Watercolor Wash Drawing with Robert Liberace

As many of you know I frequently blog about master drawings and the process of how they were created.  I am currently taking a master drawing techniques class at the Art League in Alexandria, Virginia.  The instructor, the renowned Robert Liberace, is an accomplished painter, draughtsman and sculptor.

                   Model Lily Dunlap with Robert Liberace as he sets up the pose.

In todays class Liberace created two very different portraits using watercolor washes.  The portraits were of my husband and daughter who modeled in 18^th costume.

              Robert Liberace working on painting of Lily in 18th century costume.

For Liberace the process starts with setting up the pose and lighting.  As he choreographs the pose he thinks about the light, form, pattern and composition.  For the watercolor painting he did of Lily he used a monochromatic watercolor wash on Twinrocker handmade paper.  Watercolor wash, unlike ink wash, can be moved around and manipulated, ink wash tends to stain the paper.

                         Watercolor wash painting of Lily by Robert Liberace.

As Liberace builds up the form he is conscious of not over working the dress, he wants to keep the image fresh and fluid.  He lets the white of the paper show through as the highlights and lighter values. he uses dark accents to describe areas of shadow.  The fluidity of his brushwork is remeniscent of Tiepolo. The figure’s dress and pose recall Rococo artists such as Watteau and Fragonard.

                                      Sam Dunlap posing as a buccaneer.

For the watercolor portrait of Sam, as a buccaneer, Liberace started with a light graphite sketch and progressed to blocking in the flat areas of color with light washes.  As he worked he carefully observed the model and the nuances of light, shadow and color temperature.  The resulting portrait is a sensitive study, done with a confident and energetic brushwork, that captures the character of the sitter.

                      Watercolor wash portrait of Sam by Robert Liberace.

Drawing the Figure with Pen and Ink

I am taking a class at the Art League in Alexandria, Virginia with instructor Robert Liberace. Liberace is an accomplished painter, sculptor and draughtsman. The class, “Figure and Portrait: A Modern Approach to Classical Drawing”, explores drawing the figure through master techniques, such as silverpoint, pen and ink, charcoal, red chalk and graphite.  I hope to post on these various techniques in the coming weeks.

                             Robert Liberace, Figure Study in pen and ink, 2012.

The past two weeks we have been using pen and ink with watercolor washes to create a three dimensional drawing of the figure.  Pen and ink, using flexible nibs, allows the artist to create energetic, dynamic sketches. Rembrandt’s pen and ink drawings, characterized by his calligraphic line, are great examples of this technique.

          Rembrandt van Rijn Woman Having Her Hair Combed, pen and ink, 1637

Pen and ink can also be used for longer more detailed studies.  It was a favored medium of Michelangelo, Leonardo, Durer and many other masters. Liberace recommends using a slightly textured text weight paper such as Twinrocker in “Calligraphy Cream”.  To add warmth to the paper he coats it with a light watercolor wash using yellow ochre or raw sienna. Since pen and ink is an unforgiving medium (erasing is difficult if not impossible) most artists begin with a simple pencil sketch of their subject. 

                Michelangelo Buonarroti, Studies of the Holy Family, pen and ink, 1505.

When ready to start drawing Liberace recommends using a sepia ink, such as seen in master drawings, with flexible nibs. The nibs allow the artist to create lines that go from thick to line as pressure is put on the nib. Rob also uses Micron technical pens as he draws. Technical pens (which store their ink in the pen) allow for a more consistent line.

                        Marie Dauenheimer, Figure Study, pen and ink, 2013.

I highly recommend experimenting with his wonderful medium!

Three Colored Crayon Technique with Robert Liberace Part II

After experimenting with the three colored crayon technique using the Verithin pencils and the prepared Twinrocker paper, Rob introduced another way of working with three colored crayons. This technique is bolder and more painterly and starts by establishing a charcoal drawing and adding hints of red (terra cotta) and finally white highlights.

For this technique he suggested using a neutral beige or gray Canson Mi-Teintes drawing paper and preparing it by layering terra cotta conte or chalk. This establishes a ground that can be rubbed into the paper and later on erased out for highlights and lighter tones. As the drawing takes shape details can be added using charcoal pencils and red pastel pencils. Brushes can be used to blend and finally highlights are added using white chalk.



Demo drawing by Robert Liberace using three colored crayon technique.



Highlights and details added to finished drawing.



Detail of the finished drawing



Detail of one of my three colored crayon drawings.



Finished study using three colored crayon technique. Drawing by Marie Dauenheimer.

Three Colored Crayon Technique Workshop with Robert Liberace, Studio Incamminati, Philadelphia, PA PART 1

This past weekend I spent three days at the Studio Incamminati in Philadelphia attending a workshop with Robert Liberace on the three colored crayon technique. The three colors are back, white and red (terra cotta).

This technique has been used for centuries by artists such as Hans Holbein, Peter Paul Rubens and Antoine Watteau. Below are some examples of how they used this technique.



"Young woman Looking Down" by Peter Paul Rubens, 1628.



"Sir Thomas Elyot" by Hans Holbein, 1527.

In class Rob demonstrated two techniques for using the three crayons. I will review the first technique today and the second technique tomorrow.



Three crayon technique drawing by Robert Liberace.

The first technique utilizes hard colored pencils (Prismacolor "Verithins" work well)
in black, white and terra cotta on a text weight hand made paper (Twinrocker is ideal). The paper is prepared with a light watercolor wash in yellow ochre and sealed with a coat of amber shellac (with denatured alcohol mixed in). This hardens the paper and gives it a tooth so you can layer the pencil.



First stage of Rob's demo, with figure blocked in using terra cotta Verithin pencils.



Second stage as Rob builds up the form using the terra cotta color and adds black.



The final stage as form is built up using terra cotta and black and white highlights are added. Highlights can also be erased out used a typewriter eraser.



Three crayon drawing by Marie Dauenheimer.

"Anatomy of the Torso" Workshop with Robert Liberace

Last week I took a three day workshop on the "Anatomy of the Torso" with Instructor Robert Liberace. This artistic anatomy course, held at the Art League in Alexandria, Virginia, seamlessly integrated musculoskeletal anatomy with drawing from the life model. Liberace started with a review of the importance of bony landmarks in figure drawing. He also established areas of origin and insertions for the first group of muscles we would review. The muscles were located on the model and we encouraged to draw the model with the muscles ghosted in.

Each day of the workshop involved a review of a new group of muscles, functional anatomy and the opportunity to do a sustained study from the life model. The poses the model took were dynamic and highlighted the musculature.



Demo drawing by Robert Liberace showing bony landmarks on torso.



Demo drawing by Robert Liberace showing location of clavicle, sternum, costal cartilages and ribs.



Demo drawing by Robert Liberace showing some superficial muscles of the torso including infraspinatus, teres major, external oblique and rectus abdominus.



One of my charcoal drawings highlighting muscles of the torso.



Another one of my charcoal studies highlighting muscles of the back.

Figure Drawing Class with Robert Liberace, Watercolor Wash

In figure drawing class on Friday Robert Liberace demonstrated his watercolor technique. Starting with a quick graphite sketch he switched to burnt sienna watercolor and laid down fluid rapid brush strokes. He established the form and used ultramarine blue washes to darken the shadows and add accents.



Studies using watercolor washes by Robert Liberace.



Detail of watercolor study by Robert Liberace.



Watercolor demo by Robert Liberace showing technique on paper prepared with layer of Chinese white. This stabilizes the color and leads to less bleeding.

All photos by Karen Coughlan. Thanks Karen!

Figure Drawing Class with Robert Liberace, Watercolor Wash

On Friday in the Figure Drawing class Robert Liberace demonstrated his technique for using watercolor wash. Drawing from a life model, who's pose was reminiscent of John Singer Sargent's "Madame X" portrait, Liberace did a beautiful study using black watercolor on Calligraphy Cream Twinrocker handmade paper. Beginning with a quick graphite sketch, he built up washes of watercolor, focusing on the primary and secondary shadows. He added dark accents to complete the drawing. A razor blade or white paint can be used to heighten the highlights.



Robert Liberace demonstrating his watercolor wash technique.



The finished watercolor wash drawing. Photo by Karen Coughlan.



Pen, ink and brush drawing using sepia ink.



Pen, ink and brush study by Robert Liberace.

During class Rob showed us two of his sketchbooks. They were truly amazing! Handmade with leather bindings and filled with stunning wash, ink and watercolor drawings they were inspiring works of art.



Pen, ink and brush sketches from Robert Liberace's sketchbook.



Another sketchbook page.

All photos by Marie Dauenheimer, except for watercolor wash study by Karen Coughlan.
Thanks Karen!

Figure Drawing Class with Robert Liberace , Pen, Ink and Brush

In figure drawing class with Robert Liberace we experimented with using pen, ink and brush to create spontaneous studies of the figure. Rob did a demo using sepia ink (made from the ink from cuttlefish) with pen and brush. Starting with a quick pencil sketch to block in the figure, he moves to pen and ink . Using a nib that responds to pressure Rob scribbles and hatches in the figure. His lines are calligraphic and spontaneous. Using a brush and ink he draws the shadows and adds accents. This technique is best done on a small scale and using paper such as Fabriano Ingres (which has a good amount of sizing).



Robert Liberace demonstrates using brush and ink to draw the figure.
Photo by Marie Dauenheimer.



Finished figure study. Photo by Marie Dauenheimer.



Woman Sleeping by Rembrandt, ink and brush.



Another Rembrandt sketch using pen, ink and brush.

Using Red Chalk on Tinted Paper Continued

In figure drawing class, with instructor Robert Liberace, we started a new pose. I have been experimenting with using terra cotta pencils on hand tinted paper. The paper is prepared with a mixture of watercolor and shellac, which allows for highlights to be erased out and gives a nice surface for layering the terra cotta. White highlights can also be added with a white pastel.

This technique is similar to the red chalk drawings created by Renaissance masters such as Michelangelo, Leonardo and Raphael. The red chalk and tinted paper give the drawings a warm quality.

Last week I finished a long study with this technique and today I started a new study.



Red chalk study by Marie Dauenheimer.



Red chalk drawing, early phase, by Marie Dauenheimer.