Study for “Discovery”

Adriana Burgos, Study for “Discovery”, Sanguine on paper 2016

On my last post, I shared some thumbnail sketches and a longer study for “Fort”. My featured drawing today  is titled “Discovery” and it is another comp based on the thumbnails. This was done with sanguine pencil on cream-colored Stonehenge paper.

I love working in sanguine, the warmth of the red-brown fascinates me and I like the way it ties in with art history. In this particular study I built values mainly with layers of line beginning with one directional diagonal hatching and then changing the direction of the marks on top layers.

Many of my favorite drawings by old masters are done with red chalk and I have great admiration for work created with this medium by Raphael Sanzio, Leonardo Da Vinci, Michelangelo Buonarroti and Jacopo Pontormo. I study the work of the old masters because of the rich draftsmanship in their work and their grasp of visual storytelling. Below are some links to wonderful websites (the met museum one of my favorites) with great drawings the old masters mentioned.

http://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/337497

http://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/340577

http://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/339273

http://www.discoveringdavinci.com/drawings/plants/

Story has always been a great inspiration for me, currently I am working with narratives based on the interaction of people with natural environments. It feels great to see how my sketchbook drawings and photographs from numerous visits to state parks in and around coastal Ga, are influencing recent work in the studio.