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Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Trying out the new sketchbook -

Can I just say how awesome this toned sketchbook is? I love being able to put the highlights *in* rather than just leaving the white of the page. Of course, I'm not getting to use it right now, because I am drawing Wind Dancer book interiors like crazy. I did these on the retreat last weekend (copying Master drawings to get a feel for the yummy, smooth paper):

This is after a Burne-Jones head study.

And this is after a Hans Holbein study. I have a Dover book of a bunch of his portrait studies from King Henry VIII's court. They are fabulous - and for the most part show somewhat homely, very 'real' looking people. Not idealized at all.

And this is a totally uncharacteristic Alphonse Mucha study. Loved it that he has some 'monster drawings' in addition to his more typical lyrical ladies and lovely art-nouveau botanicals.

Graphite and white charcoal. Drawn in an 11x14, hardcover Utrecht sketchbook with 'oatmeal' pages.

12 comments:

Cindy said...

This is really cool, Tara. (the sketchbook AND the drawings) I think I will have to get one of these sketchbooks.
And where did you see that Mucha drawing? I don't think I have ever seen Mucha monsters before.

Jess said...

Beautiful drawings Tara, it looks great fun using a tinted background. :)xx

d. moll, l.ac. said...

Wow! that is so great to be able to pop in the highlights, a whole new dimension.

Carmen Medlin said...

Very cool sketchbook (and sketches)! I haven't used toned paper in ages, it *is* nice to be able to do both shadow and highlight.

Shona said...

Beautiful! I'm currently playing about with dones/dark paper at the moment. I love the way you can then set elements to pop out with highlighting and shade :)

Michelle Palmer said...

Great idea... they look fantastic! So much more fun than white all the time :)

Jennifer Rose said...

i didn't know that Mucha did some monster drawings, rally interesting to find out

Northern Beauty Seeker said...

Well, as soon as I saw the hair on the first sketch I thought to myself, "wow, I wish my hair gleamed like that".

Good highlights! :)

Soozcat said...

That is very atypical Mucha, though (as with all his work) still great to look at. And I am continually in awe at what comes out of your fingers, though you must know that by now.

Loni Edwards said...

Very cool! I love it!

Anonymous said...

Just love these! How different it must have been to draw on toned paper. So cool.

Ruthie Redden said...

what a wonderful set of drawings, i do so admire your style. I used to love working with highlights back into a charcoal saturated piece of paper at college, very messy.