life drawing sp '12 | drawing in and outside of the classroom

The sketchbook is a storehouse of your education - beyond the classroom. Include what you learn and observe in your daily life. Add a mix of ideas. My knowledge of you - personality, interests, skill, and willingness to experiment - comes from leafing through its pages. Let me be enlightened. 

Jonathan Pisano

Yidan Li

Cavanaugh Cutler

Debo Mouloudji

portraiture | joseph cummings chase

I bought the sketches, at a country auction, for the grand sum of $35. Taped to the back was the artist's bio, and a Life Magazine photo op - A middle-aged bon vivant, in a long-sleeved smock, with a palette in one hand, a brush in the other, and a cigarette dangling from his mouth; his gaze resting on an unfinished painting of a decorated officer. Ceremonious portraits are openly displayed, leaving little doubt that the shot is staged - whereas, the sketches are not. Housed in a cheap frame, these vintage scraps, reveal a cast of bygone characters, sketched on location. Their formal attire marks an era, while the elegant artistry spans decades.

"Joe" Cummings Chase (1878-1965), was "the official portrait painter of six presidents, back-stage sketcher of the performing artists, illustrator of children's books and fiction, carricaturist for newspapers and periodicals, lecturer, teacher, and author of nine books." Yet, he remains largely unknown.

David W. Hazen, staff writer of the Oregonian,

 and writer of the book, Interviewing Sinners 

and Saints 

Each semester, I introduce this master sketcher, during a class on portraiture, and we analyze his technique. It looks so easy!

Earl Chapin May (1873-1960) Historian and Biographer

This semester, I finally investigated these subjects online, though not extensively. If anyone would like to research further, please add the information in your comments. Thank you!

Unidentified

Frank Sheridan, Classical Pianist, on the faculty of the Mannes College of Music. (Now part of the New School.)

Frederick Starr (1858-1933), aka Ofuda Hakushi in Japan, 
Academic, Anthropologist, and "populist" educator 

William J. Guard (1862-1932) Journalist, Press representative 
for the Metropolitan Opera, NY

Charlie Paddock (1900-1943) American athlete and two time olympic champion in track and field 

travels with sargent

Up here, in the country, "March madness" is a mix of snow and rain, with a quick rebound to the balmy, 60 degree days of winter. Slogging through mud, I ditch my wellies, by the back door, for a high seas adventure--seen through the eyes of John Singer Sargent. 

An American painter (1856-1925), known for his masterful portraits--of the scandalous Town & Country set--Sargent whipped out his pencils and watercolors, while on his many European jaunts, and drew with a panache that no camera could dare equal. 

Thumbing through the Met's online collection--I am smitten--eager to share a mere pittance, from his bounty of sketchbooks. (Wikipedia can attest to 900 oils, more than 2,000 watercolors, and an endless array of charcoal and pencil sketches, completed in his lifetime.) Easily, I could spend the entire semester, summoning his spirit, and extolling his virtues. 

Notice his perspective, line variation, and focus. Analyze his technique. No doubt Sargent was a righty. Can you tell? In what sketch can you barely see his one-point perspective guide lines?...And are you now inspired to carry around a sketchbook? I keep mine close at hand--even through my exploits in the mud.  

Sailboat deck with figures, John Singer Sargent, 1876? 4 3/16 x 7 3/16 in., Graphite on off-white wove paper,
Gift of Mrs. Francis Ormond, 1950, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

Sailors on a sloping deck, John Singer Sargent, 1876, 4 5/16 x 7 1/4 in., Graphite on off-white wove paper
Gift of Mrs. Francis Ormond, 1950, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

Sailors Relaxing on Deck (from Scrapbook), John Singer Sargent, 1876, 4 5/16 x 7 1/4 in., 

Graphite on off-white wove paper, Gift of Mrs. Francis Ormond, 1950, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

Deck of Ship in Moonlight (from Scrapbook), John Singer Sargent, 1876, 9 x 11 3/4 in., 

Watercolor on off-white wove paper, Gift of Mrs. Francis Ormond, 1950, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

your perspective

With the first stirrings of spring, it is time to grab your sketchbook. Consider the following scenario:

You spot a burly guy, asleep on a park bench. Like a camera lens, your eye zooms in on his gruff face, not quite hidden by the standard New York insignia--a Yankees cap. Unbeknownst to him, he's your model. Your only thought: hopefully he's out cold--long enough for a portrait.

Before settling down, take a look. Is there a story here? The man is disheveled, slumped down (arguably, he should have passed on that last beer). Out of work? Or was he up all night partying with his buddies? Are you feeling any emotion yet? Sad? Indifferent? Uncomfortable? Sitting squeezed between the lunchtime crowd--keeping your distance? Or are you close enough to smell his breath? Your perspective includes both your physical distance, and your personal reaction. Use these viewpoints--with whatever the subject--and we will be drawn into your sketch.
                                                                        
In the following--less notable scene--we know our proximity to the man, the time frame (his clothing), wealth (a delicate handling), and a sense of place (atmospheric perspective):

Sketch in the Country by Carolus-Duran, 1877. Drypoint on laid paper,
Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute, Williamstown, Ma.

Note the perspective of some students from my Summer Intensive Studies classes: 

life drawing sp '12 | imperfections

In seeking perfection, students often miss life's subtleties--whether their contour sweeps past, with a controlling hand, or they fixate on taming an elusive shadow.
  
In his book, wabi sabi, the art of impermanence, Andrew Juniper writes:

"If a bowl is supposed to be perfect in its form and glaze, then, apart from the inevitable flaws that it will have, there will be less to hold the attention. By making something symmetrical the artist is giving little opportunity for the beholder to add anything to the piece, since it is supposed to be complete. On the other hand, by making asymmetrical pieces or pieces that may appear physically imperfect, the artist is offering an opportunity to get involved in the piece and to help complete the picture, or to even reflect on the seemingly imperfect nature of life itself."

This week's class was a struggle for many. A new technique, offering, of all things--flexibility--was met with frustration. No line, not even a gesture, was used to begin--just the side of the charcoal. Was it worth the challenge? As I see it, growth is in the struggle, and the imperfections are life itself. So, pat yourself on the back, and simply put (in my metaphorical phrasing): out of the fog--of vine charcoal--will come the light. 

Jonathan Pisano 

Cecil Pang