This week a man who left an indelible mark on the lives of many died. Charles W. Colson, former chief counsel to President Nixon and founder of Prison Fellowship Ministries, died at the age of 80. I met Mr. Colson in 2006 when I painted his portrait to honor his amazing life of service, particularly his post-Watergate life.

Prison Fellowship was borne out of the fall of Watergate, for from it Mr. Colson spawned a ministry that partners with thousands of churches to serve incarcerated parents and their families in the community—restoring broken bonds and protecting prisoners’ children from falling prey to the generational cycle of crime. ‎”I shudder to think of what I’d been if I had not gone to prison,” Colson said in 1993. “Lying on the rotten floor of a cell, you know it’s not prosperity or pleasure that’s important, but the maturing of the soul.”

Painting Mr. Colson’s portrait proved to be one of my favorite experiences as an artist, and maybe even more so as a person. Here I was painting a man who was often “a counselor to kings” as they say, and yet I saw such a servant and humble friend in the time we spent together. Chuck would greet me with a warm embrace, help me carry my painting equipment from the car, and always offering great hospitality to ensure I was comfortable. Our conversations were warm and candid, and I learned much about what it meant to be a leader and also a humble servant of the Lord Jesus Christ.

As a result, I had a wonderful opportunity to really capture much of Mr. Colson in his portrait. Here’s my wife Kim’s take on this portrait:

“There is so much thought that goes into a portrait and this one was no different. Here is some of the background on Chuck’s portrait. Tim suggested Chuck’s portrait be painted outside because Chuck loves being in nature. Tim suggested not wearing his suit jacket to show his relaxed and inviting nature. He’s always reading the news, hence the newspaper on the bench. Tim suggested having the Bible on top of the newspaper to show that God is sovereign over all. Chuck wanted his three favorite books out of the 17 he’s written to be included. Tim showed the pen and papers in his hands b/c Chuck is constantly at work on something. Even at Chuck’s 75th birthday where the portrait was unveiled, in his retirement speech he said he was only getting started b/c he planned on writing more books and starting an apologetics school! This was a man turning 75 years old! He accomplished those things since the portrait was painted. In the interviewing process one of his comments that stood out more than anything was when he remarked that he’s rubbed shoulders with princes, kings, and presidents all over the world, but his most cherished and desirable place to be was with his sleeves rolled up behind bars with an inmate sharing the hope of Christ with them. He is the real deal. Our respect and love for Chuck will remain for eternity.”

I know I still have many of Chuck’s books to read, and I do hate it when we lose a true soldier like Chuck, but I do look forward to seeing him again soon. Then I’m sure he’ll have much to share.   In the meantime. I’m learning to follow his example of focusing on each person that God grants to cross my path, and by loving them, I’m loving God, who gives to all of generously and graciously.

See you later, Chuck.

~Tim Chambers

I tack my canvas to a board (such as Homesote board), cutting it about 6″ larger than I estimate I’ll need.

After sketching out the drawing w/ charcoal, I quickly cover the canvas with acrylic paint. Being that acrylic dries way too fast, I use an extender to increase the open time (mixing time) of the acrylics.

I keep the masses (shapes) large, only breaking them down per changes in value.

I cover the canvas rather quickly, keeping in mind that this is the underpainting to my pastel, yet trying to be as accurate as possible with the color.

A detail of the acrylic lay-in. I enjoy the quick pace and have fun.

After the painting has dried (a couple hours), I squeegee on two or three layers of Golden (brand) Acrylic Ground for Pastel. In a separate cup, I mix the pastel ground with about 20% water to the mix to increase texture and improve flow.

I follow up the squeegee by brushing out the pastel ground with a wide, soft brush. When the ground covers the canvas evenly, I finish with a final smoothing by very lightly dragging my brush over the surface in two perpendicular directions (horizontal and vertical) so as to create a smooth surface for the pastel. Pay special attention to any areas that will demand more detail (e.g. faces, etc.).

The acrylic pastel ground goes on a milky-white, but dries relatively translucent.  The blotches you see are where the ground was a little heavier than in other areas. Not an issue, as I’ll be covering this up with pastel.  At this point, I am ready to redefine the composition.

When the lay-in is complete, I then finalize the composition and canvas size, marking the painting’s perimeters with charcoal. Keep in mind that standard stretchers are sized every 2″ (24′, 26″, 28″…), so size your painting in even numbers (e.g. 28″ x 36″).

I begin to lightly paint in pastel, establishing my values and color from the get-go. Though the prepared surface will retain a lot more pastel than pastel paper and other surfaces will, there is still a limit to how much it can hold. I use a stiff bristle brush to dust off unwanted pastel (i.e. mistakes!). This surface is very forgiving and has a lot of latitude, allowing you to really develop the painting nicely.

The final painting.

1. Gather a few blocks. You can use cut pieces of wood, bricks, small boxes- whatever! I cut scraps of lumber (2×4′s, 2×6′s, 4×4′s, etc.) into short lengths of 4-7″ each. I also found some small cardboard boxes (the kind that you might ship jewelry, watches, paint tubes, or little trinkets in) that are a good size. You might also have a brick or two around the home that you can use. The idea is to find something that has clean, square, plain (no patterns/designs) sides.

2. I painted the blocks in different shades and colors to provide a variety in my block studies. Over time I’ve created a small collection to choose from. You don’t need this many to start painting! Just a few- perhaps a half dozen- will be enough to have fun. Start with white, black, and a few bold colors such as the primaries (red, yellow, blue) and/or secondaries (green, orange, violet). 

3. Arrange  a few blocks on a table top in a way that is pleasing to your eye. Nothing fancy, mind you. The idea is to keep things simple, as the focus on seeing the planes, values, and colors (if you’re painting) accurately. You can paint indoors or out, under a strong light or a soft one, under bright sun or cloudy skies. Just make sure you can see a distinction between the planes (sides) of the blocks. You can lay a ‘tablecloth’ down for interest. Whether it’s a smooth counter top, weathered picnic table, or fabric, just keep it simple.

4. Sketch. As you draw, pay attention to the angles of each block. How does the angle of one edge of a block compare to a vertical (plumb) or horizontal (level) line? Where is the placement of one corner of a block relative to the other blocks? How close are they? Is there a lot of space between a block’s edge or corner to the next block or table edge? Asking these questions and comparing the answers to your drawing will yield increased accuracy in your eye for drawing. Sketch your drawing very lightly- even lighter than the example below.

student drawing

5. Values. That’s the lightness/darkness of a plane. A block has 6 planes, though you can only see 3 at any given moment. Often, a change in plane equals a change in value. What is the lightest value in your still-life setup? What is the darkest value? Note these on your drawing/painting, then gradually note the values in between the lightest and darkest values. Don’t forget the cast shadows; treat these as their own masses (e.g. shapes), and compare them to the planes of the blocks and table top.

student drawing

6. Color. Trickiest part of this exercise, but I definitely the most fun. Charles Hawthorne, and my former teacher, Henry Hensche, who both taught at the famed Cape School of Art in Provincetown, Mass., taught us to look at color as ‘spots’ or ‘notes’. Essentially, you reduce what you’re looking at to merely a composition of various spots of color. Just as you do with values, you compare one against another.  A good habit is to paint a small spot of color, perhaps about the size of a quarter, for each plane in your painting. Put down as raw, or pure a color as you can; in other words, try and use a color straight off your palette with no mixing/modifying of the color. Then, once you’ve got these spots down for every plane and shape in your painting, then you begin to compare and refine (revise) them. Once the quarter-sized spots are in right relation to one another, only then do you begin to fill in each plane.

7. Finish. Once you’ve established the correct relationships of color and value, then go to finish. Henry Hensche taught me (by example) not to paint all the way up to the edge of each plane until I was ready to finish. As a result the painting looked like it had white outlines around each plane until it was near completion. The reason? It allows one to adjust the color within each plane without touching (accidentally!) the colors from an adjacent plane, thus keeping the colors pure and clean rather than muddying up.

Blocks on an Overcast Day in Provincetown by Timothy Chambers

Tim offers a weekly class for advanced students meeting at his studio near Purcellville, VA for adults, young and experienced. You’ll find the class to be an invigorating experience as you enjoy learning the high art of portraiture. Take a break from the busyness of life and join us!

Specifics:

• 1 day/week on Mon/Tue/Wed/Thu (TBD) from 6:00-8:30 pm
• One-on-one & group instruction with Tim
• Maximum 12 students per class
• Learn to draw/paint from a live portrait model (clothed)
• Mediums: charcoal, pastel, oil (your preference)
• Personal critique of your work
• Learning how to begin a portrait drawing/painting
• Learn how to carry your work to completion
• Use and care of your tools
• Tips on selling your work on a professional level

High-level instruction on drawing and painting focusing on:

• drawing: lay-in, composition, angles, proportion, values, color theory, shading, mixing, posture, understanding and establishing a concept for your portrait, human anatomy, and more.
• painting: medium-specific technique, proper and archival application, grisaille, understanding and establishing a color palette, and more.
• art theory: your purpose, the essence of art, art history, the role of art in life and culture.
• self-critique: this skill is just as important as talent and desire. Tim teaches students how to constructively examine their work to improve their work and skills, so that even in the absence of a teacher students can continue to grow.
• motivation and concept: as any professional artist, writer, musician can tell you, inspiration comes after working, and not before. Tim teaches students how to get excited about their work, to cast a vision (concept) for their work project and use this to know when their work is complete.

Cost (includes model fee) is $25 per week, payable monthly. Minimum 5 students, maximum 12 students per class. If interested in this unique opportunity to study with Tim, please contact us.

BEGINNING MONDAY 8/18: A 4-DAY ART WORKSHOP FOR TEENS IN LEESBURG

Professional artist Tim Chambers is leading a 4-day art workshop for teens

August 15-18 in Leesburg, VA.

Whether you’re just starting out or you have plenty of art experience, you’re guaranteed to have fun while you grow in your skills. You’ll receive top-notch individual instruction from one of the nation’s best artists (Tim ranks among the top 1% of U.S. artists). We’ll be studying color outdoors (think Monet!) in the morning sessions and move indoors to draw portraits (think da Vinci!) in the afternoon sessions. You don’t even need to bring supplies- we’ve got you covered! For more details and a schedule, click here to visit our ArtCamp site.

The workshop location is just minutes from downtown historic Leesburg, Virginia. For those attending from out of state, Dulles Int’l Airport is only 20 minutes away. There is also plenty of quaint shops, dining, sports, theaters, and more to relax after the workshop. Washington, D.C. is less than an hour’s drive to visit world-class museums and other attractions.

School is just around the corner, and this is a great chance for your kids to get their creative juices flowing and get their head in the game. Professional artist Tim Chambers will be leading ArtCamp August 15-18 (Monday-Thursday). Just as our camp in the mountains of North Carolina last month was flat-out awesome, this too will be a great time! We’ll be studying Impressionist color (think Monet!) in the morning sessions and Drawing/Portraits (think da Vinci!) in the afternoons. Tim will be offering one-on-one instruction to help students develop their own skills and an appreciation for art.  You don’t even need to bring supplies- we’ve got you covered!

This isn’t a craft class, but college-prep instruction. Tim knows what it takes to be a professional artist, and he provides solid, fundamental, practical and conceptual instruction. Enlightening and challenging, Tim will challenge you to really pay attention to learn to see as an artist, and to learn discernment as you respond to what your eyes take in. Students will come away with a greater appreciation for God’s beauty around us as well as for the practice of art and the work of artists throughout history.

WHEN: 9am-3:30pm Monday, August 15th through Thursday, August 18th
COST: $310 ($265 + $45 material fee)
TUITION ASSISTANCE: Available; contact Tim Chambers for info
BRING: Yourself, painting clothes, sunscreen (we supply ALL materials!)
NOTE: Workshop limited to 15 students to assure individual attention for students
MORE INFO: Click here for more info; driving directions given upon registration
CONTACT: Email Coordinator Lisa Pinkham if you have any questions.

We hope to see you there! If you have questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Sincerely,
Tim Chambers, Artist/Instructor
Lisa Pinkham, Coordinator

Ready to roll? Click here to sign up on the Leesburg ArtCamp page.