Day 514 "Overpass" ink & pencils

I love the angular perspective of over and underpasses along the highways.  This is a shot along the lengthy ramp in Boston that snakes its way up from the congestion of the "if you lived here you'd be home now" Leverett Circle area, to Rte 93 North or South. Once you break free, you are on a long, luxurious ramp that flows under some fascinating structures and drops you onto the highway moving north.  I love the angles under here, and the movement.  I used a brush and added some india ink to the drawing, and then dropped in a hint of warmth in the tail lights and a couple of signs.  This line drawing is my five hundred thirteenth daily drawing, and transforming the drawing with ink is my five hundred fourteenth daily drawing effort.  Though contained in the same rectangle, I'm counting these as two separate daily drawing efforts.  Again, thank you for looking, and thank you for your comments.  You know I love them.

Daily Drawing 491 "Wood-Fired" crayon & ink, wax resist

I enjoy Woody's Grill & Tap in Boston, nice bar with great food just off the Northeastern University campus.  We ate at the bar recently where I enjoyed watching the choreography of the pizza maker and bartender as they navigate a narrow space with grace and speed. I rendered this scene using a wax resist process method and ink washes.  It is interesting to think about the arrangement of values and to work up the drawing from light to dark.  I laid in the lightest areas with white crayon, washed the entire surface with ink.  When dry, I used crayon on the next lightest areas, then washed again.  I did this four times, so the darkest areas have four layers of ink wash. The images below show the intermediate washes.  

This is my four hundred ninety-first daily drawing.  As always, thank you for looking, and you know I love your comments.

 

Day 241 "Value Study of The Desk by Fairfield Porter" 9 x 6 ink and marker

"The Desk" oil Fairfield Porter 1963

I have been thinking about Maine this week, so looked up some Fairfield Porter paintings.  His color and design are inspiring.  On initial inspection, his color application seems simple because he often painted in flat shapes with little modeling.  However, I look to his work as masterful in use of design, color and value.  I chose a 1963 Porter painting, "The Desk", to study.  It is a strong interior, with an open desk just off of the center of the composition.  There are papers and books scattered about as if someone just got up and  took a break from a lot of deep thinking.  I love the painting.  Here is my value study of this Porter interior. Look at how he handled the light outside, through the gauzy curtains, across the wood floor and along the coffee table, and skipping along the scattered paper on table and floor.  There are hints of interest.. on the desk, on the desktop, paintings on the wall... so subtle.  
This is my two hundred forty-first daily drawing.  Thank you for taking a look at my thoughts expressed visually.   

"Afternoon in the Park" white conte pencil on ink 4 x 5 #Inktober

This is a black and white study of a painting I found years ago which I thought was beautifully designed and the values handled masterfully.  I can not attribute the original work, but it is not mine.   I explored the composition using a white conte pencil on an ink ground.  The ink provided some tooth for the conte pencil, which layers up very nicely.  The drawing is rendered in three values, which reinforces how powerful this design is.  Studying other artists' works can be very valuable.  My gut tells me it might be Carol Marine, but I have researched and can not verify.... mystery.  If you know the painting, please let me know and I will attribute.
This is my 27th entry into #Inktober.   As always, thank you so much for looking.

"Favorites" mixed media 8 x 6

My teaching schedule includes one block a week where I get to teach art.  We have been working on value, and the five zones of light.  Next week we'll try this exercise using white crayon and a watercolor wash.  The students will make a contour drawing, all closed shapes, and label the shapes from 1 to 5, lightest to darkest.  They'll apply white crayon to the lightest areas, and then cover with a watercolor wash.  When that wash dries, they'll rub white crayon on the next lightest areas, then wash again, and so on.  The result is a lovely, toned piece where the darkest darks receive 6 washes, and the image emerges with each subsequent wash... a bit like batik.  
This month's Girls Just Wanna Paint challenge theme was mixed media.  I took my "Favorites" study, and added some soft pasted accents.   See the rest of their work here.  Let me know what you think.  Thank you!