Jane's Sketchbook

[Jane Radstrom]

Hello! I am back after a long, long hiatus. I had my username changed... a few of you might remember me as Velo from about 4+ years ago. These days I am teaching figure drawing for Academy of Art University in SF and am an artist in residence at TAD (theartdepartment.org). The students have inspired me to come to CA a lot more often and I thought I would start posting again. I don't spend as much time in my sketchbook anymore, but I do lots of quick little projects and experiments, especially from live models during figure drawing. So, I'll share all of that type of thing here. Thanks for looking.

First up, here's me. A digi self portrait sketch. I am rusty at digital, been doing only traditional for some years. It's fun to get back to this. So nice to just pick up a tablet and go, no time to prime panels and lay out paints, etc.

[Jane Radstrom]

And some actual sketchbook stuff. This is one of those tiny ~3" x 5" paperback moleskins. So, some of these drawings are teensy. The figures are from life.

[weashell]

yay o.o i'll be watching for those shiny live model studies. that brian look funny

[Jane Radstrom]

Thanks, Weashell! More to come... For now, I did some more digital portraits. Tried to pack as much in as possible pretty quickly (1-2 hours). I'm getting faster, it's been so long since I've done digital, though! I reworked the self portrait, too. Thinking about adding hand lettering to that.

[ryan mcshane]

hi jane, i love your portraits! O_O
and your stuff from life looks great!
i really like that pen sketch at the restaurant or w.e, has a cool emotion to it
keep it up! looking forward to seeing more

[meirou]

Wow, quality stuff here!

[raminafshari]

Well done . Keep them coming .

[snatti]

Great to have a teacher among us, i really like the updated selfportrait, mixture of colours combined with the brushes strokes gives away a great feeling

look forward for more

[FootstepsBeckon]

hey jane,i love the use of colour and strokes in your portraits. Consider me intruiged to see what else you can churn out!

[Jane Radstrom]

Thank you Footsteps, Snatti, Ramina, Meinou and Ryan!

I was not satisfied with the self portrait, so I kept on working with it. At this point it's not really a sketch, but I'll share anyway.

I also started a portrait of my friend, DJ Sheppa. Trying to fit a lot of cool into a little digital painting. At this point it's just a preliminary sketch, but as soon as I get an afternoon later this week I am going to finish it + add some hand lettering that I designed for his name. Then, I suppose it will be a full illustration!

[Jane Radstrom]

Oh, also, a couple of figure sketches from models last week. Longer than usual for me, 20 minutes each.

[towy]

really cool work Jane

[Lundkaon]

Awesome studies!! I particularly love the life drawing ones!!

[Jane Radstrom]

Thanks again! Here are a few more drawings from Dr. Sketchy's back in KC. I'll miss that amazing old factory loft. Each of these is 15 minutes.

[surus]

Cute art! Keep on posting!

[pilmon46]

Oh, also, a couple of figure sketches from models last week. Longer than usual for me, 20 minutes each.

Thanks for sharing these! The digital portraits inspire me to want to learn how to do that. The life studies are great too--I especially like the fluidity in the one with the guy.

[Jane Radstrom]

Thank you, surus, philmon! Here is a 40 minute sketch from a model. It's mixed media, pastel and oil paint.

[oma]

bluh thats some awesome stuff ur posting...

i really need to find models to draw .

i really like the way u handle those pastels!!!
that dude in post 11 is my fav.

[Jane Radstrom]

One of our models is a med student. She helped the KC TAD studio crew sneak in to the cadaver labs after hours to draw. There were about 50 partially dissected cadavers in tanks, we were the only ones there. She said it was fine to touch them/move things reposition them (with gloves). I did touch a few, but definitely didn't move them around much. Creepy experience!

[Tuesday]

I absolutely adore the way you draw people, especially in your portraits and figure sketches. Your shading with both line and brushstrokes looks really dynamic and beautiful, and your color use is really gorgeous too qvq Can't wait to see more updates!

[Jane Radstrom]

Last night The Art Department provided visual entertainment for a SXSW party at The Mohawk, "Chroma". It's a huge venue with really cool layout - indoor, outdoor, dancefloor, multi-level space that allows for a lot of various stimulation at once. We had a fleet of models decked out to represent Chroma wearing crazy colorful hair, pasties and giant feather eyelashes (not much else). Francis Vallejo (Austin POD leader) and Orlando Sanchez did live body painting, many of the students were life drawing from the models and several professionals and instructors (including myself) got down on some digital painting on huge projection screens looming over the party. Multiple rooms of good live music and DJs, too. Fun night!! Phil Holland and Aaron were there documenting so I can't wait to see the pics!

Here are some of the sketches I did throughout the night. Some are done from a live model (sea foam green girl) and the rest from imagination. Crazy parties are not the place for doing your best work, but they are excellent for "working" while having a good time.

[Jane Radstrom]

Here we go... a 2.5 hour pose with a live model from last week. Does that count as a sketch? Is a sketch about time or frame of mind? This came together well in the first hour, then I overworked the colors and spent an hour and a half trying to get some life back in to them. Result is only OK.

[pilmon46]

I wouldn't have thought anything about the colors being overworked if you hadn't said anything. I love the contrast between her fless and the white sheet--it makes it seem so soft. The party pictures above are exciting--it looks like it was a lot of fun.

[JakehC]

i really like the volume in the last one.

[ryan mcshane]

jane those cadaver lab drawings are creepy! what an experience D:
i love the energy in those digital work is really nice
you make me want to use my nupastels, but they are so tiny and hurt to use haha (do yours break easily? mine sometimes get crumbly)
keep it up jane, you rock!

[Just Call Me Bruce!]

Cool to see you keeping a sketchbook! Loved the video you did.
These portraits in #4 are really nice, good feel to them.
As to what a sketch is, I think it's the frame of mind. But it doesn't bother me as long as you keep posting.
"A goal is not always meant to be reached, it often serves simply as something to aim at." ~ Bruce Lee
Keep it up!

[hücumkedi]

nice sb,i really love colors you did

[meirou]

Hey Jane, can I ask what kind of paper you worked on in your tutorial?? I'd like to try something similar as the tut was so inspiring!

[Jane Radstrom]

Thank you for the comments!

The paper was a 100% cotton rag from a commercial printing company. I'm sorry that I don't have the brand or name. The good thing about getting paper from a printer supply rather than art store is that those 26" x 38" sheets are less than a dollar each!! I go in and look through all of the sample books, then order a small quantity of a few types and test them out. I don't have the packaging from that batch anymore, so I will have to ask them to look up my name next time to reorder.

Here is a little digital speed portrait, 1.5 hours. Just for fun.

[Vay]

I wish I can paint like you. I want to start painting, but don't know how to start. Make a bunch of experiment paintings or few paintings with the best of my abilities? I will never know, unless you can tell me.