changing . . .

I actually did this composition as an oil sketch BEFORE I went back and drew it again with a pencil. The painting does not have as much detail as I would like.  Drawing it did help me to make ONE decision that improved the painting.  She is chewing gum.  After I drew it in pencil I saw that she should blow a bigger bubble in the painting.  Not perfect - but better.  I will show you the painting when it dries.

(PS I can't wait to see Carol's ballerina when she decides to draw one!  Her latest watercolor has encouraged me to try and draw a car.  Not much success yet - but I will continue to work on it.  It's a Volkswagen beetle and of course it belongs to a ballerina.) 

yike-o-licious?

You may recall that this was a watercolor I posted some time ago.  I looked at it one day and I thought 'YIKES!'  I actually say that.  I said 'YIKES!'  I brought the poor thing into my 'ballerina clinic' and went over it with oil paint.  A much more pleasing effect I think.  Painting the tutu and adding the violet shadows was like eating a piece of chocolate with creamy caramel inside.  In my mind she went from yikes to yike-o-licious!

ballerina with a fan . . .

I love ballerinas holding a fan.  I was so inspired by the bottom image I saw on one of those copyright free photo sites that I got all auto-biographical again with the above pastel!  Karen thank you for the tip about the pastel paper and boards - I will be checking it out soon!

pastel colors for carol . . .

I must admit that I really enjoyed tossing around those pastel sticks!  I was actually afraid at first because this drawing was a little larger than normal for me.  Afraid? I thought.  Of a ballerina?! Get to it girl! I said.  And look - another wonderful self portrait (inner self)!  I left the arm undone because so doing was so much fun!  This is on heavy cardboard but I think that one day I will try pastel board.

ballerina clinic and a question for bonnie . . .

In this practice sketch I wanted to leave the face of the ballerina undone.  With just the hint of a face is it possible that she still looks like someone you may have seen before (or am I just being lazy)?  I really enjoyed 'penciling' the skin tone - and - drawing just that little bit of the chair leg was just like having a little piece of chocolate.

QUESTION:  Bonnie how did you execute that last drawing?  As you can see, I really want to know!

some ballerina colors for carol . . .

some ballerina colors for carol

This practice sketch of a ballerina is in the manner of Dan McCaw.  I love his figurative work. (What's with that tutu? I don't know.)  One step forward - a thousand miles to go!

myra like degas . . .

You may have heard somewhere that I like the ballet paintings and drawings of Degas.  I have long loved this Degas sketch (photo #2).  What I attempted to do in my sketch was to substitute my face for the face of the ballerina (now I'm lying).  I did the best I could with my limited skill set but boy oh boy was it fun!! 

Also, I need to go back and number my ballerina series.  What number is this one?  I think I am going to put numbers on them like JM's apples.  Her artistic way of numbering her apple series is just too cute!

Finally, I am thinking about getting one of those art projectors as a learning tool.  I would like to use one as an aid to help me 'see' objects better.  I would also practice tracing objects in order to learn how to draw them more accurately. 

ballerina sketch

This is another pencil done on watercolor paper.  In this sketch I wanted to see if I could bring a little more 'reality' to the figure.  I also wanted to see if I could make it look as if the tutu was standing out in the back.  You know how we all are at times - so much angst about our work.  In this drawing I thought 'Hey, this one ain't so bad!'  (I think you get the feeling of charcoal when you take the stump and smooth the pencil lines.)

umbrella . . .

This one doesn't 'scare me' as much as that last drawing did!  I love ballerinas holding umbrellas and fans.  This is pencil on watercolor paper. 

JanettMarie and me and figurative work makes three part 1. . .

Helen H. T.

by myra anderson

In my last post I said that I would concentrate on  'capturing the beauty of the human form.'  I let that be the motivating force behind this sketch.   I kept telling myself  'you MUST capture the beauty of the human form!'  Next time I'll fix her hair.

What a beautiful sketch by Janettmarie!

eric bowman and me and emotional-lee

sketch #7 by myra anderson

eric bowman

What a beautiful painting by Eric Bowman!  With just the right amount of strokes he has captured the beauty and the emotion of the ballet.  I think that my pencil drawing shows a little emotion.  She's saying 'I'm young, beautiful and when I'm done dancing I want a small one egg omelet with pepper jack cheese and bacon on a nice piece of hot buttered toast. . . . and coffee'. (Her . . . not me!)

ballerina with a fan . . .

ballerina with a fan

myra anderson

Sketch #6 of my series 'depending on who you ask - 100 either great - or poorly drawn - sketches of the ballet' is a pencil sketch.   As in the previous post, the colorful background and fan were added with photoshop.

hips

at the end of the day I want a cheeseburger

by myra anderson

This is sketch #5 of my dance series.  In this particular sketch I wanted to draw a modest pair of hips in a leotard - cause that's just how I roll.   I felt that the ballerina was too skinny.  But, try as I might I could not add more weight to the drawing.  As per usual this made me think about food.  I can go many days eating a delicious salad - I make mine with lettuce, tomato, walnuts, cheese, diced chicken, avocado, cranberry-raisins and garlic croutons - sprinkled with garlic powder and pepper -  and topped with bacon ranch salad dressing.  Then after so many days I just want a cheeseburger.  With bacon.  And fries.  And a strawberry shake.   Hips . . .

pink . . . think . . .

pink! think!

by myra anderson

This is sketch #4 of my series 'depending on who you ask - 100 either great - or poorly drawn - sketches of the ballet'. What's happening with the watercolors you say?  Well, I ran out of the paper that I like and they no longer carry it (or anything that compares to it) at my local supply store.  Hope to be back on track with that soon!

one small step . . . a thousand miles to go . . .

sketch #2 by myra anderson

First, it was so sweet of Mr. Anderson (that's what I call my husband Harvey sometimes) anyway, it was so sweet of Mr. Anderson to go out and buy me an automatic pencil sharpener.  I have many packs of  unopened pencils - but no sharpener.  Now, armed with  newly sharpened pencils I decided to 'lay down some lines' or do some pencil drawings.  (I have only done three pencil drawings in my life.)

Well, I rather enjoyed it!  But there were areas that I wish I could make darker.  Lo and behold I opened up a book!  *I found out that there is something called 'a carbon pencil' that gives you darker lines.  *The artist also said that he drew the entire figure before he added the clothing.    Duh!  Why didn't he tell me that before I put her other leg in the wrong place!  Off to the store for carbon pencils and other drawing pencils!!

A quote from the web

Photo by Rick Elkins

'the ballet is truly timeless'

It took me a while to 'see' that the two ballerinas in this beautiful photo were in the same pose as the ballerinas in the Degas.  This photo by Rick Elkins portrays the kind of beauty I hope to one day bring to my paintings of the ballet.  'A thousand miles to go.'

#4 two too 2 tutu green . . .

 #4 two ballerinas with tints of green

by myra anderson

Jerome Greene

'I think that this painting is so wonderfully carefree . . .'

ballerina sketch and pizza face . . .

NO I SAID A PIECE OF FACE . . . Yesterday I put on my best leotard and tulle skirt so that I could meditate on how to bring my drawings of the ballet up to the next level.   Also, this is as far as I wanted to go on this drawing of a face.  I 'checked it before I wrecked it'.  Next time I will definitely go for it . . . maybe . . .

the top 10 reasons I need to open those watercolors and read that watercolor book!

#10 Dancer with the blueberry legs by myra anderson
The top 10 reasons I need to open those watercolors
and read that watercolor book
in paintings, quotes from other artists, and pictures . . .

one two cha cha cha

one day we'll look back at some of these drawing and laugh . . .
three four cha cha cha . . .

a ballerina sketch . . .

a ballerina sketch

with enough done

to make you want to come

and dance

with me?