New Art: The Return

 

"The Return"

©2023 Kevin Wasden

Digital Painting in Procreate

Fine Art Prints Available

This painting was inspired by song lyrics by my friend, the amazingly talented Kira Gatiuan.

Learning to See

   

As an art teacher, I learned early on that drawing is rooted in perception, and not so much about motor skill.  In class, I like to spout little catchy cliches, like, "Look longer, see more" or "Art is an action of the eye before it is a work of the hand."  Or, as some people much more famous and important than me have said, "People who look hardest in the end will be good artists" (David Hockney) and "It is my contention that most people, including many artists, do not use their eyes to really see, but only to identify objects" (Fletcher Martin).  It's not unusual for me to take away a student's pencil while she works on an observation drawing and tell her bluntly, "Now draw."  Many of my students probably think I'm a little crazy (they may be right), but there is method to my madness, and it's always satisfying when a student learns to use their "eyes to really see," not simply to identify objects.

Today, a student brought in a lion drawing she created in 10th grade (above, on the left).  She--now a 12th grader--wanted to compare it to a recent lion drawing she created a couple months ago (seen above, on the right).   As I'm sure you'll notice, there is a notable difference, which is due to the development of this student's willingness to use her eyes to really see.

Artistic Outburst

I have five kids, I'm a school teacher, I serve as a Scoutmaster and a soccer coach . . . I'm grateful for all of those things, but I often don't have as much time to draw as I would like.  Every once in a while, I come home, set aside a few minutes, and draw.  This sketch is the result of one of those artistic outbursts a couple months ago.  While it isn't my greatest drawing, it was definitely enjoyable. 

Life Drawing

As an art teacher, most of my curriculum is founded on life drawing.  I believe it is the best way to teach perception for visual artists, and I have found that students from 7th to 12th grade respond well to the drawing sessions.  Below are some student drawings from 2010-11.  All these were drawn from observation of a live model.  Drawing time ranges from about 15 minutes to 1.25 hours.

B.B., 11th Grade

C.N., 11th Grade

A.F., 11th Grade

B.F., 7th Grade

M.D., 11th Grade