Comparison - drawing to painting

[MichaelRH]

Gerak and Ldybiss - I am posting the oil "study" for the drawing I posted earlier "Figure Dynamics"
I was not (NOT!!) lol happy with the painted version, often I think my drawings have much more energy than the paintings, and that is something that I am working on..how to capture the same (and even MORE!!!) spontaniety and energy that show up in some of my sketches. http://www.wetcanvas.com/Critiques/User/fdynamic2.jpg
http://www.wetcanvas.com/Critiques/User/fdynamic1.jpg
In the painting..I was more interested in color, it lacks the energetic strokes that appear in the drawing, so I feel I did not accomplish my goal. It is oil on canvas panel..20"X24". The drawing lines can be seen in various areas on the canvas. I used the gloves and stocking to place further interest on the torso...just expressive use of color.
Just looking at the posted version, the oranges, yellows, and greens are a lot more vibrant in the painting than indicated here.
Colors over-all are stronger in the original.
[This message has been edited by MichaelRH (edited May 31, 2000).]

[This message has been edited by MichaelRH (edited May 31, 2000).]

[This message has been edited by MichaelRH (edited May 31, 2000).]

[Cindy]

Actually, I prefer the painting. I'm a sucker for expressionistic color...


http://www.wetcanvas.com/ubb/cool.gif piece

------------------
Cindy Agathocleous

"Originality does not consist in saying what no one has ever said before, but in saying exactly what you think yourself." James Fitz-James Stephen

[Kimber74]

Michael,

I like both!! Though, as you said, they're completely different. Thanks for posting them side by side. As always, I look forward to seeing more...

[Mae]

Michael..I also like both..Agree there is plenty of movement in the drawing but the painting ia appealing to the eye- colours very dynamic..You are indeed a versatile artist!
Mae

[Gerak]

I prefer the painting. Maybe it lacks of energetic strokes, but the using of colors makes it more 'friendly' to me. Good work!

[MichaelRH]

Thanks for your comments Cindy,Kimber, Mae, and Gerak..again, I would not have posted this painting (I have thought about doing another painting based on the drawing). Ldybiss KNOWS how reluctant I am to show (in this case, post) work that I am disappointed with. (Ldybiss (aka: Sandie) and I have painted together as often as we can over the last 10 years or so.."studio buddies, along with my wife Aida. Those have always been enjoyable days and evenings..all of us painting together. Thanks again for your notes everyone! Michael

[Mayet Ankh]

Michael,
I agree that the painting does not show as much energy as the drawing but it still makes a very interesting painting. One observation from me - If the eyes were made to show more expression (I mean make them as wild as the rest of her). I think it would make the painting more dynamic. Have you ever tried working your sketches into a finished piece by using more detailed coloured pencil work or watercolour pencil? Which could be washed over with water to complete the painting.
Mayet

[MichaelRH]

Mayet Ankh - I think you are right about the eyes Mayet. Actually, the face itself is not nearly as expressive as I would have liked, it appears flat. I have detailed a (few) drawings with more colored pencils, but I am not familiar with the watercolor-pencils (??) you mention. I have not heard of them. I occasionally (not very often) work up a sketch with colored pencil just to get a color sense prior to deciding to paint it or not.

[Burkeman]

I am not sure you are really comparing apples and apples in the drawing and oil study. In the drawing it appears to me that the dominant element that defines the energy of the piece is your line work, with value playing a secondary role. In the oil study the dominant element of the composition is color, with line and value playing a more secondary role. I think it would be interesting to see this study completed in ink combined with wash techniques so that the effects of adding color could be added to your expressive line work. Just a thought.

Watercolor pencils are made to be water soluble and lend themselves to a vast number of techniques. You can apply them to wet paper and the pigment will spread, you can apply them to dry paper and blend with a wet brush, you can take a wet brush and run it over the tip of the pencil and apply with the brush. The possibilities are seemingly endless. The small landscape studies I have done with mine sort of remind me of pastel work in that you can have areas with a grainier texture right next to softly blended areas since the pencils I have don't seem to fully blend, leaving traces of the original lines. You can end up with a mixed-media appearance using only a single pencil and some means of applying water.

I just wanted to mention that I really admire all of your work, especially the sketching, as I am trying to improve in that area, especially in figure drawing. I used to go to school across the border from you in Laramie and imagine that a lot of your models attend the hated rival school CSU but I have to forgive that due to your skills in rendering them. http://www.wetcanvas.com/ubb/biggrin.gif

[MichaelRH]

Hello Burkeman, nice to meet you.
Thank you for your comments and for the information on the watercolor pencils.
We have been in Colorado about 7 years, lived in southern california for most of my life, went to Fullerton City College..Garden Grove High. Do you get up to Wyoming or Colorado?
I have found models at CSU, but have not worked with them quite yet. Artist can usually find models at the art-departments of colleges..as most model for classroom instruction also.
As noted, everyone's comments regarding the two pieces posted here are very accurate..two completely different images..only posted the painting per request. (I SHOULD!! lol, tackle it again...and try to get it right).
Glad to hear you also enjoy drawing and sketching the figure. Seems to have held my interest for a long time. Hope to catch you in the Cafe..Michael

[Burkeman]

As my parents live in Sundance, WY I do get back there although not since two Christmases ago as it isn't a very easy trip with small children. Hope to go back again sometime later in the summer.

As for drawing, I hadn't spent any time doing it for a long time as I was busy with other activities throughout high school and on through undergraduate and graduate study. Now a few years after that I took a watercolor class which was something I had wanted to do for years. Taking that class rekindled my drawing interests for the sake of improving my paintings as well as for drawing itself. In the past I had always been intimidated by figure drawing but am now trying to get over that mental block and realize that the figure isn't any more difficult to draw than a tree, it just takes practice and the ability to draw what you see instead of what your brain tries to tell you it should look like. Might have to post a couple of recent sketches in this forum if I can remember to take them to work to scan in. Have really been concentrating on heads and faces and am gaining more confidence towards working on more of the body. Up until now most of my paintings are of landscapes but my wife is trying to convince me to paint a certain picture of myself and my son so I am trying to sketch more for that reason as well.

[MichaelRH]

Burkeman - Hope you get that work scanned, will be nice to see what you are doing. I think you are correct..the figure becomes easy if you just work with it often enough. For me..things that I don't draw often are difficult..everything from horses to straight-line things..automobiles..(pretty much anything that is angular with a lot of detail). I need to work on composition..rather than just drawing single figures..placing the figure in context..is really something I should work on.
milt has a very strong interest in painting people..and is able to create beautiful compositions with simplicity, which include figures.
This week, as I've mentioned to Cindy, I'm going to start using ONLY!! oil paint..to lay out my compositions. Will make a sustained effort NOT to pick up pencils. I want the brush and paint to begin to feel comfortable for me.
Look foreward to seeing some of your work.
Michael

[WindDncr]

Michael,

I've only discovered this board yesterday, but I'm soaking it all in. Your figure studies are truly interesting...the color, the movement of line...just something to aspire to.

I'm torn between the drawing and the painting.

WindDancer http://www.wetcanvas.com/ubb/cool.gif