Jim Hochron - Artistic Wanderings: 2011

Thursday, December 22, 2011

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Sunday, July 3, 2011

Sunday, April 10, 2011

Pen and ink sketch on daily newspaper.

Open Studio Life Drawing Fall 2010

Open Studio drawing - Pastel 18 x24

Umbria Countryside

Sketches from travels in Umbria on watercolor paper using water-soluble graphite pencils and ink

Friday, February 18, 2011

Charcoal drawing ( 7 x 9 in ) on print stock paper. This was done largely with charcoal dust applied with a sponge and the dark lines drawn with vine charcoal. Light areas are lifted by eraser and a bit of white conte used for the lightest highlights. There is so much to be learned while doing a simple charcoal drawing.

I will continue with this technique but my next charcoal drawing will be on recently acquired Rives paper, where I am hoping to achieve more of a watercolor effect.

Sunday, February 13, 2011

Watching baby grow

I attended an open studio where a fellow artist created a beautiful charcoal drawing using charcoal dust and applying the charcoal with a wedge cosmetic sponge on Rives BK paper. His picture had a watercolor type quality about it that I found very appealing. Light areas can be lifted off the surface using the sponge or kneaded eraser and darker areas reenforced using a stick of soft vine charcoal.

I tried this approach for the first time in the above picture. The paper that I used was not quite white enough and had a bit of tooth to it, so I couldn't really get the bright whites that I wanted. Pushing the charcoal around the surface was more difficult than I had expected. I can see another trip to the art supply store now to buy Rives paper.

I do love the composition of this picture which was done from a photograph. There is a strong visual pull towards the face of the baby, which follows the direction in which the parents are looking.

Pastel on blue toned charcoal paper - painted from life at open studio. One of my goals in this painting was to use the underneath tone of the paper in the picture. I achieved that best on the clothing, but less successfully in the face, where by tring to get a likeness of the model, I feel that I somewhat overworked this area. I will remove some of the pastel in the face to get back to the tone of the paper, and will definitely remove those two sharp lines in the lower right that are very distracting. It really helps to view the piece on a photograph and away from the easel.

Monday, January 17, 2011

First Day

3 color chalk on toned paper 8 x 12

Listening

Another three color pencil drawing on warm toned pastel paper

Wearing Grandpa's hat

Renaissance artists worked with few colors that were available. This portrait study is done in that style with three color pencils (red, black, white) on warm toned pastel paper. This background provides a middle tone, so that both lights and darks are easily visible.

Sunday, January 16, 2011

Pastel Portraits Decemer 2010 Workshop

I attended a portrait workshop at the Alexandiria Art League with artist/teacher Robert Liberace. Rob is a wonderful artist and patient teacher, and in high demand. While others in the class worked in oil, I decded to concentrate adapting the lessons to pastel. Here are studies from two live models.

Saturday, January 15, 2011

Pastel 16 x 24 -2009 - Juried into Yellow Barn member show

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Favorites from 2010 Sketchbook

The portraits I have seleted from my sketchbook are ones that I felt captured best the personality of the subject. I am less interested in the capturing a likeness than I am conveying a sense of who they are, which is what inspires me to draw them in the first place.

Pen and ink - Venice of course

Waiting for the concert to begin - Graphite

Graphite

House portrait watercolor and ink - New Orleans

Pen and ink

Sunday, January 9, 2011

Dressed for Church

This charcoal and white chalk drawing was done a couple years back and I am doing this face again just as a portrait. The portrait is being done with red, white black prismacolor pencils on a toned watercolor paper.

Saturday, January 1, 2011

From the sketchbook - pen and ink

These sketchbook drawings are done very rapidly. I am capturing a simple response to something observed or felt. I enjoy the freshness and energy of these drawings and how they capture a personality or mood. This is also excellent training for the eye to focus on the most important lines and shapes and values (light and dark).