Art Lessons From God » draw

POLL: Should Christian Art Students Study the Nude Figure?

tsnipes — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 07:00:45 +0000

I posted this first on the ALFG Discussion Board to get our subscribers’ take on it:

Should Christian Art Students Study the Nude Figure?

This question especially came to mind when I learned of how Gordon College, a Christian college in Wenham, MA, recently modified it’s Art program when they developed a curriculum that includes the study and rendering of the undraped human figure.

As many of you know, a Figure Drawing curriculum using undraped models is not unusual for most college and university Art programs.

Gordon College Art Department representatives say that the rationale is to work respectfully with the human figure attempting to bring honor and glory to God in the process.

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They base this, in a Christian context, on a time-honored professional practice, holding the belief that the human form is the crowning achievement of God in Creation – worthy of the artists’ expert knowledge, and comparable to the scientific knowledge of the human body in medicine and biology.

Gordon representatives state: “If you can accurately and expressively draw or paint or sculpt the human form you can draw anything”.

So what is your take on this?

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3 New Sketches To Keep My Skills Sharp

tsnipes — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 04:47:15 +0000

From the “Practice What You Preach” file. Many of you have heard may talk about doing something creative everyday to keep your skills sharp.

Here is an example of how that practice helps me as well.

Recently, I noticed one of my daughters in a relaxed stance while watching TV. The profile caught my artistic eye. After shouting “Don’t move!” I hurried to grab my sketch pad and casually went to work. Here’s what I came up with. I plan to eventually convert this into a completed digital painting, but even if not, it was great exercise:

"Soldier Girl" Thumbnail Sketch

I then began another sketch based on that pose that fleshed out more detail and began to give the character more personality even with subtle facial expressions:

Soldier Girl detail

This final sketch is an example of how I love sketching robots mostly because their gangling form resembles the artist’s mannequin many of us have so often used:

Robot sketch

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Creating Art Everyday, Even At 30k Feet

tsnipes — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 04:59:07 +0000

This is another example of how you can strive to create something everyday.

You’d think that I would have started doing this a long time ago. As I travel, I now take my sketchbook with me all the time to not only capture an illustrated thought but to excercise my gift in order to keep my skill sharp.

The video below is an example of such:

View these sketches in detail here in our Sketchbook Gallery>>

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6 Reasons for Drawing Everyday

tsnipes — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 13:12:24 +0000

I was impressed by an article from artist Brad Blackman, one of my subscribers on Twitter. His article titled “The Importance of Drawing Constantly” details how much of an essential habit drawing needs to be. Brad says that drawing constantly:

Helps visualize outcomes and solves problems
Keeps you visually articulate (he defines this in good detail)
Keeps you visually aware.
Keeps you in top form.
Captures your ideas before they disappear (I REALLY see the need for this as I get older!)
Documents the progress of ideas.

See Brad’s entire article>>

How To Be Creative Everyday: Do Quick Sketches (video) This is another one from the “Do Something Creative Everyday”...

Artist Family Road Trip: How to Be Creative Everyday

tsnipes — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 16:00:35 +0000

This is another example of how you can strive to create something everyday.

This also is an example of recognizing and encouraging the talents and gifts in the next wave of artists and designers coming behind us (my daughters’ work as an example):

Sketches from the road and from the video:

Moriah

Anisa

How to Be Creative Everyday, Even From the Road (Audio) Today’s post is more like a workshop within a workshop....
How To Be Creative Everyday: Do Quick Sketches (video) This is another one from the “Do Something Creative Everyday”...