SKETCHBOOK MONDAY: a technical drawing

A little drafted piece I've been working on; it incorporates lines, color and text to tell a story. From a distance it's pretty abstract, but the closer you get the more it reveals.
Ok, this is technically not a sketch. You got me.
Hope you had a lovely weekend sketching, or drawing!

SKETCHBOOK MONDAY

On Sunday my girlfriend Alyson and I joined a small group of artists, drawing enthusiasts and novices for an intensive figure drawing workshop at the MFA. We arrived at 10:00 armed with charcoal and paper and went till 2:00. It was intense.

We started with 5 second interval poses. The model moved and kept moving and the seconds, we quickly realized, went by much too quickly. We learned that a good drawing starts with a single line that captures the longest gesture of a figure. 

I had taken figure drawing classes before, but I learned so much during this intensive workshop. Below are my drawings in order from the start of class to the last drawing I did. You can see the progress as you scroll down the page. At first they don't look like much. As Patrick said when I arrived home and showed him the first page in my sketchbook, "I could do that."

He's right. I believe anyone can draw. Like anything you have to be taut and most importantly you have to practice. And boy is it clear just how much practice I need.

Learning the proportions of the human body.

I assure you the model has all her limbs...not that you would know that from the drawings below.

Hm, not bad. Less is sometimes better.

Crazy alien head woman below.

Starting to understand proportion a bit better here.

And these are the final drawings above. Not bad. What do you think? Have you taken a figure drawing class lately. Would you ever take one if you haven't?

SKETCHBOOK MONDAY: better late then never

Ok, it's Tuesday. You know it and I know it. Oops. Yesterday slipped away somehow and I had no time to get here to post. But, alas, I'm here now and Sketchbook Monday is in full effect. I dug through the archives for these sketches. I thought I would post a few that show what a sketch ultimately becomes...

What seem like scribbles in the sketch above left are actually the beginning thoughts for the Birds Clutch, above right. Can you see it? Squint, no?
And below is an idea I had for a mobile made from plywood cut into the iconic for of little houses. I did make a few little houses and a couple of mobiles. Those ended up being made of paper. I gave them as gifts and, of course, didn't get any good photos. But, there are a few bad ones here you can check out.
I think this is a project I need to pick up again and see where it goes! I'm inspired.

Sketchbook Monday

I've been wanting to try a series that documents the behind the scenes of the design process.
Ok, in truth, I want to sketch more... this is perhaps my way of getting back to the sketchbook.
So here goes, a little peak into my sketchbook. It's kind of scary putting it all out there, but hey, why not, right!
Look for Sketchbook Monday every other week. I hope you enjoy it and maybe it will motivate you to get a sketchbook of your own and start a place to doodle and document your own process...or anything at all.
Happy sketching!

I hope you enjoy Sketchbook Monday. Would you like more info on each sketch, would you like to know what ultimately the sketch became? I'd love to know your thoughts and feedback so drop me a line in the comments below!

An addition is born.

As the title of this post suggests, we designers often think of projects as our "little children". From the moment we meet with a client until the day a line on paper become a wall in space, we love them and nurture them as we would a child. And like children, they require all our attention, keep us up at night, and in no way can fend for themselves. But, each step in the process is another step closer to becoming the freestanding project that lives in the world contributing to society independent of it's creators.

As the say goes, "It takes a village...". You know the rest. This saying also applies to a fledgeling design project. There are the parent architects, the cousin interns, the aunt structural engineer and the cranky great grandfather contractor that hates the entire family on principle.
In the coming months I (and my wonderful intern Lisa) am working on an addition to a house for a lovely couple with two children of their own. My little creation will help this family live a life with a bit more elbow room. Seemingly a simple problem, there are many things to consider. The first order of business on the proverbial design table is scale and form.

In the photos above a soldier row of models sits obediently waiting to be tested in context.

There is also never a shortage of drawings, lovingly crafted by hand to ensure the relationship between parent and child is as direct as it can be.
I love the design process and the idea that I can create something from almost nothing, take care to delicately help it evolve and grow, and then see it standing in the world on it's own foundation.

Color and Line

Yesterday, as I scrambled around trying to find some good quality drawing paper for a project I was midway thorough, I stumbled across long forgotten drawings and paintings. They were neatly tucked away precisely where I had stored them a while back. I pulled them out, one by one, and to my surprise, time and distance has somehow made them better.
I had painted them two summers ago at a class I took at Mass College of Art. It reviewed the technique of layering drawing and painting to achieve a hybrid image that was neither drawing nor painting, but something in between. I recalled the professor, Patrick, a sandy haired older gentleman that never sat down, walking energetically from easel to easel passionately talking about how the line and the paint work together to build the drawing. He would pick up one of my pencils and show me how it was done, but in a way that never made me feel inadequate or that I was doing it wrong. The nude model stood silently, lit by the sun as our eyes and minds learned the line of her figure and the tone of her skin.
It was an electrifying week! For five days, 8 hours a day we drew and we painted, and we listened to Patrick knowing that if we were distracted only for a moment we would miss it.
Yesterday, when I pulled out those drawings, it all came back to me. I remembered the way it felt to just draw all day and think of nothing else, to be immersed in line and color for so long that when I went to sleep that night I sill saw the image imprinted in my mind.
I also don't remember thinking my drawings has turned out great. But, yesterday as I scanned them with my eyes and my memory I felt differently. Regardless of their technical merit, they are so honest and free. I see them now and know they are exactly what they should be.

See all the color and line drawings here.

mobile.homes.3

What started as an obsession with the iconic form of "house" is turning into much more.
This little shape holds so much meaning. It is evocative of times in our lives spent curled up inside as the snow fell outside, playing in the tall grass as the sun warmed the shingles and our bodies, and of the days the leaves turned red and the cool breeze through open windows lulled us to sleep at night.
These are the memories of home in New England.
This project captures these moments as the long year progresses and changes and our relationship to home changes with it. As the seasons change, so do the colors of our lives. It's a subtle shift but one that resonates with us all.

just.tuesday

A few things in the works...on a Tuesday.

design.brewing.2

It is in those first few moments of a project that the seed of inspiration is planted. The thrill of the unknown, the imagined, even the impossible is ever present. It feeds the dream and during this stage anything is possible. This is as it should be.
My favorite part of any project is it's beginning, unencumbered by limitations, and free to become whatever it wants.

sketchbook.monday.4

It's Monday once again. Another week has gone and another one begins.
This one began with sunshine and temperatures in the 50's!!! You can't ask for more.
Enjoy the sketches.

DAILY FACTOID**I prefer sketching in pen than in pencil. Knowing I can't erase builds confidence.

sketchbook.monday.3

Sketchbook Monday is back! My kitchen makeover is nearly complete and I will be sure to share photos with you soon. For now, enjoy the latest sketches.

another.kitchen

I am currently working on multiple kitchen renovations! One being my own, but a couple of others for clients. It's funny how for my own kitchen I basically wing it. Pick as I go, no planning whatsoever.
But for my clients it's another story entirely. There are hours of sketching, thinking and drawing. Multiple options are explored, and in the end my hope is the client knows exactly what she will get.
Click on the image for a closer look.

sketchbook.monday.2

It's Monday.

Not a particularly memorable one so far, but who knows, it's still early.

But that also means it's sketchbook monday and for the second installment I decided to dig into the archives for some "valentine" related sketching.

Enjoy!...and enjoy your Monday.