Illustrators Club "Sketch Day" at the National Gallery of Art

On Sunday March 13, 2011 a group of illustrators and friends met at the National Gallery of Art for another Illustrators Club "Sketch Day".  After meeting in the museum's rotunda our group of about fifteen broke up and explored the museum looking for places to draw.  Along with a few others I ended up in the European Sculpture Galleries which features twenty magnificent rooms filled with hundreds of sculptures from the time of the Renaissance to the 20th century.  My favorite rooms feature the work of Edgar Degas and Auguste Rodin.



The National Gallery of Art's Rotunda.



Sayeh Behnam sketching Rodin's "Sphinx".

After sketching for two hours we all met up in the museum cafe for sharing of our experiences, artwork and refreshments. As usual the work was varied and inspiring! IC member and drawing professor Jason Axtell drew fluid and energetic sketches from the sculptures. Meredith Nelson ventured outdoors to sketch the St. Patrick's Day Parade, while Web Bryant spent his time doing an amazing toned paper drawing of Augustus Saint-Gaudens' "Shaw Memorial". The youngest members of the group Lily Dunlap, age 11 drew Rodin's "Morning", while high school junior, Samatha Bryant sketched from a Ingres painting.



Jason Axtell with his drawings.



English professor and IC friend Sam Przybylowicz shows her lovely drawing of Paul Manship's sculpture.



IC President David Labrozzi with his sketches from the sculpture galleries.



IC friend Lily Dunlap and her sketch of Rodin's "Morning".



Web Bryant's sketch of the "Shaw Memorial".



Marie Dauenheimer's sketch of "Morning" by Rodin.

Figure Drawing Class with Robert Liberace continued

In class this week Robert Liberace demonstrated his soft charcoal technique using tinted paper. Rob has a very confident and energetic way of working. He quickly blocked in the form using vine charcoal. Using a large brush he stabilized the background layer of charcoal by smoothing it out. As he continued to build up the image he added shadows using a soft velvety charcoal. Turning his attention to more detail he used a kneaded eraser to pull out highlights. He also used a paper towel to pull out highlights and lighten areas of the drawing. The darkest darks were added using "Char-koal". The finished drawing seen below has a very painterly quality, not unlike John Singer Sargent.



Charcoal demo by Robert Liberace. Photo by Marie Dauenheimer



Finished charcoal drawing by Robert Liberace. Photo by Marie Dauenheimer



Charcoal portrait of Henry James by John Singer Sargent.