24: Drawing Connections
YouTube Demo March 16th, New Drawing Course March 23rd, Oil Painting
Hello friend,
I hope you are doing well. We are experiencing a very early spring here in Ottawa with a disappointing winter (I love the snow).
I cleaned out the 5 duck houses around our pond to prep for the seasonal inhabitants arriving soon. As soon as the pond thaws, the hooded mergansers, wood ducks, and mallards arrive.
Some exciting things coming up and the final episode #110 of the podcast should be out in about a week.
Now, onto a new course and my first interaction with oil paint.
Discover the Art of Animal Drawing with Graphite: A New Online Course with Etchr Studio
Are you an artist or know someone looking to sharpen your skills in capturing the essence of the animal kingdom with just graphite and paper? I have just the right course for you 😊 I have partnered with Etchr Studio to create this comprehensive course designed to help you delve deeper into the art of animal drawing, exploring textures, forms, and emotions that breathe life into your sketches. I built this course to
Course Overview
There will be a live and free YouTube demo on March 16th and the formal courses runs from March 23rd to May 3rd. The structured 5-class curriculum is meticulously crafted for intermediate to advanced artists who are comfortable navigating through various drawing mediums and supplies but also suitable for beginners interested in a challenge. Each class is scheduled for live streaming every Saturday at 10 am ET, accompanied by an optional feedback session (after the 5th class) to further refine your skills and knowledge.
What You Will Learn in the Course
Session 1: Introduction to Graphite Drawing
Delve into the world of graphite drawing with an in-depth look at the tools of the trade. I share my expertise on achieving captivating textures and lifelike representations using his favorite techniques and tools.
Session 2: Basic Animal Anatomy
Gain insights into the anatomical structures of various animal groups. Through gestural drawings and detailed sketches, you’ll learn to distinguish and accurately depict the unique characteristics of different animals.
Session 3: Proportion and Composition
Master the art of proportion and composition, crucial elements that influence the perception of your animal sketches. Through practical exercises, learn to use internal and external elements to achieve balanced and dynamic compositions.
Session 4: Depth, Dimension, and Environments
Explore the techniques to create depth and dimension in your drawings, using shading techniques such as hatching, cross-hatching, and stippling. Bring your animal subjects to life by placing them in textured environments that reflect their natural habitats.
Session 5: Exploring Common Animal Textures
Dive deep into the textures that define animal fur, feathers, scales, and skin. Learn to replicate these textures with graphite, enhancing the realism and tactile feel of your animal drawings.
Why Join This Course?
This course is not just about learning to draw animals; it’s about understanding the essence of your subjects, from their anatomy to their textures and the emotions they convey. By the end of the course, you’ll not only have honed your skills in graphite drawing but also gained the ability to apply these techniques to other subjects of your choice.
If you’re ready to embark on this artistic journey, sign up for the course today and unlock the potential to transform your drawings into captivating works of art. Embrace this opportunity to deepen your drawing knowledge and let your artistic talents soar with the power of graphite.
Check out the teaser below and there is 25% off the course if you sign up before March 15, 2024. Don’t forget, if you miss a day or want to rewatch a class or the whole course, everything is recorded.
Dipping my brush into oil paint
Well, it finally happened, I tried oil painting. I have been looking forward to this time for a few years and finally decided to take on a small piece of a few days and see what would happen.
Since I started my art journey with a pencil sketch of a black-capped chickadee, I decided that I should start into oil painting with the same bird. I decided I would try doing a few ink sketches on a small 4” by 6” canvas, prime the surface in a colour and then focus on an image in the centre letting the edges sketches show through. Well, it didn’t work out as planned.
I had the sketch done and decided to prime the canvas with a light wash of acrylic paint (burnt sienna). You can paint oil over acrylic but not the other way around. I opted for acrylic because it would dry quickly. It seems that since I sketched directly using ink onto the canvas, I probably didn’t allow the ink enough time to dry. With a few swipes of the brush, it was too late and the ink was smearing too much for it to be usable.
I opted for a different approach and just went with a chickadee and a subtle background. I was planning for an alla prima (wet on wet) approach but maybe over two sessions. The image below was taken after about 90 minutes into the first session. Yes, the sketches still live underneath.
In the final session, I made some changes. I added a gradient background to bring attention to the light coming from the top right. I also added more branches and straightened out the one it is sitting on. A few bits of snow and a bit of light glazing on the belly to suggest a roundness to it and this one is done.
What did I learn?
General feelings about oil painting
It’s really hard to walk away and say it’s finished. It’s all about pushing around wet paint (if you are not waiting for layers to dry) so it doesn’t feel done like watercolor that shuts you quite quickly
The paint's vibrancy and smoothness are beyond anything I have ever used
I was quite confused/stressed about the whole fat over lean thing with oil as well as trying to use less harsh materials. Fat over lean speaks to the use of oils/mediums which you would use later on the process. If you use something like safflower oil too early and then come into with with straight paint, it could create cracking issues later in the drying process
Drying time
I love the slow drying time of oils which present I think more opportunities than challenges
Ink (waterproof) takes much more time to dry on a canvas with an uneven texture
Raw umber draws much more quickly than anything else
Titanium white is probably the slowest-drying
I didn’t realize much medium to impact the drying time as I was focussed on trying to keep the paint wet
Setup & tools
The new mahl stick I created and the board to hold my small canvas worked perfectly. I can provide more details on this if you didn’t see it in my Instagram feed
Having the iPad on a mount to the side with the references off was great
I kept switching brushes and have no insight here. I did the same thing with watercolour before I found my groove and realized there would be 3 or 4 brushes I like and that’s about it
I opted for a mix of Safflower oil for thinning and Walnut Alkyd as a medium which I used sparingly. I did not use any thinner but next time I will use a very little bit of Gamsol in the beginning
The kit I received from Sarah Mckendry was all I needed but of course, I got a few more things. Check out her appearance on podcast episode here.
This is the beginning of my journey and don’t tell graphite and watercolour, but I think I may be falling in love. However, the first thing I did after completing the chickadee was spending some time with graphite. I honestly can see myself leaving the other mediums behind.
I am anxious about the next piece and I do look forward to trying some oil painting in the great outdoors.
Take care of yourself and each other, and keep drawing!
-Mike