This is For the Birds

I was came across a photo I pulled from a magazine years ago of bird houses on an outdoor tabletop and liked the variety of shapes. So as I listened to a You Tube lecture I pulled out a sketchbook and started drawing in a blank space above a bird I had drawn earlier. Basically it was an exercise in  shapes and how the light might play on them, so I changed things around to suit myself. Over the course of two lectures, I completed the birdhouses arrangement, put a nicer table under them and realized I had to get creative with it, because as I kept drawing downward, it was infringing on the bird's space.

So I decided to just run it behind him and act as if I had planned a smogasbord of potential houses for him to peruse and he was singing about it like some feathered opera character who runs toward the audience to tell them in very dramatic terms exactly what he's thinking and feeling.

 The thought amused me.

For The Birds  c SJ Moore 2019

So what do you think he's singing/saying? "She's crazy! They are all too small?"

Elise at Ten

My oldest granddaughter was the subject of a number of photos by her father, all of which were great. I asked if I could use one that was pensive to try a pencil portrait. He said "go for it." So I did.

I was pleased enough with the outcome to make it my first ever entry in a juried show. This was a member only show at local art guild I had just joined. After seeing much of the field of entries (all were paintings) I was sure it was just a way of getting my toes wet and supporting the organization. Much to my surprise, it won second place in the Advanced category.

Drawing people has been a constant in my life since I was six years old. Most of my early attempts were good for starting fires. But when you love doing something, you just keep hammering away at it regardless of the rest of the world.

Here's the drawing of Elise.

Childhood's End   c SJ Moore 2018

The Teacher

After briefly visiting a number of times with this teacher, I asked her if she would let me photograph her for a drawing. She was very accommodating and gave me a number of poses. This one seemed very authentic to her straightforward character and was an interesting challenge to play with.

Here you see my second attempt to capture the likeness and the way the sunlight played on her skin and the shirt. I'm always questioning whether to put in a background or just leave the face to hold the attention. . . .

This was drawn with HB,  2B and 6B, Staedtler Mars Lumograph pencils on 60 lb drawing paper.

The Teacher   c S J Moore 2018 

The Old Timer

Welcome to my art blog and my first post. I appreciate your stopping by and I hope you will come back for more as I share my latest efforts. They will also be posted on DailyPaintworks.com.

I'm a sucker for a face with character. I asked this guy if I could photograph him for a drawing and he grinned and asked what I wanted him to do. I told him to sit there and look like himself. He laughed and the bit of a smile lingered in his eyes. It was perfect.

This was drawn with an HB #2 pencil and the darkest darks applied with a Design Ebony Jet Black pencil. The ground is 80 lb, acid free Strathmore drawing paper.

The Old Timer  by S J Moore c 2018