Forgot something
 

And Chris, I'm glad you like the pose. I really did screw up her mouth, but since people were baring their souls in the open studio I decided to post one of my attempts. Prof Schwalby would have raised his eyebrow on this one!

Jean

It really comes down to personal preferences.

And that's one of the things, Lon, that sometimes gets glossed over in even a top-level site like this, is that we've come from myriad backgrounds, trainings, teachers, experiences and intentions. I enjoy seeing what you do, and I hope you'll keep enjoying seeing what other practitioners do, too, even if it's not your style or preference or credo or teaching. I appreciate hearing what you've learned from a successful career's worth of experience. Lots of folks on site are working along a different lesson, and I'm sure you aren't offended by that. We all turn to dust, don't we, so let's enjoy what we have here, and have some fun. There's too little fun in today's headlines.

I'll go ahead and tell you, Lon, that I've watched with eagerness and in amazement, folks doing what you do, from Florence and Rome, Italy, to Dublin, to Naples, Florida, to Taipei, Taiwan, and I ALWAYS stop and watch (my family always says, "We'll be back in three hours"), because I'm fascinated, amazed at what can be accomplished in what you call "ten-minute" drawings. I stand there and steal everything that looks useful.

Good on you, too, even if I can't do what you do (and I can't -- I don't have the training or the personality or the confidence, and I hope I've never suggested otherwise) and I hope as well that you'll keep posting, understanding that there are folks from every experience and energy and intent here.

Prud'hon tutorial
 

I found a tutorial on Prud'hon's hatching technique last night, and plan to try it. If it's appropriate to I'll post the link. One thing that was impressed upon was the importance of the lines being accurate. In other words, don't even start to take your drawing any further until your "first" line is right. Lon, this reminded me of your technique for portrait work. Draw it once and draw it right! Like Steven, I also get lost in front of "on demand" portrait artists. Not only is it fun to watch, but I've found that the artists who do them tend to be fun people! I'm much too introverted, and use too many lines. Now to look up Durer, then I can really draw lots of lines.

Jean

Experimentation is the duty of every artist.

Marvin, that Prud'hon post looks like a tutorial in technique, part being finished (torso and head) and part not finished (arm) showing the technique employed. The outline and rough shading and then the blocked in white highlight are applied as on the arm, then smeared together delicately forming the contours as in the torso. I would bet that this sketch took less than an hour because of the way that it was constructed.

The placement and dissolving of the white is key, and something the artist was trying to communicate.

I employ this technique in pastel, but not in black and white media. It is very appealing, and perhaps I will try it.

I render my opinion
 

I have a book of large reproductions of his work and his technique is very interesting. The drawings are better

Hi Marvin
 

I'm glad you mentioned that his paintings were not of the same quality as his drawings. As I was looking for his work I found it hard to believe that the same person did the paintings and drawings. What do you mean by "detante observations"? Maybe he was colorblind.

Jean

Typo
 

Sorry about that. I corrected the word. It was a typo I missed before posting.