Cennini Artist Technical Boot Camp - Haverhill Massachusetts

This is the Artist Boot Camp Studio with Rob Howard.

Located in Haverhill (pronounced Hayv•rill - long "a" and not too much "r") a very quaint New England town of about sixty thousand. It was a beautiful sunny autumn day in the middle of a picturesque downtown. (pictures take up one way and down the other.)




Meet Rob Howard, Master Painter and Instructor. A brilliant man and fine instructor. His knowledge of the chemistry of painting is phenomenal.

This is one of his paintings that he used to demonstrate how to apply a finish using Gallery Varnish and Wax Medium.

Meet a few of the boot camper, fellow artists…a really diverse group from all of the US and Canada. All of us agreed that this experience definitely improves our skills and abilities.
Personally speaking, this is to me a turning point in my life. I learned so much that I am trying to absorb it today. It has given me some self-confidence that I have never had with regards to actually moving to a (horrors) white canvas with much more deliberation and less experimentation. I learned about all of the different supports available rather than wood and canvas; how to properly stretch and prepare a support, what all the mediums actually do and where to use them, what the brushes are actually made for, how to guild gold leaf properly, how to properly finish a completed painting and pack it for transport to a gallery, the importance of lead in paint, how to do a verdaccio and glaze it, how to glaze under painting, tips and tricks I had never thought of, what is silver point, how to grind emulsions with egg yoke, how to tube paint, etc., etc., etc. (I could go on...)

My plan is to attend the Art Camp and the Portrait Camp...meanwhile, I'm painting!!!!

EDIT UPDATE: Just finished the Art Boot Camp in February 2008. Visit my new review. This also delivered another growth spurt in my abilities and I highly recommend it. See my slide show.

Study In Progress

This is a study in progress (SIP) on canvas board that I am doing using underpainting gray-scale with 5 values. I intend to glaze this to had very subtle color. This is white on white. I am searching for a colored object to place in the composition and see what that does to the white and the color and the composition.

It has to be something that will give the eggs relativity in size or maybe not. I am also studying folds. I'm planning to keep the table cloth white but with a white design.

Can anyone guess what I am trying to say?

Lesson2 - Big Forms

These three compositions are bigger shapes but I think they need to be more abstract. I tried to make the drawing purly abstract forms but it wasn't making an impact on my thinking; I therefore, returned to more recognizable forms. I need guidance in this area. The impact of the composition, however, is more powerful although the middle ground and background are difficult to conceive.

Pressing on ... I think i will turn these into drawings that have more detail and texture.

Cennini Lessons on-Line...

Compositional abstractions. These are difficult to design! It would be easier, I think, if I did not know how to draw. The art lesson in composition is designed to teach how to "speak forth a message" visually from an imaginary story and it is challenging my mental ability. With that said, I am beginning to see how crucial it is to think this way before ever swiping a brush loaded with paint onto the surface of a canvas.

Here is my initial failed attempt.



(Moderator) Rob gives us an imaginary story of an Indian brave who wants to join his departed bride in the after life and his acceptance of that separation. He wants big abstract forms to tell the story. "What do you want to say?" Now, I must take that story and say something abstractly without using details, or symbolism, or rendering. I see that this is the key to creating a powerful statement.

I will post my progress and see if I can eventually come up with something acceptable. Right now, my drawings show how shallow my thinking has been. Instead of making big form abstractions, I went straight to rendering expressions which is big mistake and the focus in on the wrong character. The brave is the focus not the medicine man. The bride needs to look ghostly.

In reviewing this composition however, I did employ a compositional method without knowing it. I made the space narrow forcing the figures to come out. Originally, I chose to make pyramid shapes; pretty obvious. The moderator suggested that I strengthen these shapes and abstract them. I had trouble placing these in a composition so I decided to work on posing the figures separately hoping to work out a composition in steps. Here are the two sketches. I am still "drawing" instead of making abstractions. I am back to doing quick compositions in black marker on index cards. I think some designs are beginning to come forth. I will post these next.

Practicing the Piano = Skeleton From Memory

REVISED DRAWING

In the original draft, I forgot to adjust the radius/ulna and humerous joints upwards but this is still not quite right. It is the hand and fingers that are not in proportion. Will need to revise it again. I see how important accuracy is.

Like playing scales on a piano, I will get faster and more accurate as I practice these drawings.
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It's a good start and I pat myself on the back. I am going to continue drawing these to gain speed and accuracy ... a good discipline. Like practicing the paino, you just have to do it to get better.

Next comes the muscles. Whew.

(Just a coincidence that these skeletons are posted in October. I do not celebrate Halloween as most of this Christian nation does because it celebrates and promotes darkness and evil. I do, however, love to dress up in nutty costumes, act silly, and gain at least a pound eating candy ... yum .... and that is how my children enjoyed this national holiday. Fight evil with good behavior and faith. More on this in another post.)

Beloved Poppie

After Lesson #76 learning to draw the skeleton from memory, I sketched this of pop (my dad who passed away 10 years ago this September) ...drawn from a formal portrait that was done for my parent's 50th anniversary. It surprised me easy and swift I got his likeness; the drawing lessons I am doing have made a huge difference. I am drawing faster.

After years of unfinished paintings and destroying much of what I have made because it was mediocre, I have finally come to realize how prudent that was. Until just recently, after years and years of drawing, my skill when to a new level. It has taken me THAT long. Now at this point I realize this: I cannot express what I am trying to say if I do not have the proper technical skills mastered...this fact, I am totally convinced of. Then and only then will I see if I am any good at all as a painter.

Anyone can learn to draw; not everyone can breathe life into a drawing. That is my goal. Same thing is true with painting...which is next. First step is Technical Boot Camp - Cennini Form's Rob Howard held Nov 1 in Haverhill Mass.

October Drawing Lesson: Contours

This lesson is suggested in the Great Master's Techniques Book: to draw a complete contour using little or no shading to define the form. I did this without grids, eyeballing everything and I am quite proud of myself for how clean (except for the coffee spill on his arm) and accurate it came out. It surprised me. I used the eraser only a very few times so it made me concentrate hard; a good discipline.

(Looks like Darren to me from a photo.)

Feeling Stupid

This is a very quick drawing of my Ozzie boy, a mixed breed white schnauzer who found us five years ago. Often when I draw my pets as soon as they see me staring at them they literally turn their entire bodies the other way and hide their heads. It is really funny.

This drawing is typical back of the head sketch.

Today, however, Oz was snoozing on the couch facing me with his usual one leg hanging off; I loved the way he was nonchalantly posed motivating me to reach for my sketchbook.

I’m quickly sketching away (don’t wake up Oz…) when slowly he opened his eyes but he didn’t move a whisker. “Just lie still,” I whispered. “Good boy,” with not too much enthusiasm in my voice. “I love sketching you, little guy.” Soon, the quick sketch was done. He yawned and rolled over. I'm a dog whisperer!!!

Why am I feeling stupid?

I can’t figure out how to get a small detailed gray scale jpeg. I’ve tried everything. I’ve read every thread I could find, tried all their suggestions with no really good results.

I wish someone could enlighten me how to do this without losing the lighter side of the gray scale.

The Laws of Fesolé

Few books I read have the power to change me. When I read an author's work that does, I never forget what is said. This is one book that did just that for me and helped this artist get a better perspective on what needs to go into producing art. I needed to understand the great importance of painting only subjects that I truly love and in doing so, to strive to praise that subject. Ruskin explains that artists always fail because the real thing ... reality ... will always be far superior to the greatest masterpiece on canvas. A perfectionist and arrogant artist who does not comprehend his rightful "place" and human limitations could be driven into the ground trying to do something that is simply impossible. After reading this little book, I felt that it had put the artist in me literally in my rightful place and it gave me a goal for every painting ... which is exacly what I needed. My goal now is realistic; to express what I love to the best of my ability. -- PAD


The Laws of Fésole – All Great Art Is Praise
By John Ruskin*
Principles of Drawing and Painting from the Tuscan Masters
ISBN 1-880559044-7


1. The art of man expresses his rational and disciplined delight in the forms of the laws of Creation of which he is a part.


2. All art is the skillful expression of pleasure in an experience or thing.

For example: A lamb at play, rejoicing in its own life only, is not an artist; but the shepherd, carving the piece of wood expresses in that image (even unconsciously) his pleasure in the laws of time, measure, and order.

3. Unconscious delight in the laws of nature has the capacity to create great art. Art is produced when, by reason and discipline, the artist has become conscious of the ravishment of an image before the artist.

4. Expression and delight in a beautiful or lovely thing is no less attained by sadness of its loss, than gladness of its presence. Art is often tragic or pensive; but all art is praise.

5. All art is praise as a law has no exceptions. If an artist cannot appreciate fully the subject he can never paint a great painting of it.

6. All art is the praise of something that the artist loves. The rank of an artist is determined by the height and breadth of his/her love of the subject.

7. Only that picture is noble which is painted in love of the reality. It is a law that embraces the highest scope of Art.

For example: If an artist desires to draw that the artist may represent something that is loved, advancement will be swift and sure. However, if the artist desires to draw that the artist may make a beautiful drawing, a beautiful drawing will never be made.

8. The best paintings are those that completely represents that object that the artist loves and has undertaken to represent; as the best language is that which most clearly says what the person undertakes to say and so the discussion of respective grace or admirableness of method is closed.

9. If painting is to be entirely good, the materials of it must be the best possible, and the conditions of time and place most favorable.

10. Perfect art perceives and reflects the whole of nature: imperfect art is fastidious, and impertinently prefers and rejects.

For example: The foible of Correggio is grace; Mantegna, precision; Veronese, narrow in gaiety; Tintoret in his gloom; Turner, light.

11. Knowing an artist’s weakness becomes an artist's strength; and the joy of every painter by which he is made narrow, is also the gift by which he is made delightful so long as he is modest in the thought of his distinction from others and no less severe in the indulgence of his proper instincts.

Accepting the artist's place … the artists will find distinctness, glory and use; but not doing so destroys the art in demanding that all men should stand in his compartment, or see through his color.

* John Ruskin (1819-1900) was the most influential art critic of the 19th century. He was artist, scientist and philosopher. Oscar Wilde, one of his students, said of him, "To you the gods gave eloquence such as they have given no other, so that your message might come to us from the fire of passion, and the marvel of music, making the deft to hear and the blind to see." -- from the cover

Assignment - Part 2 (of 4 parts)

Okay this is the 2nd part of a 4-part assignment (August) Assignment from Cennini Forum. Now to understand this Minotaur drawing assignment, you will have to visit the forum and read the "Minotaur Story" at:

http://forums.studioproducts.com/showthread.php?t=28619

A minotaur is a creature from mythology; a creature that is half human - half bull who is placed in a maze to contain the fierce creature. A warrior is sent with a sword and a ball of twine into the labyrinth to kill the minotaur. Part one of the assignment was teaching us how to combine - or morph - two un-related objects into one. On this part of the assignment we are to morph a man and a bull, tell a story, and express emotion.

I doubt if my story makes sense to anyone who hasn't read the myth. I made my minotaur without clothing and lots of hair and flesh. The drawing assignment is suppose to tell a story, express a feeling of depression, sadness, betrayal, entrapment, and impending doom.

I got the idea for the shadow from the forum's posted assignments ... so that was not an original idea however it was a good solution to simply the images. The assignment is also about composition but I think that will come in the final parts.

My attempt is okay but it could be much improved; there are much better solutions on the forum. However, I am learning something new with each assignment, and it is stimulating my thinking.