Museum Visit To Study Master Paintings

Visited the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and tried to salvage a messy wet Memorial weekend. My plan was to visit the French and Dutch masters and start studying the masters amazing paintings. I was overwhelmed by what they were capable of achieving directing the viewer as to how to move around their masterpieces. One of my favorite paintings was the French master Jean-León Gérôme painting his Moorish Bath 1870 . HIs use of composition combined with value and color creating a beautiful painting. He was quite a draftsman  placing two female figures just so and placing the marble wall to the right creating a balance composition. Notice how he uses the robes draped over the wall with warm colors with that of the black servant and the decorated pattern designs to integrate the elements. The artist highlights parts of the female figure so she stands out and adds bright highlights on the servants turban. A touch of of light paint to suggest the sun's highlights on the upper left side of the wall for contrast and balance. There is no awkwardness in this composition all the elements work within directing the viewer accordingly. His warm use of whites and tinted browns suggest an intimate setting. The use of positive and negative space to give enough information for the viewer. The artist gives enough negative space for the viewer to rest with before taking in more elements of the painting. This painting achieves what the artist intends. He uses all of the tools at his disposal to create a beautiful masterpiece.

To view more of the amazing paintings at the Museum of Fine Arts go to http://www.mfa.org

Finished Sketches With A Flair

I finished an illustration for an English musician friend yesterday and took a walk down to Copley Square, Boston since it was such a beautiful day. I did some quick sketches on the number of samurais going through my mind. Returning to my studio where I finished the sketches and colorized in Photoshop.

More Museum Sketches

 It's been awhile since I have done any serious sketching from live models. I thought a visit to the Museum of Fine Arts Wednesday's life drawing session was worth a visit. The drawing sessions at the museum take place in a number of exhibit rooms and this adds to the overall sketching mood. I enjoy drawing from life because so much of my work is created on the computer and this take's away from the natural drawing process. The tactile feel with pencil to paper adds so much to my drawing experience. I usually take with me a pad of Utrecht acid free 50 lb. paper. I really enjoy the feel of prisma pencils and carry along 30 pencils of various colors. I bring along not just prisma pencils but charcoal, lead pencils and markers to explore how these mediums will affect my sketches. I can tell very quickly just how out of practice I am within the first fifteen minutes. It will take me about an hour to reach my ideal sketching mood. 

Drawing sessions start out with ten minute poses and gradually lengthen to thirty minutes. I find that in order to have a successful sketching session depends on  two factors. The first being how inspired I am. Second, is how ambitious are the models. Some models really challenge me while others are doing just enough to qualify for a pose. When these two factors are in sync the drawing sessions can be very inspirational. The sketches above are from several of my Wednesday evening sessions. 

Here are some reference sources from Walt Stanchfield's. He was an American animator, writer and teacher. Stanfield is known for work on a series of classic animated feature films at Walt Disney Studios and his mentoring of Disney animators. His two volume books can be purchased from Amazon.com , 
vol1: 
http://amzn.to/YmxRFA

vol2:
http://amzn.to/18puVai