James Bagwell at a rehearsal

I've done a lot of previous posts about sketching in concerts. Usually the problem is how to work in the dark without bobbing your head or making unnecessary motions that might distract audience members around you. 

James Bagwell conducts Franz Schubert Mass #6, D. 950, Bard Symphonic Chorus

But if you sketch in a rehearsal, you're a lot more free. You are usually sitting by yourself. As long as you don't make any noise, no one cares if you're painting.

I did this sketch last night from the second row in Olin Auditorium of Bard College, Annandale, New York. The house lights were up so I could really see what I was doing. The technique is a mix of water-soluble colored pencils, watercolor, and casein.

James Bagwell was in constant motion of course, so I had to try to freeze the pose in my short term memory. The final concert will be December 18 at the Fisher Center, Sosnoff Theater.
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Previous posts on concert sketching:
Gouache portrait of an Irish whistle player
Sketching a vocal concert  
Violinist in ink wash
Horn Player
Mirko Listening
Club Passim Gig
Shapewelding Sketching 
The Cello and the Pencil
Concertgoer
Mass in C
Handel's Messiah

Max Ginsburg, caught painting

When I'm painting with a group, I often like to turn and paint my friends. I was sitting next to Max Ginsburg (b. 1931), so I painted him.

I used five colors of casein: cobalt blue, Venetian red, golden ochre, raw umber, and titanium white.

I did the block-in with a half-inch flat brush, and then worked the details with a small round synthetic sable. I was setting up the whole thing for the warm reflected light that bounced up from his painting.

Most of the artists in the group last night studied under Max (whose painting is on the second step up on the right): Me, Kevin Ferrara, Jeanette Gurney, Richard Scarpa, Daisy De Puthod, Max Ginsburg, Mark Texeira, Ricky Mujica, Garin Baker, and John Varriano
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Edit: Wade asked what kind of pad I was using, and it was a Moleskine watercolor notebook.

In answer to Dustin's question, here's a progress shot during the block-in. It was the end of the evening, so I only had 20 minutes to do the whole portrait of Max. The block-in was the general tone of each area, painted semi-transparently, and I went in and modified the rendering of each area quickly on the second pass.

Dean Cornwell War Bond Poster

Here's a preliminary charcoal drawing and finished image by Dean Cornwell for a war bond poster. At this stage of his career, Cornwell was not using photography for reference, and was doing his planning from models and studies, combined with his imagination. The authority that he brings to the design of the image, right down to the folds of the shirt, really carries over into the final picture.
Edit: Coincidentally, Charley Parker of Lines and Colors posted about the same painting.

Zorn's two-source lighting

This portrait of a peasant girl by Swedish painter Anders Zorn (1860-1920) is unusual because the head is lit from two sources, one from the right and one from the left.


These sources leave a shadowed plane on the forehead and cheek, and a dark cast shadow on the nose.


This photo shows Zorn with the painting and the model in the same spot he did the painting. There must be a large window or skylight behind the camera, as you can see from the cast shadow of the model's chair and shadow below the far chair which holds Zorn's hat. The secondary light source is the window in the far wall.

Was the photo taken while the painting was actually being done? Perhaps. Artists sometimes painted on a canvas in a frame. But it's also possible that Zorn and the model set up the photo after the painting was finished, and pretended to be working.


A major exhibition of Zorn originals opened yesterday at the Legion of Honor in San Francisco. The exhibit will continue through February 2. The exhibit will then travel to New York from February 27 to May 18, 2014.

And there's a new book: Anders Zorn: Sweden's Master Painter

The painting "Peasant Girl" is in the art museum in Worcester, Massachusetts. 
See lots of Zorns online at the Anders Zorn: the Complete Works

Scott Robertson Draws a Car

It's always fun to watch someone draw, especially when they tell you what they're thinking as they make their decisions.

Here is Scott Robertson doing a remarque in his new book, called "How to Draw: drawing and sketching objects and environments from your imagination."
Scott has served multiple duties as teacher at Art Center, publisher at Design Studio Press, and concept artist for films like Minority Report.

The new book isn't available quite yet, but I'll review it for you when my copy arrives (Thanks, Scott!) Direct link to video.
Scott Robertson's website, Drawthrough
Preview the book "How to Draw" on Amazon

Visual Forensic

"Visual forensic" is a method of 3D facial reconstruction used by Phillipe Froesch.

Starting with a CT scan of a person known only from a skull, Mr. Froesch digitally reconstructs the layers of muscle, skin and hair until he achieves the living appearance of the person.

These images show Mr. Froesch's reconstruction of the face of Simón Bolívar (1783-1830).

Fortunately, Bolívar is known from contemporary portraits, which helps a great deal.

This video shows some of the other faces he has reconstructed from skulls. (Video link) When it comes to prehistoric humans, reconstructions are more speculative, especially when it comes to soft morphology, such as ears, lips, and noses. Like a lot of other kinds of digital graphics, these images suggest a greater level of certainty than anthropologists really have.

Images of Bolivar from Clustr.com

Thanks CG Bros

More at Visual Forensic.com

Lamaze Coach

More than 27 years ago, when my wife and I were expecting our first child, we took a class in the Lamaze method at our local hospital.


I was impressed with the teacher's poses as she talked to us about breathing, pain, massage, empowerment, and confidence.

She hadn't had a baby yet herself, but she was very emphatic about what the experience was going to be like. As she talked, I tried to lock some of her keyframe poses in my short term memory, and note them down in ballpoint pen.

Longer preview of stamp video

The latest issue of International Artist magazine has a feature about the making of the Australian dinosaur stamps. If you pick up a copy, you can see the various preliminary stages that the art went through.















I've also just uploaded this longer video preview about the making of those stamps. (Direct video link)

You can travel with me to Museum Victoria to study original fossils with paleontologist Tom Rich. Then we head into the Australian bush to study ancient plants. The full video shows every part of the creative process, from the unique design challenges of philatelic art to the construction of 3D reference maquettes, then the comprehensive drawing, the color planning, and the oil painting.


The DVD version also includes 10 minutes of additional interview material with Dr. Tom Rich, plus an eight minute narrated slideshow of development artwork and philatelic products, and a 13.5 minute documentary on the making of Dinotopia, called "Dinotopia: Art, Science, and Imagination."

This is a great resource for art teachers or parents wishing to inspire a young person who wants to find a way to do imaginative or science-based artwork.

Stan Prokopenko says: "Saw the DVD and loved it. He takes you through his whole process from concept to final. I liked seeing how he built his maquette and used it as part of the creative process. Great to see how free he is in every stage to experiment with ideas and make changes. Makes me want to go paint dinosaurs."

Learn more about the full-length art instruction video:
Digital download  via credit card Australia's Age of Dinosaurs: Art of the Stamps
Digital download via Paypal 
DVD with 32 minutes of additional content available now here
or preorder with Amazon 
More info at James Gurney.com 

Pinchcliffe Grand Prix

"Flåklypa Grand Prix," also known as "Pinchcliffe Grand Prix" is a Norwegian animated film from 1975. The hero is an eccentric inventor who builds an ingenious racing automobile. He is aided by his animal sidekicks, a mopey hedgehog and a perky magpie. Above is a short excerpt. 

It is one of the most beloved and commercially successful films of all time in Norway, but it isn't as well known in other parts of the world.  

Here's a trailer / teaser. It took Mario Caprino and his team of five artists almost 3.5 years to make the entire 88 minute film.

The animation technique was kept as a bit of a mystery to the audience and fellow artists. Some of the films that Mr. Caprino did leading up to Pinchcliffe were primarily accomplished with clever puppetry and animatronics. By the time Mr. Caprino did Pinchcliffe, he apparently relied more on stop motion. Some sequences of Caprino's films appear to have used blue-screen compositing, but otherwise it's all shot in camera. To modern audiences accustomed to digital effects, the results appear remarkably sophisticated. 

A full size replica of the car, known as Il Tempo Gigante was built to promote the film. The car has 550 horsepower and a real jet engine, but it can't be driven much because of EU restrictions.

Wikipedia on Pinchcliffe Grand Prix 

Here's a link where you can purchase a DVD in PAL or NTSC format.

Frank at the Diner

Sunday at 3:30 in the afternoon is a relatively quiet time at our little diner, so it's a good time to sketch people.


After I ordered my turkey reuben sandwich and leek-and-potato soup yesterday, I noticed a tall man sitting alone at the far end of the counter. He ate quietly and stayed more or less in the same pose while I drew this picture.

I used water-soluble colored pencils, watercolor, and a little white gouache. My soup and sandwich arrived sooner than I expected, so I had to shove the art stuff to one side to make room. I ate with my left hand while I painted with my right.

The server stopped to refill my coffee and check out the sketch. "Frank is one of our regulars," she said. "He's a real nice gentleman."
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Read a similar post about another man at the same counter: War Jitters