Studio circles
Posted: February 23, 2017 Filed under: Uncategorized 40 CommentsIt’s a grey day in Montreal, and that means it’s a perfect time to draw ellipses, which for some reason require frequent practice. I know all the rules but it takes several tries with the pencil before they start to look something close to correct. Luckily there are plenty of circles in my studio to use as models. This sketch is mostly done with three colours: Cerulean Blue, Winsor Red and Yellow Ochre, but it’s hard to mix a real dark with these so near the end I mixed up some Alizarin and Phthalo Green for the darkest bits.
Shari Blaukopf's Sketchbook 
So cool looking! What are the rules for ellipses?
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HI Jay. Good question. Ellipses follow the rule of perspective. Start by thinking about where your eye level is. If you look at an ellipse at eye level, it will be flat. As the circles go below your eye level, like all of these in my sketch, they get bigger. So the ones closer to the top of the page are flatter. As they get further away from my eye level, they are more round. If you are interested, here’s a great blog post by urban sketcher Paul Heaston with some good tips: https://www.craftsy.com/blog/2013/05/drawing-ellipses-in-perspective/
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Thanks so much for the lesson, cause I really didn’t want to ask…
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Thank you SO much! 🙂 I’m printing this out.
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I love still life-it has always been one of my favorites. You can set them up and arrange things to suit you. Sometimes they read to me as people. (stop laughing) Anyway, this is another wonderful painting.
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I like that analogy. They are like people, except they sit really still. I also love to paint still life Judy.
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great painting and so educational-heading for Paul Heaston’s post. thank you Shari!
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I hope you like it Holly. I found that he explains ellipses in perspective very well.
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It really is clear.
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Amazing. You are amazing.
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Oh, stop. There are plenty of errors in my ellipses but it was fun to paint something different.
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Can I echo the above words?
AMAZING..
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I will say the same thing to you as I did to Jane. Plenty of errors in the drawing but fun to paint a new subject.
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PS do you like that DS masking fluid? In the bottle w/ the pointy top?
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Good spotting Monique. I knew someone would recognize it. No, I don’t use it. I am not even sure why I bought it. I hate masking fluid.
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You do not need it at all..I hate this one:(
Sorry DS..its like a very bad pastry bag and tip:)
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I love this one! I am always inspired by your trees and your ability to capture the time of day, but this one is extra special for some reason. Thanks for posting!
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thanks so much Marie!
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Everything is there. Perfect.
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Great to hear from you Chris. Thanks!
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Great rendition of transparency. Very interesting!
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Thanks so much Lorraine.
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I really like the composition and colors! Ellipses have always been a challenge to me, also.
Thanks for the link. I’ll check it out. Off to Seattle tomorrow for a short workshop with Stephanie Bower on architecture. Perspective…..another challenge! Have a good weekend!
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I hope the workshop with Stephanie was great. She makes perspective so much easier. I have learned so much from watching her sketch.
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Flipping amazing 😉 colours composition and ellipses!
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Thanks Ros!
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Making the ordinary into extraordinary. Thanks so much for the fun and inspiration!
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many thanks!
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I’m always amazed at how you take ordinary subjects and interpret them in such an interesting way. I remember your Manchester course well and am using limited colors a lot lately.
Grettings, Corinna
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It’s great to hear from you Corinna. See you in Chicago!
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You make it look so easy, with your great painting of all the jars and bottles. Ellipses are something I still need a lot of practice with. I’m going to use your link and hop over to Paul’s blog to check out his post. Thanks.
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I hope you find Paul’s post useful Joan. I think he explains it really well!
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You are always stretching, learning, re learning and growing. In your assembly line of bottles and jars you found a way to draw us in, teaching us how to do the same. Thank you for the lessons you freely share.
It is such a pleasure to grow along with you.
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I hope I am always learning Bernadette… That is the joy of this blog. I get to share what I learn.
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What a great combination of primaries. It created a lovely atmosphere and harmony. The application of the watercolor is really amazing.
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Thanks so much Laurie!
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Once again, you manage to make the mundane remarkable. There are many lessons to take from this post.
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Thank you my friend.
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I love this one too. On first glance, when I saw it really small, (on Instagram!) I thought it was a cityscape. The limited palette is beautiful and I love the whites and all the shapes.
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I love this and all your work! Your style is an inspiration to me!
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