"Ruins" (Final Photo)

Ruins

Charcoal, Graphite and White Chalk on Tinted Paper

11"x7" (2011)

Still-Life Drawing: Stage 2 (April 6, 2011)

I'm racing to get this done by the end of the month and being new to using white chalk so extensively in a drawing, I'm a little worried. But I'm actually having lots of fun! There's nothing like creating light with white chalk on tinted paper. It's feeling very intuitive right now, which is great. No wonder so many artists love this process!

Figure Practice

I haven't been able to be in front of a live model in forever but I heard about posespace.com and I used a pose from there to do this study. It's not the same experience as it could be from life but it'll do for now. This one is in charcoal. I learned a lot from this one just by using compressed charcoal; I found out I don't like it. I prefer carbon pencils much more.

Me? On Camera?!?

Yup, I finally decided once and for all that if I'm going to have a Youtube channel, I actually would like to be on it. I don't like cameras, they are not my friend but I tried to get passed it to get across some information about my favourite drawing tools. It's really weird seeing yourself on camera as you're speaking and trying to imagine someone behind the lens that you can try to have a conversation with. Meanwhile, you're talking to yourself out-loud, it's freaky! Well hopefully I'll get used to it. I was tired coming home from work, didn't bother too much with appearances because I didn't want to get distracted but I do sound tired. Next time I'll definitely get a tiny bit more makeup on, haha.

What else is going on...Still awaiting the day I get to order that stationery, and there's other things in the works but I won't go there now. Why? Because I'm making a change this year. I think that (for me) telling everyone about my plans inevitably ruins them, and a lot of times they don't even get started. Don't fear though because I'm almost ready to show my new painting, which is a couple of days away from completion. Look out for it in February, that's when it's being delivered. I can't show you now because it's a gift for someone. But anyway here's my new video and if I'm not too traumatized there will be more.

Finally Getting Started

So I've been away for months...well away from this blog anyway. Yeah, not good. I have been working on things on and off, mainly life drawing when I get the chance (and the money). On the left is a drawing I did back in I guess February or March. It was a 6 hour pose and it didn't get finished unfortunately so next time I'm going to take a different approach. I really wish I had more control over the lighting so I could really get those strong shadows, which would speed things up. But...whatever, I need to get back to it. 

Next month, I will be back doing drop-in life drawing/painting sessions. Actually I'm getting really excited about it as I type! Wow. And then I'll be doing landscapes as well, hopefully in 2 weeks. I'd do it now except I'm not going to have enough dough for an easel and the new brushes and all the other things I need until I get paid. You won't hear complaining out of me right now though, I'm lucky I have a job. In the meantime, I'm thinking I'll just go sketch some trees or something just to get familiar with outdoor scenery. I'm really not an outdoorsy person, plus I'll need allergy meds. It is exciting though, I can't wait! This will get me on track and I will definitely be posting progress here. Looks like June 2009 is going to be a good month...

Current Work, Thoughts

Welcome to my new blog. I love blogging but I haven't done it in a while. I guess I should start with introducing myself: I'm Crystal Brown (sometimes I write Crystal C. Brown for my art) from Toronto, Canada. I'm currently finishing off my BFA, just few more months to go. After that I plan on doing my MFA in New York but it could be awhile before that happens... Ultimately I want to be a full-time painter, and I think I knew that since grade 10. I was certainly interested in art all my life but that's when it became serious. My work is figurative and I think I can credit that to my personality and the great traditional skills I picked up in high school. I don't think that's going to change too much but you never know. 

Right now I'm really frustrated because I can draw pretty well but I can't paint nearly as well. It's tough to deal with. I expect a lot of myself and when a painting doesn't go right I get very impatient. I just hate mediocrity in my work, especially when I need to get my work out there. I've got some figure drawings going right now, which I love. Life drawing comes with ease for me, and I feel very comfortable with it. It's funny, I always wanted to be a portrait painter but now I'm better at drawing/painting faces within the context of the figure instead of on it's own. What I'm really trying to do is make my figure drawings more meaningful that just "a figure on a page", but I don't know how yet. 

Anyway here's what I'm working on right now: At the top right there's a drawing in progress. It's 18"x24", charcoal and carbon on newsprint. I'm enjoying it, but there's a lot more to go and I really hope it'll be one of my best. And last but not least, I've got a youtube video up, check it out here. That's it for now, be back soon.