—Mona Michael
Managing editor, North Light Books

Via pica + pixel, this promo video for a typographic film festival is an absolute must-see:

Typophile Film Festival 5 Opening Titles from Brent Barson on Vimeo.

The letters are made of potatoes, plexiglas, aluminum, foam and squash, among other things, and there is no computer animation involved. Very impressive.


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What defines a drawing versus a painting? How do you classify one from the other?  Can we always distinguish between the two? People have been debating this question for years. Obviously, the two are interconnected, and both can be very expressive forms of art. Some artists love the process of drawing, others love the painting process, and there are parts of both that appeal to many artists. For me, drawing is a little more spontaneous and looser; painting takes more planning and decisionmaking. This past week, I found a happy medium using a process that mixes the two.

I confess, not all of my drawings (or paintings) turn out to be exactly how I envision. When good drawings go bad, I find that stopping is a good solution. But sometimes an errant drawing can become the basis for taking a piece in a totally different direction. This drawing started out as a portrait of a woman’s face, but the features weren't as well-drawn as I wanted, so I decided to turn it into a mixed-media piece.

On top of the drawing I randomly applied a thin layer of colored gesso. On top of the dry gesso, I redrew a new figure using conté crayon. I used oil pastels to accent the figure, and graphite and more conté to add darks to the composition. In some places, I blended the conté and oil pastel using a paper stump, and then etched into it with a metal palette knife. Working on a drawing that I already considered ruined allowed me to engage in a liberating, discover-as-I-go process. The drawing has taken on a more painterly feeling with a definite drawing edge, so for me it was win-win. Next time a drawing isn’t going the way you want, take a chance and mix it up by adding some other mediums. You might be pleased with the results.

Recommended reading for the creative mind:

• Creative Edge: Exercises to Celebrate Your Creative Self
• Journal Spilling
• Collage Discovery Workshop

Whenever I'm having a difficult time embracing the drawing mode, it's a good idea for me to go back to basics. Using a simple contour line to draw the figure is one of best exercises to snap the brain from the left side to the right. I can always count on this technique to make me stop and look. If I'm not drawing the way I want, I’m not seeing, and sometimes I just need to slow down and really look at what is in front of me. Since seeing is the key to drawing, this simple change of course improves my results.

When using contour line I always start with the most complicated part of the subject, in this case the face. Then I slowly work my way to the outer edges of the figure, looking for the basic lines that make up the composition. Once I get into this mode of drawing, I become more relaxed and am able to focus on the simple shapes, the twisting of the form and the direction of the limbs. I allow my lines to overlap, tracing the shapes until I get them just right.
 
Aside from opening up my eyes, the thing I like most about contour drawing is the challenge it brings. Creating art is a lot like solving a puzzle. You have to figure out how to arrange the line, shape, form and values. How do you place the figure on page? How dark or how light, how thick or how thin to make the lines? Where is the focal point? And how do you fit it all in without removing the charcoal from the paper? It's a balancing act, that's for sure.

We had a great model this session, and her amazing poses created some very interesting compositions. She also had this great, curly hair that bounced around her head. By keeping the face simple, I was able to balance the active lines of her hair and create the focal point for the drawing. The face almost always becomes the focal point anyway, so it's a good idea to plan your drawing with that in mind. The proportions are fairly accurate, which is just fine with me. The drawing is large (24x18), which let me to capture the smaller features like the hands more easily. After I completed the contour line, I punctuated the drawing with some strong darks. This really increased the contrast and gives the drawing some extra punch.

Learn more:

• Strokes of Genius 2
• A Step-by-Step Guide to Drawing the Figure
• Art of Portrait Drawing