New Header

While I've been playing around with digitally coloring my sketches I decided to finally make a title image for the blog. I used the last sketch from this batch on the left side and drew some whiplashy things for the background. A little play time in photoshop, and there it is!

I recently took a ferry ride to see some of the galleries on Martha's Vineyard. It was a fun little day trip and I got a chance to draw a few of the elderly folks that also happened to be on the ferry. This guy above looked like he could have been me in about 40 years.

This is Phil from Arizona, on the ferry with his wife, Norma. They looked like they were enjoying their vacation. They must have been on some kind of organized tour because they arrived at the ferry with a whole bus load of other elderly folks.

(used in the header image as mentioned above)

Sketch

Grey McGear Modern

I now have gallery representation! A few of my paintings (specific pieces are noted on my web site) are currently on view (and for sale) at Grey McGear Modern in the Bergamot Station gallery complex in Santa Monica, California. It's really a nice big group of galleries all huddled around the Santa Monica Museum of Art, So if you're on the west coast and in the area go check'em out!

I really feel that the gallery is a good fit for my work and I will be continuing to send work there as time goes on.

And for those of you not on the west coast and in the Los Angeles area, here are some recent sketches...

portrait sketch off with Cory! (he was drawing me too)

New Illustration! - Dangers Lurk in the Forest

I've been working on this off and on for long time. Mostly off actually, different projects kept jumping up in the way, but I finally got back to it and finished it up.

It's just a personal piece. Oil on board, 17" x 22.5"

Here are a few detail shots...

Closing Night at the Theater

Here's a commission I recently finished. It's a going away present for the production manager of one of the traveling productions of the Broadway musical 'Mamma Mia'. The location is fictional, but it depicts a closing night in any given city where the cast will usually convene at a nearby bar or club for an after party. Meanwhile the crew remains behind to break down and pack up the sets and costumes and other equipment.
It's a big one, 40" x 28" oil on board. The above image is a scan which gave me the most accurate color and the sharpest image. However, there is a ton of glare on the brush strokes. I also took a photo, which is lower quality, but lets you see it without the glare.

I've been wanting to do more nature studies lately. There was a magnificent magnolia tree near my house earlier this spring but I didn't have time to draw it while it was blooming, so I took some pictures and finally found some time to study them.

And of course, here are some more sketches from the coffee shop.

And a recent figure drawing

The Sketches Continue

Getting back into the routine. Here are some new sketches from the coffee shop.

A simple sketch, I know. Angela called it a perfect drawing and tried to keep me from doing anything else to it. I don't know about perfect, but I like the shapes in it. It's nice sometimes, having someone stop you before you go too far.

I'm Back!

The road trip was a huge success! Angela and I drove from our current abode in Providence RI, across the states to California, up the pacific coast, and back. We saw many marvelous things along the way including all of the museums listed in my last post, as well as the Delaware Art Museum (thanks to Nick and hedr_goblin who left a comment on my last post suggesting it!), the Grand Canyon, Zion Canyon, Joshua Tree, Redwood Trees, Crater Lake, Yellow Stone, Niagra Falls, and many many galleries!
So now I'm back and I have things to show. Some from the trip and a few things that I ran out of time to post before I left.

I drew this kid at an Italian diner in Pennsylvania, waiting for a severe storm to pass. He was telling his family how they had finished his little league game just in time for the storm to roll in. Soon after his story, people began getting up and moving to tables that were further away from the windows because it was starting to look like the windows were in danger of breaking under the stress of the wind and rain outside.

I started playing with these designs after being inspired by the Frank Lloyd Wright home and studio tour in Chicago.

A suburban home by a park outside Denver.

A huge old oak tree in front of the visitor center inside Zion Canyon

A few people in a coffee shop along the way.

Back at the regular coffee shop in Providence!

Here's Timmy! Just before he took off for Maine.
...and the rest are from before the trip as well

Sketches and Shading

Prompted by my friend Rich who's got a great blog here, I've been tinkering with a few blog features. You can now subscribe to my blog by email and have each post delivered to your in box when it is posted , or, as always, you can subscribe using any reader, such as Google Reader which is an awesome way to keep track of things on the interweb. (subscription links at left) Before too long you may even be able to buy artwork here using paypal, but I'm still looking into that.
So here are some recent sketches. I would show you the latest Monday night portrait too, if it wasn't still too wet to scan. Soon.



I've been interested lately in shading more than usual. I may attempt some nice large atelier style drawings soon, if I find the time, Hah!
Anyway, I did this sphere to practice using multiple hardnesses of graphite to achieve smooth shading. I probably should have actually been looking at a sphere to make this look right, but my goal was really just to practice smooth shading.
On the gray paper search, for now, I think I've settled to use gray card stock wire bound with a mat board cover. It's not too bad actually, I thought it would be too smooth and maybe it is, a little. But It'll work.

Portrait Pose 2

Here is week two of my new Monday night long pose group. I decided to try canvas again for the first time in about 4 years. It's alright I suppose, I'll probably stick to board though.As a fun experiment I did this sketch the following day from memory. It's not exact, but I was surprised how many little details and nuances I retained. Interesting how well our brains can pick up information and store it while we don't even realize this is happening.

Monday Night Long Pose

I have a new weekly activity! I heard not too long ago about a life drawing group in Providence that I was previously unaware of. In addition to regular figure drawing on Wednesdays, this group also does a 3 hour long pose on Monday nights! So I checked it out last week and I think I'm going to be a regular. Here is last week's painting...

Three hour study, oil on board

A few more coffee shop sketches...

My quest for a gray paper sketch book has lead me to settle on a Borden & Riley kraft paper pad... For now, that is. I guess I don't mind the color too much but the paper does have a higher tooth than I wanted. The search will continue.

A Taste of My Own Medicine

Last week I was sitting at the coffee shop, drawing people as usual. The man below and a friend of his sat down at the table next to me and started a cheerful conversation beginning with what a nice city Providence is. When I had finished drawing him I put my sketchbook down to drink some tea and he noticed my drawing..."Let me see that," he said. I don't usually mind showing, so I handed him the book. Then he said, "Let me see your pencil."
Now I was a little uneasy, expecting that he might scribble over the drawing and write something like "That'll teach you to draw unsuspecting people!"
But instead, he steadied the book on his knee and began to look at me intently. In a few minutes, he handed it back to me and said, "Ah well, I'm just a photographer." He then explained that his name was Irving Schild and he has been the primary photographer for MAD Magazine for the last 30+ years! I said "Wow, well then you have to sign your drawing of me!"...
We had a nice conversation and it was a really fun chance encounter.
Here is the cover of last month's issue of MAD where Irving is credited for it as "Irving 'Schenanigans' Schild."