Michael G's Sketchbook

[Michael Georges]

Hello Allan and thanks for your thoughtful comments and advice.

I got a book last night that was recommended to me by both Linda Brandon and someone over on the Cennini forum - it is "The Artists Complete Guide to Drawing the Head" by William Maughan.

It looks like a wonderful method guide for drawing from life and I intend to devour it and apply it to my works at OS to see if I can further improve.

[Michael Georges]

Nicole was our model in open studio tonight. I am pretty happy with this one, getting a better handle on proportions and dropping the lines and doing value-based rendering of the form. Done on Strathmore Velvet Gray paper in sanguine.

[Peter Dransfield]

Hi Michael,

I am enjoying this thread very much. In this latest drawing and in one or two of the others I wonder if you are doing axis lines to establish alignment of the features. I know that I very often put eyes to flat or I overcompensate and put one eye to high or low and ditto for alignment of lips and nostrils. I find that one way to see problems and perhaps to avoid them is to establish axis lines at the beginging of the drawing process and leave marks visible perhaps outside the edges of the face so alignment can be checked from time to time. I really think that taking a more scuptural approach to the drawing process in the early stages to establish alignment and the basic planes of the head would help you rather than to rely only on shading to establish form.

Keep up the good work.

[Mischa Milosevic]

Michael, I can really appreciate your challenges and can see definite improvement.

I am at the moment teaching one of my students to work with Sanguine. Not many understand the difficulties that this medium presents. One is to keep the pencil sharp for the details.

I tend to think that, If one does not receive instruction in this medium then one is better off working with charcoal. Why charcoal? Because it is more manageable than this red chalk. The charcoal pencils are too oily, more permanent, difficult to erase. So, charcoal sticks are best and if you can get the fusions they are the real deal because they have no hard spots, which can put a gash in your paper, and you have B, HB, H. Plus you can sharpen them to a fine point for detail work.

If you haven't tried these charcoals then it's a must and when you do you will never want any other for these are top of the line. Super Fusians.

I like charcoal because you can really push the darks which I find that Sanguin lacks and one is forced to use a darker value.

I do agree with Peter's suggestion. Have you see Green's DVD on drawing faces? If you haven't you should. He in great detail explains the proportional process and takes you to the finish.

Keep up the good work.

[Alexandra Tyng]

Michael, I don't have any more suggestions. I just wanted to tell you that I see a lot of new things emerging in this drawing. Very exciting progress!

[Michael Georges]

Hey Peter,

Thanks for your feedback! Actually yes, I am starting to work with axis lines and also lines that define the front and side plane of the head. For these last two, I have been doing division as suggested by Maughen of initially locating the eyes at the midpoint of the head, and then dividing by thirds from the hairline to define the brow and nose, and then one third down from the bottom of the nose for the lipline. All of those lines go to a vanishing point off the paper. All of those lines change depending on the horizon line which varies by model position either above or below eye level. I am still getting the hang of it all, but am finding it a very workable system of which, after some additional practice, I will no doubt understand better.

[Michael Georges]

Mischa:

Thanks also for your feedback! I have not seen Greene's DVD, but I will look for it.

This latest drawing was done using the CarbOthello sanguine pencils that Maugnan recommends in his book. I found the color to be too intense for my taste and will likely go back to my Cretacolor sticks which are not as intense and I felt more workable. I will look for the fusion charcoal sticks you recommend and give them a try as well.

I also have some sticks in umber that I want to give another go.

[Michael Georges]

Originally Posted by Alexandra Tyng

Michael, I don't have any more suggestions. I just wanted to tell you that I see a lot of new things emerging in this drawing. Very exciting progress!

Alexandra, I have to tell you I am almost jumping up and down at this new process.

I am working hard and combining drawing concepts from multiple sources from Harold Speed, to Loomis, to Maughan and what I have learned over time from folks like Bill Whitaker.

I have to tell you, I have NEVER felt more alive than when I am in the middle of one of these drawings. It is electric!

[Peter Dransfield]

Originally Posted by Michael Georges

Hey Peter,

Thanks for your feedback! Actually yes, I am starting to work with axis lines and also lines that define the front and side plane of the head. For these last two, I have been doing division as suggested by Maughen of initially locating the eyes at the midpoint of the head, and then dividing by thirds from the hairline to define the brow and nose, and then one third down from the bottom of the nose for the lipline. All of those lines go to a vanishing point off the paper. All of those lines change depending on the horizon line which varies by model position either above or below eye level. I am still getting the hang of it all, but am finding it a very workable system of which, after some additional practice, I will no doubt understand better.

Then you are even more rigorous than I am. I was taught to forget about traditional perspective and proportion and to trust your pencil and thumb. Your pencil to establish angles and your thumb and pencil to establish lengths of line. Measured angles and lines will give the perspective and proportions of the object you are drawing and its position in space in relation to other objects.

Of course there are many ways to mutilate a cat. I tell you what though Michael, you are inspiring me to drop the paints for a while and get out the pencil.

[Enzie Shahmiri]

Michael it's great that you are having such fun and keeping at it!