I start a master-study after Leonardo Da Vinci, March 2026, 40 by 60 inches, pencil on paper, handmade by Melancholy.
small island studio by 宣雄
Xiong Xuan Melancholy
handwriting by Melancholy on April 13, 2026: Normally people think sketch is drawing, it's line drawing actually. And it's very different if it's a line-drawing or if it's a tonal drawing. Line-drawing, obviously, the language is mostly with lines, even there is shadows, it's lightly, a little bit. The most important story is telling by lines. But if it's a tonal-drawing, it's more about light and shadow, and you may build up light and shadow effect from lightest light to darkest dark, gradually. Tonal drawing could be on toned paper, draw with pencil and white chalk, or it could be on white paper also. Let's take an example with Leonardo Da Vinci's drawings. He had beautiful line drawings, such as his self-portrait, in his sixties, a wisdom old man face. He also had tonal drawings, such as Maria and baby Jesus as well as Anne, siting together by a river bank. It's very finished. I noticed he spent a year doing the piece, so many factors need to be considered, so many details need to be dealt with. The space between the 3 figures and the surroundings around them matters with background contours. If you look at your hands and arms, the contours are so clear. but if you draw it like that, it will look like paper-cut, very sharp, very clear, but look thin. If you deal with contours with more concern, let part of it fading away, especially when it's turning backward, make it blurry for a while, it will look more rounded in the space. He hide some contours into the backgrounds. This is what i understand from his work, from his drawings, as well as from his paintings. His work is so fine, so delicate, and so super finished. We even could say: he is perfect. I am still learning from him, i am so thankful I could see his work, and study eagerly in my studio. When I am doing master-study, I need to imagine his situation, how long he spent on this piece. I guess he was very quiet and very engaged during work. So i need to be like this, so that I could feel great. Please forgive me, because I need to draw completely by myself, and alone. Because i am feeling and thinking during work. I realize my work is different from his. It's ok. It's ok to have my own style. Cross-hatching is the way I make my drawings. Especially at the very beginning, you will see hatchings cross over, from different directions, like a looming machine. But as time going on, it will look more and more finer, show the shadows without a trace. So cross-hatching will disappear. But i like the process very much, I enjoyed doing it. I want to push it up to extreme point, to show light and shadow purely. i think line drawing is more like rain, you can see rain-lines. While tonal drawing is more like snow, it's pad after pad, to build up areas. I remember his hands drawing, beautiful line structure as well as shadings. That piece should be studied again and again. I am going to do it myself, and I wish you could do it too. Sometimes I think like this: he is a human-being too, physical structure the same as me, he could see with his eyes, not anything special tools to help, but I have camera and computer to help me see more details and try different visual effect before hand. He didn't live very long, and he had so many distracting interests about different topics, but I only love drawing, I can put more time to my work. What I am trying to say here? I am actually trying to draw as well as him, and trying to draw even better than him, with my own way. It's very possible, and I am doing steadily. I will make it. At the age of 45, it should be the end of compare, to stop compare myself to the great master. I have several interesting ideas about new work right now, and they feel like new born babies still in universe, but want to come out in a hurry. I feel happy and exciting about it, because I still have new ideas and new inspirations. I will show you in a while. I found 4H 0.3mm mechanical pencil lead on Amazon, but it had stopped produced. I had been use this type of tool for more than 10 years, I need it so much. So if you could contact the producer and beg him to continue producing it, I will be so appreciate you. I can do a Van Gogh painting for you to thank you. I am so sorry that I can not teach students right now, because I need to put all my time to my drawing, and because students ask questions will distract me, a lot. Right now, I need to concentrate my mind, just focus to my pencil, it's very serious and very sincere. Please understand me. Before I finish my 200 drawing papers in 15 years, I wouldn't teach any students. Please forgive me. But you could see my update process on my website, once a week, so you will see directly what I am doing, and I write down my thoughts also. You may contact me with email: xiong.xuan@gmail.com or melancholysmallislandstudio@gmail.com
This is Melancholy Xiong Xuan's personal website, just about my drawings, essays and some photos during drawing process, this is my everyday drawing life as an artist, I built up this small-island since 2013 at State College, PA. I know how precious to have your support, it is meaningful to drawing everyday, and it is meaningful that you see it on my website, it is like an isolated small island, away from lure from reality world, let me be dreaming, if you like my drawings, I will be so appreciating your support, thank you very much. contact: melancholysmallislandstudio@gmail.com or xiong.xuan@gmail.com if you would like to read more about my story and my art, you can find it in "about" as well as "essay".
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