Framing details and adjustments

 The wood framing looks good. I like it. However, the white mat is too small. Next, I'm going to have to buy mat cardboard and a mat cutter and make my own mats to fit the artwork. 

I have already ordered a logo stamp and once it arrives, like in one week, I will sign and title the work. 

I'm making them available for sale until I have completed enough pieces to make a coherent series.

This one is done

 I'm happy with the graphic simplicity and overall results. The style I picked is perfect, and the possibility of continuing this as a series for future exhibits and sales energizes me.

I will sign the work once I order and receive my logo stamp and am ready to frame it. 

Soon I will add a new tab to my blog as a gallery for completed works.

About to finish this one

 I'm surprised I'm working this efficiently after so many years of neglecting classic art. This means I still have it. The results I'm achieving are encouraging. I may jump into acrylic-on-canvas art; that's what I plan to do, but only after I complete this series on paper.

Once I complete enough drawings/paintings I'll try to get a local gallery or a type of place, like a restaurant or a hotel, to exhibit the pieces. I'm thinking $700 ea. Unless the gallery/place thinks otherwise.    

Moving fast

Before I started drawing, I had to adjust the working area. I applied art tape to cover one inch inside the paper (bleed area), taking into account the framing and protective mat which may cover half an inch or a full inch of my paper. 

Then I proceeded to use the "invisible grid" method, which implies locating the area where the subject is, then, I'll make tiny pencil marks to start drawing the objects/subject with more accurate proportions.

I'm ready to go!

Now I have all the art supplies I need to start. Of course, there are post-production issues; I still need to spray a protective coat on the painting and frame it for proper hanging. Also, as a little detail, I’m ordering a tiny stamp with my logo so that every drawing/painting will be “certified” along with my signature and date, but these things are for future posts. Also, the framing implies a certain area of the painting surface needs to be cleared because the mat that covers the painting (protecting it from touching the protective glass) will cover between half an inch, or a full inch, reducing the displayed size of the painting. For example, if my Strathmore paper is 11 by 14 inches it may get displayed at 10 x 13 inches, depending on the frame and mat covering.

Regarding the grid, I’m not tracing a full grid on paper, that would be somewhat amateurish. What I’m doing will be more like an “invisible” grid that will locate the height, width, and exact location, on the paper surface of the portrayed subject. That’s what the T ruler does; you move it across the height and width and, with the help of the geometry set, you mark the exact locations of where the subjects are on paper, then, with your artistic talent you draw the thing, but now knowing the most accurate proportions of it. Grids are ways to keep the proportion to exact surface sizes. Grids are very helpful for muralists and also people who paint larger portraits.

Keep visiting my blog for the painting process steps. 

Medieval art techniques

Believe it or not, using grids to draw is a medieval technique. Albrecht Dürer made good use of it. Since I’m an academy-trained artist, I also tend to use drawing techniques. My favorite is the grid. There are well-trained artists, capable of tracing anything just by simply giving a good look at it, but I’m not one of them. I have to use a technique, a process.

Today, we have computers and design software. I employ these advantages to isolate my subject and trace a grid around it. In this case, my grid corresponds to my Strathmore paper size at 11 x 14 inches. This is my visual reference.

I just received the graphite pencils. This kit came with some pastel pencil samples and some charcoal pencils and sticks. They look in good order. Nothing is broken.

The Strathmore paper is already fixed to the support board, and the board was attached to the desk. This is for precision while I trace the grid and first sketch. Once I start coloring I will remove the board from the desk and move it around as I work.

The 12-inch geometry set and a T ruler for tracing my grid will arrive tomorrow; as well as the 48 pastel pencils. That should be all to start working.

New art ideas

 

I just received some of the art supplies I ordered. I now have 24 Strathmore pastel papers in different colors. I have the support board to substitute the art easel and some art tape to fix the paper on the board. 

The pastel pencils, mechanical pencils, and some graphite on the image are old.

I'm still waiting for another kit of charcoal, graphite, a few more pastel pencils, and a larger separate kit with 48 pastel pencils I ordered from Amazon.

My art method and themes were resolved before any purchases. I had to comply with my own requisites: Not too expensive or complicated to produce. Not too large either. If possible make it responsible. So I decided to use me as a model, my arm and hand, and pick veggies and fruits we buy through the weeks and use them as models too. 

I'm creating a series of drawings/paintings about fruits and veggies. I produced many photographs and videos with food as the subject in the past; this isn't new.

So, every drawing I complete means the portrayed veggies were bought for our consumption and will be used for art too. That makes it responsible and conscious.

Follow my blog for the whole process.

I'm making a pause! Working some art

 I’m making a pause with my BRO! Vectors, but not ending it. During the past weeks, I have gone through an interesting internal transformation. It’s a long story that starts with an unexpected encounter with one strangely angry person. After my experience, inspiration came to me and led me to renew my audiobook account. Immediately afterwards I bumped into a book about learning how to pray properly. Listening to a few books on this theme made me want to start doing classic art again. Painting, drawing directly on canvas or paper. I have not painted or drawn anything truly worthy in years. Seriously, in years. I had to dust off boxes in my garage to scavenge for my classic art supplies. Only a few things are in good condition now, so I had to shop online for the rest and reset my mind. Now I can’t complete my BRO! vectors until I have quenched this new and unexpected thirst to produce fine art. I no longer have my professional easel, so I had to get a medium-sized board for support. I intend to paint on colored pastel paper. To start things off I’m using graphite, charcoal, and pastels. Maybe in the future, I’ll do acrylic on canvas. Of course, since this is a blog, I may upload videos of me working or just some process snapshots.