Small Practice Pencil Sketches

These are small pencil sketches to work out in small size and to practice compositions.  It is easier to make small mistakes and small experiments before committing to full size paintings or larger paintings.

Hemlock Tree Sketch

A grey little day in DC, I have plans to fill sketch books with pencil drawings of trees and windows.  I have filled three sketchbooks with bird sketches.  All are plan of the practice necessary to improve.  Tonight is another tree sketch after a long day and long commute in the rain.  This is work to be able to avoid a commute unless it is to someplace interesting.

Douglas Fir Tree sketch

Tonight's post is a pencil sketch of a Douglas Fir tree done in pencil, simple and easy to put the day behind me.

Scuba James - Block-in plus

Today is the two year anniversary of my son James's passing away.  I started this blog as a way to keep me busy afterwards.  I worked on this over the weekend and it is based off a photo from a diving trip we took to Belize back in 2007.  James and I got to do a lot of things together but this was probably one of the best.  This photo is from the first day of the trip and James's first real dive in the ocean.  I did this painting in oil paint and it was alla prima, meaning I did this in one go.  I have not perfected my technique with this so i will have to improve his face and some details on the scuba gear to make it believable.

Tiffany Oil Painting

This is another oil painting from the weekend, I worked with Armand Cabrera on this.  He helped protect me from myself and pointed out what was right and wrong on this portrait of my daughter Tiffany.  Portraits are hard and require a lot of practice but it is easier to learn with expert feedback which can immediate set you straight when you need it.

Cape May Lighthouse Nocturne - the start

I worked on this oil painting today with Armand Cabrera, in his art class at the Great Falls Foundation for the Arts, in Great Falls, VA.  It is always a pleasure to paint with Armand.  He is a great Painter and great teacher.  Every artist faces problems when they try to convert the three dimensional world into tow dimensions of paint and canvas.  Every time I paint with Armand, I can see the improvement.  He helps me when I get stuck, spots problems before they ruin a painting, and he helps we produce some of my best art, the stuff which really moves me forward.  This painting is done from a photo and sketch notes I took during a visit to Cape May in the early summer.  I will finish it up tomorrow with some small tweaks and adjustments.

Colorado, Fall in the Foothills - the block-in

I was in art class today with Armand Cabrera at the Great Falls Foundation for the Arts.  This is the first painting I worked on it the morning.  This is from a photograph I took in the foothills of Colorado near Denver.  I will need to add some branches and foliage to the Cottonwood trees and the grasses in the foreground will need some attention, but it is a good start.