B/W

A Drawing, A Painting

Having a plan is always a good idea. When planning (drawing) for a watercolor, I tend to work with contours. First the large summary contours then I make another pass through to correct, refine and delineate smaller shapes . . . features, shadow shapes, highlights. I try to close all the contours, so when I’m painting I don’t have to think about how to contain my paint or where something starts or ends.

Usually, in my sketchbook, I draw from life and paint later. I find it easier to come up with some thing satisfying if I simplify my color choices. Here I’m using black and red, and the white of the paper. It give me a clue into a handful of paintings by Klimt, Homer, Zorn, Sargent, and the list goes on.

The drawing is done fast and the painting slow.Take a look.

After Rubens.

Very often there’s something about another artist or work of art, that strikes a deep, deep chord. In order to get closer to it we copy. My interest is not in mimicking Ruben’s style or touch. I use my own. It’s not a recitation, it’s a conversation. I was the type of boy who loved to listen to the stories of the various men in my family and neighborhood; my grandfather, my neighbor Duke, my best friends father Mr Hill. In someways by copying, I’m sitting on the curb again, listening to Mr. Rubens talk about art, his models, what’s on his easel, what’s important to him. Turns out that the women on the right, in this first drawing is Susanna Fourment. She was the sister of his second wife. To Susanna’s right, our left is my girlfriend Mel. She was working on a client presentation. I like the two ladies living in my book side by side having there own conversation.

Observational studies.

Normally I don’t like to refer to my drawings as sketches. For me, somehow, the word sketch diminishes their significance. But as time goes on, journaling, sketchbooking, drawing on location, has taken on new significance and has developed a broad audience, as well as an army of practitioners.

I’ve always referred to my sketchbook as my train book, having done most of the drawings on the train commuting into Manhattan. Until fairly recently, working from life, in real time, observing the figure, its rhythms, it’s form, organizing the light, has been the sole goal of my practice. Here is a page of observational studies done on the BX7 bus during my daily commute.