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Thursday, May 8, 2014

"Lynn's Zoo from Sketchbook Skool Assignments" by Lynn Cohen

 Our teacher this week was Roz Stendhal. She is the master of drawing animals. She wanted us to draw live, but we had other options too like this one from a photo of a rooster I got from Paint My Photo link on our side bar at Paper, Paint, Pencils & Pens.



These are attempts to capture Henry V live on paper via gesture and contour drawings.

I drew Henry curled up on a quilt I'd made in 2007, the year I started my art odyssey.  I think he looks sad. This was either the day I knew my aunt was dying and we were waiting or maybe it was the day we heard. My dear aunt Mimi died on her 95th birthday on May 2nd. She was a wonderful woman, of great inner and outer beauty, smart enough to know a good business venture when it fell in her lap in her early 20's when she married my uncle Harry and they opened a camera shop in Stockton, CA. That business ran by both of them and later their son for a total of  61 years! Mimi was remembered by the town, their friends and our family on May 7, in Stockton, CA a in memorial celebration of her life. She was my late mother's little sister.




"Happy Birthday Mimi" is all you need to say to me. Thank you!



More contour cats ....

and Henry enjoying being petted by his dad!

We were also suggested to draw just a part of an animal and leave a lot of negative space like I did here:



I loved drawing "Sir William", Ann Hyde's wonderful dog who lives in the UK from her photo with her permission.




I tend to neglect our house when I am drawing so much; so I took a break to swift away the dust bunnies before getting back to the importance of drawing!



We were also encouraged to draw animals from toys. My husband had this plastic buffalo up on the window sill in our bathroom. I borrowed him to draw and paint. The bird just flew in the window. They are forever hopping rides on the backs of buffalo in real life, I know as I've seen them in Yellowstone and Custer State Park in South Dakota.


This Henry portrait is from a photo and was done in parts as you can see below, another suggestion from Roz.




Roz also did a super job painting a bird from life in a video she made for the class. I drew from her video.



You might recognize this buffalo, as I've drawn him before, but this time I used a combo of tools you see listed on the art journal page below:


And finally one more life drawing of Henry drawn in the semi light of our garage as he slept, woke and slept again.



I'm always surprised of late when I gather my drawings of the past week and see how many I have done. I love the progress I am making.

If you think you'd like to sit at the feet of some wonderful teachers, check out Sketchbook Skool. It is so worth the cost. I wonder if you can see my growing as an artist at all here? I sure feel more confident and love what I am turning out.

Hi to all my friends from Paint Party Friday! I so appreciate your visits and comments.

Hi to all my friends from Paper, Paint, Pencils & Pens. You have to look at the same art all over again here, but hopefully it's fun a second time around. Thanks for stopping by too.

I invite you all to visit the other artists in these two spots via the icons on my sidebar.

Have a creative week!

19 comments:

  1. What wonderful sketches... very fluid and gestural. Happy Sketching!

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  2. lots of sketches. you've been having fun, looks like. inspired by sketchbook skool.

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  3. Lots of sketches but I think my favorite is the Dust bunnies. LOL You did do them. LOL actually there were lots of favorites here but I liked your hand writing on the buffalo.. pretty cool. The Rooster.. Henry and Sir William all wonderful.

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  4. i love all your paintings and drawings but I especially like your kitties :)

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  5. So sorry about your aunt Lynn. My friend Donnas mom went on her 83 birthday April 30th 5 years ago...I often wonder if it's a gift you give yourself or others waiting at your side !

    Yes your art has evolved so beautifully...such a joy to watch the excitement in your pieces!! Your style is changing as you learn more too!! Fun to watch your process!! Now you need to sketch a busy beaver with your face on it...because I am so surprised at what you've accomplish!! Phenomenal!! Love your version of William...he is such a beautiful dog!! Carry on....you are so inspirational!

    Hugs Giggles

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  6. LOVE the cat sketches! So cute! You've been busy with the animals. They look great :)

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  7. Lynn, I always love to see your new adventures in art. I love your very original loose style. I laughed when you commented about dust bunnies, we must have our priorities! That would be art, of course!

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  8. Your sketches are all wonderful Lynn. I truly enjoy them.

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  9. Oh geez I have fallen in love with Sir William....what a wonderful rendition of this fellow. I love the loose linear quality of all your animal art. Happy PPF

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  10. Oooh my, Sir William, isn't he a doll? You rendered him well! I love the kitty cats as well and the rest of your lovely sketches! Those dust bunnies visited me as well and I finally had to take a break from art and shoo them away and wouldn't you know it they came back as the real deal....four-five of them scooting across our yard and the neighbours : )

    Annabelle : )

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  11. You've truly been a prolific artist lately. I like them all especially your stunning rooster, dog and cat. Blessings!

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  12. You have done so many drawings! I love the creative backgrounds behind Mimi. I think she will love it once she wakes up. and Sir William.... what can I say. Love at first sight. Keep it up, Lynn. You are ever and inspiration.

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  13. Lynn, I for one don't mind seeing some of your work a second time. I like the one of Henry where you left a lot of negative space. Each of these is an interesting way of sketching, some with lots of detail, some with lots of simplicity. You are doing well!

    Again "Happy Birthday Aunt Mimi!"

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  14. Happy birthday to your Aunt Mimi!!!!!

    I love your drawings here...Henry and

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  15. I love all you sketches + as I am too very neglectful of house work, when I am getting involved in my art, but I imagine mine have big teeth! x

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  16. That's a great collection of sketches, You have been busy.

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  17. Great sketches Lynn! I'm truly impressed by the quantity of sketches you complete. I love the last spread of Henry, how you captured him sleeping, then peeking up at you, and then returning to his nap. My cat does that too, almost like she's saying, "Are you still there? Ok, good..." (http://jamiegregorysketchblog.wordpress.com)

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Thanks for leaving your comments as I love hearing from you. Your words of encouragement are why I continue to draw!