Sketch of a horse

"Untitled"
Sharpie pen
5.5x8.5

Study of a study: Leonardo da Vinci

"Study of a rearing horse: Leonardo da Vinci"
Sharpie pen
5.5x8.5

A couple of my teachers throughout the years have recommended replicating art that you admire as a method of improvement in technique.  I pulled up some images of sketches by Leonardo da Vinci, and chose this one as my reference.  

I used a Sharpie pen, whereas da Vinci used red chalk in his drawing.  The feel is a lot different as a result.  His lines and shading have a much more organic feel to them, which makes sense given that many of his studies were in preparation for sculpture.  My lines are sharp and crisp, and I had to rely on crosshatching for a similar result to da Vinci's shading.  

It is interesting to see where he experimented with different anatomical placements of the horse's head and legs.  These conscious choices can make a huge difference in the impact of a piece; I am striving to be more aware of my choices when creating art.  While I was working on this piece, I felt the most focused and inspired that I have in quite some time.  I suppose that studying the great artists will do that.

Freehand Andalusian

"Andalusian"
Sharpie pen
5.5x8.5

I was standing outside yesterday, admiring the balmy October afternoon, when a little niggling thought popped up.  "You haven't drawn anything in over a week now.  You really ought to update your blog."  An image of a proud Spanish horse, mane flowing and neck arched, came to my mind.  I like to draw the Iberian horses the best- the Lipizzaners, Friesians, and Andalusians.  There is such grace, strength, and beauty in their conformation.  They are the Adonis of horses.

This was a freehand, no reference drawing.  There are some liberties taken with the horse's conformation, and as usual when I draw without reference, his eyes are too high up on his head.  It's not as noticeable as usual, so there has been some improvement.  The foreshortening of the right foreleg is a little awkward but gets the job done without detracting from the overall image.  I could spend more time on the shadowing and crosshatching.  There is a heavy reliance on line in the drawing, especially on contour lines.  While there is nothing "wrong" about that, some classic instructors and critics might turn their nose up.  I'm no da Vinci, but even he used a lot of contour lines.  I think I may try replicating some of his sketches to improve my own art.

An Old Friend

"An Old Friend"
Sharpie pen
5.5x8.5

I came across this picture whilst browsing Pinterest, and I found myself deeply stirred.  The photo of the old dog reminded me of Star, my childhood black Labrador retriever.  I still miss her very much.  It's been said that everyone (who likes dogs, anyway) has a life dog- one special dog that none of the others in their life can compare to.  Sort of like a doggy soulmate, as it were.  I believe Star was my life dog, and sometimes the grief at her passing is as fresh as the day it happened.

It's rare that a photo or other types of artwork elicits such a response in me.  I decided to do a sketch and see what happened.  It has been awhile since I last drew from a reference photo; a lot of my recent scribbling has simply been from my thoughts.  I really enjoy using the Sharpie pen.  It's easy to elicit a sense of detail and illustration without laboring over depths of graphite.  I'm also fond of crisp, bold lines.  Growing up with Disney and lots of cartoon and anime artwork will do that.  My proportions are a bit off, and I didn't frame the dog to scale, but I'm still pleased that I had the discipline to draw it anyway. I could be good at this if I put the time into it!

Spirit Horse in Charcoal

"Spirit Horse"
charcoal
11x14

For the first time in a while, I drew something bigger than my tiny little sketchbook that fits in my bag and comes along to work with me. I was inspired to revisit one of my favorite sketches so far and try it out in a larger size. Using charcoal has a much different effect than mechanical pencil or pen. Here it lends a softer, more whimsical feel to the piece than did my previously uploaded mechanical pencil edition. I wasn't originally going to shade the drawing, but I took a phone call during the creative process and absently began cross-hatching the right hind leg. This isn't what a fine artist would call a "finished" drawing, but I was happy with myself that I went outside of my normal zone. Progress should be celebrated, even as a critical eye notes what could be done better.

Pony Scribble

"Pony Scribble"
pen sketch

In order to encourage myself to draw something today, I simply took a pen and began scribbling in my sketchbook.  As happens so often, the scribbles began to take on an equine form, and a quick drawing was built from there.  I gave myself permission to be messy, to not have perfect proportions, and allow my creativity to come to the fore.  All too often, my creativity is swallowed by other demands on my mental energy, and when I do sit down to create, I am hindered by fear of not being good enough.  I am learning how to push through that reluctance and anxiety about beginning, and accepting the changes and flaws that occur both in art and in life.  Trying is better than not taking any risks, and if I can encourage myself to draw outside of my comfort zone, wonderful things might happen- such as this little drawing!

Saguaro Spirit

"Saguaro Spirit"
pencil sketch

 I'm back!  I have done a few sketches in my (online) absence, and these are the most recent ones.  Today begins the renewal of my goal of drawing every day.  "Saguaro Spirit" is a free-hand, no reference sketch.  I was thinking of my horse, Lola, and how she often peers out of her stall down towards the pasture and the pond at the bottom.  My spirit horses seem to be the most unique and fun expression of my style, so I will probably be spending a lot more time on them.  I will eventually translate this from quick sketches to large paintings.  This style and subject would have great presence in a larger format.

"Thinking of Dali's Elephants"
pen sketch

I'd like to say that the disproportionate conformation of this horse was intentional, but it was purely accident.  My brain was probably shocked that I was asking it to draw again.  As you can see, head, neck, and body are all proportionate to one another- but something disconnected when it came to drawing the legs.  They became elongated and large, a grown horse with foal's legs.  However, it is not an unpleasant effect, and perhaps even benefits the drawing with artistic license.  I may try to replicate the style on purpose in the near future.

Carrots

"Carrots"
pencil sketch

I have been eating more vegetables lately in my quest to reduce my consumption of meat, and had the good fortune of eating some carrots from a CSA.  These farm fresh carrots still had a bit of dirt on them and their luscious green tops intact.  I used the tops in a home-made vegetable stock which turned out fabulous; the carrots complemented my vegan potato cabbage soup.  Take the taste of carrot and add a little more sharpness and sweetness- they were wonderful.  So wonderful, in fact, that they inspired me to do a quick sketch of their earthly form.  I enjoyed the whimsical composition of this piece, as if someone had joyously tossed these glorious roots into the air.  I'm thinking of doing a series of work with the subject matter focused on humble, simple things of everyday life- the things in life that truly matter to me.  I've been spending a lot of time trying to figure out what I want in life, and have discovered that I already have it.  My new goal is to actively appreciate my wonderful, simple life, and to not overcomplicate things by worrying so much.

Ghost horse

"Wraith"
charcoal
9x13

This was a free-hand drawing that had been kicking around in my mind for a while, and I finally had the opportunity to sit in my home office and bring the thought to life.  The critic in me says that this is certainly not a finished drawing, but the artist in me asks if it has to be a finished drawing for it to be good.  It is interesting, though, that my style of drawing and my preferred subject matter is not always the sort of art I would like hanging in my home.  I suppose that our innermost thoughts are not often meant to be displayed.

Butterfly and Coneflower

"Butterfly and Coneflower"
pencil sketch

In the search for direction in life (a master's degree, maybe?) and in the process of re-reading Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series, I have let my art blog fall to the wayside.  It is past time that I return to the dedication of my art.

I did this sketch a few weeks ago now.  The coneflowers (echinacea) in my garden are in full bloom as we speak.  We planted the flower bed late in the season last year in our new house- in August, if I recall correctly.  Most of our perennials came back bigger, better, and stronger.  Only my fancy rudbeckia did not return.  I have only a little more room in the front bed, but I do love rudbeckia so.  It's sort of my namesake, after all.  This time, I think I will only get the simple and hardy wild type- just the bright yellow petals and the velvety centers which give them their common name, Black-eyed Susan.

Honeybee

"Honeybee"
pen sketch

I was absurdly pleased this morning to see a bee visiting the purple speedwell growing in one of my flowerbeds this morning.  "Look!  A bee!" I squealed with delight to my significant other.  As spring progresses into summer and more of my flowers bloom, I've looked to see if I have any visiting pollinators.  Alas, not even the clover in the lawn has attracted bees, at least not while I've been around to observe it (admittedly, I am not home very much- something that I'd like to remedy).

You don't have to follow the news to know that bee populations are dwindling rapidly.  Just sit outside on a warm afternoon near some flowers, and you'll be surprised (and maybe saddened) as I am by the lack of these fuzzy little guys.  It's tragic for the bees, and bad news for us two-legs.  Without bees, we lose a lot of pollinators that make agriculture possible.  Certain species of flowering plants that require bees to assist in their reproduction may see a decline, as well.  There are many other species of pollinators out there, but how long until climate change and disease affect them, too?  

I want to help the bees, and I try to do so by planting flowers they find attractive in my garden, and allowing some dandelions and white clover to live in my lawn.  It's all right if I don't have pristine perfect grass if it's helping nature out a little.

Wildebeest

"Wildebeest"
graphite

It's rare for me to watch any sort of television, but when I'm not feeling well, I will watch Netflix.  Last night, I saw a documentary on wildebeest, which Wikipedia tells me are also called gnu (a quick check on Dictionary.com confirmed this).  I've always been somewhat biased against wildebeest, since they are the cause of Mufasa's death in the Lion King.  As a six year old, that particular scene was quite scarring.  However, two decades later, I can identify that it wasn't the fault of the wildebeest, and I curiously clicked on the Netflix documentary.  I was impressed by this hardy animal, which undergoes the longest land migration of any mammal and faces a multitude of threats in order to survive.  Their flowing locks reminded me of the barbaric splendor of Khal Drogo's hair.  It was in fact their mane which I most wanted to draw.

While not as aesthetically pleasing as their zebra compatriots, there is a certain beauty in the lanky gnu.  They are expressive and when not escaping from lions and cheetahs and hyenas (oh my), engage in playful behavior- a young calf displayed a lovely passage that any high level dressage horse would be proud to achieve.  The gnu embodies the will to live despite the dangers of its everyday life, and that inspired me to create this sketch. And, you know, they kind of remind me of horses, and I really like horses.

Return of the Spirit Horse

"Spirit Walking"
pencil

I began this drawing by focusing on the negative space surrounding the horse, as opposed to the horse itself.  The horse in the picture captured my attention with his expression and energy at the walk.  When I first began drawing the negative space, it didn't look very good- but then as I continued, I saw that the proportions of the horse turned out very well indeed, and it helped me create a better composition than usual.  Since the reference photo was a bit blurry, I decided I would return to my previous phase of "spirit" horses and enjoy the zen-like feeling of drawing squiggly lines and shapes within its body.  I did start working on this drawing on Paint, but my patience and enjoyment was at an end- so that will be a project for another time.  I envision this horse to be all tints and shades of turquoise, with a white mane and tail, on a warm, earthen background.  The trip to the Southwest is rapidly approaching, and I hope to find some personal inspiration and guidance during my adventure.  This drawing, for me, captures that hope and possibility.

Spotted Hyena- pen sketch

"Spotted Hyena"
gel pen

Here is a terrible photo of a less terrible sketch.  I'm feeling very tired and cranky, so do forgive me my transgressions.  While reading about hyenas, I discovered that they are closer in the animal kingdom to cats than dogs, but display behavior typical to both canids and felids.  Wildlife biology is absolutely fascinating- if only math wasn't so frustrating, maybe I could science.

Bees

"Mistaken for a flower"
HTC One camera phone

I almost didn't draw something today, but I convinced myself that it was worthwhile to try, even if it didn't turn out great.  And it would be okay if it didn't turn out well, because I'm rather tired and am on the eighth day of working twelve days straight.  Yesterday, during a very long and hot twelve hours of being on my feet, there was a bee that would not leave me alone.  (Foolish me, wearing perfume to an outdoor event).  I did have the opportunity to take some photos with my phone, since it was both quite persistent and docile in insisting that I had to be a flower of some sort.  One of the photos came out surprisingly artsy; my phone's camera was having trouble with the bright sunlight, but it yielded a very interesting effect.  Below is the drawing based off of the photo.  Bye the bee, we ought to be concerned about their declining population.  Plant native (or at least non-invasive) flowering plants in your back yard as a start to helping out- I'm planning on getting some veronica to augment my flowerbed.

"Bee the Light"
pen- sketchbook

Friday Sketch

pen

Portrait of a Horse

"Portrait"
graphite

I managed to completely fill up my leather sketchbook, so I have moved on to a new one.  It's a rare accomplishment for me, and one I hope to repeat.  This new sketchbook was purchased at the same time as the old one, and is the same size (I know, I know, I really ought to do some larger drawings).  

I was in the mood to draw a horse face.  The framing of the subject could have been done better- I would have liked to include all of the ears, not just the base, and also a little more of the neck.  I was able to fix having made the horse's muzzle too long and slender, and I do believe that this is only the second time that I have ever attempted drawing the veins on a horse.  While I could have spent more time on this, I am still happy with the result.

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

"Rose-breasted Grosbeak"
graphite
small leather sketchbook

My father told me on Sunday to keep an eye on my bird feeder for rose-breasted grosbeak, as he had seen them near his more southerly home.  They are migrating north to their nesting grounds, and were likely to pass through my neighborhood.  Sure enough, on Monday morning as I was looking out my kitchen window, I saw a single male rose-breasted grosbeak.  Throughout the day, I saw the same group of three males and one female visit my feeder.  The males would often have little spats, one hovering as the other prevented him from landing.  It was a beautiful day, and I had all the windows open in my house, so I could hear their plaintive calls wherever I was.  Dad said "It's like sneakers on a gym floor" but the noise seems so soft and subdued to me, that it's more like mice wearing sneakers on a gym floor.  These feisty and attractive seed-eaters were the inspiration for this sketch.

The Landing, and some thoughts on my direction in life

"The Landing"
ballpoint pen- about twenty minutes of sketching
small leather sketchbook

I've been remiss in posting, largely because my time and energy has been eaten up by preparing for an interview for a job that I didn't get, and also by my re-entry into the horse world.  It's probably better that I didn't get the job, despite what would have been a significant pay raise.  An administrative position, while lucrative, isn't truly what I want.  To be honest, what I really wanted was more money to play with ponies, especially now that I'm riding and leasing again.

I did my first horse show photography since the WEG trials at Gladstone nearly five years ago in mid-April, which you can take a look at here.  This quick sketch is based off of one of my photos from that day.  It was a laid-back and very fun event.  I took my Nikon D100 with the 135mm lens, which telescopes.  The multiple frame feature wasn't as effective as I had hoped, so I really had to focus on each horse and rider, count strides to the jumps, and try to time the photo so the horse was in the position favored in most jumping photos- knees up and forelegs tucked underneath the body.  Since I am a rider, I had pretty good luck with that.  I unfortunately had some issues with blurriness in the more distant shots.  

The folks at the schooling show seemed pretty happy with my work though, and I even sold a few photos.  My price was much cheaper than what the professionals at the big shows charge- according to my trainer, $75 for a small photo.  I'm not a full-time photographer in the least, and I want people to buy my work- so I suppose I could consider this an introductory phase.  Were this a full time gig, I would charge much more.  I have to live, after all, and roughly $70 for six hours of work (plus editing, uploading, and printing photos) doesn't cover the labor.  For now, this is for fun.  I think I would enjoy specializing in schooling shows and lessons.  I'm not very comfortable with the tense atmosphere at rated shows, and I do think that people would love to have photos of the hard work and fun put into their horses.

Part of me still longs to drop the full-time job and jump into full-time artist status, lack of a steady paycheck notwithstanding.  Or at least go to a part-time job, to alleviate things like having to eat and keep a roof over my head, and devote the rest of my time to what I really love.  It may be worth the sacrifices required.

This was shared with me recently, and is making me rethink what I'm doing right now.

At Dusk

"At Dusk"
graphite and camera filter
small leather sketchbook

I've been very busy lately, mainly because I've begun riding and working with horses again, but I took thirty minutes to do this sketch.  It's been staying lighter and lighter out when I leave work, and I love to watch the changing atmosphere as I drive to the barn and then to home.  Sunset (and sunrise) never loses its magic for me.  I especially like tree limbs silhouetted against the gloaming sky.  This piece ended up with a slightly melancholy feel to it- the barren branches, the thin horse- but it could also be hopeful, as the growing season finally begins.  Things could look up for this pair yet, and I guess that's really what I'm getting at.  I'm working on an old rescue horse, hoping that we can fill her out again and make her suitable for light riding, and while I'm sometimes looked at askance for not choosing a fancier, younger, stronger animal- I believe in this horse, and I believe that we can develop a good relationship and improve both of our qualities of life.