Dan Brooks

My Buddy

2009-04-13T14:06:00.000-07:00

Sadly, professional models aren't always on hand, so sometimes you have to rely upon your friends to get the job done. As was the case here. I bribed my buddy to stop by the studio and sit for me for just a few hours. His payment? Immortalization in this blog and a large sausage and pepperoni pizza from Giovanni's Italian Restaurant just up the street from campus.

Studio Picture Revisited

2009-04-13T13:46:00.000-07:00

I've always been a big fan of this painting. Like the one that preceded it (shown below) this image features the model standing before the massive still life. But the former, I grew frustrated with and abandoned. I moved my easel a bit and tried again – this time coming up with an image that has a bit more defined focal point for the viewer to connect with. My only regret is how centered said focal point is within the frame. An amateurish mistake, marring an otherwise competent painting.

Studio Picture

2009-04-13T13:39:00.000-07:00

Far better than any of the female models who stopped by the art studio, was this male model. Let's call him "Steve." How many years of my young life were spent drawing/painting this man? Who can say? What I liked about Steve was that he kept himself in shape and took the job seriously. Also, to his credit, he barely ever moved at all. I don't know how, but the man could sit for hours on end in the same position. As a result, I got many good images out of him.

A Different Point of View

2009-04-13T13:34:00.000-07:00

Here, I moved my easel to get another look at my subject. It occurs to me that even if this model was young and beautiful, the odds were still pretty good she'd come out looking beastly. Such is the nature of my world view, I suppose.

Second Female Figure Study

2009-04-13T13:31:00.000-07:00

Another painting of my sixty-something subject. I'll say this for her, though. She did inspire some nice work from me. Somehow….

Alien-Headed Old Lady

2009-04-13T13:25:00.000-07:00

Many months have passed since my last entry. Today, I rectify this.

Above, the viewer will find a painting I did of a female model back in my art school days. I remember, before I ever enrolled in any drawing class, thinking how toned and attractive the models would be. The reality of it, was that they typically looked like indigents who happened to wander into the studios and tear off their clothes. But I guess the above picture is worth a thousand words of complaint.

Skull in Acryllic

2009-01-04T07:22:00.000-08:00

December was nuts. So much so that I didn't even get a chance to update the blog with some paintings. Let's correct that in the new year with this fiery skull!

Good Times

2008-11-28T20:38:00.000-08:00

I just came across this old self-portrait from way back in 1998! Certainly not my best, but I do love looking at the old studio, as represented in the background. Good times!

2008-11-28T20:34:00.000-08:00

And another from Florence....

2008-11-13T19:28:00.000-08:00

And here's a picture I drew based off of a sculpture I saw on a visit to Florence.

2008-11-06T19:47:00.000-08:00

To kick things off, here's a contour self-portrait drawing from my art school days. I'd like to point out that even though it looks small on screen, this and all of my other drawing shown here are actually kind of large (22 x 34"). All were drawin on arches cover paper. FYI, it's not a mistake that the image appears to be floating in a big white square. In actuality, the drawing is meant to be presented that way. It looks a lot better hanging on a wall as opposed to being put up against a flat black computer screen.