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Academy of Realist Art
Toronto: info@AcademyofRealistArt.com 416-766-1280 | Boston: ARA_Boston@AcademyofRealistArt.com 617-426-3006 | www.AcademyofRealistArt.com
CLASSICAL INSTRUCTION FOR
A NEW GENERATION OF OLD MASTERS
This cast drawing was executed by Sophia Panova, a part-time student at ARA since
the age of 14. Originally from Kazakhstan, Sophia has always had a passion for art in
all forms. During high school a teacher introduced her to ARA, where she discovered
the discipline she needed to achieve her lifelong dream of being an architect. Having
now completed her undergraduate degree, Sophia credits the school for providing the
foundations and support she needed to help her along her career path.
You can also learn to draw and paint beautiful, accurate, realistic artwork based on the
teaching traditions of the Renaissance and the great academies of the 19th century.
Our ne art training ofers a step-by-step approach to mastering ne art skills. Whether
you are a hobbyist, seeking a career in traditional drawing and painting, or a trained
professional, this results-oriented system will help you achieve your ambitions and
expand your skills.
We ofer exible full-time and part-time programs with individualized instruction to
suit your skill levels and schedules. You can choose from an ongoing weekday class
schedule or join us for one of our workshops taught by our full-time instructors.
Topics include portrait and gure sketching and painting, still life and landscape
painting, red chalk drawing, and a variety of great artists techniques.
At ARA, the results are always beyond your expectations.
Ive been interested in art since I was a child, and tried all sorts of classes
as I was growing up. When I was 14, ARA took me in as a part-time student.
I was intimidated at rst, but as soon as I had my rst lesson with Fernando,
it was so easy to understand. I quickly realized just how professional and
well-designed a program it is. I hadnt seen anything like it anywhere.
ARA was an ideal way to build my technical skills, because architecture
is also very precise, calculated, purposeful and delicate. What I learned at
the studio has denitely played a part in my success throughout university.
I cant wait to come back. SOPHIA PANOVA
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TABLE OF
CONTENTS
WINTER 2013
34
Advice for Composing a Landscape:
The Three Key Principles
60
Measuring the Figure Made Easy
68, 74, 82
Colored Pencil: 3 Artists Discuss Their
Materials and Techniques
68
Use Household Materials to Enhance Your Drawing
82
Surfaces That Make Your Drawings Pop
ON THE COVER
6 EDITORS NOTE
8 CONTRIBUTORS
12 SKETCHBOOK
96 NEW AND NOTABLE
DEPARTMENTS
COVER IMAGE
tude: Fawns Leap
Catskills (detail)
by Thomas Kegler, 2008, ink and
gouache on toned paper, 9 x 12.
Collection the artist.
82
50
68
90
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4 Drawing / Winter 2013 WWW. A RT I S T DA I LY. COM
FEATURES
22 Choosing Color
A sponsored guide to colored
pencils.
26 To Sketch and To Sculpt
Don Gale creates sculptures and
drawings that relish the possibilities
for drama and movement inherent in
the human figure. We sat down with
the artist to talk about the role that
drawing plays in his practice, how he
captures the gesture of a model, and
why quick poses are the essence of
the artistic process.
34 Understanding the
Anatomy of the
Landscape
BY AUSTIN R. WILLIAMS
Thanks to years of careful observa-
tion and diligent study, Thomas
Kegler is able to create landscapes
that are true to the laws of nature
and honor his own vision.
42 Why We Draw
We asked several instructors at
the American Academy of Art, in
Chicago, to share their thoughts on
CONTENTS
68 Work With
Whatever Works
BY NAOMI EKPERIGIN
Pat Averill has worked with
colored pencil for more than 20
years. Here, she shares some of
the self-taught techniques that
continue to invigorate her practice.
74 Colored Pencil
Demonstration:
Combining Techniques
for a Unified Drawing
BY GARY GREENE
82 Megan Seiter:
Colored Pencils or Bust
BY NAOMI EKPERIGIN
In just three short years, this young
artist has developed a signature style
and passion for colored pencil that
informs her process for creating
emotive still lifes.
90 Cataloguing
Imagination
Artists of all stripes are invited to
submit to The Sketchbook Projects
library and touring exhibition.
the importance of drawing in an
artists education. Their answers
shed light on many of the ways that
drawing can advance ones practice.
50 Curators Choice:
10 Masterpieces From
The Crocker Art Museum
In this new series, we ask leading
art institutions to select some
of the best drawings from their
collections and discuss what
artists today can learn from these
masterworks. Here, we visit the
Crocker Art Museum, in Sacra-
mento, where William Breazeale,
the museums curator of European
art, chose 10 amazing drawings
that take us from Mannerist Italy
to the bohemian salons of 19
th
-
century France.
60 Drawing Fundamentals:
Measuring the Figure
BY JON DEMARTIN
Using this easy technique, you can
measure key proportions in the
early stages of drawing and be sure
you have an accurate foundation
from which to work.
60
26
DR_TOC_Win13.indd 4 1/8/13 10:59 AM
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DR_Sketchbook_Win13.indd 14 1/9/13 4:19 PM
14 Drawing / Winter 2013 WWW. A RT I S T DA I LY. COM
Graphic Designers Take Center
Stage in Philadelphia
DOUBLE PORTRAIT: PAULA SCHER AND
SEYMOUR CHWAST, GRAPHIC DESIGNERS
Paula Scher and Seymour Chwasts
inf luential illustrations and designs
have graced record albums, books,
magazine covers, and posters, and
also include typefaces, logos, and oth-
er graphics. Both artists are mem-
bers of the Art Directors Club Hall of
Fame and recipients of the medal of the
American Institute of Graphic Arts. In
conjunction with their receipt of the
2012 Collab Design Excellence Award,
the Philadelphia Museum of Art
has mounted the exhibition Double
Portrait, which marks the first time
the husband-and-wife pairs work will
be shown together.
Chwast studied at the Cooper Union,
in New York City, and co-founded
Push Pin Studios in 1954 with class-
mates Milton Glaser and Edward Sorel.
The group broadened the boundaries
of modern design, proving widely inf luential on a
range of graphic styles. Chwasts designs have been
used in advertising, animated films, and editori-
al, corporate, and environmental graphics, and in
publications such as The New York Times, The New
Yorker, The Atlantic, and Time.
Scher began her professional career as an art di-
rector designing record covers for CBS and Atlantic
Records, and she went on to develop an inf luential
approach to typography. She has developed identi-
ty and branding systems, promotional materials,
graphics, packaging, and other designs for a broad
range of clients, including The Museum of Modern
Art, the New York City Ballet, Citibank, Microsoft,
and the Sundance Film Festival.
End Bad Breath
by Seymour
Chwast, 1967,
offset lithograph,
37 x 24.
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LUMINANCE 6901
, the latest innovation in a smooth permanent lead - featuring the highest lightfastness -
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PABLO
, the dry and permanent lead perfect for nishing and details.
5UPRACOLOR 5OFY
, the watercolour lead for wash beforehand, base colours and watercolour effect.
Yhe Caran d'Ache Maison offers you:
the best of the Swiss-made quality with its colour pencils
carandache.com
Discover new exciting possibilities using a combination of three of the fnest
Swiss-made colour pencils from Caran dAche:
216-518-0298 Fax 888-423-0036 www.creativeartmaterials.com
DR_Sketchbook_Win13.indd 15 1/9/13 4:20 PM
16 Drawing / Winter 2013 WWW. A RT I S T DA I LY. COM
T H R O U G H J U N E 2
Minneapolis
Institute of Arts
Minneapolis,
Minnesota
(888) 642-2787
www.artsmia.org
Destitution on Paper
PICTURING POVERTY:
ARTISTIC VIEWS
OF THE POOR IN THE
BAROQUE ERA
Beggar Seen From Behind
by Jean-Pierre Norblin de la Gourdaine,
1787, etching and drypoint on Japan paper.
During the 17
th
century,
artists in Europe began
looking to everyday life
for their subjects, pay-
ing special attention to
the poor. The plight of
the impoverished came
to the fore during the
Thirty Years War (1618
1648), which reduced broad swaths of Europe
to subsistence living or starvation. As this ex-
hibition demonstrates, many artists were able
to find a sort of ragged dignity in the lower
levels of society. They showed the poor in at-
titudes of industrious acceptance or stoicism,
where a battered hat became a crown of vir-
tue, a sign of resolute endurance of a miser-
able life.
Such fortitude found adherents, especial-
ly in France with the Le Nain brothers, whose
sympathies are evident in their works portray-
ing poor farmers in all their deprivation and
PRImO
Euro Blend
OPPOSI TE PAGE
Study for Three-Brained Man
1984, black iron oxide chalk, 12 x 16.
All artwork this article collection the
artist unless otherwise indicated.
sculptors sculpt, they have to make the whole
formthey cant create it just with tone.
DR: Do you create many drawings
specifically in preparation
for a new sculpture?
DG: Drawing, for me, is a way of under-
standing form, and more often Ill make
drawings to understand a specific part
of the figure. Ill make a drawing that
depicts an arm, for example, to study
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WWW. A RT I S T DA I LY. COM Drawing / Winter 2013 29
how to create an arm. Then I put that
knowledge to work in a sculpture.
DR: Do you find that the physicality
of sculpture and the physicality of
figure drawing are closely aligned?
DG: Yes, but they are also different. The
physicality of drawing is instantaneousits
muscle memory, its how the hand works.
In sculpture, the challenge is to maintain
the energy much longer; that same level of
energy and excitement needs to be there
whenever youre working. If you get tired,
you should leave your work and come back
later. If you work on a sculpture when you
dont have the right energy, youll destroy it.
DR: You are a dedicated draftsman of quick
poses. After having drawn thousands of
them, what still compels you to draw
two-, three-, or five-minute poses?
DG: Creativity takes place in the unknown
the discovery of a form or image not yet
manifested. It is why artists make art.
Consider Van Gogh in the last 70 days of his
lifehe created about one painting a day.
Why? It doesnt seem his motivation was
money. Just imagine coming back each day
with a painting, propping it up on the bed,
and wondering where the image came from.
I believe what motivated him to go out
the next day and paint again and again was
the excitement of not knowing what was go-
ing to happen next. That excitement is also
the reason I draw quick poses. It is like au-
tomatic writing, where you put words on the
page without judgment or thought. It also
leaves the door open for the possibility of ac-
cidents. Just look at all the things that have
been created by accidentpenicillin, choco-
late, champagne, Tef lon, popsicles. My wife
once said that in my drawing, even accidents
are correct. You want to work on the form
as you see it, but leave room for accidents.
The quick pose also has a lot of unob-
structed, instantaneous energy to it because
you dont have much time. You see some-
thing, and youre excited about it, and you
want to get it down on paper. Theres no
SOME TEACHERS ARE OPPOSED
TO SKILL BECAUSE THEY FEEL I T
KILLS CREATI VI TY. BUT IN FACT
I T S THE OPPOSI TESKILL GI VES
YOU THE CAPACI TY TO CREATE.
RI GHT
Fakir
2008, bronze, 32 x 26 x 10.
FAR RI GHT
Standing Figure
1980, black iron oxide chalk,
16 x 12.
DR_Gale_Win13.indd 28 1/8/13 11:37 AM
WWW. A RT I S T DA I LY. COM Drawing / Winter 2013 29
how to create an arm. Then I put that
knowledge to work in a sculpture.
DR: Do you find that the physicality
of sculpture and the physicality of
figure drawing are closely aligned?
DG: Yes, but they are also different. The
physicality of drawing is instantaneousits
muscle memory, its how the hand works.
In sculpture, the challenge is to maintain
the energy much longer; that same level of
energy and excitement needs to be there
whenever youre working. If you get tired,
you should leave your work and come back
later. If you work on a sculpture when you
dont have the right energy, youll destroy it.
DR: You are a dedicated draftsman of quick
poses. After having drawn thousands of
them, what still compels you to draw
two-, three-, or five-minute poses?
DG: Creativity takes place in the unknown
the discovery of a form or image not yet
manifested. It is why artists make art.
Consider Van Gogh in the last 70 days of his
lifehe created about one painting a day.
Why? It doesnt seem his motivation was
money. Just imagine coming back each day
with a painting, propping it up on the bed,
and wondering where the image came from.
I believe what motivated him to go out
the next day and paint again and again was
the excitement of not knowing what was go-
ing to happen next. That excitement is also
the reason I draw quick poses. It is like au-
tomatic writing, where you put words on the
page without judgment or thought. It also
leaves the door open for the possibility of ac-
cidents. Just look at all the things that have
been created by accidentpenicillin, choco-
late, champagne, Tef lon, popsicles. My wife
once said that in my drawing, even accidents
are correct. You want to work on the form
as you see it, but leave room for accidents.
The quick pose also has a lot of unob-
structed, instantaneous energy to it because
you dont have much time. You see some-
thing, and youre excited about it, and you
want to get it down on paper. Theres no
RI GHT
Walking
1985, bronze, 34 x 16 x 11.
Collection Tom Chess.
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time to worry about getting it exact. When
working on something more prolonged, part
of the challenge is to maintain that same
level of intensity. If you can do that, you can
create something really remarkable. The
Mona Lisa is an example. Leonardo worked
on it for four years, and he painted it with
a brush as thin as a hair. And it has an in-
tensity way beyond most paintingits not
overworked at all. How do you work on a
painting for four years and not overwork it?
Its incredible.
DR: Your figure drawings possess a tre-
mendous sense of gesture. What is the
importance of the gesture, and how do
you capture it in a drawing?
DG: The gesture is a representation of the
total figure, and drawing is all about the
total figurelearning to see the total figure
and find how the parts relate to that whole.
If you can conceive of the total figure and
keep it in mind as youre drawing the indi-
vidual parts of the body, you cant miss.
I draw the gesture as a line of action
that comes all the way up through the fig-
ure. Its almost an abstract line; theres
LEFT
Quick Pose No. 2
2012, charcoal, 18 x 12.
BELOW LEFT
Quick Pose No. 3
2012, charcoal, 18 x 12.
BELOW RI GHT
Quick Pose No. 4
2012, charcoal, 18 x 12.
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not definition to the form yet. But that
line has a rhythm, and it gets at the to-
tal figure. I then add the definitions
of the figure on to that initial line.
DR: Many of your works juxtapose the
curving, organic, idiosyncratic forms
of the body against the rigid forms of
walls, chairs, and rectangular pedes-
tals. Does this contrast hold special
interest for you?
DG: There are two kinds of lines: straight
lines and curved lines. I see combining
them as a way of marrying the intel-
lect to the emotions. The straight line
is the line of the intellect, the line of
the architect. The straight line sets the
mind up into a thought process. The
curved line is the line of emotion.
By connecting and balancing these two
types of lines, we can bring the intellect and
emotions into one experience. Look at the
paintings of Giotto or Piero della Francesca.
They work a lot with the straight line, but
they run very controlled curves into them.
Michelangelo would draw a straight line,
then add a curve to it, giving structure to
the drawing. Or in Gothic cathedrals, you
find arches that go up as straight lines and
then start to curve. Within this framework,
classical art balanced these two lines to cre-
ate a harmonious balance between thought
and emotion. Later, art entered into the ro-
coco period, with a predominance of curved
lines as art became more emotional.
Of course, straight lines are not all the
same. Vertical, horizontal, and diagonal
lines convey different meanings. The verti-
cal is the thrustits an action, its how we
time to worry about getting it exact. When
working on something more prolonged, part
of the challenge is to maintain that same
level of intensity. If you can do that, you can
create something really remarkable. The
Mona Lisa is an example. Leonardo worked
on it for four years, and he painted it with
a brush as thin as a hair. And it has an in-
tensity way beyond most paintingits not
overworked at all. How do you work on a
painting for four years and not overwork it?
Its incredible.
DR: Your figure drawings possess a tre-
mendous sense of gesture. What is the
importance of the gesture, and how do
you capture it in a drawing?
DG: The gesture is a representation of the
total figure, and drawing is all about the
total figurelearning to see the total figure
and find how the parts relate to that whole.
If you can conceive of the total figure and
keep it in mind as youre drawing the indi-
vidual parts of the body, you cant miss.
I draw the gesture as a line of action
that comes all the way up through the fig-
ure. Its almost an abstract line; theres
Three-Brained
Man
1999, bronze,
77 x 45 x 56.
Collection Seven
Bridges
Foundation,
Greenwich,
Connecticut.
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walk. The horizontal is more passiveits
how you sleep, its what you see at the beach.
The vertical and horizontal together are
the active and the passive, the yang and the
yin. Then there is the diagonal line, which
is variation and movement. If you look at
anything in perspective, a diagonal is what
takes you into three-dimensional space.
Curved lines are not all the same, ei-
ther. There are fast curves and slow curves.
The fast curve creates a staccato move-
ment; the slow curve comes gently, like
a symphony. And these lines can curve
into one another, creating a rhythm.
DR: How do you define skill with
regards to art? And how should it
figure into an artists education?
DG: Skill is applied knowledge. Its when
you know something and can apply it over
and over again. People understand it in
regards to music better than in regards
to art. A musician has to know how to
press the keys, how to position the fin-
gers, and so on. And to really understand
that knowledge, one has to apply it again,
and again, and again. Its the same with
something as simple as learning to type
or as complex as performing surgery.
When it comes to drawing, you have
to have knowledge of how light hits the
form; how to model it. Those are pro-
grams that you learna little like pro-
gramming a computer to perform cer-
tain functions. Thats skill. Some teachers
are opposed to skill because they feel it
kills creativity. But in fact its the oppo-
siteskill gives you the capacity to create.
Take quick poses, for instance. You
wouldnt be able to create them without
applied knowledgethe different pro-
grams your hand learns through time and
repetition. In these drawings, you move
at such speed, without thought, that the
drawings just come out. And that speed
and absence of thought is what the draw-
ings are about, in a way. They show the
emotion that comes through the hand,
and they also show something beyond
the emotion; something unknown. And
the core of creativity is the unknown.
SKILL I S APPLIED KNOWLEDGE. I T S WHEN YOU KNOW
SOMETHING AND CAN APPLY I T OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
Action-
Reaction
1980,
lithograph,
16 x 48.
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DR: How did your training impact you
as an artist?
DG: I studied at Art Center College of
Design, in Los Angeles. It was mostly
a commercial art school; I was one of
three students studying fine arts at the
time. The drawing instructors were
mostly fine artistsLorser Feitelson and
Harry Carmean, in particular, were key
instructors for me. We had an intense
programwe drew 6 hours a day for two
years. There were also night classes, where
I would draw more. All I did was draw.
However, my instructors had their
own strong styles, and although I learned
drawing from them, it came with bag-
gageI learned to draw in their styles.
When I finished school, I needed to break
from those styles, and to do that, I decid-
ed to draw in a new medium. I got a book
about how to make drawing materials, and
I came up with my own medium made
from red and black iron oxide mixed with
a binder. It was almost impossible to draw
withjust to make a mark was a struggle.
But I drew with it. It was personal, I could
connect with it, and it was so difficult that
it forced me to break from the habits Id
learned from my instructors.
DR: What advice do you have for artists
who are studying drawing and have an
interest in sculpture?
DG: You can do it on your own, but you can
arrive much faster if you find the right
teacher. Its possible to figure out how
sculptures, paintings, and drawings were
made just from looking at them. However,
an instructor can tell you what to look for
in the analysis of the old and new masters.
Magazines like this are also a good place
to startespecially for drawing. All these
articles have an abundance of knowledge.
DR: Do you consider your draw-
ings to be finished works of art?
DG: I think any drawing is finished when the
thought is put down on paper. Art is com-
munication, in a way. Even what the cave
painters were doing was communicating
through symbols. A two-minute drawing is
finished once it communicates the thought
that the artist seeks to express. v
ABOUTTHEARTIST
Don Gale studied drawing at Art Center College of Design, in
Los Angeles, and later studied sculpture and drawing at Otis
Art Institute, also in Los Angeles. Gale has exhibited his work at
venues across the country, and he is currently represented by
Gallery Henoch, in New York City; and Nuart Gallery, in Santa
Fe. For more information, visit www.dongalestudio.com.
DR_Gale_Win13.indd 33 1/8/13 11:38 AM
WWW. A RT I S T DA I LY. COM Drawing / Winter 2013 35 34 Drawing / Winter 2013 WWW. A RT I S T DA I LY. COM
Thanks to years of careful observation and diligent study,
Thomas Kegler is able to create landscapes that
are true to the laws of nature and honor his own vision.
B Y A U S T I N R . WI L L I A MS
Thomas Kegler is never at a loss
for something to paint or draw, and for
this, he feels fortunate. So many artists
get blank-canvas syndrome, he says.
I consider myself really luckyI have
no shortage of concepts and subjects
Im attracted to. Ill take a walk through
the woods and by the time Im home,
Ive seen ten good potential paintings.
Even though Keglers oil landscapes
are often inspired by the sweeping pan-
oramas of the Hudson River School, the
subjects that attract him arent all soar-
ing vistas and romantic forest scenes.
Theres as much beauty in a dead tree
as in a live one, he says. The thing
that inspires me can just be the shape
of a tree or a log on the ground. Its the
same with whole landscapestheres
beauty in the overlooked. And the great
thing about working on a landscape is
that you have so much stage to work
withyou get to work both on an inti-
mate level and on a vast level that you
often dont have when painting a still
life or figure.
Kegler has always gravitated toward
the landscape, and this is no surprise
considering his upbringing. My father
ran a small mom-and-pop hunting-and-
fishing store, he says. I think that
hunting, fishing, and camping can all
nurture an appreciation for nature. The
landscape itself was just a natural muse
for me. On top of this, his father even-
tually added a wildlife-art gallery to the
store, and Keglers older brothers went
into a range of creative professions,
from graphic design to fine art. There
was always a very creative atmosphere
in the house, he says.
Many of Keglers drawing efforts
are devoted to understanding what he
refers to as the anatomy of the land-
scape, which allows him to com-
prehend what he sees and translate
elements of the natural world into in-
vented compositions that appear en-
tirely real. The word anatomy refers
to the physical makeup of something
based on laws, the artist explains. In
human anatomy, this includes the laws
Anatomy
Understanding the
of the Landscape
OPPOSI TE PAGE
tude:
Kaaterskill
Falls
2010, ink and
gouache on
toned paper,
12 x 9.
Collection
Nathaniel
Stewart.
All artwork
this article
collection the
artist unless
otherwise
indicated.
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of proportions, physiology, and phys-
ics. The landscape works on a similar
set of physical principles. At first it can
be very overwhelming, because its so
complexthere are temporal aspects
to it such as atmosphere and light that
are constantly changing. But once you
spend time with it, you begin to see the
recurrence within the chaos. It never
becomes predictable, exactly, but many
patterns and consistencies emerge.
For example, during my first year
in the Hudson River Fellowship, we
would go to the same spot every night
to paint the sunset, Kegler continues.
After a few weeks, we saw that some
things about the sunset never changed.
The dome of the sky, for one, was al-
ways the same. Thats a rulepart of
the landscapes anatomy. Once we knew
should be free to make that change, as
long as youre true to the character of
that tree and true to what the landscape
would really look like if that tree were in
that location.
Gaining this thorough understand-
ing of the landscape is a long undertak-
ing, and for Kegler, the pursuit is rooted
in drawing. He draws constantly and in
numerous media, both en plein air and in
the studio. Many of the artists drawings
fall into three groups: croquis, esquiss-
es, and tudes. A croquis is a thumbnail
sketch that establishes the images main
concept and sets the composition by in-
dicating the most important shapes and
values. An esquisse is a refined version of
the croquis: a more resolved thumbnail
with a refined value structure and some-
thing closer to the final composition. An
tude is a drawing of an individual natu-
ral element, such as a tree, a patch of un-
dergrowth, or a rock outcropping. Most
of Keglers tudes are not created for a
specific painting; rather, he keeps a li-
brary of these studies and refers to them
when he needs guidance during the pro-
cess of planning a larger work.
Kegler offers the following
advice for designing the com-
position of your landscape.
CONCEPT: The composi-
tion should be simple, and it
should be about one thing,
or concept. A deft artist can
make even the most mundane
subject interesting. As in po-
etry, how you say something is
as important as what you are
saying. Distill the elements to
speak to this objective.
SIMPLICITY: When in
doubt, keep it simple. Less is
more.
PLANNING: Take the time to
plan out your composition.
ASYMMETRY: Interesting
paintings have a harmonious
balance (not equal amounts)
of opposites, such as cool and
warm, dark and light, thick
and thin texture, detail and
ambiguity, and hard and soft
edges. The unequal treatment
of these elements is pleasing
to our senses.
FLOW: Seek an interesting
flow of eye movementavoid
a static composition.
ARMATURE: When I am
choosing an area to place a
subject of interest, I strive to
adhere to a harmonic com-
positional armature, such as
the golden mean. This and
other armatures are derived
from harmonic musical scales,
translating what is pleasing to
our ears to proportions that
are pleasing to our eyes.
that, we would pre-paint the dome of
the sky, and then when we went to paint
the sunset, it was just a matter of paint-
ing the cloud variances. The same can
be done with understanding a tree
through study, you learn how branches
form on a certain type of tree and how
it responds to the environment. Once
you acquire this knowledge of the land-
scapes anatomy, you gain freedom to
make contrived but convincing land-
scapes based on real experiences.
Most of Keglers paintings com-
bine aspects of real locations with a de-
gree of invention. I try to mirror the
Hudson River Schools approach, the
artist says. You want to be as true to
the spirit of the land as you can. But if a
tree would look much better moved two
feet to the right of where you see it, you
CREATING
a STRONG
COMPOSITION
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should be free to make that change, as
long as youre true to the character of
that tree and true to what the landscape
would really look like if that tree were in
that location.
Gaining this thorough understand-
ing of the landscape is a long undertak-
ing, and for Kegler, the pursuit is rooted
in drawing. He draws constantly and in
numerous media, both en plein air and in
the studio. Many of the artists drawings
fall into three groups: croquis, esquiss-
es, and tudes. A croquis is a thumbnail
sketch that establishes the images main
concept and sets the composition by in-
dicating the most important shapes and
values. An esquisse is a refined version of
the croquis: a more resolved thumbnail
with a refined value structure and some-
thing closer to the final composition. An
tude is a drawing of an individual natu-
ral element, such as a tree, a patch of un-
dergrowth, or a rock outcropping. Most
of Keglers tudes are not created for a
specific painting; rather, he keeps a li-
brary of these studies and refers to them
when he needs guidance during the pro-
cess of planning a larger work.
that, we would pre-paint the dome of
the sky, and then when we went to paint
the sunset, it was just a matter of paint-
ing the cloud variances. The same can
be done with understanding a tree
through study, you learn how branches
form on a certain type of tree and how
it responds to the environment. Once
you acquire this knowledge of the land-
scapes anatomy, you gain freedom to
make contrived but convincing land-
scapes based on real experiences.
Most of Keglers paintings com-
bine aspects of real locations with a de-
gree of invention. I try to mirror the
Hudson River Schools approach, the
artist says. You want to be as true to
the spirit of the land as you can. But if a
tree would look much better moved two
feet to the right of where you see it, you
You want to take in the whole picture from the start, Kegler says. This is
where the importance of a thumbnail comes in. The thumbnail is a way to say
that your image is a statement about this subject, this lighting, this atmosphere,
this time of day. It reveals what it is that youre really trying to create a painting
about. With a pencil, you can get this down very quick in a thumbnail.
Keglers 3 Key Principles
of Landscape Drawing
Strive for the gesture and character
of your main concept from the start. 1
Work from big to small.
2
This follows the same concept as the previous principle. Start general,
then add the big details, and finally the little ones.
Once you have your concept, the quickest way to capture it is to get your
big values set, the artist says. Start with your big sky value, your big land
masses, flat planes, and any uprights. Once you have those large masses in,
everything else will fall into place.
Work from general to specific.
3
ABOVE LEFT
Croquis: Conceptual
Thumbnails
2012, graphite, 10 x 8.
Esquisse: Morning
Fog at North/South
LakeCatskills
2010, graphite, 3 x 3.
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Kegler selects his instru-
ment depending on what he
hopes to accomplish in a giv-
en drawing. Graphite pencils
are the workhorse, he says.
Theyre my staple for basic
information gathering. I use them for
most of my thumbnail sketches, and
for some tudes, as well. They come
in many grades, which makes them
very versatile. And although there are
some limitations to the values they can
achieve, graphite still allows more vari-
ance in value structure than silverpoint,
for example.
Ink is another medium Kegler uses
frequently, and many of his ink draw-
ingsoften incorporating a little wash
or gouachestand alone as fully real-
ized works. Ink drawings, done with
pen or brush, can act as good indica-
tors of structureof a tree for example,
Kegler says. You can do crosshatching
TOP LEFT
tude: Schoharie Creek Rocks
Grid Study
2008, graphite, 7 x 10.
TOP RI GHT
Passing Front: Proverbs 16:20
2012, oil on linen, 32 x 24.
ABOVE
tude: Birch TrunkCatskills
2010, silverpoint on hand-toned paper,
11 x 8.
RI GHT
tude: Hemlock at Devils Kitchen
2008, ink and chalk on toned paper,
12 x 9.
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Kegler selects his instru-
ment depending on what he
hopes to accomplish in a giv-
en drawing. Graphite pencils
are the workhorse, he says.
Theyre my staple for basic informa-
tion gathering. I use them for most of
my thumbnail sketches, and for some
tudes, as well. They come in many
grades, which makes them very versa-
tile. And although there are some limi-
tations to the values they can achieve,
graphite still allows more variance in
value structure than silverpoint, for
example.
Ink is another medium Kegler uses
frequently, and many of his ink draw-
ingsoften incorporating a little wash
or gouachestand alone as fully real-
ized works. Ink drawings, done with
pen or brush, can act as good indica-
tors of structureof a tree for exam-
ple, Kegler says. You can do cross-
hatching with them to show
form, and you can use washes
to indicate atmospheric space
and a sense of environment.
And ink also has a natural
crossover into painting.
Finally, Kegler is somewhat unique
among landscape artists in that he of-
ten works with metalpoint. He finds
that drawings done with various metal
tipssuch as silver, gold, and copper
are perfect for capturing nuances of
value and detail, and he uses them for
studies that, like his ink drawings, also
stand as independent works of art. Ink
may be the most useful medium for
sketching, but I think metal tip is the
most beautiful, he says. The drawings
take on a warm tone and a jewel-like
sheen. Metalpoint poses significant
challengesit doesnt offer a full val-
ue range, for one, and it cant be erased.
But these difficulties can be overcome,
and the results are worth it. You can-
not get detail that fine with any other in-
strument, the artist says emphatically.
Kegler believes a drawing should
serve two purposes. It should be an
informative study and also an aesthetic
piece of art, he says. Im always trying
to create a beautiful piece at the same
time that Im trying to get information.
A quick look at Keglers wide portfolio
of drawings reveals that the artist is
equally successful in both of these pur-
suits. Even the parts of the drawings
that are explicitly in-
tended to convey infor-
mationthe notations,
the grids illustrating
surface formwork
to enhance the imag-
es beauty by revealing
both the science and
art that underscores the
natural world.
tude: Fawns
LeapCatskills
2008, ink and
gouache on toned
paper, 9 x 12.
TURN THE
PAGE FOR
A DEMO OF
KEGLERS
PROCESS
C
a
l
i
f
o
r
n
i
a
IgniteYour
Passion
the WCRC directly: www.wcrc.org
2/9/13, Oakland. Ruth Block, Color
Dynamics: From Theory to Practice.
3/23/13, Oakland. Expressive Painting: An
Emersion into the Joy of Creative Process.
Contact: 510/225-1123, rblock@sonic.net
www.ruthblock.com or www.aivideo.com
SHELDONS ART ACADEMY
Pencil, pen, pastel, acrylic, oil, watercolor,
fundamentals of drawing, painting, design,
animation and illustration, all levels.
Check out our New Online School at
www.portfolioartschool.com
Contact: Sheldon Borenstein,
818/706-9444, 626 Lindero Canyon Road,
Oak Park, CA 91377
sheldonsartacademy@sbcglobal.net or
www.sheldonsartacademy.com
WATTS ATELIER OF THE ARTS, LLC
3/18-3/23/13, Encinitas. Jeffrey R.
Watts, Life Drawing. Limited to 10
participants. $1,350.
3/25-3/30/13, Encinitas. Jeffrey R.
Watts, Oil Painting. Limited to 10
participants. $1,350.
4/1-4/5/13, Encinitas. Calvin Liang, Plein
Air Painting. Limited to 15 participants.
Contact: 760/753-5378
www.wattsatelier.com
MASSACHUSETTS
ACADEMY OF REALIST ART
The Academy of Realist Art is an international
institution that trains artists in the classical
realist tradition. All our faculty were trained
using the same core curriculum that has
produced some of the best draftsman and
painters practicing today.
7/22-8/2/13, Boston. Christina Mastrangelo,
Still Life Painting, 10-days, Cost: $1,150.
8/5-8/16/13, Boston. The Self Portrait:
Artist as Model, 10-days, Cost: $1,150.
Please call or visit our websites for upcoming
2013 Workshops.
Contact: 112 South Street, Third Floor,
Boston, MA 02111, 617/426-3006
ara_boston@academyofrealistart.com or
www.academyofrealistartboston.com
INTERNATIONAL
CANADA
ACADEMY OF REALIST ART
The Academy Of Realist Art (ARA) is one of
a select few art schools in the world that
utilizes the academic approach to fgure
drawing and painting.
3/9-3/15/13, Ottawa. Fernando Freitas,
In the Studios of Caravaggio. $650.
3/25-3/29/13, Toronto. Juan Martinez,
Portrait Painting From a Photo. $600.
4/6-4/12/13, Toronto. Fernando Freitas,
In the Studios of the Old Masters. $750.
5/11-5/17/13, Toronto. Juan Martinez,
Classical Portrait Painting. $750.
5/25-5/31/13, Ottawa. Fernando Freitas
and Matthew Collins, Bargue. $650.
6/3-6/7/13, Toronto. Juan Martinez,
Alla Prima Portrait Painting. $600.
6/4-8/20/13 & 6/5-8/21/13, Toronto.
ARA Faculty, Classical Figure Drawing. $600.
6/22-6/28/13, Toronto. Fernando Freitas,
In the Studios of Ingres. $750.
Please call or visit our websites for upcoming
2013 Workshops.
Contact: 2968 Dundas Street West, Toronto,
ON M6P 1Y8, 416/766-1280
info@academyofrealistart.com or
www.AcademyofRealistArt.com
Kristin Roark kristin.roark@fwmedia.com 513/531-2690 ext. 11381
Mary McLane mmclane@artistdaily.com 970/290-6065
DR_Classifieds_Win13.indd 95 1/14/13 10:24 AM
NEW & NOTABLE
96 Drawing / Winter 2013 WWW. A RT I S T DA I LY. COM
WH Y NE W?
In recent years, this Texas-based artist has shown
his work in numerous exhibitions around the
country, including solo shows of his extensive
Metabolism and Sonogram series.
WH Y NOTA BL E ?
DeCaens Metabolism series includes works in
numerous media and features his inventive and
complex responses to scenes from Italian cinema
that depict food and eating. Disconnect III, for
instance, shows a man and a woman sitting
together for a meal that hardly seems joyful. The
fgures overlap, but the composition reveals them
to be decidedly divided. Many pieces in the series
were drawn with ink or graphite over a screen-
printed pattern, but the series also included
lithographs, papier mch, and sculptures made
of paper, household items, and other materials.
I F Y OU L I K E I T
See more of the artists work at
www.andrewdecaen.com, or visit the website
of Norwood Flynn Gallery, in Dallas.
Andrew
DeCaen
TOP
Disconnect III
2011, graphite, lithograph, and colored pencil,
11 x 22.
ABOVE
Ecco!
2012, graphite over
screenprint, 23 x 22.
DR_NewNotable_Win13.indd 96 1/8/13 1:26 PM
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