“As a beginning student, I learned in an atelier environment, drawing and painting from a model almost every day,” he remembers. “There wasn’t any financial aid or student loan program around for that type of school, and when you’re studying art, you need to keep up the momentum. That’s hard to do when you have a kid and are working at two dead-end jobs.”

Tenacity and perseverance paid off. Lipking fine-tuned his skills during two years of traditional study at the California Art Institute (CAI) where he attended classes in figure drawing taught by illustrator and DC Comics master Glen Orbik. “At the time, I believed all artists were born, not made,” says Lipking. “Orbik debunked that myth by demonstrating how drawing was actually a science that could be taught.”

As Lipking’s artistry evolved, the young painter, dreaming big, began to enter juried shows and garner regional recognition, winning the Artist’s Choice Gold Medal at the California Art Club’s 91st Juried Exhibition in 2001 and the coveted Museum Director’s Award the following year. In between earning the two awards, he held his first solo exhibition at the Morseburg Galleries in Los Angeles, and was invited to join CAI’s faculty as its youngest drawing instructor. Although Lipking no longer teaches at CAI on a regular basis, he returns to his alma mater periodically to give workshops. He continues to stress to students that good drawing lies at the heart of every good painting.

“Through drawing you learn almost all you need to know about painting, such as design and composition, value, edges, anatomy and observation skills— everything but color,” the artist stresses. “It’s much easier to learn those things with charcoal and paper than with paint and canvas.”

www.artistsmagazine.com ■ November 2008

These days Lipking is consistently praised for his rich color harmonies, yet he points out that many beginning students get impatient and jump into color too soon. “First you need to achieve some skill at recording what you see on paper, using monochromatic values. That’s how you begin to learn about the nature of light on form, and light is what representational painting is all about. You don’t need an aptitude for art

■ Louise B. Hafesh is an award-winning writer and artist. You can view a portfolio of her work at www.artworks-site.com.

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The Last Light (below; oil, 30x18) and Reclining Redhead (bottom; oil, 24x40)