The Importance of Correct Drawing in the Painting Process

My Little Acrylic, Work In Progress

Hi –

I commented last week about how things always seem to be ‘looking up’ on Fridays, and I stand by that. It’s the day I feel inspired and happy with the art road that I am on. I hope your art road takes you where you want to go, too.

Two things to discuss today.

First, If you remember my little acrylic from several blogs ago, I want to let you know I’m taking it back to the proverbial ‘drawing board’ as it were. This comes after a harsh (okay blistering), but correct, critique of the painting by a couple of artist friends of mine. Ouch, but I appreciate it.

I think what bothered them was: 1) the colors in the far distance were too vivid for a horizon that is a long way away off; and 2) the proportion of the signs in the foreground, not only in relation to the distance from the viewer but also to each other, is off-off-off. They are right.

Mea culpa. I should have been more careful in my initial sketch of the road, the signs, the slope of the hill, the bridge—you name it. This being a small painting, I thought, “I’ll just eye-ball it, and it will turn out fine.” Wrong. Even though I tried to measure the signs proportional to each other, I was off (by a lot), and even though a viewer may not be able to articulate the problem, they would know something was wrong.

So, the lesson for us all is—be careful when drawing or transferring your initial sketch. If it’s not right, it will look wrong and be wrong. Imagine that, an artist having to draw carefully and correctly :-)! I will make the necessary corrections, and get back to you. I’m so glad this is an acrylic and I can paint right over the mistakes.

Second, I started on my next acrylic, the reference photo of which I showed you last blog. After the critique I just mentioned, I knew I needed to be more careful in my initial sketch.

Today’s image is the work-in-progress. More on how and why I planned the painting and my progress in the next blog.

Until then…