The art of David Bruce McLeod - Blog

new portrait

2012-01-29T23:07:00.001-06:00

"Dillon" step-by-step

2012-01-24T12:42:00.002-06:00

The PDF is now available as a free download.

"The Portrait"

2012-01-12T06:55:00.001-06:00

Part 1 of 10 to the instructional documentary, "The Portrait", is now available online (see youtube or mcleod_art). It chronicles the creation of a commissioned portrait from setup to signing and features detailed narration along the way.

Portrait Society of America competition

2012-01-11T12:41:00.006-06:00

My painting, "Snow Blanket", has just received an Honorable Mention in the Portrait Society of America's 2011 members-only competition. This is my second award from the distinguished society (the first was "Blair").

What's in a Portrait?

2011-10-28T14:26:00.002-05:00

As I've grown and developed my preferences as an artist, I value more and more the preparation required to complete a portrait with alacrity and wisdom.

So I'm sharing here my typical approach to a portrait (or any painting for that matter). I will do studies in both paint and pencil or charcoal before even stretching my final canvas. The result is that I have (hopefully) already addressed most of the problems that would have arisen and can more swiftly apply paint on the final canvas.

Color Study: this small (8x6") painting will be the first thing my client sees. This usually gives me the go-ahead for the overall composition and feel of the portrait. It also gets me mentally breaking down shapes, value, and color.

Pencil Sketches: while many aspects of the human figure are universal, capturing a specific likeness is different every time. I want to do all of my "drawing" (proportion, scale, etc) before I go to paint, so I'm not fussing the paint around but can put it exactly where it needs to go with every stroke (that's the theory, at least!). I did sketches of the face, hands, and feet.

Small Painting: I don't always do this, but for a full-figure painting, I wanted to actually paint the hands and face once before approaching the final canvas. This painting is still 16_12 and about 1/2 scale.

Final Painting: I begin the painting by making a few marks with my brush to get the big shapes in place then move directly into the forms. Because of all the preparation, the painting moves quickly and retains its freshness through completion.

The studio is in the process of editing an instructional documentary based on this portrait. If you would like more information on this, contact the studio, or visit the website.

"Dillon" step-by-step

2011-10-25T14:39:00.002-05:00

"Dillon", charcoal on bristol board, 20_16

A downloadable PDF is in the works.

Until then, ask me if you have any questions.

back to "Inter(-)"

2011-08-30T12:34:00.002-05:00

Finally. With so many portraits, a video, and other projects, I've had my figure series, "Inter(-)" on the back burner for a few months now.

Very refreshing to challenge my mind and brush with my concept-driven series.

Details of the painting, in progress:

Another plein air outing

2011-01-27T17:02:00.005-06:00

Got together with buddy Casey to do some painting a couple weeks ago. It's always refreshing to paint en plein air, but it's even better with some company.

See the paintings from the excursion in the new sketches and studies section of the portfolio.

Portrait Study

2011-01-03T10:08:00.001-06:00

In preparation for a full figure portrait of a little girl, I had already completed several pencil sketches and a small color study but felt that another small painting would help resolve some issues. So I stretched a small canvas (18_14) in order to paint her hands and face. The small size allowed me to work quickly and not fuss with details. More importantly, the study allowed me to move a few things around with her pose, especially the hands, as well as give me an overall understanding of the paint quality in the picture space.

The final painting will be underway soon, on a 36_30 canvas.

East Nasty

2010-11-15T11:55:00.002-06:00

A local running club, East Nasty, is having a fundraiser for a charity and they asked me to contribute a couple paintings. The first is a painting of East Nashville's beloved "5 Points" and has me pumped about possibly doing a series of Nashville spots that I like.

Also, the November e-news is out. Find it here.

Lulu Mae

2010-10-28T15:17:00.000-05:00

A band. And a family name. Fresh folk music with powerful lyrics. They also happen to be friends of mine and I got to do a photo shoot with them.

Music brewing inside of Joel for years is now on a record and available for us all to enjoy. Check them out on their facebook page.

Current Happenings

2010-10-21T11:45:00.004-05:00

Blair and I took a trip to Birmingham this weekend, stayed with my family, and got a lot of work done. I had two photo shoots, one with a previous client and her 3-year-old granddaughter and the other with a model to use in my figure series. Both went very well and I'm excited to get started on some new paintings.

Grandchild #2 (I painted her older sister a couple years ago).

A glimpse into my photoshoot with Rachael. We took shots at four different locations in Birmingham.

I'm also getting started on another piece for an interior designer (Natalie Hager). A bike ride with camera in tow got my juices flowing.

Nashville Scene BEST OF...

2010-10-07T13:24:00.005-05:00

Winner! Yes, to my surprise I got voted "Best Visual Artist" by the Nashville Scene's 2010 Best Of reader's poll. All winners were invited to a celebration at the Parthenon, with free food and drink provided by the Best Of Restaurants.

Thanks to all who voted!

more plein air painting

2010-10-05T12:36:00.004-05:00

After my brief outing a couple weeks ago, I couldn't help finding another place to make a day out of painting outside. Waterfalls have always intrigued me as a subject, so I did a bit of searching and found a great clump of them a little over an hour from my house.

Rutledge Falls in Manchester, TN, was where I ended up. After scoping out the falls, I set up my easel and completed a couple studies in about 4 hours. It was delightful and the weather couldn't have been better.

After standing all day then hiking back to the car, I was exhausted. But the view from my car across a field with the sun throwing shadows and striking a red barn in the distance kept me captivated long enough to do another painting in about 30 minutes.

The scores of pictures I returned with will complement the studies I completed in order to get a few pieces cranked out here in the studio.

Inspiration: plein air

2010-09-22T11:11:00.004-05:00

Whenever I'm working on a big studio piece, I nearly always need a break to paint something different and smaller to help me stay loose. Yesterday, after beginning the day working on the finishing touches of a new piece, "Iris", I felt myself losing touch with the direction of the overall impact of the painting. So I packed up my travel easel and headed out in Nashville to look for a place to set up for a couple hours. I found a bridge just 5 minutes from my house, made a few sketches and started painting.

While I anticipated a train would rumble past me while painting, I didn't know how visceral the sound and size of that beast would be. It elevated my awareness of the surroundings and my appreciation for such an act as painting in the open air. The sun set on me after two hours, but I was, nonetheless, very pleased with the experience, if not the painting.

Now if only I knew I'd finish my big painting in two hours!

Inspiration: ERK

2010-09-07T11:57:00.009-05:00

"Everett Raymond Kinstler" by Michael Shane Neal

Everett Raymond Kinstler. If you've never heard the name, you've probably seen one of his paintings. If you've never seen one of his paintings, you definitely know at least a dozen of his subjects. Dr. Seuss; Presidents Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, Bush, Clinton, and Bush; Gene Hackman; Katherine Hepburn; Tom Wolfe; Ayn Rand. The list goes on. He's painted over 1200 portraits in his 60-year career as a professional artist. And now in his 80s, he's still painting. His works hang in the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It's an understatement to say that he's a giant in the art world.

Through my mentor, Shane Neal (who is Kinstler's protege), I have had the great pleasure of meeting and hanging out with Mr. Kinstler on several occasions. He is real, engaging, and a complete powerhouse of knowledge and passion. His work is the same. He has complete mastery of every media he works in, and his understanding of how to interpret the world around him is simply astounding. Alongside other masters, his work and life continue to inspire and encourage me.

For you artists, definitely get one of his books. You can find them fairly easily on ebay. His books, "Painting Portraits" and "Painting Faces, Figures, and Landscapes" are must haves.

"Abique", 11x14

"Gregory Peck", 30x24

"Tom Wolfe", 50x27

"Morning, Portugal" 34x44

Process for "Soldier", oil on linen, 20x16

2010-08-26T12:55:00.011-05:00

The following step by step shows my approach to a head. The portrait was completed in two sessions, from a photograph, and painted in the alla prima method (or wet into wet). The subject has strong features which beg to be highlighted. Instead of simply reporting what I see, I input an emotion of concern or worry that would, when grouped with his helmet-like hood and apt title, be relevant today.

I begin this portrait on unprimed (white) linen canvas with charcoal, finding the major shapes and relationships. Painting on an unprimed surface means the white will show through easier, lending a glow to the lighter areas.

A warm green mixture is applied to the canvas around the head with a cloth. The darker areas are brushed in and a green underpainting is applied to the face.

Work on the face is continued with brush and cloth until a decent understanding of the forms is achieved. The first value/color appropriate strokes are then applied to the face. A blue for the background is also struck in as an approximate value/color from which to judge the rest of the painting. The darks are placed for the same reason.

Work on the face begins and is quick. The fleshtones are placed on top of the green, with many areas allowing the green to come through. Some of the green mixes with the fleshtones when applied. This lessens as I build the paint up in areas that should have less green--such as the forehead and cheek. The areas with thinner strokes of flesh will allow the green to show and results in a nice feeling of three-dimensionality.

I continue work on the face and move to other areas, trying to capture the feeling of the different materials, as well as the atmosphere of the painting as a whole.

With most of the values correct, I am now focusing more attention to edges, working in areas such as where the face meets the dark shadow.

Finished. I chose, as all of my paintings, to leave certain areas thinner, while building up the paint in other areas. This results in a nice textural feel when viewed and reveals both my process and the nature of the materials.

While I have certainly done more work on the values, many of the darker ones do not show up well in the first steps because of glare.

Productivity Tools - Coffee

2010-08-23T14:52:00.005-05:00

Yes. Coffee. It keeps me productive. Every morning, I brew a pot and have a couple cups. There's something comforting and oh so relaxing about a nice morning routine (some may call this an addiction). Hot coffee is hard to beat, except when it's 90 on an afternoon when your brain just wants to shut down. An ice cold latte is just the ticket, and to forego the expense and travel time, I've discovered a nifty little device from the folks who brought us the Aerobie disk. Hilarious but true, this company has managed to expand their product line from just frisbees to frisbees and coffee makers (well, only one coffee maker).

Called the Aeropress (yep, same speedy font), this massive syringe pumps out delicious espresso. And I've discovered a nice way to churn out a quick iced latte.

one:

glass with milk, aeropress with coffee grounds on top of filter (on glass) , plunger (left), and hot (175 degree) water
two:

Hot water has been poured onto the grinds; the fine filter prevents too much dripping; the mixture is stirred for 10 seconds.

three:

Then it's plunged! This presses the liquid down through the filter and the remaining air makes sure you get every last drop of goodness.

four:

Ice is added, and it's all stirred.

five:

Enjoy.
The great thing about this coffee maker is that all it requires is hot water, which can be made from the stove or a microwave. And cleanup is a simple rinsing. It's also only $30 and makes fabulous coffee. So you artists looking for a cheap pick-me-up in your studio can use this guy as long as you've got fresh beans, a fridge (for milk), some way to boil water, and a sink for rinsing.

***for those who deal with legitimacy issues, this coffee maker is sold at Crema--Nashville's best espresso bar, without a doubt.

McLeod Art e-news, SEPT issue

2010-08-20T09:26:00.008-05:00

Fresh off the press is McLeod Art's first newsletter! It normally goes out in email form (sign up here), but you can also view it online by clicking the image below or download it.

"Reticence" receives recognition from SWA

2010-08-19T16:57:00.005-05:00

I was accepted into Southwest Art Magazine's annual "21 under 31" competition with my painting "Reticence". The finalists will be published in the September issue (very soon!). I'll share whatever I know when the time comes.

McLeod Art is on FACEBOOK!

2010-08-17T15:37:00.012-05:00

I'd love to stay in touch with artists and other creatives on facebook. See what I've got up there and be sure to "LIKE" my page.

2009 PSA Member's Only Competition

2010-03-18T11:04:00.009-05:00

Just found out that I got 2nd place in the drawing category for the 2009 Portrait Society of America's Member's Only Competition. Very cool! The Portrait Society, directed by the greatest portrait and figurative artists today, is the best of its kind. It's an honor to receive such an award, and I hope to place again and even win someday!

Horse Triptych

2010-03-03T09:24:00.007-06:00

Just finished and installed a triptych of a horse for an interior designer. The project was different than what I usually do, but very enjoyable. After considering charcoal on paper, we finally decided on oil on canvas without a frame. This lends a warmer, more organic feel to the room that ended up being perfect. Check out the designer, Rachel Halvorson, here.

video on American Artist website

2010-02-19T10:21:00.005-06:00

So within a week of finishing my video, I posted it to the American Artist website, artistdaily.com. I've gotten a bit of feedback from it, and noticed a month ago on their homepage. It's now in the top 20 most viewed videos on the site, which is encouraging to know that as much as I get rejected, you never know when something will strike a chord with at least a few people.

hit play and enjoy

2010-01-22T12:30:00.002-06:00

The Charcoal Sketch PDF

2010-01-20T15:54:00.008-06:00

To accompany the video, I've completed a downloadable file. Find both large (11MB) and small (1MB). Also, listen to Milosh.

The Charcoal Sketch

2010-01-06T23:40:00.017-06:00

The first video to come from the studio is complete. As I said in a prior post, it became very important for me to develop the video in such a way as to demonstrate a method of working in a manner which was entertaining and encouraging. I hope you like it; comments, questions, and critiques are welcome.

Inspiration

2009-12-22T18:23:00.005-06:00

In finishing my video, The Charcoal Sketch, I began to realize that the best I can offer most artists is the encouragement to keep working. There are plenty of great step-by-step videos, all emphasizing various techniques. While these certainly hold great importance in the maturation of any artist, I find that most of us really just need to be inspired. The common misconception in the art world is that some people just "get it" and can do anything when it comes to art. Such a statement would greatly degrade the thousands of hours any master artist has spent toiling at the easel. Basically, art is work. Hard work.

Thus, I composed my video in such a manner as to give your heart a meal; I hope there's a little in there for your brain to chew on as well. The video will be finished early January.

Trailer online

2009-11-20T10:15:00.006-06:00

check it out:

McLeod Art/news

Youtube

Video trailer coming soon...

2009-11-16T20:22:00.003-06:00

Having taken a score of pictures of a charcoal I've recently completed, I'll be making an inspirational/instructional video within the next week or so. To generate a little interest, I'll have a teaser trailer for it tomorrow.

website update

2009-09-02T08:32:00.008-05:00

I've reverted back to the html/css code from my first website...just cleaned it up a bit. There will be lots of new paintings to come in the next couple of months.

Music

2009-08-26T12:16:00.007-05:00

Portrait Society of America conference

2009-04-29T11:26:00.001-05:00

This past weekend, I had the incredible pleasure of traveling to Washington, DC, to Portrait Society of America's annual conference. Gathering at one hotel for this occasion are the top artists in the world, including Everett Raymond Kinstler, Daniel Greene, Burton Silverman, Nelson Shanks, and Richard Schmid. The conference is set up to encourage artists and further the craft through teaching and sharing. Coupled with the conference is their annual portrait competition. Fifteen finalists were selected from among over 1000 entries; these paintings and sculptures were on display the whole weekend.

I got a chance to watch demonstrations from leading artists, meet many of the giants, and hang out with artists my age. In all, it was the most encouraging and challenging weekends for me as an artist. I'm absolutely thrilled about what I'll be painting in the months to come.

At dinner with my mentor Shane Neal, and the great Everett Raymond Kinstler:

On Sunday after the conference, I spent about 2 hours at the National Portrait Gallery. Here's a close-up of Sargent painting...I'll be studying this for years to come!

Sketchings

2009-04-08T09:39:00.002-05:00

So...many times I'll have to break from the act of painting for a living and just sketch for fun. The charcoals are each about 10 minutes of my dog.

New Commission

2009-04-01T09:28:00.001-05:00

I had my first meeting with a new client on Monday afternoon. Being an artist herself, she has a unique style and welcomes my own artistic creativity in the portraits of her two children, Edison (12) and Emme (10). So...I'm pumped! I love painting people, regardless of the pose, setting, or formality, but to basically be given free reign to interpret them and be as open as I would like is wonderful.

I took two sittings of about 15 minutes for each of them. I'll keep posting progress on this commission, so check in every so often.

Mays delivery...PSA annual conference

2009-03-31T19:48:00.002-05:00

I completed and delivered the portrait and charcoal sketch of Mays to my client in Birmingham. She loved them both, so I returned the next day to varnish the painting. It was a really great experience...I am always so pleased to have a happy client. Sharing in the enjoyment of a work of art (especially one dear to us both!) is a great way to finish a commission and continue the relationship we've built.

So I've started to go hang out with Shane Neal on a weekly basis. I spent five years during college as his apprentice, so I know my way around his studio and his preferences on many things. Just being in the studio, encouraged by a great artist, and seeing him work is a reward far greater than any amount of work I do over there. As typical of Shane, though, he's been doing so much to help me. Most exciting among his blessings is the opportunity to join him to Washington, DC, in late April for the Portrait Society of America's annual conference. I'll get so see so many great artists and their work...

Website up and running!

2009-02-11T19:23:00.001-06:00

For Christmas, my sweet wife got me a book on making websites, which really gave me the impetus I needed to get on it and learn how to make a website. A month later (and a lot of past/current frustrations), it's up and running.

There are plenty of things that I would like to be different...but for now, it does the job.

So check it out: davidbrucemcleod.com

Richland show, Tutoring!

2008-11-24T16:36:00.003-06:00

The Richland show opening, "Small Treasures...Simple Pleasures", went well. I got to meet several of the other artists and their friends and talk about my work. Several friends showed up (thanks, guys!) and added to the enjoyment. If you haven't been by to see the show, it's open until the Dec. 31. You might just find the perfect Christmas gift!

The picture here is of me and Shane Neal, an incredible Nashville artist and my mentor in all things art. He's very busy with portraits, but still takes time to complete other works and contribute to the community with his time and teaching.

Also, I start my first of many weekly one-on-one tutoring sessions tomorrow in my studio. I'm working on a somewhat of a lesson plan, but am really just looking forward to hanging out with the dude and sharing our passion for art.

I'm continuing my portrait of Mays with a color study (10" x 8"). It's really small, but gives my client a good idea of what to expect from the "feel" of the final portrait and solves any changes made to the photographs.

New blogger, big day

2008-11-20T14:52:00.001-06:00

McLeod Art is officially blogging. I will use this space to share random snippets from my daily career as an artist. While it's very small scale now, I hope for this to be a place for people to comment on what I do, get feedback on stuff, and field any questions from beloved fans...

Today is a big day for me. I'm joining 11 other artists in a show at Richland Fine Art (Grace's Plaza in Green Hills). The other artists are really fantastic and well-established, so it's quite an honor to be showing my art on the same walls as them. I'm hoping and praying that tonight will be a great time for me to begin establishing my art community and maybe (just maybe!) have people buy and/or commission me.