Isn't it funny how some things stick with you? For those of you who don't know, this line comes from Sunset Boulevard, an old black and white classic film. Interestingly, I've never watched the whole movie, but I love that line.
This week in the studio I've been working on gradation using a close up detailed area of a value study I worked on last week. If I ever actually paint this piece, I want to have problem solved all of the important areas, and moving my viewer's eye using gradation will be very important to the success of this painting.
I also thought I would share some finished student work from the classes I'm teaching to give you a close up introduction to a couple of artist/authors. My goal for students is to learn the fundamentals of three dimensional drawing all the while experiencing different materials. This first project featured watercolor and pen and ink and utilized the marvelous drawings of Mark Kistler.
Mark Kistler has been teaching children to draw for many years and used to host a television show called Imagination Station. While I don't think his show is on anymore, his books live on and continue to inspire. His drawings are appealing to children, yet lay a strong foundation for three dimensional drawing.
The other artist/author I am using this year to teach the grid method of drawing using photographs, is Lee Hammond, who has several wonderful books available. Children love animals and these books break down the steps of creating an accurate line drawing and then using shading to render beautiful drawings.
Both artist/authors have graciously given teachers permission to photocopy pages of their books for classroom use. Mark Kistler gives permission in his books; I emailed Ms. Hammond to ask permission and received a lovely affirmative response. I love that I can share these books with children and direct them to their local library and book store to discover that books serve so many purposes, that they not only transport us to wonderful worlds through stories and our imagination, but also allow us to discover and develop new skills.
All right, Mr. DeMille, fade to black.
Thanks for sharing both your and your students' work. So fun to see!
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