Back to Basics, Lesson 1 (The Bonus Video)

Herons, graphite on Strathmore Skills Series drawing paper

I promised everyone who signed up for the Strathmore Artist Paper company's Back to Basics workshop some free bonus materials. So -- for the next four weeks -- I will post video links, tips, and other instructional materials that I hope participants will find both informative and useful. (And if you are interested in participating but haven't signed up yet, no worries! Just head over to the Strathmore Online Workshops website, create a FREE account, click on "Workshop 1", scroll down and click on "Join Group". Once you've joined the group be sure to print out the Lesson 1 Instruction Sheet -- which will provide both a list of recommended supplies and supplemental illustrations & information -- and let the fun begin!)

Today's bonus material consists of a two-part Hi-Def video offering a second step-by-step demonstration of the materials and techniques of Lesson 1 (Line and Shape). This is intended as a purely visual experience and is accompanied only by a music soundtrack. If you are new to the material covered, I highly recommend that you watch the lesson video first and then watch the bonus videos as supplemental demonstrations.

Heron - Line & Shape, Part 1

I encourage you to pause the videos and rerun any passages of particular interest. Re-watch the videos as many times as you need to fully absorb the information covered. And feel free to ask any questions you may have concerning the lesson material or best studio practices (regardless of whether your "studio" is indoors or out) on the Strathmore Forum or the Comments section below.

Heron - Line & Shape, Part 2

And please, please remember: no question is "dumb" if it helps YOU to learn what you want to learn. (And chatting with you, and answering your questions is what I live for.) SO, let the adventure begin!

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PS, I'll also be posting new "Sneak Peeks" regarding upcoming projects and learning opportunities, articles on travel- and nature-journaling, and my "Tools of the Trade" (covering media and studio tool topics) & "Tricks of the Trade" (which cover time-saving suggestions and demos) series-- with maybe an adventure or two thrown in for good measure. 

So, if you're not already a subscriber and don't want to miss a single article, please feel free to subscribe. (There are three options in the right sidebar: "Follow by Email"; "Follow" for Google account holders; or "Subscribe to Drawn to Life" for RSS users.)

Cheers!  

Sneak Peek 3 - The Road Less Traveled

"I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I --

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference."

                                 -- Robert Frost

 the "blocking-in" will take viewers from the initial gesture to the final contour drawing

When I was in the sixth grade I was introduced to three things that have had a profound influence on my life: the Folk Revival Movement (which, in turn, introduced me to the music of Pete Seeger and Woody Guthrie), the Great Outdoors (through our class' two-week "total immersion" stay in Muir Woods), and the evocative poetry of Robert Frost.

The latter taught me the pleasure to be found in seeking out alternatives to the mainstream and the well-warn path. And, in art, that eventually led to a fondness for working on toned paper -- which is a delight to work on, and produces eye-catching works, but has never seemed to be as popular among artists as its white paper "cousin."

the intermediate stage will see the buildup of light and shadow passages

It also just so happens that the Strathmore Artist Paper company produces two delicious lines of toned paper. So, when asked to come up with 4 lesson plans for my "Back to Basics" online workshop, I decided that toned paper might be the perfect subject for the final episode.

Since I had already addressed still life and cityscape as subjects, and weather had temporarily forced us indoors (where landscape wasn't a viable option), I chose portraiture as the subject for my final lesson. (However, participants are encouraged to select subjects based upon their own artistic interests and needs; toned paper will be the true focus of this lesson.)

participants will have an unobstructed view from my "shoulder cam"

The lesson starts off with a discussion of compositional options and an introduction to the paper and the medium used in the video. The introduction is then followed by the step-by-step demonstration -- alternating between over-the-shoulder "peeks"and close-ups of the drawing as it progresses from the initial "blocking in", through the gradual development of tonal areas, to the completion of the finished work. 

With the shooting and initial editing complete on my end (the final running time of each episode will be determined by the team at Strathmore) I can now turn my attention to completion of the "bonus" materials for each lesson. (Two bonus videos have already been completed for Lesson 1, and one for Lesson 3, while samples of alternate media and techniques are planned for Lessons 2 & 4.) And watch for a series of prolifically illustrated, workshop-specific posts right here beginning the first week in March.

you can be there as the finishing touches are added to the portrait demo

And, while we're waiting for things to get underway March 10, I'll be popping into the Forum/chat room at Strathmore (most likely every day) to meet new participants and see how everyone is doing. (We already have over 600 people signed up from 6 continents... although I'm still hoping that someone at one of the Antarctic research stations will decide to join us online.) I hope you'll be there too!

Cheers!