Spent the day drawing. This is a study for an old man in line at the game supper. When I do a figure painting I do lots and lots of preparatory studies. Some of the studies are drawings and some are small oil paintings. My working method is to start with broad compositional ideas, like the big horizontal study from the last post, then start making more detailed drawings for the principle figures. When I feel ready I do a study in oil using the drawings.
But what about all those photographs? I don't use the photographs directly. Rather, I comb through them looking for faces and poses that fit my vision and then draw from the ones I want. I often combine many photos into one image as I did with this drawing.
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5 comments:
I like the effect of the warm, rust color on the gray paper. Great to be seeing your work. Did you do any portraits or drawings around the time of 9/11?
-Dana
Dana sorry for asking but what does 9/11 have to do with the kind of work Elizabeth does? I don't mean this question to be sarcastic or anything but it strikes me as kind of strange in this context.
If your offended by my response I apologize in advance.
Most of the work I saw after 9/11 was really bad, well intended but awful. To many firefighters looking like WW2 war bond posters or lots of pictures of twisted metal and smoke.
Most artist who did do good work based on the 9/11 tragedy waited for enough time and distance to frame the subject.
On the subject of 9/11 and war, Ivor Hele was an amazing Australian war artist who drew in battle. I have not seen anything on 9/11 that even comes close to his work in emotion and reverence.
Maybe because he was in the thick of it and understood the dynamic.
http://illustrationart.blogspot.com/2005/12/ivor-hele-great-war-illustrator.html
Great drawing Elizabeth, I love how you implied the flesh with a few smudges.
Hi Jeff, Hi Dana, thanks for your comments.
Dana, To answer your question, I did not do any work about 9/11. It all felt too close, too new, too undigested as Jeff indicates. Also, despite my AOA project, it just is not my kind of subject - after all I seem to be doing a painting about firemen that is also about food and ritual.
That said I do think there is a connection to 9/11 in my AOA project and I am planning to blog about it. Stay tuned.
Jeff, thanks for the link! I had never heard of Ivor Hele.
Ivor Hele was one of the best war artist in my view.
There is a drawing of some solders giving a wounded Japanese solder water that is an amazing sketch done from life.
He was right there drawing while the action was happening. Crazy Aussie.
Here's another link:
http://www.awm.gov.au/events/travelling/ivor_hele/ivor_hele.asp
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