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The Four Stages of Classical Drawing
Classical drawing teaches a step-by-step methodology for establishing proportions and value relationships early in the process of developing a drawing.Step 1: Straight-Line Block-InUsing all straight lines, I block in the large, basic shapes with soft, erasable, vibrating lines. I try to spend as much time as possible on this first step. Even though it looks rough and simple, I spent over an hour just to get to this level of development. It takes quite a lot of careful study to establish these b
5 Tips for Smooth Shading with Graphite
Read my best advice for graphite shading, including a short demo video showing how I shaded part of my drawing "Satin Dress"."Satin Dress", a drawing by Sadie Valeri after ter BorchGraphite pencil on Strathmore 400 series drawing paperLearning to shade with graphite pencil helps artists develop pressure control and teaches them to see subtle value shifts, skills that carry over to any drawing or painting media.These are my top 5 tips for smooth shading with graphite:1. Use a very sharp pencil Sh
A Request to Stay Connected
Two of my paintings, made just a few years apart from one another, before and after my classical studies.Dear Atelier Community,I discovered Classical Realism in 2007, and it changed my life. I had gone to a 4-year art school to get my undergraduate degree in 1993, but it wasn't until my early 30s that I discovered classical art training. Within just a couple years of focused study, I found my skills had dramatically improved, and issues I had struggled with for years were no longer a barrier.I
Thoughts on My First Anniversary of Quitting Alcohol
There have been two major inflection points in my adult life that suddenly changed almost everything about my personal life, my art life, and my professional life. One of these inflection points happened almost 20 years ago. The other is happening right now. 20 years ago, in my young 30's, I broke free from a 10-year artist's block that had me completely artistically paralyzed for the decade since I'd graduated from art school. How I broke free is probably a book I will write someday, but in sho
Rose Drawing: Master Copy of a Jan Van Huysum
When it comes to creating artwork, the vision is what is important. Sadie Valeri | Copy from a painting by Jan Van Huysum | 9x12 inches | graphite on paper Focus on the vision: The intense flash of sensation and inspiration. Everything else flows from there. Jan Van Huysum's "Bouquet of Flowers in an Urn", 1724 Capability, technique... none of that matters. Four stages of the drawing in progress: Straight-line block-in, shadow mapping, form shading, and using glassine paper to avoid smudging Do
Drawing a Van Dyck
Drawing by Sadie Valeri after Van Dyck’s 1628 portrait of Anna Wake (graphite and white chalk on canford paper) Approaching the New Year this year I wanted to start a new art project, but a new painting felt like a lot of intense energy and planning. For the rainy week between Christmas and New Year, I just wanted to do something mellow. And so I decided to draw a study of a painting I like by Van Dyck. Van Dyck’s portrait of Anna Wake is a painting I saw in Europe this fall, at the Mauritshaus
An Example of Online Atelier Feedback
I thought it would be interesting to share a glimpse into our Online Atelier Mentorship Program. This is an example of a student's recent post to our Atelier Feedback Forum, and my response to her. Joy Lemon is an advanced student who has progressed through all my Classical Drawing with Graphite and Charcoal courses, my Intro to Oil Painting and Mastering Value and Color courses, and is now working through the first Indirect Painting course. Joy has been enrolled in the program, submitting cour