Cecil the Lion

Our last drawing is to honor Cecil the Lion, who was slain by an American dentist trophy hunting in Zimbabwe. Children have a natural love for animal. This is the only time we used photo reference. Popcorn enjoyed the exhibition.

Herbert

Derek

Lily

Drawing at the Market

The fish at the market are dead. It's your imagination to make them alive again.

Derek

Herbert

Herbert

Lily

Learning from Masters

We went to the museum to do a copy of a master's work.

Lily

Herbert

Derek

Drawing before Eating

My summer art class in 2015. At restaurant the students drew their food before eating.

Lily

Herbert

Deerek

Before and After

Ended my seven months teaching of art. It was a great experience. I will do it again when time permits. 

Before and After: Self-Portrait by Herbert Wang, age 12

Life Drawing 101

Lily Song, 9

Herbert Wang, 12

Self-Portrait

The students really don't like to do self-portrait. They are so concerned about getting the likeness. But getting the likeness is not not the aim of drawing a face. The face in the art work takes a life of its own. Nobody cares how Mona Lisa the person really looked. It's the face in the painting that lives on.

Herbert Wang, 12

Michael Tu, 11

Conté Crayon Value Drawing

Art cannot be taught. The most an art teacher can do is to introduce material and method. I introduced Conté crayon today and asked the students to put something in the drawing so it won't be just a boring value study. Here is  what came out of everyone's imagination. 

 

In the World of Color

Today's class, opaque watercolor. The Night Watch,  by Melisa Li, 13. I prefer this one to Rembrandt's. 

Big Bird, Big Picture

My niece brought her scarlet macaw Naga as live model for the class. Macaws are big birds, so I had the students drew on 18x24 size paper.

Herbert Wang, 11

Max Peng, 13

师法自然 Learning from Nature

 A nice day out sketching at the Hanson Farm in Hinsdale.

Summer Time, Flower Time

Derek Song, 10

Max Peng, 13

Lily Song, 8

Michael Tu, 10

Herbert Wang, 10

Diving Into Water

After drawing in black and white for two months, the students are asking for color. I decided to let them paint with watercolor instead of drawing with colored pencil, for even the most expensive colored pencil do not match the pigment concentration of watercolor, therefore, the color of colored pencil will never be as exuberant as watercolor. Watercolor is the most difficult painting medium. It is unpredictable, and there is no correction can be made once the paint is on paper, because of this, however, it makes watercolor painting an exciting adventure. Each art medium is like a different instrument. It takes a long time to master the tool. 

Herbert Wang, 11

Max Peng, 13

Michael Tu, 10

Your Room, Your World

A few days ago a violin student of mine showed me a gouache painting that she did of Grand Canyon. She has never been to the Canyon. She painted her picture from a photo. To me that is not the purpose of making art. We make art to show our own world, to express our own feelings, and to reflect things that have personal meanings to us. I had the students drawing a corner of the room today.  I hope that they will draw their own rooms, like van Gogh, a simple painting of a corner of his room that have touched so many hearts. 

Lily Song, 8

Herbert Wang, 11

Max, Peng, 13

Michael Tu, 10

van Gogh

Summer One Drawing A Day Challenge

They are drawing at home! 

Max Peng, 13

Melisa Li, 12

Michael, Tu

Lily Song, 8

Herbert Wang, 11