Aaron Seckman's Blog

Duel Pose Drawing

2012-01-15T18:47:00.006-06:00

Taboret Design Number Two

2011-12-31T14:07:00.011-06:00

This drawing is not to scale, but if it were, it would be the same length, width and height as the first design posted earlier. Spinning the table around and propping up the top it doubles as a drawing table. When the lid is closed it is a flat surface that can hold palette and brushes. Depending on the painter's knee height while sitting, the overall height would be around 30 inches and the width is 35 inches. It is designed to be useful whether the painter is sitting or standing. The open area underneath and on the sides allows that the artist's legs are free to swing under without worrying about knocking on table legs.

Taboret Design

2011-12-07T16:27:00.002-06:00

Drawings at the Manhattan Borough President's Office

2011-08-10T21:48:00.004-05:00

ASL Full Color Figure Study

2011-06-09T21:33:00.000-05:00

Anatomy Class Painting 1

2011-02-26T20:50:00.000-06:00

Leauge Drawing October 2010

2010-10-31T14:10:00.001-05:00

The Happy Couple

2010-10-15T21:11:00.005-05:00

Limited Palette Figure Study

2010-09-01T20:35:00.000-05:00

Bevin - Charcoal 14" x 10"

2010-08-08T18:10:00.004-05:00

Wednesday Night Drawing 4 Charcoal

2009-12-27T21:38:00.003-06:00

I had to miss the last of the four sessions for this pose so I was not able to study the light effect as fully as I would have liked to.

Wednesday Night Drawing 2

2009-12-01T10:09:00.002-06:00

Wednesday Night Drawing 1

2009-11-10T10:00:00.000-06:00

This is a three week pose from Jon deMartin's class at the GCA.

League Drawing 7

2009-05-26T15:16:00.006-05:00

A two session drawing from Dan Thompon's class at the Art Students League.

League Drawing 6

2009-05-10T11:34:00.000-05:00

Seeing and Marking

2009-01-27T20:49:00.004-06:00

Click on the image to enlarge.

Blue Dot Awarded at the Art Students League

2009-01-18T12:33:00.003-06:00

As a member of Dan Thompson's drawing class at the Art Students League of New York I entered this drawing in the annual student Concours and was awarded the blue dot signifying something like an honorable mention. The winner receives the red dot.

Pencil 12.05.08

2008-12-23T10:11:00.001-06:00

From Dan Thompson's Friday night class at the Art Students League.

Painted Sketch Class 18

2008-10-29T17:54:00.001-05:00

Walnut Sun Oil

2008-10-06T22:55:00.003-05:00

The jar on the left is the sun oil I made this Summer. It was left in the windowsill for about 3 months. The jar on the right is the Loriva unrefined walnut oil as it looks out of the bottle. I'm still figuring out how to use it, but it definitely dries fast and is sticky. The lid of the jar on the right is held open by pieces of oil-based clay so that air can get to the oil. I swirl the oil every night to keep it polymerizing uniformly, if that is the right term for it. I'm no expert, but I do like the feel of walnut oil as a paint extender and have done some painting with sun thickened oil before, enjoying the way it can sit on top of previously applied paint. What I was using before was Utrecht "Stand Oil" which yellowed quite a bit. We'll see how much better my walnut sun oil performs. I have high hopes. I was inspired by Tad Spurgeon's blog HERE.

"Brian Schumacher" - 12"X16"

2008-02-19T14:27:00.004-06:00

This is the second painting completed in Brian Schumacher's open grisaille class, a painting of him actually. I very much enjoyed taking his class. He is a very helpful and insightful teacher. I feel I learned much just in four sessions. Unfortunately, I am working now on Saturday's and will be unable to continue studying with him unless circumstances change.

Pig

2008-02-13T22:07:00.000-06:00

"Boot Heaters" study 8"x10.5"

2008-01-23T13:03:00.000-06:00

Moving to NYC

2007-08-15T16:38:00.000-05:00

For those of you who haven't heard, I am moving to New York City at the end of September. I started a new blog in honor of this stupendous event. You can find the link to it here.

My First ART CHICAGO

2007-04-28T16:53:00.000-05:00

This was one of my favorite paintings from Art Chicago. It is by Odd Nerdrum whose paintings I had only seen online until now. I like the way he uses paint. He was represented by Forum Gallery. Another of my favorites was by Jeremy Long represented by Linda Warren Gallery in Chicago. I wish we had taken more photos.

Four Hour Study and Some Quick Sketches

2007-03-21T10:12:00.000-05:00

Viking Warrior

2007-01-21T18:00:00.000-06:00

This is my latest still life project. I haven't decided if it's done yet, but if it's not, it is very close.

Visit to the LACMA

2006-11-06T14:16:00.000-06:00

Bevin and I visited L.A. this past weekend so that she could meet and interview some people involved with the International Latino Theatre Festival of L.A. We spent an hour or so at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and here I am in front of one of the many amazing paintings - Portrait of John Viscount Garlies, later 7th Earl of Galloway, as Master of Garlies by Anton Raphael Mengs, 1758.

Wow, this museum's collection from the Baroque period blows away that of the Art Institute of Chicago's! I was very impressed. I just wish we had taken more photos. Their website has images of their permanent collection: http://collectionsonline.lacma.org/mwebcgi/mweb.exe?request=browpage;dept=europ

Still Life in Black and White - approx. 16"X20"

2006-10-12T14:30:00.000-05:00

This is a stil life that I worked on over the coarse of several months starting last fall.The first layer was done with ivory black, lead white and Turpenoid. The subsequent layers gradually shifted to lamp black and zinc white with more oil in the "sauce". You may be able to tell the difference in the color of the super-ball to that of the buddha.I learned a lot painting this scene. The light was very close and bright and it was important that the light that shown on my panel was of the same intensity otherwise my eyes would have to work too hard to go from one to the other. There are so many hightlights in this scene I was afaid that they would distract from each other. I was also concerned that the overall effect would be too dark if I tried to make them as bright as they appeared to me and my light sensitive eyes. This technique is a gradual build-up of layers, each one covering completely and attempting to contain more fat than the previous. Some of the last layers I got lazy and didn't completely cover the previous, so you can see the difference in the quality of the surface (it doesn't show in this scan). A coat of varnish might do the trick for that. Can anyone guess what material the figure in the back is made of?

Monday and Wednesday Quick Sketches

2006-06-21T22:51:00.000-05:00

Here are a couple more recent drawings.

Staying At It

2006-06-14T00:59:00.000-05:00

Even when the world takes over, time must be made for my real work.

Thoughts On My Progress

2006-02-16T12:04:00.000-06:00

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.

Now a member of the P & C

2006-01-26T13:50:00.000-06:00

Aaron Seckman's Blog

I will be adding new drawings soon. I was recently accepted as a member of the Palette and Chisel Academy of Fine Art, so look for a ramp in my progress in the coming months.