This week, I devoted myself to hands (see not-so-subtle hint from my Dad here). Hands are hard. I learned that in addition to getting the lengths and proportions correct, it’s very difficult to draw finger nails without making them look creepy. Or dirty. Or like they just crawled out of a grave after being buried alive for several years. Case in point:
Jan 30, “Hand, First Attempt,” Charcoal in Sketchbook
My second attempt was much softer, less morbid. Ironically, it’s a depiction of “Thing” from Addams Family.
Feb 1, “Thing,” Charcoal in Sketchbook
I probably should have lingered in sketching hands for a while, but I got antsy and went straight to oils. This put me back in the creepy category again. Darn those fingernails.
Jan 3, “L” and “O”; Jan 4, “V” and “E,” Oil on oil paper
The painting above is actually a series of four paintings done over two days. Despite the fact that execution was lacking, I gave the paintings above 7 Van Goghs because I thought the concept was excellent.
Outside of the hand category, I attempted a watercolor depicting UNC’s Old Well in a night time snow scene. I am quite proud of this one, but not for the reason you might imagine. I am proud because backgrounds are extremely difficult for me and this was the first background I’ve done that works. I could go on and on about all of the missteps in this painting, but I am going to stop here and take a victory lap.
Jan 31, “Snowy Campus,” Watercolor
This last one is a throw-away and a throw-back to my days studying landscape architecture. I’m fairly certain that my son inadvertently deleted an important layer before I could save it, but it’s gone now.
Jan 29, “Generic Tree,” Sketchbook Pro on Ipad