Patience, they say, is a virtue... which (at my advanced age), I'm finally beginning to understand. I tend to draw very quickly... in a race with the clock (or the model's need to move out of the pose for a few minutes). I'm learning though to approach the whole thing with the attitude that it's really only chalk on paper... and I'll probably get other opportunities to draw again.

Last weekend I took a drawing workshop with an artist who's work I really admire. He is a talented painter and former graphic design professional who now paints and teaches exclusively. His workshops are fun, interactive - and I always come away with something I didn't know before...

He offers a Masters Class every spring/fall and takes only 6 students per session. I asked him a couple of years ago to keep me in mind if a spot opened, but it always seemed that when he had room, I didn't have the funds and vice-versa. So I was thrilled when he emailed me after this weekend's workshop to tell me that a spot had become available and would I be interested? Looking forward to learning all kinds of new stuff with 5 other like-minded artists!

Check out Brian Smith's work at Drawn2life.

More to say, no time to write...

I've been very resistant to work on any graphic design business lately - I think I'd rather be drawing.

Below drawings (same model, two poses) were from an exercise in light/shadow. Erase large areas of light from a coloured background then go back to darken the shadows. A nice way to work, but I always seem to want to bring in too much detail... not especially 'painterly' results, but always something to work on!