Drawing

So right now I am re-educating myself on the art of drawing. I am doing a lot of reading and examination of works that I find stunning by other artists. I love the drawing techniques of Waterhouse and Rembrandt. They both have very different styles and are from different periods of history. Waterhouse's drawings display a gentle transition of values while Rembrandt's have a lively use of line. A contemporary artist that I really like is David Kassan (among others). His works simply glow.

Below is a drawing that I have recently been working on. I decided to add charcoal to my pencil drawing which may not always be a good idea, especially if you press too hard with your graphite. The sheen produced from doing so will not enable your darker charcoal powder to adhere to the paper. I had to be careful to draw with harder leads and not press too much so that the darker darks could be later applied. I don't know if I will make a habit of drawing this way...will have to see.

The concept of this drawing is that of being boxed in. A feeling that we sometimes have when we are trapped and are unable to see how we can come out of it. The subject isn't in a panic though, she is patiently resigned, perhaps waiting....ready to turn towards the light that gently shines on her.

"Before the Breakthrough"  20 x 24 inches, charcoal and graphite on toned paper