Drawing Poe



                             Poe                       2012

When brainstorming for who to draw a portrait of for this week, I thought back on stories I have recently read.  Not so long ago, I read The Murders in the Rue Morgue , by Edgar Allen Poe, which is the first contemporary detective story to be put onto paper.  This story went onto inspire Sir Arthur Conan Doyle to write the Sherlock Holmes series of short stories, which I have also read quite a few of.  I figured since Poe inspired me to spend endless nights reading these stories, the least I could do is draw a picture of him.   

Since Poe has some dark and slightly exaggerated features I decided to work in charcoal for his portrait.  This lead to both good and bad elements to the finished piece.   The charcoal worked well in the eye area because there was more drama and contrast.  I was able to achieve the dark shadows I wanted using the charcoal, therefore ending up with more detail and realism in the eyes.

Close up of eyes

However, when I moved to the chin area, I encountered an issue.  I was not able to blend the charcoal as smoothly in the mid-tone grey.  It left some harsher looking lines within the shaded area.  It is a minor issue, but a pet peeve of mine.  I think with a little more practice, I will be able to avoid this issue in the future.

Close up of chin

Next week I'm going to change it up a bit from my recent work.  I have a fun drawing of a gargoyle that I am going to be adding some fun colors to with watercolor or gouache.  Also, my portrait of the week will be a pet portrait in acrylic paint.   Please tune in and see how it's going!

As far as this week goes, I would love to hear what your favorite art medium is and if you have any pet peeves with it.  



A few things to consider...

I am going to start this week out with a quote my husband found for me that perfectly outlines my current mindset.

           "Nobody tells this to people who are beginners. I wish someone had told me.  All of us who do creative work, we get into it because we have good taste.  But there is this gap.  For the first couple of years you make stuff, it's just not that good.  It's trying to be good, it has potential, but it's not.  But your taste, the thing that got you into the game, is still killer.  And your taste is why your work disappoints you.  A lot of people never get past this phase; they quit.  Most people I know who do interesting, creative work went through years of this.  We know our work doesn't have this special thing that we want it to have.  We all go through this.  And if you are just starting out or you are still in this phase, you gotta know that it's normal and the most important thing you can do is do a lot of work.  Put yourself on a deadline so that every week you finish one piece.  It's only by going through a volume of work that you will close that gap, and your work will be as good as your ambitions.  And I took longer to figure out how to do this than anyone I've ever met.  It's gonna take a while. It's normal to take a while. You just gotta fight your way through."  -Ira Glass

I have definitely entered that gap.  I feel as though my ambitions and goals are so far over my head it's laughable.  But I have a support system, and a very good one at that.  It is made up of family, friends, and mentors.   They are there for me when I need to bounce ideas around, need a partner in crime, or need reassuring that I can do this.  Each time I feel like it's not worth trying again, I think of all the support I've received and push through. Not only would I be letting myself down by not trying, I would be letting them down as well. 

In reference to last weeks post on inspirations, I did a lot of brainstorming.  I struggled quite a bit with trying to find unique ways to use my inspiration.  That is a huge reason for the blurb above.  So hopefully in the coming weeks I can work through my frustrations and produce something based on my list.

 Also on my mind this past week was the anniversary of a loss.  To honor the memory and show my love I started a portrait. 

 Untitled                                                     2012

Basically, this past week has had its share of trials.  But what week doesn't?  On that note, I will leave you with one more quote:

"The artist is a receptacle for emotions that come from all over the place:  from the sky, from the earth, from a scrap of paper, from a passing shape, from a spider's web."-Pablo Picasso

So, onto this week with the expericences of the last to draw upon and make use of in a new light. Until next time, cheers!

The beginning of the quest...

                                                    Icarus                            Pencil 2012                    k. gamble


Beginning....sounds like winning.  Every artist follows a different path, but I think it is safe to say that the end goal is similar for all.  This year I have decided that it is time to kick it in gear and get serious about pursuing my artistic dreams.  I am taking my first steps down that path by creating this page.  This "secret public sketchbook" will chronicle my journey to fulfilling my goals.  My main goals I have set for myself are as follows:  to submit works for publishing, create work for and have an art show, and last, but not least, submit an entry to Spectrum 20.  I by no means expect this to be an easy task.  It often seems that one can not even go a week without suffering some sort of artistic set back.  Be it mental or physical, the creative world is full of obstacles.  My biggest struggle is over subject matter and wanting to loosen up the style of my art work but at the same time having a desire to fine tune the realistic tendencies I have always leaned towards.  Currently I am embracing realism and trying to add a fantastical twist. 

Featured above is my latest pencil work, Icarus.  I find that I am loving this image, and I plan to work with it more and in other mediums.  So I apologize now if it shows up a lot, but I hope that with each version of it comes a different vibe to the piece.  It is currently my front runner for possible submission in a publication.  I think that it may even be a Spectum submission canidate.