The next step is laying in the dark shadows. The exciting thing about this stage is that you get to see big changes very quickly. Even though there are no details, the composition of light and dark is essentially complete. Stand back far enough and you might believe it was finished. Don’t be fooled — there is still a long road ahead.
Hours: 7
The first wash took care of the mid-tones. The basic shadows are laid down and I can quickly begin to see the overall balance of light and dark. This part is fast and fun. So far, so good.
Hours: 6
February in Miami was inspirational in many ways. It was a real blending of art, learning and health. It was also an opportunity to meet some very talented people. Wanting to keep the momentum going when I returned home, I decided to dive right into one of my portrait projects. The subject is someone I spent a lot of time with over the last few weeks and I’m hoping to capture the personality that he expresses with such constant enthusiasm. I’ve titled this piece “The Artist” because that’s what he is: a born performer.
My model (Shyness was not a problem)
The reference for this portrait comes from my own photography which I have discovered to be far superior to using some else’s shots. It’s not that my pictures are taken any better, it’s that I was there taking the picture. I remember the moment the shutter clicked, what was going on, what it looked like, where the light was coming from. This is a big advantage and one I intend to make more use of. I will draw from someone’s else’s photo as a matter of convenience but it can not compare to taking my own. If for no other reason, the shot is the one that I chose to take — it was my reaction to the moment — and that in itself says something about the hand of the artist.
The next step is making the layout drawing. It’s the same kind of thinking I use when I work in my sketchbook. If the lines look “tighter” or more “clean” than my sketches, this is an optical illusion. The lines are still sketchy. They only look more sharp because the entire drawing is much larger.
Hours: 4
Here is the finished layout up on the easel waiting for the next step. As usual, I will caption my progress photos with a running total of time spent.
If you want to look good on the beach — work out on the beach!
I am a beach fanatic. Nowhere else is a lifestyle centered around looking and feeling great on such open display. Inspiration for health and fitness is all around during the summer. The exhilaration of working out under the sun and in the water is part of why I love being an ocean lifeguard but it’s also why a cold and cloudy winter can be such a drag. Well, not this winter! I’ve just returned from five weeks in Miami Beach and I could not be more excited. During that time, I had the amazing opportunity to develop my group fitness program right on the sands of one of the world’s most famous stretches of shoreline. This is the prototype for my beach fitness boot-camp which will make it’s debut a few short months from now. I am so very grateful for having had this opportunity and I am equally excited to be bringing this program to Ocean City, Maryland. The summer 2012 program will be even more challenging with more exercises, a more aggressive schedule and more than a few other surprises too ;) I will be posting the details on of the Ocean City program in the coming weeks but feel free to contact me if you’d like to be included in the mailing list. Prepare yourself, Ocean City. This summer is going to burn!
It should be no secret to anyone who talks to me about art that I have fantasized for a long time about sculpting the figure. In the art world, it is sometimes said that an artist tends to favor either sculpture or painting and that the predilection can be see in the way that artist draws. I’ve said myself many times that when I draw I am thinking about the way the subject feels and that I push the pencil around as if I were pushing clay. I’ve talked time and again about how I wanted to actually feel the material and be more physically involved in creating. Well, it would seem that someone got tired of hearing me just talk about it because on Valentine’s Day I was surprised with a bucket of clay! Here’s what happened…
This is actually the second sculpture I did while in Miami. The first one was smashed when it fell off the top of the refrigerator. See, that’s how you learn things.
