /></a>
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Rubens carries a lot of weight around our house, mainly because I am married to an art historian who has spent a sizable portion of her life studying his work. He also happens to be an immortal genius that anyone who has ever picked up a pencil should look at very closely. This was my attempt to copy one of his drawings, creatively entitled "Young Woman Holding a Tray." I should note that the right hand that seems to be fading off the side of the page was not, as usually happens, an artifact of me placing the drawing improperly on the page but was actually there in the original. It makes me feel a lot better to know that Rubens had some of the same problems with composition that I do.
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Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15774411160286125361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5772620812142211585.post-22933150345518025602014-10-31T16:08:00.003-05:002014-10-31T16:15:21.777-05:00Me vs. Tiepolo<div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYkBGfRKDqBdIms_Sc99jRtMASNm5FJnXh5mgpVPqsP-i-fOuHWOcVxQxnHocDbVRQm87JXzLUbj2LMtjwP6iPOIN7lD0GMqVI-COp2VR0cQawp2Q18omEgH-u0RgV2Orc1iKLR30pc7g/s1600/tiepolo_neptune.png" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYkBGfRKDqBdIms_Sc99jRtMASNm5FJnXh5mgpVPqsP-i-fOuHWOcVxQxnHocDbVRQm87JXzLUbj2LMtjwP6iPOIN7lD0GMqVI-COp2VR0cQawp2Q18omEgH-u0RgV2Orc1iKLR30pc7g/s320/tiepolo_neptune.png" /></a>
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I will admit that I knew very little about Tiepolo before my recent trip to Italy. I saw this painting - "Neptune Offering Gifts to Venice" - in the doge's palace in Venice and was absolutely floored. I then went on to see a whole lot of Tiepolo's work at various museums around Italy, including an amazing exhibit of his drawings in Rome. That man definitely earned his place among the masters.
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This drawing is a detail just showing Neptune offering up his gifts (maybe I'll draw Venice another time). I did this in the Moleskine sketchbook with compressed charcoal.
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Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15774411160286125361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5772620812142211585.post-21552723206080947652014-10-29T14:15:00.001-05:002014-10-29T14:15:52.591-05:00In-Flight Entertainment<div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKSA9ltPX8hlt134O38kd9BJOJrzSKpSpphT4W7one2wZvz_A8wNrRgSZaIsVsTER2TYuxH75bu8Yltw3PUG4AZobr9YcfcdjFJ7FEYSpbT11SQruaRYSpKwEzVeKV4__2PIXXfLwzu34/s1600/avi_bitter.png" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKSA9ltPX8hlt134O38kd9BJOJrzSKpSpphT4W7one2wZvz_A8wNrRgSZaIsVsTER2TYuxH75bu8Yltw3PUG4AZobr9YcfcdjFJ7FEYSpbT11SQruaRYSpKwEzVeKV4__2PIXXfLwzu34/s320/avi_bitter.png" /></a>
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The only downside of my recent trip to Italy was the length of the flight from Seattle. I don't remember exactly how long it was - 9 hours? 10 hours? A billion years? At a certain point, time just stopped and I was trapped in an endless void of mediocre movies and small children kicking the back of my seat. In an effort to keep myself entertained, I started flipping through the in-flight magazine for interesting photos to use as drawing material. I really hit a winner on this one. The subject's name is Avi Bitter and, according to "High Life" magazine, he is a former Turkish pop star who now runs a kebab restaurant in Tel Aviv. If I'm ever in Tel Aviv, I will definitely pay him a visit.
</div>Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15774411160286125361noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5772620812142211585.post-31030412137362940152014-10-26T22:41:00.004-05:002014-10-26T22:43:25.941-05:00Two From Venice<div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjqU6OHunVa5sZbQg0kuT4bt1V-LGS4niG7XZ-QZqt43RuUM6igqp1qj9FdFHbn0mWIgyZWIYzhqtahOo_CEph-OT-HZjrygzaIZapQsEVYDa4v17xPkFHzf2THRvFm2tLRBxiSv-FiAs/s1600/sm_del_rosario.png" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjqU6OHunVa5sZbQg0kuT4bt1V-LGS4niG7XZ-QZqt43RuUM6igqp1qj9FdFHbn0mWIgyZWIYzhqtahOo_CEph-OT-HZjrygzaIZapQsEVYDa4v17xPkFHzf2THRvFm2tLRBxiSv-FiAs/s320/sm_del_rosario.png" /></a>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXZ7-bPHm3Xcgm3GM5d2GTXCYufC7p-aKm5gxOVtpOF7FKAQGn14YduI_0YAtgLdVCnYnFgvMa4ZfBmZ4tw0f1-j8vS_ourwa0tmFiGQUw4KKeCuKWRSy2O_T4g7UxXucY0gdem3O9UWg/s1600/sm_della_salute.png" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXZ7-bPHm3Xcgm3GM5d2GTXCYufC7p-aKm5gxOVtpOF7FKAQGn14YduI_0YAtgLdVCnYnFgvMa4ZfBmZ4tw0f1-j8vS_ourwa0tmFiGQUw4KKeCuKWRSy2O_T4g7UxXucY0gdem3O9UWg/s320/sm_della_salute.png" /></a>
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I recently spent two amazing weeks in Italy with my wife, during which I had grand plans of strolling around with my sketchbook to capture the amazing architecture and the vibrant street life all around us. The problem is, there are only so many hours in the day, and we had immortal masterworks to look at, pizza to eat, wine to drink while lounging in the piazza, and, well... we were on vacation for crying out loud. So the sketchbook mostly stayed in my suitcase as I stared with slack-jawed amazement at the work of the great masters.
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I did manage a couple of quick ones in Venice. The drawing on top is an ink sketch of a statue in front of Santa Maria Del Rosario. The pencil sketch on the bottom is a very abbreviated attempt at the domes of Santa Maria del Salute from the balcony of our hotel. I would have worked in more detail, but I felt that it was more important to run out to the bar for wine and fried seafood. So much for suffering for my art.
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Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15774411160286125361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5772620812142211585.post-49898052656049985642014-09-18T21:44:00.001-05:002014-09-18T22:10:02.456-05:00Me Vs. the Sotheby's Catalog<div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9hvp-NOP5SWKB6rWV3WS9mik17y76DopLkMiE9w7kBYRe9bXvVnRmhTVTHf596otK3KlrkfIZhnNtTlGk7_HvLod-X2XrD4t4LjYAOpoajCJpZT9YnBRniVRw3knRKG2ZJAUR6c7tnwc/s1600/sothebys_198.png" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9hvp-NOP5SWKB6rWV3WS9mik17y76DopLkMiE9w7kBYRe9bXvVnRmhTVTHf596otK3KlrkfIZhnNtTlGk7_HvLod-X2XrD4t4LjYAOpoajCJpZT9YnBRniVRw3knRKG2ZJAUR6c7tnwc/s320/sothebys_198.png" /></a>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK7c0mtWLHLiybKzvhmfECvCxyhFDGswyDZKMTEpmfSCIql9PTKVohzVyYlG6IJiBHKVnOWd9gi9RFbqh3wMaeFQrXWmGIrstN81cwSGOccbCcO_Yv1zbaldYlB7M8u5eETHNpOlFS_oc/s1600/sothebys_098.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK7c0mtWLHLiybKzvhmfECvCxyhFDGswyDZKMTEpmfSCIql9PTKVohzVyYlG6IJiBHKVnOWd9gi9RFbqh3wMaeFQrXWmGIrstN81cwSGOccbCcO_Yv1zbaldYlB7M8u5eETHNpOlFS_oc/s320/sothebys_098.jpg" /></a>
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Being married to an art historian has numerous advantages, one of which is the constant presence of numerous books of old master drawings just lying around the house. In this case I happened upon a Sotheby's catalog full of some really amazing images, so I felt inclined to pick up my pens and try my hand at them. Close examination of the originals would reveal numerous errors in both of these, but such is the way with an ink drawing.
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The one on top is "A Man Seated Smoking at Table" by Jan Josef Hormans the Elder (note that I hope to someday live long enough to be referred to as "the elder," although I'm more likely to be referred to as "that odd man who lives across the street and shouts at the pigeons. Don't make eye contact."). The one below it is taken from "The Prophet Isaiah Reading From a Scroll" by Giovanni Francesco Barbieri.
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Alexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15774411160286125361noreply@blogger.com0