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Oregon Endangered Species

A drawing from my series on Oregon Endangered Species, This one is the Western Streaked Horned Lark. That’s a mouthful so I am renaming it the Shhhh-Lark.

pencil drawing of a Western Streaked Horned Lark by Michael Liebhaber. 5.5 by 8.5 inches, 2017.
Michael Liebhaber, Western Streaked Horned Lark, pencil drawing, 5.5×8.5 inches, 2017
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Behind the scenes – Preview

Here is a sneak preview of a big watercolor I started today. This piece is kind of an “experiment.” I’ve never painted a watercolor this big (30x22in; 76x56cm). I’m also applying the paint in a way that combines watercolor and oil painting. Unlike watercolor,

  • I am not painting big areas of solid color.

  • I am mixing some colors on the paper (not before I use them).

  • My painting is standing upright instead of lying down.

The last point is interesting and has caused me to make some adjustments; mainly not using as much water as I normally would over a large area. All of this combines to give it a different “look.” We shall see what happens.

Fez start
Michael Liebhaber, untitled as of now.
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Sketches from Morocco

Just returned from a three-day weekend get-away to Fez, Morocco. These are a couple of sketches I drew from memory one night as I had trouble sleeping.

Michael Liebhaber, Rooftop View of Fez, Pencil, 20x14.5cm (8x5.75in)
Michael Liebhaber, Rooftop View of Fez, Pencil, 20×14.5cm (8×5.75in)
Michael Liebhaber, Street Scene in Fez Souk, Pencil, 20x14.5cm (8x5.75in)
Michael Liebhaber, Street Scene in Fez Souk, Pencil, 20×14.5cm (8×5.75in)
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New Beginnings – Pencil sketch of a Day Lily

First step in the process; will become an ink drawing. With watercolor added?

Michael Liebhaber, Day Lily, pencil on paper,  7.5 x 9 in. (19 x 22.5 cm)
© Michael Liebhaber, Day Lily, pencil on paper,
7.5 x 9 in. (19 x 22.5 cm)
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Sketch from da Vinci’s Virgin of the Rocks

da Vinci’s portraits of women; understated elegance.

Angel from da Vinci’s Virgin of the Rocks (Michael Liebhaber, Graphite on paper, 15 x 21 cm, 2014)
Angel from da Vinci’s Virgin of the Rocks (Michael Liebhaber, Graphite on paper, 15 x 21 cm, 2014)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The original painting, Virgin of the Rocks (1483–1486, Oil on panel (transferred to canvas), 199 cm × 122 cm), is in the Musée du Louvre, Paris.

Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci
* April 15, 1452, Vinci, Italy
† May 2, 1519, Amboise, France

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Rembrandt

Rembrandt is famous for his self-portraits. I could not resist drawing one them.

Sketch from Rembrandt Self-Portrait (Michael Liebhaber, Graphite on paper, 15 x 21 cm, 2014)
Sketch from Rembrandt Self-Portrait (Michael Liebhaber, Graphite on paper, 15 x 21 cm, 2014)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The original painting by Rembrandt is titled Self-Portrait with Beret and Turned-Up Collar (1659, oil on canvas, 84.4 cm × 66 cm). The painting was gifted to the National Gallery of Art (Washington, DC, USA) in 1937 by the A.W. Mellon Educational and Charitable Trust.
Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn
* July 15, 1606, Leiden, Netherlands
† October 4, 1669, Amsterdam, Netherlands

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Happy Holidays to Everyone

Something new for the coming new year… portraits.

From the painting Emeraude, by Alphonse Mucha (Michael Liebhaber,Emeraude Study, Graphite on paper, 15x21cm, 2014)
From the painting L’Emeraude, by Alphonse Mucha (Michael Liebhaber, Emeraude Study, Graphite on paper, 15x21cm, 2014)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The original L’Émeraude, created by Alfons Mucha, was a poster in the series titled The Precious Stones (1900, lithograph, 67.2x30cm). His paintings and illustrations were first called the Mucha Style, but soon became to be associated with the Art Nouveau style; a style that emphasized flowing, natural forms.

Alfons Mucha
* 24 July 1860 Ivančice, Moravia (now Czech Republic)
† 14 July 1939 Praha (Prague), Czech Republic