Sick Day in May

A few sketches of a sick-day nap back in May.

Nap in Running Stroller, 80 Degrees, 5/11/15 graphite, 8.5" x 11", 2015

N & 17th Street from Daniel Webster Park

I'm currently drawing the two buildings lining the west side of 17th Street between N Street and Massachusetts Avenue, NW.  I worked from a similar motif one afternoon in May.

N & 17th Streets, NW, as Seen from Daniel Webster Park (off Thomas Circle), 11" x 17", 2015

Metro Portraits

Portraits from the Metro this week. Rapid and gestural, as is necessary on a packed train.

Metro. Green Line. Monday Evening, 7/20/15, Micron pen (.05), 5.5" x 7"

Metro. Red Line. Tuesday Morning Commute, 7/21/15, graphite,
5.5" x 7"

Jefferson Place

Around the corner from my office building, this one-block street is one of my favorite in downtown DC. This and N Street, NW, east of Connecticut Avenue. Both bring to mind the quiet townhouses of powerful NYC streets.

1821 Jefferson Place, NW. June & July 2015

Past Study

I've always enjoyed the sparseness of this drawing as well as its chromatic punch. I just came across it while going through my image files.

The Actor from My Name is Asher Lev (Lise), graphite & watercolor on paper, 14" x 17, 2009

Switching Mediums & Staying Alert

Over lunch a couple of months ago, a nice, sharp charcoal pencil gave me crisp lines and lively textures. 

Periodically switching to media I don't use much keeps me alert and helps me work openly.

Florida and Massachusetts Avenues, NW, 4/28/15

Letting it Be

When working alla prima, it takes faith to let a painting be, call it done and walk away.

Here's an early state of a piece I did a few weeks back during my Thursday night model session at Washington Drawing Center Brookland. It should have been the final state...with maybe a little more definition in the eyes...or maybe not.... See?

But because at this point I had close to two hours to go in the three-hour sitting, I pushed on. Though I like what I ended up with at the end of the session, I wish I had had the gumption to call it a night with the painting below.

State 3 of Brian, June 11 (oil on board, 12" x 16", 2015)