Art can be taught through a step by step technical process. However, the demonstration below is not a detailed tutorial on drawing the hands per se. It is a guide on how you might approach any subject. A window into my thought process while I draw.

Come join me, and good luck!

A Drawing Demonstration with Hands

Reference Image – Free download

————— Affiliate Links to Supplies I Used in the Demo

1) Faber Castel – 120 Color Pencil Set – https://amzn.to/35brD1V
2) Factis Retractile Eraser – https://amzn.to/3lg5llo
3) Kneaded Eraser – https://amzn.to/3eDqG5u
4) Fabriano Artistico 300 lb. Hot Press – https://amzn.to/2U4pAXc

Three great boxes to try.

Safely ship your art in a sturdy cardboard box. Three stand out boxes are available if you seek a shipping box to keep your artwork safe while in transit.

For whatever reason, building a custom wooden crate may not be an option and I totally understand. This was the case for me for some time. I ship primarily with custom built wooden crates now, however, when I did not have the means, I still wanted to ship work in a high quality box that had a professional appearance and protected my work at a reasonable price point.

I have looked for art shipping boxes sold through companies such as Fedex, UPS, USPS, Uhaul, Amazon. They all sell shipping boxes, but none compare to the quality and professional appearance of the shipping boxes by Masterpak, Airfloat and Uline.

The “Must Have” Features of a Good Box.

Masterpak, AirFloat and Uline all have these “Must Haves”.

1. Double wall carton construction
2. Heavy duty plastic-lined top and bottom to prevent punctures.
3. Removable foam
4. Perforated foam insert to customize the fit
5. Approved by most major air and ground carriers, including UPS and FedEx^®.
6. Sturdy enough to reuse.

1) Masterpak

I have always been happy with MasterPak’s shipping boxes. Inevitably I purchase through Masterpak because it is consistently the least expensive of the three box manufacturer. You will need to do your own price comparison to get a better idea if that’s your case as well.

I highly recommend their boxes for shipping artwork at a fraction of the cost of building a wooden crate. They are incredibly strong. Especially if you purchase their upgraded and heavier duty cardboard boxes. Masterpak is a New York Based Company – Made in the USA.

Watch the video at the end of this article to see me introduce this Masterpak box I purchased in 2018 to ship work to a show. – http://www.masterpak-usa.com/

2) AirFloat

I want to be honest here. I have never used Airfloat’s Strongbox, but I do know a few artist’s that have used them. Their prices are in line with MasterPak, and the boxes appear well made and professionally designed. One nice benefit to their boxes is the handle. So if that’s an important thing to you, I would check them out.

I will certainly be giving Airfloat’s StrongBox a try on my next small shipment.

AirFloat boxes are made in the USA.

• AirFloat Website
• First time using a StrongBox? Check out their step-by-step guide and video.

Uline

I have not had an opportunity to try Uline’s art shipping box yet, due in part to the cost. They are often the most expensive option on this list. Though I have never used their art shipping boxes, I use Uline to ship my limited edition prints and book. I can attest to their trustworthy as a business. They are a large family owned and been around for over 40 years.

Made in the USA.

Uline – Deluxe Artwork Shippers – Website

Shipping Art In a Box – Video Presentation.

Here I am at Superfine DC in 2019. I attended both Superfine DC in 2018 and 2019 and found the art fair experience to be so rewarding. It was a chance to directly engage with the local art scene in the Washington DC area and to get a better grasp on what is required to represent yourself. Both years were so uplifting and energizing.

Did I Sell?

Sales help of course, and I made a profit both years.  But the cost of showing at a fair is an investment and as such, a monetary risk. I knew this beforehand and weighed the risks of not not selling anything vs the opportunity it would give me to network and share my artwork and make local connections.

Little did I know that Superfine DC would also re-fuel the creative spirit in me as well.

As far as the business side of attending an art fair, the Superfine experience left me with a better understanding of where I need to focus my efforts and I learned a lot about the fair culture. I’m no expert, but I also gained additional knowledge regarding self representation.

Do Your Research!

If you ever think about displaying your work at a fair, I highly recommend you do some research first. Some practical advice is to have a booth with various price points, and go into the process with a mindset that it’s both an education, a form of outreach and advertising. It’s an investment, and you have to be okay and willing to loose that initial booth or wall cost. Remember, an art career is a long game and one fair will not decide your future in it. 

Below is a video of me installing my artwork on the 6′ x 10′ wall at this years DC’s 2019 Superfine!

A list of what I needed to install everything.

• 1 x Roll of Blue tape – no need for a pencil to mark the walls.
• 1x Cordless Drill – DEWALT 20V MAX Cordless Drill
• 24 pack of 1 1/2 inch drywall screws
• 1 x 36″ Level
• 1 x 3 step ladder
• 2 x 18inch shelves – Floating Wall Shelf 18″
• 1 x print display rack – Jullian Print Rack
• Artwork, Business Cards, Ltd  edition – Prints, Ltd edition – Art Catalog.

Thank You!

A warm thank you to those able to make it out to the art fair @superfineartfair this year. I had a great time visiting with some old friends and making new ones. Also, for those of you that purchased something from my booth. A humble thanks as well for those able to support me in that way. It keeps my paint and brush drawer full and let’s me know that what I do is worthy of your time, your thoughts and your patronage. I get so much from all of you though! Thank you for stopping by and saying hi.

I finished “Dreamtank” just in time for an exhibition titled Mind | Body | Soul at Joan Hisaoka Gallery here in Washington DC. I wanted to share the piece with you and speak about the last few touch ups I made to the work. It was a two year journey to finish and I am happy to be announcing that it will be on view on October 1st – December 21st 2019 at Joan Hisaoka Healing Arts Gallery: https://www.joanhisaokagallery.org/exhibitions#/mind-body-soul-healing-the-outside-from-within

Opening Reeption: Friday, October 4th from 7pm – 9pm
Artist’s Talk: Saturday, October 19th from lpm – 3pm

Programming:The Healing Arts Series
A Movement Performance by Donne Lewis
Friday, November 15th, 2019 at 7:30 PM

Closing date: Saturday, December 21st

Are you a professional painter? I have been a very active artist within the Northern Virginia, Arlington, Falls Church and the DC art scene for over 20 years now. I’m an artist, and also a Professor at Georgetown University. I love teaching. It gives me a sense of personal satisfaction and my students are always inspiring me. I learn a lot from them and I wonder if I would still be an artist if I had not chosen this profession. Many of my colleague from when I was school are no longer active artists. That’s okay of course, but I wonder how much of it is due to the loss of desire vs the need to make a living?

That brings me to a phrase I sometimes hear that I want turn on its head. The phrase, “Those That Can’t Do, Teach.”

Well, I for one “Teach, So I can Do!”  This video explains it best.

5 Reasons why it’s important to learn how to draw glass.

There were a few drawing exercises I would assign during every basic drawing class, and one of those subjects was glass under a one-directional light source. By practicing drawing glass lit this way, you learn so many things! Here are a few:

1. You will learn how to integrate foreground, middle ground and background relationships. (Especially a clear glass!)
2. Experience transitions and blending techniques that give the illusion of volume and light.
3. It’s important to fool your mind, and see masses and shapes. The glass is not a glass, but broken shapes of light and dark.
4. Do you know how important, broken edges are? These are important when drawing glass. You are drawing something solid without line.
5. There is a strikingly similar process to drawing, no matter the subject. Everything you gain by drawing glass will easily transfer to other subjects such. Even the figure and landscape.

The mediums I used in the video demonstration are:

• Faber-Castel FC129997 Pitt Compressed Charcoal Sticks (3 Pack)
• Strathmore (400-108) 400 Series Drawing, Smooth Surface, 18 by 24″, 24 Sheets
• Conté à Paris B 2 Count Sketching Crayons, White
• GENERAL PENCIL CO. GPBM2-BP Factis Pen Style Eraser Carded (3-Pack)
• Faber-Castell Erasers – Drawing Art kneaded Erasers, Large size Grey – 4 Pack

Have you smudged your drawings while you work, or messed up the piece storage? I might be able to help.

I recommend interleaving Glassine between a finished drawing during storage and between the sheets in your sketchbook. You can also use Glassine to shield your hand from the drawing surface while you work so that you don’t smudge the piece. Keep in mind, that nothing can permanently protect your work by itself. There are too many factors such as moisture, critters, and temperature fluctuations to name just a few that Glassine cannot protect against. However, it’s a superior smooth archival barrier. Great for use when surfaces are stored for long periods, and it will mitigate a lot of the issues of smudging and the transfer of dirt and oils from your hand. It’s archival, does not get brittle or yellow.

I think it’s a must have in your studio practice. You should be able to buy it at most art stores, online or otherwise. The video below is posted on Instagram and the first of my Quick Tip Series. Watch the video if you want to see what Glassine looks like.

You will see that I always begin with an underpainting before I work in color. I also paint the whole surface of the painting at once. I don’t really see the point of working in a detailed manner at the onset.

Though I paint from a photos, I’m not copying. What I mean is that the color and value choices I make are based on experimentation, play, intuition and experience. If I am just copying the photo there is no creativity, it’s only technique.  The painting in this video is titled – Open Wide I hope you enjoy it.

– Scott