Archive for the ‘Different Strokes’ Category

Official Street Painting (Chalk Drawing) in Florence, Italy

Thursday, December 18th, 2008

Street painting is an experience I recommend to anyone and everyone.

It is good exercise, most certainly gives you good practice at taking criticism.

It is also a great opportunity to work quickly, at a large scale and under pressure, because you have to wash and scub it all away before midnight (or you turn into a pumpkin… only kidding).

Dirty hands after street painting

After spending several hours on your hands and knees in the street, on top of a large chalk drawing, it is likely that you may become a little dirty.

Below you can see the first of my street paintings on the road. I was of course doing it all legally, with an official “Madonnari” license in the centre of Florence on via Calimala, just off Della Republica.

Constructing and Articulating the Outline and Shadow Shapes on a Figure

Thursday, December 18th, 2008

This is the second part of a free online tutorial which guides you through the various steps taken to produce a classical figure drawing. I have learnt and adapted this particular method from studying at the Angel Academy of Art, Florence.

Construction Stage

The construct outline and shadow shapes form the next stage. The 2B pencil is kept sharpened like a needle of graphite, as it facilitates more precision. It is safest to work on the paper as lightly as possible so that there is room for adjustment with the putty rubber if needed.

The outline of the forms which the figure makes are carefully observed, and the previous gesture stage gives a decent (albeit simplified) measured base to use for guidance with this construct stage. The construct lines should be lightly-sketched small straight lines around and along the gesture lines, indicating changes in direction.

Using Rhythm – The Variety of Line Shapes, and their Relationships

Thursday, December 18th, 2008

(From Harold Speed‘s The Practice and Science of Drawing)

Line rhythm or music depends on the shape of your lines, their relation to each other and their relation to the boundaries of your panel.

In all good work this music of line is in harmony with the subject (the artistic intention) of your picture or drawing. (more…)

Street Painting in Florence ~ Chalk Drawings after Botticelli and Vermeer

Sunday, August 10th, 2008

Street Painting (Chalk Drawing) is hard, intensive drawing work.

You are constantly observed by a wide range of passers-by and under pressure to deliver and finish a work that the majority will admire.

If you don’t do something at least ‘pretty good’ you could be in for a barrage of criticism from all sorts of people – So I would say it is a little bit stressful too!

Girl with a Pearl Earing - Street Painting by Peter McClory

Girl with a Pearl Earing, and Passers By – Street Painting by Peter McClory

Well, despite all that, it’s worth it to see a smile on so many people’s faces as they walk past, or stop and watch.