Linda Hunt

I beginning a new painting from the still life that I set up.  I used a color scheme from a painting that I found on Pinterest.  The value study below is a template for how I will lay out the colors for the painting.  As with every study that I do now I did a small value chart above the study with a 9 value color scheme.

I used a BIC retractable pencil in this drawing and it was super easy to control.  I like the finer lead although there are advantages to the thicker lead I was using.

Finally, I feel good about this drawing it was worth sticking with it until I understood the forms and how to get what I wanted.  It helped to layout quickly and proceed with sensitivity.  I can always go darker but I can only go lighter with an eraser and that I forbid in this drawing.  I wanted to challenge myself to put down marks and live with them.  Fresh eyes.....fresh fingers....a good nights' rest with lots of thinking and consideration.

OK....this was messy...I am not proud of how I got here....having said that I learned a lot (don't go too dark too fast)....slow down (be thoughtful before putting pencil to paper)....stop put it down and walk away and come back with fresh eyes.  I wanted to work with transparency in this drawing to see if I could do this with hatching.  yes....I believe it can be done....but I would like to see myself get here less messily......

This shoe was much more difficult to draw than any that I have drawn so far.  I think that I will attempt this again.  It is a challenge to not go too dark too fast.  The shoe is well worn and therefore sits a bit askew.  Anyway, this is another of my most favorite shoes that I hope I never have to get rid of.  Interesting that hatching becomes a bit easier over time and because of past experience you kind of have an idea of the direction of the hatching.  It is 99 % past experience I am convinced.

Yesterday and todays' drawings

After much evaluation and direction I decided to redo this painting the way that I FELT...I like the color and the composition MUCH better....what do you think?

This was challenging and fun.  I could have laid out the drawing a little better to emphasize the 3 dimensionality of the floral.  I wasn't getting what I wanted until I began to assign value to each flower.  At that point there was a popping that took place.

I try to get these done in the morning but life enters in, having said that I am keeping up with my drawing. 

This is the 2 value exercise and I feel good about it.

I will need to try this one again....

The bottom drawing is my daily drawing for yesterday...I am a day behind.  The middle two are the 2 value studies...I am going to set up a better still life and revisit this exercise.  The top sketch is the layout for the 4 value painting that I will be working on today.

Feeling more comfortable with value and what works.  Love to draw anything transparent.

I am working on value and color.  Things are going to be changing around here....thank you Sarah Sedwick!!!

Today's drawing.  The challenge with this drawing was the deep red cup and saucer (Ruby Red from the 1940's) ad the medium value red Ball pitcher.  I also used a black fabric with white floral pattern.  I think that you can see all of this if you look closely.  I am happy with this drawing.  Maybe it was because I had thought extensively about hatching that it came a little easier. 

OK back to basics...today has been a day of studying how to crosshatch.   It is something that I never learned and today I know much more.  There are some good videos on youtube.  One thing that I learned was to use an HB or just a regular pencil like a number 2 and that really helps.  Let me share what I have learned...the shadow is on the object that is in the darker part of the object.  The shadow on the ground is the cast shadow.  Then there is the reflected shadow.  There are hard and soft shadow.  I at least understand more.....and I will continue to study this until I get it right.

I am kind of excited because this is the first painting that I have done in about 2 weeks and I feel that I have made progress because of my mentoring program with Sarah.  I feel more confident in color as value.  I have learned that there is a time for activity and a time for quiet in brushwork.  So many things to consider.

Happier with this one but I have a tendency to mark too much.......must think more carefully and lay down the strokes as I would lay down economy in brushwork.

Searching for structure and trying to keep a nice value range and still have it feel alive......

Just tried again....and yet again....only now I have the feeling and proportions almost perfect...it is a little worked but I was searching so hard....now I can move on....

This is a drawing of a figurine that my husband gave me for Christmas one year.  I had admired it at one of the Antique stores and would press my face against the glass cabinet and love ever centimeter.  I looked at this for at least a year or more.  It is made by Royal Copenhagen.  I love the figure.  So when I was determining what to paint today I wanted it to be something that moved me inward.  Setting up a still life is very difficult for me.  Perhaps it is the time that it takes to figure out colors, shapes, forms, and value structure.  Add to that it tells some kind of story.  All of that in a nutshell takes me hours to decided just what I want to say.  This drawing is part of a still life that I set up and will begin in paint.  I miss being able to work from the figure.  I plan on painting this girl image often.

I am not well pleased with these last two drawings.  Growing pains.  I need work on laying out a still life because this is terrible.

This is a drawing from yesterday....I am painting and so I just didn't get it posted.  Another drawing coming before the end of the day.  Learning and growing.

Last time I painted apples they were Granny Smith green apples and these apples are a luscious Red Delicious apples.  I believe that I have learned much over the past week.  It is a little easier to discern the value of the color that I am painting.  Now I want to continue in color.  I am anxious to see how it translate into value.  I am also enthused to paint a still life.

This was a much more ambitious drawing and I feel that I made some real progress.  One thing that I learned is to not go out of the box too fast or too dark.  It is much harder to quiet the darks than to add to them.  The checkering concept proved very useful in this drawing.  Also, don't be too timid in mark making and that happens with practice and confidence.  I am so grateful to spend time with pencil and paper in the mornings.  I can see why Van Gogh spent one year doing nothing but drawing......

This is an image that I want to paint as well.  It felt good to kind of cut loose and enjoy drawing.  I want to paint this in black and white and then again in color.

Whew....I chose this fork because of limited time.....ha ha ha....this proved to be one of the most challenging things I have drawn so far.  This is number 3....1 & 2 can't be shown.  Careful looking is important and I pulled  from all the tricks I learned as an undergrad.  It was fun though and I guess that is important too!  The fork was well tarnished and I had to look hard to see the change of value.

Well, for me, the next step was to try and paint in value what I am learning.  I like the fact that I feel that I have control over my painting.  This is going to be a painting in color next.  There is so much to learn.

I am not very good at cross hatching which I am sure shows but, I am determined to learn so please bear with me.  In really good drawings there is a lovely glow which I am trying to work toward.  I like this though as a rather crude attempt.  I am searching the values.  I never did learn to draw in an academic sense.  Where I learned to draw the focus was on abstract expressionist drawing which is wholly different.  So I guess on my bucket list is to learn this!

I tried this again with the suggestions that Sarah made and it was much easier.  I also tried to start in the mid value range so that I could get a nice range of values.  I think I will do it again.  I also tried to be aware of checkering.

I am pushing too hard and losing the love so to speak.  I bought these yummy looking apricots because of their wonderful shape and simple form.  Finding the planes is going to take some time so I may just as well sit back and relax and enjoy the ride.  There are good things in this drawing, but I have so much more to do.....

I am trying to grow and am having drawing pains.  This may not be very good but what I like about this drawing is that I am searching distinct value shapes a little better.  It is quite difficult for me. It is not easy for me to think in terms of planes.  I will work on this diligently to learn more.

Boy do I need work...this was very hard for me.  I did way too much painting....I have learned something that I have been resisted for a long time and that is to paint with a light touch. I first heard this from Lori Putnam on her DVD.  Sometimes it takes time to GET just what someone is saying.   I have painted as though I was applying paint with a trowel and that stems from frustration because I was fighting with the values.   Anyway.. this is why I am doing a mentoring program to learn more about these tough issues for me.  Even though I may see this more clearly it is going to take time to work this out.  On to the next problem....

This 9 value scale was part of my assignment, and it is surprising how difficult this exercise actually is; I learn it over and over again.  The bottom row of value swatches has the same mid-tone value in each center. I find it interesting the way that it looks on each different value.  For this exercise I used Vermillion Red, Lemon Yellow and Ultramarine Blue to mix the black.  Mixing black is a real art for me.  I love doing it and training my eye to better and better perceive it. 

I am working nard on trying to make the fabric on this cloth radish turn and also have the feeling of the light and dark.....I know that the more I recognize the subtle changes the more the object will pop off of the paper.  Also trying to find my hand with drawing....working to capture the sensitivity of the object so that it doesn't become too graphic and lose life.

Ok, this is the second attempt....I was trying to be too precious with the other drawings and this is really the way that I like to draw....quick....capturing the essence of what is before me.  I like it better...I just need to keep after it until I feel that I have it though....I see a few areas where I could have done better. Second day trying to implement some of the things I learned yesterday.  I am getting a little closer, but there is definitely much work to be done....a little too tentative.....among other things.  But I am happy with the feeling of the apple.  Will try and do this is paint today.