THE MOBILE ART STUDIO

Drawing portraits is one of the most difficult subject matter to tackle, particularly when the face in the three-quarter view. The subject is not in profile, neither is it full frontal. Such a dilemma can cause skewed looking portrait drawings. Here are four mistakes to avoid when drawing portraiture in a three-quarter view. This demonstration has been taken from my art book, Oil Painting the Angel within Da Vinci’s the Virgin of the Rocks: Unleash the Right Brain to Paint the Three-quarter Portrait View. Da Vinci's angel within the Virgin of the Rocks Here, I have used Leonardo da Vinci’s angel within his masterpiece ‘ The Virgin of the Rocks ’ as example, which is exhibited within London’s National Gallery. Here, the angel’s face is in three-quarter view, which can be tricky to draw. Every drawing begins with a rough linear sketch. And unless the drawing is accurate, mistakes can be inherited within the shading and the painting. Here I have used two drawings to d...

How to Draw the Fashion Figure for Dress Design Illustration A guide on how to sketch the fashion form for those who wish to present their dress designs in a portfolio. Having fantastic ideas for dress designs is no good if the artist fails to come to grips with the proportions of the fashion figure. With such guesswork, the fashion design sketch is unlikely to impress. The Fashion Croquis The Beginners Guide to Drawing the Fashion Form The idealized figure, upon which, fashion illustrators drape their dress designs on, is also known as a “croquis.” The word “croquis” comes from the French word, meaning, “to sketch.” Drawing the  Idealized  Human Form Made Simple The croquis is a means of communicating fashion concepts via an idealized fashion form. This form, which can be made into male or female, measures nine to ten heads high. A normal human, measures seven to eight heads high. The legs are elongated for effect, but the proportions between ...

Studying for an art diploma, degree or A level can be as stressful as any other subject, despite first impressions. Art students have to possess more autonomy than students of other prescriptive subjects such as History or English Literature. A Degree in Fine Art, Graphics or similar in the Visual Arts demands creativity, independence and a knack for inspiration. With little guidance from teachers or lecturers, art students are expected to come up with the goods. This can be quite a shock after following a structured curriculum at school. Art is not an easy option and in fact sees a high risk of dropouts compared to other subjects. Exclusion from Art Education But just like other subjects, the reason for dropping out of art school needs to be explored, which must begin with the basics. Art students’ behavior might be governed by unresolved conflicts during childhood, leading to emotional and behavioral dysfunction. Such issues often become a barrier to learning but can...

Art students may be frustrated when muddy colors result from a box of pigments purchased from an art shop. Often the true primary colors are not included, and worse, the color wheel shown in some art instruction books is not correct. Not every red, yellow and blue produces a clean violet, orange or green. In fact the mixture can be muddy and dull. The reason for this problem is simple: the true primary colors are often not displayed in certain artbooks nor are they included in a typical beginners box of art pigments. The Color Wheel Myth Not any blue pigment is a primary color, and often contains other pigments in small amounts. Ultramarine, for instance, is a vibrant blue, but contains a lot of red, as this blue has a violet slant. Cadmium red is a vibrant red, but actually contains a lot of yellow. The true primary colors are in fact those that resemble the pigments of printing ink, which are magenta, yellow and cyan. Art colors that resemble the pigments of printing...

During my term teaching life drawing, I came across students who struggled to draw. These were adult students who had plucked the courage to begin drawing after bringing up children or pursuing a career. Others were young adults who had yet to move on from cartoonish drawings that are highly stylized. This is often a disguise for frustration at capturing what is really in front. So why so some intelligent adults who have great skills or talents in other sectors find it hard to draw? Shut Up Left Brain! Hemispheres of the brain The answer lies in how the brain is wired, causing a sort of picture dyslexia. Our brains are split into two hemispheres, the left and the right. The left hemisphere is where the speech centre is located, and therefore is verbal, bossy, labels things and edits the world to make it make sense. The right hemisphere is silent, has great spatial awareness and sees things how they really are. Hemispheres of the Brain and Drawing Ability Skewe...

My students often lament that they cannot mix any color they want from a so-called artist kit of pigments brought from the art shop. It is little wonder when I see the range of colors supplied. More often than not, you will find a ‘red’, ‘yellow’ and a ‘blue’ of some sort. You will also find a brown or a range of browns, a black, a green and (incredibly the same tube size as the other colors of) titanium white. Overrated Pigments in Artist Kits Art Kits with Redundant Pigments It is little wonder that the beginner in oil painting or acrylics cannot mix the colors desired. This is because, for starters, the misconception of what a primary color is. You see, it is believed that any color can be mixed by the inclusion of red, yellow and blue in the kit. But some reds, yellows and blues are not primary colors. Cadmium red is not a primary color because it contains a lot of yellow. Thin this pigment down and you will see a slightly yellowish tinge in the wash. A clean purple c...

Starting out in oil painting? Well you might notice that every art shop will stock traditional oil paints. Tubes bearing the word ‘oils’ or ‘oil paint’ (meaning the same thing) will also bear other labels, such as the brand name, grade and quality. It all seems overwhelming. However, oil paints all have one thing in common. The pigment is simply suspended in oil. This mean the paint cannot be cleaned or thinned with water but artist spirits and special oils. Check my other blog, Oil Painting Medic dedicated only to oil painting. Oil Painting Exercise for Beginners in Art Using Oils for the first time Deposit a little oil paint onto an art board, and you will find a creamy, rich substance rather like butter. What you see is finely ground pigment blended with a little oil. The pigment aspect might be ground organic substance or a synthetic substitute. This provides the color. But the pigment is nothing without a vehicle in which it can travel. With watercolors, it is water;...