Moving Right Along...

I want to share something with you.

I'll begin with a quote from Bobby Chiu; "Measure your success in terms of your personal growth and the growth of your work."

From the amount of work I put into drawing, teaching, and art related things I can say with confidence that I've made some huge improvements this year. I'm not sharing it with you to boast. What I hope is that when you see this it'll prove that hard work and cultivated talent are what REALLY matter.

Here's a story from my youth...
When I was a teenager I was certain that TALENT was what you needed. No one told me (or I didn't listen) that HARD WORK is what'll make you better, is what'll separate you from the rest. I spent a lot of time back then fretting over the idea that "I wasn't talented enough... that so-and-so was better... wahh wahhh wahhhhh." In ways it was giving me an excuse NOT to work.
I want to share that because I don't want you to make the same mistake.

There are a lot of things that get in the way of working. Like our ego and the idea that we don't need to work because we are already awesome or how we would rather have things come quickly to us and are convinced that if it doesn't then we were not "destined" to do it. Frustration is a big one too. We LET it get in way of working.

These are only a few things I've dealt with in my career as an artist (along with many others) and they are in NO WAY easy to overcome. But one thing that has helped me is the AWARENESS of them.

Ask yourself, "What is important?"
For me it is drawing. Now will I LET my TIREDNESS, my FEAR, my EGO, get in the way of drawing? It's a CHOICE. Do you choose to let drawing be important? or those other things?

Though out this year I've worked on film and other various freelance work. I've continued to teach drawing and my Sunday sketch group has grown (which is super cool). With the time I had no work I went to various museums, the Zoo, and worked on personal projects. Piles of paper, lots stubby pencils, ...

..and many a sketchbook. Not to mention the internal struggles like tiredness, super ego battles, and self doubt. Unfortunately that can't be shown in a photograph.

This is...
PENCIL MILEAGE.
This is...
Punching doubt in the FACE!
...

-Growing as an artist and as a person-

I started to study from anatomy books this spring-
My goal is at least one hour a day on things I have questions about - whether it is human or animal anatomy.


This was drawn back in May at the Akthof here in Munich. 3B pencil on A2 Paper - 2 hours.

Traveling is the best education-
I took a trip to Rome in late spring, Warsaw in September, and then a trip to Paris back in October. Those were the big ones, needless to say. There were many small trips taken here and there. Naturally I had my sketchbook ready to go. Being an artist you don't really take holidays... it's a job that is all the time.

Master Copies-

Rubens studies from the Alte Pinkakothek. He's one of my favorites, so I study from him. Be humble and learn from the Masters.


The growth, the improvement is right here. This was drawn during the last week of November. 3B pencil on A2 paper - 2 hours.


And again the first week of December. 3B pencil on A2 paper - 2 hours.

Moving right along...
A lot of people have resolutions for the new year. I think mine are ongoing. I've got my plans and goals and will be working on them into 2012. Why not start now, eh? Best time ever.
So, to end this post here are some drawings from the past two Sketch Days.


I worked in my small Moleskine watercolor sketchbook at Cafe Tambosi. I also sold a small painting to one of the waiters. Cool!


With the coming of the holidays I found myself alone this past Sunday. Even so I take advantage of the time to improve. Glyptothek 3B pencil - 2 hours.

Until next time!