A Proper Forum for Learning..

I have never attended art school... For whatever reason, it just never seemed to be in the cards for me. This blog is my journey and my path of self education.

Until now, I have been creating portraits in graphite pencil, working diligently by taking photographs and then painstakingly rendering pencil versions of what I had observed in them.

"Cristian" - SOLD
Graphite on Illustration Board
Michelangelo Depaolo - 2008

Now, though I am proud of what I have been able to accomplish through this method, it has come to my attention that I have much more to learn (even with drawing), if I am to become truly proficient and, appropriately, carry on the oil painting tradition set by the old masters I so idolize.

My solution? Start from scratch!

Until further notice, I will be using this blog as a way to document and share my progress with all of you. I still have no plan of taking any classes for the time being, but I actually think I'm on to something much bigger than that! As with most young people of high aspirations, and equally low probability of affording scholastic greatness, I seem to have acquired a rather large art book collection throughout the past few years.

And, beginning today, I boldly take a plan of action by creating my own home curriculum based on these numerous publications. I will begin studying book by book, page by page in a methodical, albeit (occasionally) chaotic way, and document as I go along.

"Classical Drawing Atelier"
by Juliette Aristides

I recently purchased a book entitled "Classical Drawing Atelier" by Juliette Aristedes and will be using this as the model for these beginning stages in my self education.