How I deal with world leaders

[Red_desert]

Hard to believe I'll be turning 60 yrs in another few months. I get up earlier every morning to start my exercises while waiting on hot water for coffee. Finish out the cups of coffee with 50 time sets (several of these 50 sets each exercise) of toe touches, stretching, arm-twirls, reverse arm-twirls, then 5 time sets of sit-ups, push-ups (1 time leg-raises with each set sit-ups) by the time done only count hours (1 1/2-3). Have been doing this since last spring.

During the summer got this brain-storm of an idea to make hand carved tree branch pens, to use in a new sketch mix media experiment. Took advantage of fall sale catalogs to order sketch pads, charcoal pencils, special graphite drawing pencil sets. World leaders make good scape goats, so used one of them to do my first sketching experiment with mix media in pen, pencil and charcoal. Completed 11/6/2015, not sprayed here yet with a fixative.

Here I am with easel, had it already years ago (during my painting mess days). These pics were made from video, eventually hope to share on YouTube how the technique of black & white mix media works. This was done using a sad day reference photo, the world leader is looking sad which nothing unusual at the moment

 

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[baspinall]

Good stuff!

 

[Red_desert]

Good stuff!

Thanks! I'm already partway through the next sketch, but still the same world leader....hoping to do it again, only better job than before. This is 14" x 17" paper, have plenty of 18" x 24" sketch pads, don't feel like using them yet.....after enough practice will attempt it (probably first on the same leader). Eventually want to "move on" to cityscapes, wildlife, and landscapes.

 

[PhipsFolly]

Here's a charcoal I did of my sister in laws dog... I don't usually do "portraits" but was this was a gift for her and she said it captured her pooch's expression and personality to a tee...

 

[Red_desert]

Nice dog sketch there, pets deserve a place on the wall. More meaning to remember them by than a small snapshot (better remembered in art).

There is a lot can be done with charcoal, to get the right texture. The suit coat above had pencil in places of wrinkles, charcoal then worked into these areas. Dark line across the top of shoulder was made using a hand carved wood dip pen with black artists' ink. My wooden pens work more like a paint brush, only loaded with the ink. I put 1-3 drops in a small plastic cap. Actually, 3 drops turned out to be too much, the ink goes a long way (acrylic type). In a few months plan to get up on YouTube, explain my techniques so others can learn how to do the same.

Animals are a good subject to sketch, I'm waiting to get all the bugs worked out of black & white, then move into color sketch mix media. Colorful vegetation and wildlife (especially endangered species) deserves to have some color to it.

 

[PhipsFolly]

I did the dog "portrait" from memory and was pretty pleased with the result...

 

[Peyton Manning]

nice likeness of george bush

 

[Red_desert]

I think I'll stick with people for now, animal textures can be real tricky, get them to come out right.

 

[Red_desert]

nice likeness of george bush

Not GWB but the expressions are strikingly similar.

 

[Red_desert]

Working on the next sketch here.

 

[Peyton Manning]

do somebody we know

ummmm marilyn monroe?

 

[myfantasia1]

so precious

 

[Red_desert]

do somebody we know

ummmm marilyn monroe?

I was thinking about Queen Elizabeth. There is a much younger queen, I was going to use her later for a sketching project. I'll give a clue, first letter of her 1st name is R. But would like to do king first, then both together....maybe her separately last. Have to wait and see how things turn out...... unless I do GWB instead a few times.

 

[Peyton Manning]

yeah I guess she'll do. Queen of Jordan?

 

[Red_desert]

yeah I guess she'll do. Queen of Jordan?

Right on! But need to have a larger sketch or two of Benjamin Netanyahu, then hit up the royal family portraits. Eventually, this will all go on YouTube (hopefully )

 

[Red_desert]

On second thought, I yet need to try a 18" x 24" size, Queen Rania might be a good way to get started.....if that one turns out good, then do the others later.

 

[Peyton Manning]

I would pick her before the men

 

[Red_desert]

I would pick her before the men

Right on again!

 

[Red_desert]

I'll get to the Queen Rania, as soon as I finish up this one.....for some reason it has been going slower than slow. Have the QR stuff mostly planned and ready to go now, only a matter of the last one done, put away, yes then out of sight! I realize the hair turned out too nice for him, more like one of these makeover portraits where the makeup artist gives them a new look.

 

[RGINN]

Pretty cool, Red Desert. You got some nice shirts, too.