Friday, November 19, 2010

Drawing with the Brush

The new December/ January issue of International Artist magazine includes a special feature that I wrote for them about “Drawing with the Brush.”


I use direct painting methods for most of my plein-air work, for portraits, and studio landscapes and cityscapes—any time reality rather than fantasy is the starting point.

Rather than refining the design on the panel with a pencil first, as I would typically do with a Dinotopia painting, I dive right in and establish the lines of the composition with a bristle brush on an oil-primed panel or canvas.


The step-by-step sequence in the magazine takes you through the whole process and the thinking behind it. Also included in the article is a picture of Jeanette that I drew in with a brush on a pre-textured board.

Both paintings (discussed in other contexts) also appear in the new book: Color and Light: A Guide for the Realist Painter.
Other articles in the magazine feature Howard Terpning and Rose Frantzen, and there’s a Call for Entries for “Flowers and Gardens.” 

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Look inside the current issue of International Artist.
Related GurneyJourney post: The Ninety Degree Rule (“Jeanette Sketching”)

3 comments:

Nick said...

Beautiful paintings as usual! How did you go about getting such straight lines on the diner painting? Was a mahl stick used?

Unknown said...

I cant seem to buy single issues on their site :( And I doubt its in shops in Ireland. Too bad, Id really love to see that article.

James Gurney said...

Nick--thanks. I use a mahl stick made from an old wooden yardstick when I need to paint a straight line.

Marc, yes, I think it should be distributed in the UK and Ireland. And it should be on the stands in the US for another seven weeks, because it comes out every two months.