Tuesday, November 25, 2008

DOES THE RIGHT HAND KNOW WHAT THE LEFT HAND IS DOING? I CAN'T SEE!



I am still on a mission to post every day of November. With Thanksgiving looming it will be a stretch, but I am still on target. Today I went with my husband to visit some friends in town for the holidays. I didn't get to any artwork until this evening. I decided I needed to get back to my Everyday Matters drawing challenges.

#10 was to draw your hand. I wanted to do it from life instead of a photo so I decided to do the blind contour technique. The problem is that you usually have to hold your hand in the same way each time and I have drawn my left hand many times. Tonight I added my right hand drawn with my left for my own amusement. The drawings always come out very distorted but it is the best exercise to practice slowing down and really looking and seeing what you are drawing.


#11 was to draw your glasses. Fortunately, I see better up close without my glasses. These glasses had the most interesting part on the inside of the temple. I don't understand the logic for this as no one sees it when You are wearing the glasses. I am also trying to find a writing style that looks interesting for journaling. It's coming along.




I am working with a great new book by Nita Leland called "Confident Color". Mike Bailey has 3 paintings in the book, so I got a sneak peak at his Open Studio. I couldn't wait to get this book. Nita suggests make color studies on a sheet the size of a post card. This is one of about 10 sheets I made yesterday. I normally don't do color studies but I think these will be helpful. I especially like comparing similar colors. It turns out that the Indian Red in the Hydrus line is exactly the same color as Winsor Newton's Brown Madder. If I mix a small amount of Hydrus Burnt Sienna into the Indian Red, I get Quin Burnt Orange. The traditional Indian Red is amazingly dull and muted. This is the perfect example why you can't trust the name alone.

6 comments:

June said...

Someone gave my blog the Butterfly Award and I have passed it on to you because I love your blog. June

winna said...

I like these...doing them will always help out someplace down the line--!

BARBARA WEEKS said...

Nice color study. I'm going to check out the book! BTW The writing on the color study is great!

RH Carpenter said...

I hope you do have time for a little sketch to complete your November EDM challenges, Myrna. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family. Your blog is one of the many things for which I am thankful.

Anonymous said...

what great insight you have! and also the ability to write out your process. My holiday present (easel) arrived from my husband John, but I am not going to be able to use it as yet, he has to wrap it! just a small tabletop one and not the $3 one, I got in a garage sale that kept toppling over last spring for the BTO Mike Bailey's series. Course that shouldn't stop me from drawing?

Cecelia said...

Very interesting information, Myrna.
I just had a problem in seeing the writing on the sketchbook. I clicked to enlarge, but it didn't enlarge much, if at all. Just went to a separate window. I could see the larger letters, but not the smaller text.
I'm starting to do the EDM topics, too. I've kept sketchbooks for years, but have left my writing separate. Need to work on my handwriting and lettering skills. I use the computer to type everything these days, which isn't good for handwriting.

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