6"x6" Collaborative

Cover for Fig Magazine

Collaboratives are fun! A few months ago PCAD sent out a call for submission. They supplied a 6"x6" stretched canvas and gave us the theme "Personalities from Lancaster". PCAD will be hanging the submissions of over 30 artists in their permanent collection. In addition, Fig Magazine will be publishing a number of these paintings in their fall edition. The image above is the cover of the up coming issue.

I always find it exciting to see the different interpretations and methods in a collaborative effort.

Personal Challenges

A colleague of mine, Stephen Heigh, has challenged himself to completely fill up a 100 page sketchbook by the beginning of the school year. Stephen started mid July and has created sketches on location as well as from reference. He starts with tonal pencil and then dry brushes with acrylic to create a sepia underpainting quality. Here are some of his excerpts.

This process of multiple studies sharpens your eye and speeds your execution. It can also become extremely therapeutical. I host two online painting groups and am now starting to believe that a "sketch off" might be introduced sometime in the next few months.

Until then....good luck finishing the sketchbook Stephen! Nine days left. No pressure.

Plein Air Excursion

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Dominick Saponaro

Last week we went to Jersey and stood in the middle of tomato fields for the afternoon to do a little plein air painting. For those who are unfamiliar with the term plein air it basically means painting on location.

I started with a grey acrylic tone over gessoed wood panel. I then drew out the composition in raw umber oil with just gamsol as a medium. Then hit with color. I used alkyd white (for fast dry time), rose madder, cad yellow, raw umber, colbalt blue and sap green. It is quite liberating to only use a handful of colors instead of my normal assortment. Next time I'll switch up the colors for a different palette.

Just Drawin'

Last night I spent over 6 hours cleaning my studio and felt inspired at 11:30pm to do a little drawing.

IMC '09 - Final

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I know....two posts in one day....weird. Anyway I wanted to get the final Illustration Master Class project up. Lady of the Lake in all her glowy glory. Tomorrow, a plein air posting. Yeah, that's right. Oils on location.

History of Design

As an illustration student I found it difficult to juggle the different disciplines assigned. Typography was a course that was mandatory and it was hard to grasp letterforms while simultaneously learning the fluidity of oils, the theory of color and the emotional responses of composition. Nancy Stock-Allen is a design professor at Moore College of Art and Design. I find her integration of typography into the illustration department intuitive and exciting. She posts a website for her students ... designhistory.org ... that goes through the history of design from illuminated manuscripts (my personal favorite) to European poster art to the basic letter forms. The site is chock full of information for artists of all mediums and styles. Check it out and get educated!