jayme del rosario | sketchblog » sketch

Going Big

admin — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 11:02:04 +0000

I’ve been getting finicky lately and needed to “reset” meaning take what I learned from Rick Piloco’s sketch class (which I took a few years ago). Think big, get the right value/color right, put it down and leave it alone.

My smallest brush was a large round size 6. It was a great way to prevent myself from getting too tight too soon so that I could properly work from general to specific. Also, in a 3 hour sketch (I’m just used to much longer) I usually run out of time before I an get to anything specific and I find that this can be a good thing for me.

oil sketch, 18" x 24"

Portrait sketch, graphite

admin — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 05:36:37 +0000

Here’s a 3-hour portrait sketch done in graphite.

Jackie, graphite on paper

Portrait Sketch: Ilya

admin — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 14:34:39 +0000

3hr portrait sketch, oil on paper

Portrait Sketch: Lee

admin — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 04:44:12 +0000

3-hr portrait sketch, oil on paper

Portrait Sketch: Whittnie

admin — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 20:22:28 +0000

Here’s a quick 3-hour portrait sketch of Whittnie that I did at the studio during Kate‘s quick portrait sketch class. The exercise is a push towards color accuracy, but is highly dependent on a very good drawing and structural knowledge of the head/portrait. A block-in in 20 minutes is one of the hardest things I find that we do at the studio, though it’s great practice. It’s quite an adrenaline rush. Ay….3 hours flies!

3-hour quick portrait sketch, Whittnie

Andrew Loomis and Matthew Innis’ latest blog post on his blog, Underpaintings, offers great reading material for these quick portraits.

Quick sketch of a moving target

admin — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:37:07 +0000

I realized how behind I’ve been on the sketch part of this “sketchblog”. Before I forget my initial intention for this blog I should mention, more of a reminder to myself, that a big part of this was to throw raw ideas and sketches out there so that it’s more of a sketchbook and process oriented project of sorts. So here’s an old sketch to re-calibrate my thoughts and posts.

open sketch class drawing

When I get stuck on longer poses and projects, it’s very easy to forget how helpful a sketch session can be. This was a nice pose, and it was great practice in trying to track anatomical landmarks as her pelvis mimicked the weight of a pendulum throwing her contrapposto to and fro…it was actually more funny than frustrating. This taught me that sometimes it’s futile; you just have to let go and give up on the pose corrections. Accept it as a challenge for one session. Like a wise friend once said, “After all, it’s life drawing. They’re going to move!”

Dissection Lab: Arm Study

admin — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 15:21:09 +0000

This is a quick pencil sketch studying the muscles of the upper arm in the anatomy lab. That day we covered many parts of the cadaver, with extensive notes and coverage of the flexors and extensors of the forearm plus their complex connection with the digits. It was interesting being able to move muscle groups to witness and better understand the muscle groupings of the arm and how they move the hand and fingers.

Muscles of the Arm, Pencil Sketch

Adolf von Menzel, Menzel Copy (part 2)

admin — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 04:05:02 +0000

final drawing copy of Menzel's Head of Bearded Man

Here is the result after day 2. Now after an entire day away from the drawing, the values of the entire form of the cheek from the nose/corner of the eye to the beard is quite off. I didn’t notice this during the session. This is a good lesson in taking breaks!

I hope to run into more of Adolf Menzel’s drawings – graphite, pen and ink, anything. Menzel was self-taught and did not attend an academy. He has excellent knowledge of perspective, linework and anatomy as well as a wonderful sense of form. He, too, was a painter and illustrator like Mucha. Both did etchings and woodcuts — excellent draughtsmen.

Sketch: Old Peasant Woman

admin — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 16:23:07 +0000

Sketch of a small terracotta sculpture

Here’s a sketch from my latest visit to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Museums – such as the MET – provide an abundant amount of interesting and beautiful things to sketch, from 2D & 3D artwork to museum visitors and guards. On a rainy day, it’s the perfect place! However, what caught my attention this visit were the terracotta sculptures nearby in the European Sculptures section of the museum. This sketch is from a very small bust by Jules Dalon, a French sculptor from the 19th Century. It is most likely a study for a larger piece. Yes, that’s right, a sketch of a sketch!