Gail Niebrugge's Blog
“Rose Building” original ink drawing on Bristol paper 11″ x 15″ unframed During my time as an artist living in rural Alaska I have sought out and sketched many historic buildings and equipment. My very first prints were ink drawings of roadhouses along the Richardson Highway, in Chitina, and McCarthy/Kennicott. There were 12 prints in [...]
“Dredge at Flat” ink drawing on Bristol paper 11″ x 15″ unframed I am always on the lookout for historic places and relics, I love drawing and painting these subjects, and was amazed to discover a treasure trove in a tiny settlement south of the ghost town of Iditarod called Flat. One year while following [...]
“Bishops Beach” original ink and watercolor drawing by Gail Niebrugge, to purchase original call for price and availability. Another drawing from my sketchbook during my recent visit to Homer, Alaska. Bishops Beach is strewn with piles of driftwood, huge tree trunks scattered along the high water line like monster pick-up sticks. It is a great [...]
Original Ink Drawing – Nugget Creek Truck 10″ x 14″ pen and ink drawing, framed 18″ x 22″ To purchase please call for price and availability Another vintage truck from my research in the Copper River Basin, Alaska, found during a week exploring the Nugget Creek Trail in the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park. What I [...]
Original Ink Drawing – Truck Near Strelna 10″ x 14″ pen and ink drawing, framed 18″ x 22″ To purchase please call for price and availability I found this old truck is tucked away in the willows just off the road to McCarthy near the tiny settlement of Strelna in the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, [...]
Original Ink Drawing – Wasilla Tractor 10″ x 14″ pen and ink drawing, framed 18″ x 22″ To purchase please call for price and availability I didn’t have to forage through Alaska’s wilderness to find this rusty treasure, this antique tractor is parked at the Alaska Museum of Transportation and Industry in Wasilla, Alaska. For [...]
Original Ink Drawing – Napier Car 10″ x 14″ pen and ink drawing, framed 18″ x 22″ To purchase please call for price and availability Touring New Zealand I found the enchanting art deco town of Napier home to many lovingly restored classic vehicles. Something about old cars has fascinated me since I was a [...]
Original Ink Drawing – Coupe at Chitina 10″ x 14″ pen and ink drawing, framed 18″ x 22″ To purchase please call for price and availability During one of my expeditions along the backroads of the Wrangell-St. Elias region of Alaska, I found this relic stashed in the willows near Town Lake, Chitina. During the [...]
“The Office” original ink/watercolor drawing by Gail Niebrugge, sold. Back to the series on my early days living and painting the Wrangell-St. Elias. One of my favorite buildings at historic Kennicott Copper Mine in the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park is the small log building that served as the managers office. It is a simple little [...]
“Napier Car” ink drawing 10″x 14″ ©Gail Niebrugge Here is the finished drawing. Unfortunately I have no idea the make and model of this classic. While doing research for paintings I’m looking for shape, light and shadow, and interesting lines and I become absorbed in these details. This vehicle at this angle had it all. [...]
Multiple layers of crosshatch ink lines have created the significant values in this drawing of the classic car I found in the Art Deco city of Napier, New Zealand. I’m going to darken the darkest values with yet another layer of parallel lines to finish the drawing. Gail Niebrugge, pen and ink drawing
A pleasing pattern is emerging by concentrating my ink crosshatch build-up in areas of shadow and using the dark value as a background. The above sketch shows the beginning of the third layer of parallel lines on the upper right background behind the vehicle. To reach the darkest dark I may need five or six [...]
With my passion for old cars I was thrilled to see a display of fully restored vintage vehicles while on our trip last year to New Zealand. In the sketch above I found this classic parked at the dock in the Art Deco city of Napier. I went crazy in Napier, the Art Deco style [...]
Here is the finished drawing of “Wasilla Tractor” ink 10″ x 14″ ©Gail Niebrugge. This gem is located at the Museum of Alaska Transportation and Industry, Wasilla, Alaska, that is open to the public in the summer. A worthwhile place to visit. Below is a detail of part of the drawing. It took 5-6 layers [...]
I thought the outline of distant foliage behind the tractor shape was distracting, so I began to layer crosshatch to fill in the negative spaces created in the background. At this point two layers of parallel ink lines have been added to darken these spaces. More to go. This is tedious work, and takes a [...]
At this stage I have three layers of parallel ink lines in crosshatch in the dark shadow areas and background of the drawing. I’ve begun the fourth layer using diagonal lines. You can see the partially completed fourth layer of crosshatch above the steering wheel. Each layer creates a darker value, and I decided I [...]
One of my favorite places to find old vehicles is the Museum of Alaska Transportation and Industry in Wasilla, Alaska. I think this is such a cool place that I arranged a field trip for an art class for student research one year, that was graciously hosted by museum chief volunteer and good friend, Faye [...]
Here is the recently completed series of four old vehicles sketched with pen and ink from my research in the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, Alaska. A very enjoyable project and walk down memory lane. Top left “Truck near Strelna” ink drawing 10″ x 14″, top right “Coupe at Chitina” ink drawing 10″ x 14″, lower [...]
“Truck near Strelna” ink drawing 10″ x 14″ ©Gail Niebrugge This ends my series at the moment, of old vehicles found in the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, Alaska. Over the last 30 years I’ve painted and sketched a great many of these ancient autos, and enjoyed not only the research in the field, but completing [...]
Pencil sketch and beginning ink drawing of an abandoned truck along the McCarthy Road in the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, near Strelna, Alaska. I found this oldie tucked away in the willows just off the road during spring break-up, it would be quite hidden once the leaves returned in the summer. I’m beginning this drawing [...]
Gail Niebrugge (Knee-brew-ghe) born and raised in California has pursued art since childhood, winning a poster contest on the Johnny Jet television show at the age of twelve. Gail began her career as an illustrator for the US Navy and Marines in San Diego, and later established the Instructional Media Center for the Grossmont High School District in La Mesa, California. The Niebrugge family fell in love with Alaska while on vacation in 1976 and never returned home, instead they established a residence and studio in the remote interior settlement of Copper Center where the artist painted … [Read More...]
Wikipedia defines pointillism as; "a style of painting in which small distinct points of primary colors create the impression of a wide selection of secondary and intermediate colors." It goes on to say that the mind and the eye mix the color spots into a full range of tones and that it is closely related to Divisionism. Divisionism was practiced by Georges Seurat during the Neo-Impressionism period. He broke his color into basic elements and painted very small and regular dots. His dots are carefully placed as to not touch each other, so the white under painted canvas shows around all of the dots. I call my painting technique pointillism, but technically it is incorrect according to Wikipedia. The difference between my technique and true pointillism is that I use … [Read More...]