Thursday, February 13, 2020

Memory Matters


"Signposts on the Way to What May be" Robert Henri

"The development of the power of seeing and the power to retain in the memory that which is essential and to make record and thus test out how true the seeing and the memory have been is the way to happiness" Robert Henri

I must have read these words way back in or shortly after my art school days and taken them to hart.  I have referred to many of my on site observations as Memory Sketches, where I work on them well after the subject has departed.

The following posts will chronicle the developmental stages in both initial observations but also the development process as the work takes on its own look departing from the initial photo or sketch.


Buster and friend 

Above is the original 3 hour session drawing. I will get back to painting this, with the models present, during the summer.  In the interim I decided to work on this via my iPad and SketchBook app.  I plan to revise and correct and then complete a finished digital painting before the live sessions begin. I'll do similar revisions to the charcoal original before spraying with fixative and adding a layer of shellack prior to painting.

Above: some slight revisions on an opaque layer in SketchBook correcting hand sizes, head sizes, and bringing out the female model's foreshortened arm and Reducing male model's right arm to send it back a bit further within the image.


Above: I lightened the revised layer so as to better construct the body masses of the figure in blue line.  Again adjusting body part sizes And checking the perspective of all parts.

Above: Turning the revised layer way down better reveals just the constructive masses, once removing the working piece from the original. This allows me to see the development of the piece not so much the reference and bring my knowledge of the figure into play as I adjust.

Above: I'll complete a detail layer in brown line using mainly the blue layer as a guide but can also turn on off or  up the other layers as needed.

But before I continue with the digital I though I'd go back to the real deal and deal with the revisions to be done per the above review on my ipad.


I sprayed the surface with workable fixative so as to lock in the original.  Then I glazed over the revision area with a soft pastel and a little finger rubbing.
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Satisfied for now with the female I blotted out the male model revision area.



Was able to dance back and forth and blot out and redo a few times.

Weariness coincided with a good place to stop. 










The full sheet. Also elongated the male model's legs and tidied up the background.  I think I have something I can spray again and paint.  Not getting the models back till mid summer so the fixative will allow the occasional tweaking here and there. 




I'll be adding to this as the piece is developed....
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EAGLE DANCER


Above: The original photo of the eagle dancer holds a lot of detail but lacked the dynamic movement
lodged in my memory.

Above: Using SketchBook on my iPad I cut out and copied just the dancer to a new layer. Cutting and repositioning the torso, arms and other parts achieved the memory I had of the movement. 


Above: Adding some quick color to simplify the background and adding a more dynamic shadow I was able to better focus on determining the figure within the costume.
Above: With the original reference layer turned off I am able to work the dancers figure detail and add the costuming. 
I'll be adding to this as the piece is developed....
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Memory Matters

"Signposts on the Way to What May be" Robert Henri "The development of the power of seeing and the power to retain in the...