Three lovely days of life-drawing!

I have enjoyed the last three days of life-drawing.
I felt an excitement whilst journeying to each session.
I don't go with a plan, anymore!
I have my bag of pencils, charcoals, pastels, erasers and pieces of kitchen roll, brushes and tissue paper.
Each day I have responded to what is before me.

Here is Penny, with hands on hips: a 10 minute charcoal pencil on cartridge paper.

Penny then reclined for the main pose of the day. Over the next two hours I explored the pose. Firstly, with charcoal on A1 cartridge paper for two drawings, and then for the third drawing I used a 'tinted charcoal pencil together with a soft sepia pastel stick'. This worked really well, as I also introduced a little cross-hatching with the tinted charcoal pencil.

After lunch Penny stood with her right knee on a stool draped with a cloth. Firstly I did a quick 'familiarisation sketch' with charcoal. I concluded her head was incorrectly aligned with her torsoe.This next drawing is the result of a number of 'blocks of tone' being emphasised with charcoal layers which have been rubbed back into the paper with a kitchen roll. Highlights were then emphasised with the use of an eraser. I like the result very much!

On the second day we engaged with Gladys again. Firstly, some ten minute poses. The standing and curled poses together use tinted charcoal and pastel

The next uses charcoal on a smooth surfaced cartridge paper.

Then a much longer drawing, and returning to the pose from last week. My touches to the head seemed to work well, so I have enlarged this part of the drawing below in order to get a good look at it.

For the last hour of the day I decided on a change and moved across the studio to study the back of Gladys. This is the result of four or five layers of charcoal markings, and blocks of dark tone, which have each been rubbed back into the paper with a stiff piece of kitchen-roll. Highlights have been introduced with a white pastel stick in turn blended in with a caress of the finger.

On the third day I was at 'Extreme Poses' in Stroud with tutor Paul Fowler. He has an extraordinary skill of being able to engage with, and understand, the path one is journeying along. His analysis, guidance, suggestions and touches of encouragement, are (always) spot-on! Today, we were able to come together in our descriptions of the path I was developing in my drawing.

I am not going to attempt a commentary of the dialogue which took place between us, except to say I was lifted, fullfilled, given confidence, and came away exhausted from the experience of the steps I had taken along the path of my life-drawing journey.

So here is what I did today.

Firstly, a ten minute warm up drawing in charcoal, on A1 cartridge paper, rubbed back a number of times with a brush and tissue.
Then, three charcoal on A1 cartridge paper drawings, each about 30 minutes, with the first one having some dark tonal emphasis with a dark brown pastel stick.

Finally I used a sheet of very 'smooth' A1 cartridge paper which allowed the charcoal stick, used on its edge, to skim across the surface to produce a series of fine lines. I felt that this drawing brought together much that had been experienced over the past few days.

Drawing Angela on 17/02/2011

Today, I had an inkling of a feeling for getting away from pencil and charcoal which had been my pre-occupation for the past two or three months, or maybe longer. And it was only when standing in front of the model (after having opened and set up my box of pencils, charcoals, graphite sticks, graphite powder and erasers, etc.) that the challenge before me, the ambiance she created by her pose, and the flow and gracefulness of the composition, suggested a change. One of the joys of life-drawing at Paul Fowler's 'Extreme Poses' is that each day, and each pose, provokes a new reaction.

Firstly, a ten minute warm-up. This was followed by a drawing which I feel may become a favourite with me.

With reference to the above, Paul observed that he believed I was 'drawing with colour'. We discussed what was meant by this. I'm not simply drawing with a pastel crayon in place of a pencil or a piece of charcoal, neither I am using a colour which I believe relates to, or represents the perceived colour of the flesh. The colour I have chosen and the density with which it is applied addresses many issues, simultaneously, and which are complexly interrelated, e.g. tonal variation, perspective, light, warmth, distance, excitement, etc. Maybe, above all, a colour which I actually want to use, or even feel compelled to use. Perhaps I am beginning to touch upon painting, and today's pieces are a nudge in the direction of buying some oils and so taking a new step, to create a new path, in my life-drawing journey.

The poses at 'Extreme Poses' continue to excite and challenge. For the final pose of the morning I did a very quick 2B pencil exploration of the composition, but was very soon aware that the flow and poetry of the form was absent. However, with this quick 'sketch' I could identify the shortcomings in the form and composition of what I had placed on the paper, and when I picked up a piece of 'soft red' pastel and swept it across the surface of a new piece of the cartridge paper I began to feel very comfortable with what I had on my easel before me.

A darker orange pastel and a few pencil lines completed the piece in the short time available.

Drawing Gladys on 15/02/2011

After the above two quickies I did four drawings from the same position in the studio, varying in technique and medium, and engaging in slightly different ways with the following issues: giving the impression of looking down upon the model (shoulders and lap), changing thickness and length of the legs in relation to emphasising perspective, and tonal variation. All drawings today are on A1 'recycled' cartridge paper.

Drawing Angela on 10/02/2011

This was something of an experimental day at 'Extreme Poses'. I used a Derwent Tinted Charcoal (Peat TC18) pencil on A1 cartridge paper. The first series of marks was rubbed back into the paper with a piece of crumpled kitchen roll. Then a second series of marks were made. These were again rubbed back and the final marks were then introduced. This was the process in all three of the following drawings. Each drawing lasted for about 20 to 30 minutes with the final one being very quick, at about 15 minutes.

These are unusual life-drawing poses, as the model is suspended within a matrix of trapeze ropes which are tensioned between a number of points in the studio ceiling and one on the floor. (you may like to work out where the points of contact are between the model and the ropes).

I love the way in which legs and feet come advancing towards the observer, and how a poetry of movement flows through the pose itself. I will then look for these 'qualities and characteristics' when I am presented with the more 'traditional' and 'classical' poses at other life-drawing venues.

Drawing Penny on 08/04/2010

The first four drawings are my quick warm-up's at the beginning of the morning and the afternoon sessions at our Tuesday life-drawing day at Brockweir in the Wye Valley.

I then positioned myself in the studio at the same place as last week to have another go at this (for me) challenging pose. I believe this to be an advancement over the earlier drawings. Issues such as 'perspective within the composition' and 'bringing forward (exaggerating) the left leg' have been addressed, along with a more successful attempt to show the planes of highlight upon the right arm and both thighs. In the afternoon I set my easel up across the studio and approached the same pose but this time looking at her back. The impact of observing 'the twist in her body', and the way in which her organic form was interacting with the formal geometry of the chair, excited me.

Drawing Angela on 3/2/2011

A new model at 'Extreme Poses' presented a new challenge which coincided with my desire to break from my recent indulgences in pencil technique from over the past two months or so. So, building upon my past experiences using charcoal, in which I had previously discovered an extensive potential for freedom of expression, I took up the 'willow stick' and set off (in anticipation) on a new turn in my life-drawing path.
Again, all the drawings today are on A1 cartridge paper.
This first drawing is a ten minute warm-up, and what surprised me was the way in which the charcoal stick skidded across the surface of the paper. I was using a new batch of cartridge paper which did not have the rough and grainy texture of my previous purchase, which I had been used to, but presented a very smooth surface. So I did skid across its surface, and here is the outcome of the 'quickie'. For the first 30 minute pose I sketched out the basic form of the pose and then vigorously pushed back into the paper the marks with a crumpled piece of kitchen roll. Then, with carefully considered single line sweeps I confirmed the principal components of the pose.

For the next pose I followed the same procedure as previously but again pushing back the second set of lines. Then with a 2B pencil I confirmed the pose.

I repeated this process with the next pose, and began to enjoy the juxtaposition (and contrast) that the fine pencil lines made with the softer 'ghost-like' image which had structured the drawing for me.

Then finally with the last pose of the morning, I had the feeling that I had touched upon a technique which I had been searching for and therefore one which I really want to explore further.

Drawing Penny on 1/2/2011

The two drawings to start with are the 10 minute 'quickies' at the beginning of the morning and the afternoon sessions. So they include four poses at 10 minutes each although I tend to draw for less than the ten minutes available. Both are charcoal on A1 cartridge paper.

The next three are all of the same pose, which we will have again next week. Whereas this week I was working within my 'comfort zone' of recently explored pencil techniques perhaps next week I will depart from these and attempt to push my life-drawing path into a more experimental direction. However, each drawing does build upon the experience and learning of the earlier one in terms of 'pencil technique', 'perspective' and 'poise'. Again, all are on A1 cartridge paper.