Solitude

I've spent the last 5 days in a whirlwind of activity related to work. It has been brutal at times in terms of workload and time consumed. It has eaten away at any semblance of private life and removed 99% of my drawing time and a similar amount of my time to write this blog.

I am a solitary person by nature and enjoy time to myself to think and draw and refocus my thoughts about life and work and people. The constant pace and unceasing numbers of people around me, demanding my attention, really wear me down. By yesterday, I could feel my mind and body reacting in a non positive way to the stress of constant demands. I found my ability to concentrate on people or conversations diminishing, along with my patience.

It didn't help that the weather has been miserable for a week and the one bright sunny day was the one that I was in 12 hour meetings so saw the sun only through a window and felt it briefly on my skin in a lunchtime quest for fresh air. Today, its the same dull grey sky. I can really see how being deprived of light depresses the mind and creates weight to the body. It will have to change eventually, just soon I hope!

I have dropped my friend at the airport at 6am this morning (it seems as if every day has started at 5am for the last week) and have come to work to make a start on the work coming out of these last few days while its quiet. I'll go home early and try to catch up on some drawing, some sleep and some solitude.


Technorati tags: solitude, art, drawing,

Pricing your work

This is a pen and ink stipple drawing that I started months ago but didn't get around to completing. Several people have seen it and were interested in it, asking what I would charge for it. I really don't know. I have ball park figures for art, and use a sort of size/medium formula, working on a per square inch in most instances. However, I always wonder if that is the correct way, if I'm charging enough or too much

What to charge for art is a constant question for many artists. You don't want to undersell yourself, but you also need to ensure that you don't price yourself out of the local market that you are targeting.

From The Painter's Keys a 'Ten Commandments of Pricing' caused a lot of discussion.

Artists young and old--particularly those who have the intention of staying in the game--ought to strategize for the big picture and honour their strategy with Biblical tenacity. Here are the Ten Commandments of art pricing:

Thou shalt start out cheap.
Thou shalt publish thy prices.
Thou shalt raise thy prices regularly and a little.
Thou shalt not lower thy prices.
Thou shalt not have one price for Sam and another for Joe.
Thou shalt not price by talent or time taken, but by size.
Thou shalt not easily discount thy prices.
Thou shalt lay control on thy agents and dealers.
Thou shalt deal with those who will honour thee.
Thou shalt end up expensive.

I did a little research and found a couple of links that are a good jumping off place for further reading and thinking.

From Self Representing Artists, another view on pricing.

Alan Bamburger's article on Pricing Art Realistically

There are as many articles and discussion on pricing as there are pieces of art.

Technorati Tags: pricing your art, drawing

Meetings

A while back I tried my hand at a miniature drawing. So many people were talking about ACEOs (art cards, editions and originals)that I thought I'd see if I could work on this scale and produce something recognizable. Here it is.

These days are filled with meetings, but never the ones that I want with the people that I want to meet. Instead I am confined to rooms discussing programming and marketing and processes and policy - all things that have their uses but my mind would rather float into the past or future of my memories or imagination.

A colleague is in town from Ottawa and is staying at my house. We get along well, almost too well at times, so work isn't the chore that it could be. We connect on a different level, that is rare, but when it does happen, it is to be treasured, either in life or work. The next few days will be a whirlwind of meetings and activity until Monday takes her away again and brings back a semblance of normality to life once more.

Blogger has been difficult the last couple of days and won't load images, so tonight's may have to wait for another time. However, I will try. There have been similar problems with Blogger in the past and it becomes frustrating when you're trying to update regularly. Perhaps its time to consider Plan 'B' - a back up blog site in case this one decides to take a nosedive.

Also, the ocnsideration of archiving all those posts, photos and drawings. I haven't really considered it til now. What do I do with them? I write as the mood takes me and I don't save copies so I am trusting the ether to ensure that my words are always there and available. I should not be so naieve and back them up I believe.

Technorati tags: meetings, friends, backup

Moving day

This week has been a time for geese to change over from winter to summer housing. First to go are the Embden geese. They've been moved to an enclosure in the old paddock and I watched them almost smile as they felt sun on their heads and soft grass at their feet. They soon discovered that if you pressed hard enough, you could squeeze through the livestock fencing - and squeeze back in again. Animals always teach me something. This time, to buy more chicken wire. I left them chuckling to themselves and preening. Now at dusk will be the challenge to see if they will go into their new goose pen for the night. Geese are usually big enough and ferocious enough to ward off predators, but there are some predators that are a challenge such as mink or coyotes that have killed birds in the past. So into their little house they'll go - with coaxing if necessary!

The Chinese brown geese sauntered past the Embden's pen, taunting them and exposing their own freedom. Little do they know that they'll be enclosed soon too. At last, no more battles with me pretending to be a large goose challenging their initial charges. Adult geese really can be horrible...lovely to look at, but horrible.

Lady, the quarter horse, has passed her probation at the riding stable with flying colours and will be purchased by the stable. She fitted in so well that she won first place in an event at the horse trials this past weekend. Lady responds so well to young people and not so well to adult males so she's in her element with little girls flocking around her, pampering her at every turn. The Princess has found a good place to live. Here she is, on mowing duty, in the front garden.

Now Kit remains. There is someone interested in her, or was. He'll be contacted and we'll see if that pans out. If not, she'll stay where she is and we'll find a companion animal for her, as horses really do need company.

Technorati Tags: animals, geese, horses, drawing, sketch

Grow your own pharmacy

I thought I'd share a little of how I became a herbalist and also a little knowledge of some simple herbs that are often overlooked as simply 'weeds'. The article is one I wrote several years ago for an Atlantic gardening magazine. I found the piece the other day and it brought back memories. Click on the image to enlarge it for reading.

Its quite likely that most people are doing this already without even knowing it. Even if you don't have a single plant growing in your garden, its pretty likely that you have a dandelion or two growing in your lawn. Dandelions (Taraxacum officinale) are the much maligned plant of gardens and people are hell bent on destroying them. Yes they multiply like rabbits at a puff of wind, but there are also many things about dandelions that should make you think twice before digging it up, poisoning it or chopping it to pieces with the lawnmower.

Dandelion root and leaf are extremely bitter and are effective in promoting liver function. Dandelion tincture or a salad with young dandelion leaves increase bile production, which in turn, assists with the digestive processing of fat.

If there was one herb that I could choose to take on a journey to the far flung planet of X, it would be dandelion. Its versatility and healing powers make it the king of medicinal and culinary herbs.

Plantain, that broad-leafed plant found in wasteland, fields and lawns, is the layman's antidote to insect stings. The leaves, when crushed or bruised and placed on the sting, will relieve pain and reduce inflammation. Plantain is also great for disinfecting and cleaning minor cuts and scrapes.

Chickweed grows rapidly, winding its way round plants in flowerbed and vegetable gardens. We pull it out by the handful and toss it on the compost heap. But chickweed is an extremely valuable plant. An infusion of chickweed will assist with bronchial coughs and acts as an effective skin wash for eczema and other skin disorders.

The flower bed provides another source of plant medicine. Calendula, that beautiful orange or yellow member of the marigold family is a disinfectant and wound healer. It can treat common cuts and scrapes, athlete's foot and ringworm with antibacterial and antifungal properties. Thyme is a strong antiseptic and expectorant and can help clear a congestive cough. One teaspoon of thyme in a cup of boiling water, drunk two or three times a day while you are sick or it can be used as part of a steam inhalant mix to help reduce congestion.

A good starter kit for herbal home remedies includes many common plants found in your own garden or easily obtained form a nursery or herbalist. Safe use of home remedies is assured by using only herbs that are recommended and never collecting or growing your own herbs unless you are certain of their identification. Always stick to recommended doses. Self-diagnosis and medication can be safe if simple rules are followed. More than 90 percent of all illnesses taken to doctors are simple conditions that can be treated at home - just look at the 'over the counter' drugs available at your local pharmacy to treat nearly any symptom you can present. Coughs, colds, indigestion, muscular aches and pains, headache, insomnia, insect bites, eczema and so on. All these can be treated with herbs.

Technorati tags: herbalist, medicinal herbs, dandelion, gardens

Ramblings and rabbits

I've had a very busy day at work with issues coming at me from all sides and never enough of me to go around. So tonight I'm a bit brain tired and there seems little energy left in me to write espressively. I drew a little throughout moments in my day as I find it relaxing. A little early morning with my coffee, a few minutes around lunchtime and tonight during a quiet moment. Then I tune out the television set that seems to be always in the background and lose myself in the world of pencil strokes.

I couldn't resist drawing the little (well rather large actually) rabbit that visited the garden yesterday. I'm still tinkering with rendering fur effectively. I envy those who can produce the soft likeness of fur through pencil, pen or paint. It is something I strive for. I do it in part, having more of an overall feeling of fur than a detailed view of each hair that makes up the coat. I think this is why I prefere drawing shorthaired animals.

From Chad Everett's Don't Back Down blog I found the following snippet of information:

"Stumbled across this link somewhere. It uses the Technorati API, and calculates the value of your blog, based on the value of links, according to the AOL purchase of Weblogs, Inc. in October of 2005."

Not able to resist pushing a button, I had to find out. Your blog, illustratedlife.blogspot.com, is worth $18,629.82, according to the script.

Offers anyone??

Technorati tags: art, drawing, graphite, moleskine, rabbit

Landscapes

Today I explored the boundaries of another 8 acres of land that was just purchased - bringing the total amount of land to 15.5 acres. I walked the periphery initally then found a cut line through the woods that was used to mark the boundary by the surveyor.

I had brought my camera with me and found some interesting fodder for drawing. Part of the land borders on bog so the trees in that area are shallow rooted and many dying. Its a natural part of life in the forest and always leaves remarkable landscapes in its wake. This old stump was covered with moss and lichen and fungi and the colours were just amazing, also the texture.

Fallen trees blocked the way and make walking very difficult (how do moose move so swiftly through even denser wooded areas??). I love their textures and forms and on a warmer day I will be back to capture some of these elements in my sketchbook.

Back at the house, I glanced out of the dining room window and there on the edge of the garden was a wild rabbit. I have a love/hate relationship with rabbits. They are beautiful creatures, but very destructive in the garden and greenhouse, eating bark off tress in winter and destroying young crops in the garden. I still couldn't resist a few photos of this one who sat stock still as if posing for me, probably he caught my movement and froze on the spot.

Technorati Tags: landscape, trees, rabbits

Chicks

Today 290 day old chicks arrived. One hundred and twenty are staying here, the rest were ordered in for other local people who raise their own chickens. These are broiler chicks that grow rapidly and are ready for processing at anywhere from 6 - 8 weeks, depending on how big the final chicken is wanted. I like a chicken to be a decent size. Unfortunately these days, the fast food industry (read Fast Food Nation for a realy eye opener)dictates the size of commercial chickens which is why you don't see many large roasting chickens in the stores.

The chickens that we raise dress out at between 7 - 9 pounds. An experiment last year to try to raise some of these broilers ourselves led to really large birds. Because they are genetically bred to grow quickly, their cardiovascular systems are strained and they often die suddenly with heart attacks.

We tried keeping the adult birds for breeding. Two roosters and a dozen hens. The roosters seemed to fare well but the hens got stressed easily and didn't move around well, preferring to sit most of the day. They also died frequently til we were left with just 6 hens and the rooster. It was decided that they would go to the processer with the other regular broilers that we were sending. They were about 24 weeks old then. The roosters came back from the processor weighing 16 pounds each! They were like turkeys!!

I am still a wuss when it comes to parting company with the chickens. I go into their pens and say goodbye to them. The knowledge that they have lived a good life in clean, dry surroundings, with natural light, freedom of movement, activity, good food and clean water means that they have lived for a purpose. Initially I couldn't eat my own chickens, but now I've come to terms with the fact that they are what they are and serve a purpose.

I have worked more on the sketch started last night of Blizzard, the gosling, and myself in his favourite spot. He's a little too large to fit in there now even if he wanted to! The memories of it make me smile.

Technorati tags: drawing, moleskine, chicks, fast food industry

Geese

In February this year, I became surrogate mother to a gosling who was named Blizzard as he/she hatched out in the midst of a severe blizzard. Unfortunately none of Blizzard's eggmates hatched, making him an orphan. What else could I do but adopt the little creature. I did learn the following from being a goose mother:

1. Geese don't make good indoor pets
2. Geese imprint strongly on their caregiver
3. Geese LOVE water baths in front of the fireplace
4. Geese love to snuggle.
5. Geese need paper towel diapers before they snuggle.
6. Geese are as demanding as a two year old.
7. Geese are very lovable as babies - not quite so when they grow up and assert themselves.

.I was looking through some photos of Blizzard and me tonight and decided to do a drawing of his favourite spot - snuggled under my fleece. He's go in there, snuggle down and go to sleep. Heat and dark does wonders for babies. This sketch is the start of a drawing

Blizzard, by the way, is now living with some friends and ducks and is thriving. He/she is a brown Chinese goose.


Technorati tags: geese, sketch, moleskine, Chinese goose

Fear and love

Fear and Love are two of the most basic and powerful human emotions. As they spread from person to person, they can inspire such extremes of behaviour as killing one another or dying for one another. Considering that the fundamental importance of love is so widely agreed upon, it is remarkable how many of us seem dedicated to promoting its opposite: fear.

"There is no fear in love: true love has no room for fear."

Fear is a natural response to danger that quickens the mind's efforts to anticipate and avoid potential peril or problems. However, stemming from the irrational part of the mind, it knows no logic and sometimes gets unhinged from its target. People whose lives have been filled with fear often continue to be afraid long after the potential danger has been removed, making up their own, irrational, reasons. Chronic fear is a debilitating state of mind that weakens body and soul, associated with heart conditions, nervous disorders, stress, depression and paranoia. This is especially dangerous when it affects the powerful, since it impacts the decision-making capabilities and distances people from the real consequences of their actions. Even worse, the natural result of fear is to act selfishly without regard for the wellbeing of others.

Love has many shades of meaning, but it is well understood as a selfless devotion to someone - a determination to do them right and to encourage and care for them. By focusing our attention away from dead matter such as money or material goods, onto the living beings on whom it rightly resides, love helps us to rediscover our humanity. Taking joy in relationships with others is a positive alternative to escapism, and it helps us overlook their failings, inspiring them to love us in return.

Art contains both love and fear in varying degrees and each artist feels both in creating and exposing her work to the eyes of others. Showing the creation from within lays heart and soul on the line and opens the artist to fear while they hope for love. The sketch here is even more so. A self portrait sketch that may or may not evolve into a drawing. The proportion isn't right, but the pose is interesting.

Technorati tags: art, moleskine, sketch, self portrait, love, fear

Adjustments

About 18 months ago, I bought a horse - Kit. A big bay mare. A few months later another mare arrived to keep Kit company. Lady is a sorrel quarter horse. Horses are a lot of work, enjoyable, but time consuming and I am rarely at home. My husband isn't physically able to look after the horses effectively anymore so they are in the process of being sold.

Lady is on a two week probation with a local riding school. The owner is well versed in horses and Lady responded to her extremely well. This is the 2nd week of her trial, so I hope it works out for all of us.

That of course means Kit is on her own right now. She's adapted quite well to the single life again, but does have moments of crankiness and pacing. I'm sure she misses the equine company. I try to spend time with her and amuse her but I'm not quite the same as the four legged variety - unless I'm carrying goodies of course!

The problem is that I can't let Kit go until I'm sure Lady has a home. Lady is an alpha mare and was taken away from her foal abruptly. When she came to us, she adopted Kit as the substitute 'foal' and is not a happy camper AT ALL if Kit is out of sight. Kit on the other hand, doesn't give toss where Lady is most of the time. So I don't want to be in the situation where Lady comes back on her own. I think she would be a real handful then.

It will be odd not to have them around, but sometimes life does that to you and you have to accept it. As long as I know they have very good homes to go to, I will be content. I am as strict with potential buyers as if I were sending a child there and if I get even a hint of hesitation or the wrong answer about their stabling, feeding or treatment, then the person hasn't a chance in hell of getting the horse. I think I have a good intuitive sense of people and can see how they interact with the animals and the animals with them so I make my judgement from there.

Meanwhile, I'm working on a portrait of my eldest daughter. I'm deciding on composition right now and poses so have done a few sketches to see what works adn what doesn't. Here is a sample. Hopefully this weekend I'll made the final decision and start the portrait in earnest.



Technorati Tags: horses, farm, portrait, drawing, sketch

Farm life

I wandered onto a farm blog this weekend and found it enchanting. Farmgirl Fare. Its not art related, but food related in origins. It gives a wonderful image of life on a working farm. I've found very few farm blogs but that's not surprising as full time farming demands long hours and leaves little time for sitting and writing.

My own farm is a small version hobby farm that ebbs and flows with animals, produce and ability from season to season. It was originally purchased to expand my growing (pardon the pun) medicinal herb collection. I trained as a Chartered Herbalist in late 1999 and obtained my diploma in January 2001 after a lot of studying. It was a challenge in later life to take on a course, especially while working. Each night was spent immersed in human anatomy, chanting the workings of the hepatic portal system or memorizing Latin names of herbs, their uses, and herbal formulas. The work paid off and I got 91 on the final exam. Not bad for an old person, as my daughter teased me.

I have about 60 varieties of medicinal and culinary herbs growing at the moment and finally have a small dryer that will help the process once harvesting is complete. This is elecampane which I grow from seed. It is a perennial and grows well in Newfoundland's climate. I use the root of this plant as the basis of a cough medicine. Another ingredient is mullein. This plant is biennial and can grow to 6 feet tall or more. The flowers and leaves are useful in coughs and make a great pain reliever in ear ache.

Technorati Tags: farm, herbalist, medicinal herbs

Victoria Day

Its a holiday Monday in Canada celebrating Victoria Day. Whoever's birthday it is, I'll take the time off happily.

I have concentrated much of my efforts on drawing today losing track of time and what is going on around me. I looked up just now and realized it was 2:30 and I had been drawing since 8am.

Here are the fruits of my work. Not Queen Victoria, but I think the girl, Jen, has a similarity in some ways.



Technorati Tags: Moleskine, drawing, sketch, Victoria Day

Artist's resources

I wandered across this site last night and it site provides hours of reading on watercolour paint production, colours, paper. The Hand Print site, by Bruce MacEvoy. Here's a sample regarding pigment history. I don't think I have any of this in my local art store...

I've left for dessert everyone's favorite, Egyptian mummy or caput mortuum (no CI name), a tarry brown pigment made from mummies excavated during the 18th to 19th centuries from ancient Egyptian communal tombs; these dried bodies had been embalmed with asphaltum (a petroleum residue) and resins. Pigment made by grinding up these carboniferous corpses was commonly available from the late 18th century up to 1925. (Winsor & Newton closely mimics this historical color in their caput mortuum violet.)

This information sent me wandering in search of other resource documents for artists.

Daniel Smith provides a basic guide to artist's pigments.

Art Studio Chalkboard is a resource for artists and art students that focus on the technical fundamentals of perspective, shading, color and painting. They were compiled and designed by Ralph Larmann, art faculty member in the University of Evansville Art Department.

Sue Dickinson's Painting Tips & Demonstrations -- Sue's watercolor tips are wonderful. If you are a beginner, do not miss her invaluable advice for buying watercolor materials!

Egg Tempera -- Lots of helpful information and links from The Society of Tempera Painters.

The Drawing Board for Illustrators -- Resources, links, articles, and a message board for illustrators from all fields.

Sketching Wild Birds -- A sample of lessons from Trevor Smith's book which covers sketching techniques, behaviour, anatomy, composition and much more.

Pencil Portrait Drawing -- The instruction is organized so you can choose the area of interest to you: Proportions, Features, Shading, etc.

Useful Paper Terms -- Daniel Smith explains the terms used to describe paper and its various characteristics.

Grid Method -- Teaches how to use the grid method to get an accurate sketch.

Tips & Tricks -- The Pastel Artists of Ontario Canada offer advice on pastel safety, keeping colours vibrant, exhibiting pastels, and more.

I've been on a roll with animal sketches this weekend. Here's another couple that I did this morning. Tomorrow, I must make a start on a portrait. Its a long weekend in Canada so I'll have time to get it drawn and hopefully transferred to Stonehenge.

On the farm some new geese arrived while I was away. These are Embden geese, big stocky birds with beautiful blue eyes. They are in a temporary pen now but will be moved out to the fields in the next week or so. They seem more placid than the Chinese brown geese that we currently have and much less noisy!



Technorati Tags: artist resources , moleskine, watercolor pencils, Embden geese

Sketches

In an effort to get back into drawing again after a 10 day break, I decided to take part in a weekend drawing class to find inspiration and get into the swing of things again. The subject of the class was the zoo, and animals are right up my alley. The stars were in alignment as were the pen and brush.




Here are a couple of the sketches that came out of the exercise. Ringtailed lemurs and a grizzly bear. I won't go into the debate of the benefits and faults of zoos, but to say that I don't approve of them entirely, especially for displaying animals that are not endangered or for large animals housed in inadequate enclosures.

Technorati Tags: moleskine, drawing, pen & ink, watercolor, zoo, ringtailed lemurs, grizzly bear

Art news

My first copy of Artist's Magazine arrived this week. I have bought copies off and on over the last year but finally relented and bought a subscription. While browsing it I found a number of links to art news and sifting through their links has taken me most of the evening. These little side trips are always interesting but you do lose track of time while doing so.

My little friend 'Dover Cat' and I wandered the ether looking for new sites on art news and found quite a few. Dover Cat is the mascot of an aquatic facility in Ontario and a friend of mine runs the facility. He gave me 'Dover Cat' as part of a bet. Its turquoise, soft and fluffy and even as an adult I still admit to secret squeezes of its soft little body.

Art News Blog is a selection of visual art news, art reviews and art related stories online.

Arts Journal is a daily digest of arts, culture and ideas.

Paul Dorrell Blog
A blog by the novelist and gallery owner, and author of Living The Artist's Life - the seminal guidance book for artists. Each Friday he offers insights that are a result of years as an art gallery owner, writer, and promoter of artists. Subjects both practical and philosophical are delved into.

Working Artist's Journal is Anna L.Conti's blog.
I'm a painter. That's what I really care about. When I'm not actually making art, I like to experience it, look at it, talk about it. I'm especially interested in talking about art with artists and other people in the arts. So this is a place to record and share some of those exchanges.

Art Daily - the internet's first art newspaper.

Zeke's Gallery
Stuff Happening in the Montreal Art World and elsewhere.

CultureGrrl
Culural Commentary with Attitude: Lee Rosenbaum puts you behind the scenes, ahead of the news. Also writes for Wall Street Journal's Leisure & Arts page and the New York Times (including six Op-Ed pieces). "New must-read blog" by "one of the smartest voices out there."--Tyler Green, Modern Art Notes. "The most interesting new blogger to come along in ages."--Terry Teachout, About Last Night.

Angrypirate: an artist weblog is the work of Alanna Spence.

Technorati Tags: art, art news, art resources

The Vitruvian Man

The Vitruvian Man is a famous drawing with accompanying notes by Leonardo da Vinci made around the year 1492 in one of his journals. It depicts a naked male figure in two superimposed positions with his arms and legs apart and simultaneously inscribed in a circle and square. The drawing and text are sometimes called the Canon of Proportions or, less often, Proportions of Man. It is on display in the Gallerie dell' Accademia in Venice, Italy. It can been seen as one of the first theories of measurements in life drawing.

Leonardo da Vinci's Vitruvian Man, an example of the blend of art and science during the Renaissance.This image provides the perfect example of Leonardo's keen interest in proportion. In addition, this picture represents a cornerstone of Leonardo's attempts to relate man to nature. Encyclopaedia Britannica online states, "Leonardo envisaged the great picture chart of the human body he had produced through his anatomical drawings and Vitruvian Man as a cosmografia del minor mondo (cosmography of the microcosm). He believed the workings of the human body to be an analogy for the workings of the universe." It is also believed by some that Leonardo Da Vinci symbolised the material existence by the square and spiritual existence by the circle. Thus he attempted to depict the correlation between these two aspects of human existence.

According to Leonardo's notes in the accompanying text, written in mirror writing, it was made as a study of the proportions of the (male) human body as described in a treatise by the Ancient Roman architect Vitruvius, who wrote that in the human body:

a palm is the width of four fingers
a foot is the width of four palms
a cubit is the width of six palms
a man's height is four cubits (and thus 24 palms)
a pace is four cubits
the length of a man's outspread arms is equal to his height
the distance from the hairline to the bottom of the chin is one-tenth of a man's height
the distance from the top of the head to the bottom of the chin is one-eighth of a man's height
the maximum width of the shoulders is a quarter of a man's height
the distance from the elbow to the tip of the hand is one-fifth of a man's height
the distance from the elbow to the armpit is one-eight of a man's height
the length of the hand is one-tenth of a man's height
the distance from the bottom of the chin to the nose is one-third of the length of the head
the distance from the hairline to the eyebrows is one-third of the length of the face
the length of the ear is one-third of the length of the face
Leonardo is clearly illustrating Vitruvius De Architectura 3.1.3 which reads:

The navel is naturally placed in the centre of the human body, and, if in a man lying with his face upward, and his hands and feet extended, from his navel as the centre, a circle be described, it will touch his fingers and toes. It is not alone by a circle, that the human body is thus circumscribed, as may be seen by placing it within a square. For measuring from the feet to the crown of the head, and then across the arms fully extended, we find the latter measure equal to the former; so that lines at right angles to each other, enclosing the figure, will form a square.

There is of course no such thing as a universal set of proportions for the human body. The field of anthropometry was created in order to describe these individual variations. Vitruvius' statements may be interpreted as statements about average proportions, or perhaps as descriptions of an ideal human form. Vitruvius goes through some trouble to give a precise mathematical definition of what he means by saying that the navel is the center of the body, but other definitions lead to different results; for example, the center of mass of the human body depends on the position of the limbs, and in a standing posture is typically about 10 cm lower than the navel, near the top of the hip bones.

Life drawing uses measurement constantly to acheive proportion and likeness. Hints from Richard Hatton on figure drawings give the basics of measurement when drawing. Wet Canvas too, provides information on proportion when drawing from life.

Nancy Doyle provides good information on the mechanics of drawing in her site.

Finally, my own life drawing efforts. Not recent, but from my archives. I will find a life class this summer and get back into that stream which I miss. It really does provide wonderful experience and hones your drawing skills.



Technorati Tags: Vitruvian Man, drawing, life drawing, measurement, proportion

Building takes time

I am still on a quest to rebuild my portfolio of animals - particularly dogs so that I can venture back into the commission business. It is slow going due to my lack of time that I am able to devote to it.

I have just provided my daughter with a drawing of her dog Jessie - a overly energetic labrador cross but a sweet dispositioned dog despite her energy level.

There seems to be a number of Labrador or Labrador-like dogs in my portfolio. I think the lines of them and other sleeker breeds are easier to draw. I find those little hairy beasts the most difficult with all that fur a challenge to find lines and form in. But I still try.

My goal this week will be to start another dog portrait to add to my collection (or hopefully someone elses). I have more than enough references and friends dogs to choose from...choosing and doing are two different things lately. Someone push me in the direction of my drawing board please.

Technorati Tags: art, graphite, drawing, pet portraits, dogs

Artistic blocks

Everyone who has ever put pencil to paper has experienced a time when you try to draw and nothing transfers itself from brain to hand to paper. This is one of those times.

It could be for a number of reasons. I have been away and out of the routine of drawing. I have not felt well. Work and life pull at me and vie for my attention with work and life winning.

Tonight I sit with my moleskine open, trying to reach that space where my mind takes over and the rest of the world disappears, just creativity takes over. But it won't happen.

I've made marks, but they are childlike and don't seem like mine. There again, I fell asleep after supper, woke up and it took me a good five mimutes to figure out where I was. I'm sure that all that is happening in life right now takes its toll and impacts my ability to translate thoughts into images. I won't let it concern me. I know I ican do this. I know others expect me to do this. I want to do this. I will do this. Perhaps just not very well tonight. There is a cringe as I post this image as I know I can do much better. But each drawing has merit, good or bad and is something I can learn from. The challenge is if someone can see something recognizable out of the lines of tonight.

We all want perfection in what we do, but it is seldom acheived or only temporarily and that perfection is often the benchmark in our minds only; to others it is something entirely different. Expectations are often unfulfilled which is why I must learn to not rest my hopes on them. Yes, I expect certain things to unfold as I plan them, but often expectations are simply wishes, dreams and hopes that, in my head, never make it to the cutting room floor, where they belong or to remember to temper them with reality. I am the original dreamer with my heart and nerves on my sleeve. Reality is a harsh place to exist. I prefer the gentler world of dreams as do many artists. It is where creativity comes from. Perhaps that is why I am at a block. Reality has pushed into my life, shoving dreams to the side. I will be looking for those dreams tonight.

Technorati tags: art, drawing, artistic block, creativity, sketch

Home again

I have been away from 10 days, business and pleasure - and in my case, illness - my own. About a week ago I developed a horrible cold. One of those that leaves you weak, aching, hot flashes & cold shivers, and it continues still. Of course this was because I decided to take a few days off. I always get sick when I take time off work. Its as if I provide my body with the formula for disaster - its called relaxation. And it doesn't like it apparently.

I had dreams of sitting in prairie fields, drawing the landscape, the machinery and the wildlife. But it wsn't to be. Instead I took photos, sneezed, took drugs, sneezed more, then wanted to go home and nap. The napping part never materialized as I was being entertainer an entertainee for my daughters, so time was spent socializing and exploring the world.

So now I am at home and the cold is slowly lessening its grip but I still feel crappy. That, combined with a 3.5 hour time difference and having an unexpected meeting today when I was hoping for a day off, leaves me feeling drained.

But life goes on. Memories of the landscape cling as do experiences and people, some stressful, some amazing, all unique and nonreturnable.

I will explore the photos that I took and do some drawing or painting then post once my mind/hand coordination is back to some semblance of normality. On arrivval home, I have to deal with horse sales as the two horses are being sold and buyers interested. Lady, the quarter horse, has gone for a two week trial and that looks promising. Kit is alone now and not too perturbed so far at Lady's absence, but won't be sold until it is certain that Lady will not return. That story of equine neurotics is for another day...

For now, here is an update of the persimmons that I started a few weeks back. They are nearing completion and I anticipate another 8 hours of work perhaps to finish them. They are done on Stonehenge paper 9 x 12 with Prismacolor pencils.

Technorati tags: art, travel, coloured pencil, drawing