Lines of the Day: September 28, 2015.

Michael Whynot. Nose study. red chalk.

Michael Whynot. Nose study. Red chalk.

Michael Whynot. Nose study. Red chalk.

The nose, like most of our human anatomy, is a wonder of complex interactions between various forms in three dimensions. It takes considerable study to nail these forms down so that one can draw them, convincingly, from imagination. And, even once this is accomplished, the infinite variations of these forms found in nature, from a live model, can prove to be an endless source of enjoyment if the artist pays attention to all these subtle nuances which distinguish the individual and sets a work apart from being merely formulaic.

Lines of the Day: September 12, 2015.

Michael Whynot. Arm study. Red chalk.

Michael Whynot. Head study. Red chalk.

Michael Whynot. Hand study. Red chalk.

Michael Whynot. Figure study. Red chalk.

Sun thickening linseed oil.

Here are four sketches from my sketch book; beautiful lines appear and disappear, flowing over and under, in and around forms, creating space on the two dimensional surface of the paper, giving movement and life where there should be none.

Also, here are some trays of cleaned flax seed oil setting out in the sun to thicken. The preparation for painting, using materials of my own making is labor intensive, but will lead to an intimate understanding of those materials.

Pentimenti: Exploring Composition.

Michael Whynot. Study of foot. Red chalk.

Michael Whynot. Study of arm. Red chalk.

Michelangelo.

Michelangelo.

Pentimenti (singular pentimento) is the italian word for repentance. These are the traces of exploration that the artist has entertained on the road to a finished composition. They are not so much a mistake as they are a weighing of possible variations on the composition.

Michelangelo, da Vinci and Raphael all used drawing to explore aspects of the figure and of the larger compositions as a whole. This is one factor which I believe set them apart from lessor draftsmen and freed them from a total reliance on the live model. Great works of art are created in the mind of the artist, not copied slavishly from nature. It is the artist's role to pick and choose those aspects which contribute to the beauty of the whole and transcend nature and, in so doing, uplifts the human spirit.