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Jessica Libor

~ Studio Journal

Jessica Libor

Tag Archives: sketching

The Big Picture

02 Sunday Sep 2018

Posted by Jessica Libor in art, fashion, Inspiration, Journeys, lifestyle, Uncategorized

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Bhldn, etretat, france, monet, sketching, traveling, wedding dress

jess sketching at etretat

Sometimes, it is good to step back and look at the big picture of your life…the things you are working towards and why, the dynamics of your life, and re-define what is important to you.  I can so easily go on autopilot, doing the same things I’ve always done because I’ve always done them, and they are habits… it is good to take a step back and look outside yourself.  Take a higher view and think about what matters to you.  Sketching on the high cliffs of Etretat in France  overlooking the world.  Photography by Lauren Fair, dress by Bhldn.  Where do you go to think things over?

How to Paint Like the Masters, Part 4: The Rendering Continues

23 Monday Jan 2012

Posted by Jessica Libor in How To, Inspiration, Journeys

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advice for artists, art expert, artist bios, classical realism, drawing, drawing beautifully, education in new york, emerging artist, emerging artists, how to be a skilled artist, how to be an artist, how to draw, how to draw from the live model, how to paint like the masters, jacob collins, jessica libor, Joshua LaRock, new york academy of art, sketching, steven assael

To continue our journey towards a beautiful painting, we begin where we left off, while still rendering a drawing and getting the values correct.  Again, remember that with every finished drawing, painting in the correct value scale becomes easier.  Before we dive in again, I wanted to share with you some of the most inspiring drawings in a classical manner that I’ve seen.  Let these motivate you to continue!  Skill comes through correct instruction, desire, and a little bit of natural inclination.

Serena, by Jacob Collins, 2004

Inbal, by Joshua LaRock, 12"x14", 2007

As you are looking back and forth from the model to your paper, don’t worry about the midtones right now, they will figure themselves out.  Look at the shapes that the dark and light create.  Remember that you can’t create form by COPYING values, because our value range as artists is more limited than in real life.  You must compress the values to create something with sculptural integrity–like a block of marble.  Think about making it an experience of volume on the page.  Take big swaths with the chisel of your pencil.  When you do start to think about midtones, tread lightly!  The dark light is turning with the form until it kisses the shadow.  Every form goes through the same gradation of lights and darks.  It’s just how fast it goes through all the gradations.  In the light, the value changes are less than you think they should be.  Hairlines are a soft transition from skin tones.  If by the end of this drawing session, the form isn’t round enough, then the shadows need to be darker and the form light lighter.

Drawing by Steven Assael

How to Paint Like the Masters, Part 1

18 Wednesday Jan 2012

Posted by Jessica Libor in How To, Inspiration, Journeys

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artist bios, drawing, emerging artist, how to be an artist, how to draw, how to paint, how to paint like the masters, instruction, jessica libor, Joshua LaRock, masters, Michelangelo, painting, sketching

Portrait Study by Joshua LaRock, oil on linen, 2007

In this post I just wanted to share my extensive notes from a very helpful workshop that I took this summer at the Grand Central Academy of Art.  Joshua LaRock was the instructor, and it was one of the most thorough and helpful classes I’ve ever taken.  Joshua studied for four years at the GCA and now teaches there in addition to painting.  If you’d like to visit his website and see his work, visit www.joshualarock.com.  I would highly recommend any of his classes to artists who want to learn more about traditional ways of painting and add extra dimension to their work.

It was a two week workshop, and I’ll break down the instruction into a few posts, day by day: the drawing first, then the painting.  First, came the drawing, something that many of us want to skip through because it’s not quite as fun and instant-gratification as painting.  He made us slow down and take and entire week to draw the model, with only the next week to paint a complete painting.   Through that, I learned a lot about value.  “Value makes the painting,” he told us.  After thinking about it, I came to agree.  I couldn’t think of any major painting I didn’t have carefully chosen, subtle values.   My hope is that you’ll be able to utilize these notes and use the information in your own work!

Drawing Demo by Joshua LaRock 2011

Note: All these instructions are made with the assumption that you have a live model in front of you posing.

Day 1

Blocking in.  A messy, sketchy, but important step.  Focus on LINE and FORM.  Classically, the picture frame is supposed for be vertically tipped (window shaped), not horizontal (landscape shaped).

Notice where you are drawing the model from.  (At this point Joshua put a piece of glass up on the easel and did a line drawing on the glass, tracing only as a demonstration)

Find a horizontal and vertical reference point on the model.

To begin blocking in, hold the pencil loosely.  If it’s a portrait you are doing, imagine it’s not a head–take yourself away from the psychological attention of features.  Establish a scale.  Some tools to do this are:

1. Find points on the face/model and mark them on your paper.

2. Notice the tilt of the head.

3. Notice how the shapes interlock

4. Use comparative measuring.

See what’s actually in front of you, and draw on medium to fine tooth paper.  Block out the larger masses.  In comparative measuring, use your left eye with the left arm to measure, or right with the right.  When you do comparative measuring, lock your arm, so that it’s the same distance each time you measure.

Take a central point between the face.  Check distances to/from everything.  Start with the VOLUME in the shapes, not the contour.  This will give your drawing a feeling of sculpture and fullness, like Michaelangelo’s drawings.

Archers by Michelangelo, 1533

Seated Male Nude by Michelangelo, 1511

Choose one part of the face and make it fact–build around it.  Use halves and quarters.  And most importantly, don’t get too detailed to fast!  Work on all the proportions at the same time and it will come together.

After blocking in, start getting more into the shapes.  Start inside the face and work outwards, slowly raising the 2-D drawing to 3-D.

Watch the terminators–they’ll help you find the right shapes and fullnesses in the form.  Terminator is the edge of form where light no longer can pass over a form–it turns and curves away from light.

Know your bad tendencies and guard against them (For me, this means guarding against overemphasis on contrast).  Move from the center of the face and build out.  Move forward from your easel when needed to investigate the shapes, especially around the eyes.

Demo of Portrait drawing by Joshua LaRock 2011

Stay tuned for my notes from Day 2 :)!

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