Darkest Art Pencils

Out of the Shadow of Fear in Syria

Surveillance dominates every aspect of life. The secret police—the Mukhabarat—is divided into an intricate system of departments and subdepartments; no part of society is left unexamined. A network of agents spans Syria. Some have tenure; others work part time. Who could be a better observer than the greengrocer by the mosque or the hospital night watchman? Who can better keep tabs on a family than the schoolteacher who asks what Daddy says about the man on the posters?

The man on the posters has pale, close-set eyes, is well groomed, and has a curiously long neck. On one variant he wears sunglasses and a uniform. On others, he looks like a banker. An ophthalmologist, he was reeled in at his father’s death to replace him as Syria’s dictator. His name is Bashar al-Assad. His deposition is the goal of the nascent upheaval.

“We sat in rows in a riad , a courtyard, surrounded by high walls. Our hands were tied behind our backs, and we were forced to kneel. I counted the prayer calls from the mosque to keep track of time. Our legs became numb. When told to stand up after the last call from the mosque, none of us could. I buckled over, was beaten, forced to stand, and fell again. At night, we were stuffed into a cell. We stood upright, 12 men, on a few square meters. Next morning we were taken out to the riad again. After three days we were tender, and the interrogations could start.”

But Abid had had enough. With only one year left of his engineering studies, he risked it all in order to take part in the Syrian Spring. “It’s now or never. The train of freedom is leaving. We can jump on it, or we can let it go by.” A voice sounds from the far end of the sofa: “Listen to him. Two weeks in jail and he’s already Mandela!”

His living room is about twice the size of Abid’s cell. Air is scarce. Everybody smokes, and cigarettes are lit with finished butts. It’s midnight. Outdoors, children are still in the streets. Some are traipsing around on their own, trash crackling beneath their feet. Others are half asleep on Daddy’s arm, on their way to bed. A couple of greengrocers are still open. A kebab skewer keeps rotating. Life goes on.

Syrian political life revolves around Bashar al-Assad. The real power figures are Bashar and his younger brother, Maher, commander in chief of the Republican Guard, an Alawite-dominated elite force, the only army allowed inside Damascus. Their father, Hafez al-Assad, the Air Force pilot who took power in 1970, is remembered as a shrewd politician. Belonging to the Alawite minority—merely 12 percent of the population—he built a power base of mainly his own clan. His son has lacked the experience to navigate in the national and regional political terrain and has lost some support.

What Better Way to Find Out What You - Thoughts and Musings on Art ...

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My brother-in-law (Conrad) and father (Fred, Jack or Daddy) have consented to being my first art students and today is our first drawing class.  I’m finding that this commitment to teach is a great way to clarify what you know and  learn new things.

For this first class I’ve set up a still life in my makeshift studio (a/k/a the garage) and my “students” will be arriving at around 2ish.   Perhaps you’d like to participate?   If so, here’s what we’re going to be drawing.  You choose which you’d like to draw and send me an email with your result for a soft critique or with any questions you may have!  If the image isn’t clear enough or large enough also email and I’ll be sure to send you another.

.  Though used primarily for watercolor I’ve found that the Arches hot press paper is great for drawing.

You’ll find paper of different weights, textures, types, tone and for wet and dry media.  I suggest you try many different types of paper for your practice sketching and try not to be intimidated by the wide-range you’ll find available at your local art store.   If you plan to do a drawing that you hope will make it to the “Met” be sure to use acid free.

Drawing Media Your choice, manual, electric or Exacto knife.  I use an electric sharpener in studio, a manual one when drawing outside and have a utility knife just because though I have never used it to sharpen my pencils.

What Your Pencil Will Do (Values or Dark and Light)

Before you begin create a value strip like the one you see below for all the pencils in your artbox.   By creating this value strip you will be armed with  knowledge about which pencils will give you the very darkest and lightest values.

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Art of Drawing Landscapes

Industrial arts & vocational education

How to Sketch Animals