The Dreaded Red Delicious Apple

Posted on November 23, 2014 by treshabarger

In my art class, there is a fake Red Delicious Apple. Sketching it gives me fits. It’s a dark object, so there are only four tones (6-10) that can be used, other than the tiny spot where the light hits it.

Mostly looks like the apple

My bright idea was to buy one, one with as many contours as possible, and sketch it at home.

The dreaded sketch object

For most of the time, in my sketch it looked like a bell pepper. I worked on it until I didn’t know what else to correct. That’s always my stopping point.

Round Pitcher in Charcoal

Posted on November 18, 2014 by treshabarger

A pitcher of a different shape, with curlicue handles.

A charcoal sketch of a round-ish pitcher with curlicue handles

Recognizable, methinks

Sketching object: a small, white roundish pitcher with curlicue handles

Those handles are scary!

Putting the sketch up on the bench makes the angle look different

And while in class there is a feline art muse, at home I have a canine art muse at my side, Dusty.

My dog Dusty, a yellow Labrador Retriever, curled up at my side as I sketch

It’s hard work, being an art muse

Small White Pitcher in Charcoal

Posted on November 16, 2014 by treshabarger

After another class session on ellipses (How hard can they be? hahaha), I came home and later sketched this small white pitcher.

A small white pitcher sketched in charcoal

I still struggle with sketching handles

I bought this pitcher Sunday afternoon. I thought it would present a challenge for me to sketch and, yes, it did.

The sketching object: a small white pitcher

Nice shape

A photo of the charcoal sketch and the sketching object (the pitcher) together

All together now

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All my time spent on ellipses was in preparation to sketch the starfish. The point of all this was to learn about foreshortening. I’m ready to revisit the tone course in my next class.

A blurry photo of a starfish charcoal sketch

A blurry starfish sketch

The elusive starfish

Still Life in Charcoal 02

Posted on November 15, 2014 by treshabarger

A still life composition sketched in charcoal: a blue vase, a white pitcher and an apple

Two new shapes: the vase and the pitcher

Hmm, in my sketch it looks as if the vase is leaning a bit. Somehow I couldn’t see that while I was sketchnig or even when I took the photo. I only saw it when I copied the photo to my computer and looked at it on the big screen. Not to worry, I’ll be sketching it again and again and again.