Pet portraits!

Jimmy - oil on canvas - 12"x12"

I am now offering my services for custom pet portraits!

You send me a photograph by mail or email and within 30 days of payment you will receive a beautiful oil painting of your special friend.

This includes, but is not limited to:

Dogs

Cats

Birds

Iguanas

Hamsters

Horses

Snakes

Livestock

Mice

Fish

Turtles

You can find out more on my website here: www.nataliecrittenden.com

On the easel

Alright, well this painting is not exactly on the easel, but I don't know the technical name of the piece of furniture that I keep all my stuff in. I'm working on a 30"x40" painting right now, I'd say about a quarter finished. I'm pretty excited about this one!

I've been kind of negligent lately on making this an interesting blog... but I'll be posting more in-progress shots of my work. The next few months will be spent making paintings for a show, which I don't want to keep under wraps until then, so this will be a happy medium.

Charles Bargue Drawing Course

Yay! Early Christmas! My copy of the Charles Bargue drawing course came in the mail today. I've wanted it for a couple of years now, and I finally decided it was worth it to spend the $80.

It's a beautiful book. I can't wait to read more of it and start on the drawings. Although, I'll admit it's a bit intimidating!

Classes with Joseph Todorovitch are going to be over soon, until January, so this will keep me busy in the meantime! It will be great to start up again next year with a new familiarity of the figure.

The Zorn Palette

Last night was my first stab at using the Zorn Palette. This is a set of colors named after Swedish painter, Anders Zorn.... because that's what he used. It consists of ivory black, white, yellow ochre*, and some kind of obnoxiously bright red (vermillion, or in my case, cadmium red light).

* This is yellow ochre, for the color-impaired.

Anders Zorn Self Portrait

The range of colors you can get with the Zorn palette is pretty amazing, though the study I did (below) doesn't fully demonstrate that. I hadn't used a limited palette in way too long, it was so fun. There is definitely freedom in simplicity. I may have another go with it on Saturday at the five hour class.

3 hour figure study with the Zorn Palette

Fame and fortune

The other day Joseph was being filmed for the Fall issue of the American Painting Video Magazine (www.americanpaintingvideomagazine.com = longest URL ever), and a few of us students were able to paint with him. I may have a .67 second cameo in there when it comes out, so make sure you get your virtual copy!

See me there, sitting on the right? I'm famous. Soon I won't be able to go out in public without hearing, "Can I get your autograph, Blurry Background Painter #4?"

I was really happy with my painting, think it has kind of a Sargent-y vibe. It came out a lot better than the recent stuff I've been painting in class. I don't know if this means I'm improving, or if it is because I was painting during the day, when I was awake. Class is in the evening, at the time of day when I am really tired and want to be vegging out on the couch in my pajamas. I like to think I can be a night person, but mostly I'm just a night person when I am sitting and eating things and don't have to exhibit any kind of skill.

Lynda, portrait study - 9"x12" - oil on canvas

Anyway, I really liked the model. Very pretty, and nice. I always enjoy painting more when I like the model's personality. I recognized her when she came in, as the subject of this is beautiful painting by Aaron Westerberg. He has some great work.

Guy Rose

OK, next week! I promise I will have something good for you.

While you're waiting, here is a beautiful painting by California impressionist, Guy Rose (1867-1925). This has been one of my favorite paintings for awhile.

The Green Parasol by Guy Rose

How to Draw

For about two years I went to one three-hour class each week at Mission: Renaissance art school, in Pasadena. Aside from my recent workshops with Joseph Todorovitch, that's the only training I've had.

When I started there my drawing skills were very limited. I could draw bushes or clouds with relative ease, but I used the ancient art of holding my paper up to a bright window and tracing if I needed something to actually look proportional. Come nightfall, I was screwed. I don't think there is any place that does a better job of teaching the fundamentals of drawing and painting as simply as Mission: Renaissance. I only wish they had a version of their school that was more conducive to full-time study. As perfect as the training is at Mission: Renaissance, it isn't a hard-core academy kind of place, and I'm learning that it takes a @#%load of practice to get REALLY good. At any rate, I'm glad I went there before jumping into figure painting. It's made things a lot smoother than it would've been otherwise!

If you're interested, here is a video from the founder, Larry Gluck, that will tell you how to draw. There is a lot more to be learned, otherwise they wouldn't have three drawing courses. But I think knowing just these couple of fundamentals can make a huge difference.

Oh, and just in case you get inspired: you can see where they're located, or check out their home-study courses at www.fineartclasses.com.