avocare

. . Charcoal and Nu-pastel on Strathmore paper. .

In 1923, C.B. Dodson of Richmond Virginia entered this painting in a competition for young illustrators: Alas, he came in second and nobody ever heard of him again. Of course, nobody ever heard of the first place winner either: C.B. and Florence took their places in that long, long line of anonymous artists who yearned for a whiff of artistic immortality. It is easy to spot such artists. They're the ones who remain hunched over a drawing board or computer, continuing to work on a picture even after someone was willing to buy it. For some, this dedication paid off.  Norman Rockwell traded away his personal life for his art, often working twelve hours a day, six days a week on his paintings. Near the end of his life he observed, "The story of my life is, really, the story of my pictures." Rockwell may not have spent much time playing with his kids or lingering in bed with his wife on cold New England mornings, but he could feel warmed by the knowledge that future gene...

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At some point-- I'm not sure when-- traditional drawing skills seem to have become unfashionable. Perhaps it's because artists today see no percentage in competing with 1,000 years of talented, obsessed draftsmen. Perhaps it's because photography and other short cuts have made the labors of drawing seem less inspiring. Perhaps it's because illustrators have seized the license of gallery painters who proved that you don't need traditional skills to sell a picture. Whatever the reason, other ingredients of art (such as concept or design) have become so dominant that today many artists no longer even pretend to be able to draw. (Consider the talented cartoonist Garry Trudeau who has drawn like crap for 40 years. You'd have to try mighty hard to avoid picking up some skill in all that time.) Some contemporary artists seem to go out of their way to draw in a crude or naive style, perhaps to avoid any comparison with traditional artists. That's one reason I take ...

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Here's a scene from The Prince of Egypt . T he painted background is somewhat abstract and was meant to serve as backdrop for several character moments. . Still frame from the film. Painted background