Will Proko be the one to lead me out of the darkness?

What's new? Well, I've got every art tool I could possibly want, from a full set of professional pastels to a cool little graphite kit to colored pencils to a well-curated if small selection of paper to put it all on, but of course in order to get jump-started I need SOMETHING new, so (for that AND other reasons) I've gone out and got myself an iPad 10.5 and a shiny new Apple Pencil. More about that later no doubt. Well, I guess there's SOME doubt, but this time I'm going to stick with it.  You betchya. 

The thing that's gonna get me there this time is Figure Drawing. Simply put, I found this Proko.com site, signed up for his Premium figure drawing videos and, well, here we go.

So I start thusly.  I watched the Gesture Drawing videos sometime last week, and then again today.  He runs through numerous examples of 30-second, then 2 minute, gesture drawings. For today's exercise, I've stopped the video at each pose, done my attempt at an a appropriate gesture (not paying much attention at this point to time, but my :30 took about a minute and my 2:00 about 2:45), then watch his rendering.  

I know I need to work on single, swooping, confident lines -- these are much too choppy. 

Conde pencil on newsprint

Trees please

Long time no draw!  Or, no post anyways. I've been doing my little drubs and drabs and doodles but have really done nothing except let my supplies gather dust. Typical. 

However, I hung out with Barbara again as -- as usual -- have been re-inspired yet again. Here's hoping it sticks!

She and I got together and spent an hour or so plein air in Anza Borrego. I ended up with this:

 

which pleases me on several levels. It's unfinished, in my book -- I wanted to return to it but kinda lost the magic. I was planning on balancing it a bit better with more detailed highlights. I may still revisit it. 

Meanwhile, I've moved on to a bigger project. I'm inspired by this scene from the Hoh Rain Forest, WA. 

 

and I'm trying to apply what I've learned so far, really trying to focus on value. Well. I've started with an underpainting, in complimentary colors. 

 

I need to address the highlights w some pale yellows, then the underpainting is done. I plan on ?using some fixative (perhaps after some blending) then begin again I'm by coming in with greens. 

We shall see how it goes!  I'm hoping, as always, to stay inspired and KEEP ON IT!