Painting a Rock for a Children's Picture Book

View fullsize

I’m painting a scene where my characters are walking among huge boulders. I spent an hour trying to paint this rock. But there’s something missing — context. It needs some characters walking past it to give it scale. Standing on its own, it reminds me of a piece of pie. Some areas at the bottom that look okay, but the top looks too smooth. It needs sharp edges where the rock’s facets turn from light to dark.

When I run into a newbie problem like this I eventually remind myself that I’m a rookie at painting and that I’m on the right path. I’m stubborn and curious — I know I’ll get it right if I soldier on. That’s what art soldiers do.

Al Fresco Art Club Challenge: Get Inspired by Glenn Vilpu

View fullsize

Glenn Vilpu is our century’s equivalent of the classical masters of drawing and draftsmanship. After watching him compose a drawing at a master class in Japan, I wanted to try sketching with water soluble graphite. I used a Faber Castell Aquarelle Graphite pencil and a water brush for this sketch. Check out Glenn Vilpu’s Head Drawing Demo in Tokyo.

My takeaway from the demo is that Glenn Vilpu, after having drawn many thousands of heads, is still painstakingly patient. He never rushes and never compromises. It’s inspiring to see a master working slowly and confidently. I resolve to work on being more patient and forgiving with myself. With the drawing above I can see many features that need improvment, andI can also see places where I am doing better than I was doing a year ago. Progress comes an inch at a time.