A pastel

I hesitate to post this, because it is only the second pastel I’ve ever tried to do, and the first pastel was just the week before last. I was really not confident about pastels, but after this one, I feel a lot better and I am looking forward to the pastel self-portrait we will be doing as out final project. Some areas are more developed than others because I was really focused on the face. This is from Academy reference and it’s about 16″x20″. 

Bargue copy

CarbOthello pastel pencils on Strathmore velvet gray.

More heads

A couple more from Head Drawing class – again, CarbOthello pastel pencils on Strathmore velvet gray paper.

Another old guy with a beard

Approximately 9″x12″, Carbothello pastel pencils on velvet gray Strathmore.

“Anton”

This is for my Head Drawing class. Sanguine and white pastel pencils on Strathmore velvet gray paper.

First semester – done!

I am finally done with my first semester at the Academy of Art University. It was tough, I learned a lot, and now I am sitting back with a Guinness. Here is my last drawing. It’s not all that great, but then again it’s not that bad either. This is black and white charcoal on toned paper, about 16″x20″, and I enjoyed doing it.

Another from Figure Studio

Finally, I have done a figure drawing that I feel is decent enough to post. It’s a foreshortening study, and it took a little under two hours. Charcoal, as usual.

Another head drawing

This one was for Figure Drawing, a class I’ve struggled in, and so haven’t posted anything from. I enjoy drawing heads. On this one I should have gone darker in the shadows and brought more of both shadows and highlights out of the hair. Charcoal, 16″x20″

Heading into the stretch

This is the next to the last assignment for Chiaroscuro class, just completed and turned in. The assignment was to draw a detailed rendering from a photograph, the first and only non-life project we’ve had in that particular class. There’s plenty more that could be done but I hit the deadline. Charcoal again.

Another class drawing

Almost forgot to update! I completed this last night and turned it in. This one is approxiamtely 19″ x 24″. Once again, it is vine charcoal and General charcoal pencil soft on Strathmore paper. (All my drawings for this class, and the other studio class, are in charcoal.)

There’s only a little more than a month to go in this class, then we have a three-week break. I hope to get some painting in during that break, and finish some pieces I’ve had lying around for too long. We’re going camping over Memorial Day weekend, and I hope to get some plein air painting (or at least drawing) done then, if possible, but we’re bringing Gus and I might be too busy.

My one studio class in the summer is a still-life painting class. I’m looking forward to it.