Aaron Seckman's Blog: February 2006

Saturday, February 18, 2006

Finishing Out The Week

Thursday, February 16, 2006

Thoughts On My Progress

I asked Bevin (my love) if she thought my drawings were improving. She said that she thinks that I am getting more consistent, which makes me feel good. I told her the other day that I felt that I was getting less attached to my drawings and that I can more easily abandon one if it doesn't feel like it is going well. I think this is a valuable way of approaching a drawing because when I start over, I am able to apply what I learned and to correct errors that I discovered in my previous attempts. I like the feeling of learning a pose. I would rather build toward a completed drawing than to feel like Im spending most of my time correcting the marks I just made. There is a thin line between refining a line and correcting it. I think I'm getting a better feel for when I've entered "correction mode" which I think is a sign that I've started to focus too much on details and have yet to capture the major constructive elements of the form. This is my number one goal: to capture the proportions in a way that is representative of my perspective relative to the model. To be able to be confident as I do this (which I think brings along a certain amount of quickness) goes hand in hand with this goal. Secondary goals include line quality, being able to see the major divisions between light and shadow, drawing the air between the model and myself, etc.

Saturday, February 11, 2006

February 11th open studio

Had a pretty good drawing session today. The coffee for breakfast helped (thanks Bevin). There are so many forms that one could focus on with this model that it can be hard not to attempt to capture every last detail. I'm really liking working with vine charcoal and then reinforcing it with the compressed charcoal. The vine has to be really rubbed in and reapplied to get it to stick. This makes it good for blocking in the main shapes which can be refined with the darker compressed charcoal. I don't know if this newsprint was this color when it was new because it was bought at an estate sale I believe, but I really like the tone. It is Bienfang brand, studio series No. 506-R, 14"X17".

Tuesday, February 07, 2006

Lonely Blog

Does anyone visit my blog? I wonder because no one has posted a comment in a long time. Hmmmmmm.

About Me

Name: Seckman

Location: Brooklyn, NY, United States

Unknown pleb, brusher of paint, working to further the use of his natural talents to effect circumstances that will provide for a continuation of the use of his natural talents. Perpetual motion in a waking dream, you might say.

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-----Biography----- Aaron Seckman is an Illinois native who was born in the town of Rushville in 1976. His first experience of passion for art came when as a very young child his mother showed him, by example, how to draw a lion from her imagination. From here was born his obsession with “how to draw”. Thus followed much scrap paper, colored markers, crayons and the ever ubiquitous number 2 pencil. His confidence grew by winning his kindergarten class’s poster drawing contest and by offers, by a sure to be future art dealer classmate, to purchase his drawings of monster-trucks. Entering middle school, Aaron found a new love of drawing his friend’s portraits while riding the bus home from school. These experiences created a new appreciation for drawing “from life”, but it was not until enrolling at Illinois Central College in East Peoria, IL. in 1997, that he was introduced to figure drawing in a structured setting. It was here that Aaron realized that studying visible forms was the most rewarding aspect of his obsession with drawing and painting. With this discovery, confidence born from progress in his studies, and the perception/belief that a university art degree had little to do with learning to draw or paint visual reality, Mr. Seckman switched his major to sound recording and thus received his Bachelor’s degree from Columbia College Chicago in 2003. In 2005, Aaron was awakened to the fact that his passion would not take a back-seat to any occupation, and he re-dedicated his efforts to fulfill his potential as a visual artist. It was then that he began focused study of oil painting and drawing and became a member of the Palette and Chisel Academy of Art, practicing during open studio sessions several times a week until moving to New York City. In New York, Aaron has continued his studies by enrolling at the Grand Central Academy of Art, taking Richard Piloco's “Painted Sketch” class since March of 2008 and Dan Thompson's drawing class since November 2008. His goal is to become a full-time artist.

to contact me, email aaronseckman@yahoo.com