Drawing Angela on 08/12/2011

Angela is up in the ropes at Paul Fowler's Extreme Poses at Pegasus Art in Stroud. 

My position in the studio is very close to the model: a little over one metre away.

These are 30 minute poses.

All are on A1 cartridge paper which had been prepared the night before by brushing on a coat of clear gesso, to which I then added some acrylic inks, and in the case of the third drawing some pieces of tissue paper.

My aim is, when presented with a pose, to select a particular paper treatment pattern, and then to place the figure on the paper in such a juxtaposition that the pattern and the figure are related and the pose is enhanced.

   

Drawing Gladys on 06/12/2011

Three drawings of Gladys each on A1 cartridge paper which had previously been treated with clear gesso with various additions of acrylic inks or pieces of tissue paper.

To complete the session I moved across the studio and close to the model and was able to look down from my great height.

This is a fairly quick drawing, probably less than half-an-hour, in soft pastel on A1 cartridge paper.

'two become one'

I cropped this drawing, of Angela and Robin at Extreme Poses, in my last posting in order to place emphasis on the area of interaction and dialogue between the two models . But upon reflection, and from the comments by many life-drawing friends the suggestions I give to the arms and legs are so very important to the total composition. I hope you agree! I shall now place this in an A1 frame ready for the next exhibition.

Robin & Angela on 01/12/2011

Occasionally I come away from a life-drawing session with a real sense of fulfilment. My experiments (and my life-drawing journey is one of experimentation) now and again brings about a synthesis of past breakthroughs and achievements. One can reflect on these moments and then move forward. But the next step will inevitably be into the unknown. This is my joy and is echoed in my philosophy "paths are made by walking". Today I believe I experienced such a synthesis. And it was significantly facilitated by two amazing models, Robin and Angela, who worked with each other, and with our tutor Paul Fowler, to create 4 half-hour challenging poses, suspended in the ropes in the studio at Pegasus Art in Stroud.

To some extent one's position in the studio in relation to the pose influences one's chances of producing an interesting drawing/composition. This is particularly an issue when two models juxtapose. 

In this first drawing the two models appear to have no particular dynamic between them: one is leaning back the other forward, and one is behind the other. They relate by an arm resting on the others knee. Three feet form an arc from which the bodies move into the composition. There is no focus or emphasis introduced into the drawing by the drawing technique itself. It has a consistency of line and in the way marks are made throughout the drawing.

But in this first drawing of the session I am familiarising myself with the issues of the day: two bodies with different characteristics; two bodies juxtaposed; two personalities yet one composition. The pencil moves across the paper to outline the forms, explore the interactions, link the poetry, and clarify the shapes of arms and legs and torsoes. In the 30 minutes the pencil hardly leaves the paper. Firstly an HB, then I emphasise with a 4B.

      

But what of the interaction and the dialogue between the two models?

The second pose brought the two models closer together. But only to have their backs resting against each other. My drawing is in charcoal on clear gesso treated cartridge paper. Each layer of charcoal is brushed back. Finally coloured pastel is suggestive of the electricity which I anticipate, and hope, is beginning to emerge between the two models!

In this third pose, from my position in the studio, I began to sense a real symbiosis being created between the two models [I know from conversations with the models afterwards that they took some time to get used to each other and to realise what might be possible by posing together]. But it is probable that a change, a transformation, was also taking place within me, i.e. within the perceptual framework I was developing in order to comprehend what was before me. So this third drawing begins to acknowledge a symphony of forms consistent throughout the pose.

 It could be my luck that I was presented with this particular 4th composition from where I was located in the studio. However, the artist will be selective in what is abstracted, selective in how it is expressed, and selective in the emphasis and in the appropriate drawing technique.
For me, so much came together in this fourth drawing.

I am really pleased with this outcome:

• the journey line up through the composition is given emphasis by the use of lost or soft edges to the outer sides of the pose
• the symbiotic relationship of the two models: they inter-twine and suggest perhaps a supportive or protective attitude to each other
• the contrasting body characteristics are clear 
• the colour/tone relationship seems to work
• the advancing foot provides scale and perspective, it helped in the construction of the drawing, and for me introduces a pleasing element of idiosyncrasy 
• the result is not purely representational and for me is appealing in its abstract and expressionistic mode.

This was a good session.
This was a rewarding session (quite a contrast to that reported in my previous posting).

Drawing Robin on 29/11/2011

Pencil and charcoal on A1 cartridge paper. 

In introducing the 'lost edge' by not drawing her back and the rest of this side of the pose I am attempting to place emphasis on the journey up through the pose on the left side of the drawing.

The second, quick, drawing explores the model's very straight and sculptured back.

Over the past few weeks I have been experimenting, by preparing the night before a number of A1 sheets of cartridge paper with clear gesso and various additions of acrylic colour, tissue paper, and in this case some pieces of newspaper. This particular one was selected to have an initial correlation between the newspaper pieces with the composition of the pose. The main drawing is in charcoal with an attempt to bring out the line of high-light with a soft pastel running up through the pose. 

Drawing Angela on 24/11/2011

This was a fascinating morning at Paul Fowler's studio at Pegasus Art in Stroud. Not only had I prepared a number of A1 papers the night before but Paul wanted us to start off by using his clay based materials. He provided pots of clay and water mixes, brushes, sticks and pieces of card. 

For my first two drawings I used brush and clay, together with some pastel and pencil, on prepared gesso treated cartridge paper to which I had added some red acrylic ink.

For my third drawing I again selected a gesso with acrylic ink prepared paper. This time juxtaposing the pose with the gesso structure on the paper.

 

The next is a charcoal drawing on A1 cartridge paper which has been treated with clear gesso. However, this time there are two added areas of 'somewhat aged' tissue paper. You will see that a rectangle of tissue paper was torn diagonally, moved apart, located to the top right and bottom left corners, so creating a diagonal void from bottom right to to left across the paper. I placed the pose in relation to this diagonal void and allowed the charcoal marks, on the different surface textures, to do the rest.

Finally, and with another prepared paper, I played with charcoal. Clear gesso with some added acrylic inks had been randomly brushed on the paper but leaving about 50 % of the surface untreated. A thick stick of charcoal, drawn across the paper responds differently to the raw paper and the gesso surface: soft on the paper, darker and more intense on the gesso as the charcoal is gripped by the 'sandpaper' character of the surface.

Drawing Jamie on 22/11/2011

Here are four A1 drawings on cartridge paper in which I am continuing with my palette of techniques. 

Drawing Angela on 17/11/2011

I'm at Extreme Poses with Angela in the ropes, and today Paul Fowler started us off with two exercises. 

Firstly, an approach taken from Giacometti in which we were asked not to remove our pencil from the paper during the ten minute execution of the drawing . This was nothing new to me as I have pursued this approach on many occasions previously and enjoy it.

Then Paul illustrated with a number of Van Gogh drawings how blocks of marks/lines/shading can be used to build up a picture. Again ten minutes. I followed this approach and could not resist adding a few lines to help convey the pose.

Then on to a thirty minute pose. I did not do justice to the length and structure of the torso but the relationship of the head to the legs in the construction of the perspective was basically OK.

Here I attempted a single line drawing. However, I was unhappy with the unsophisticated outcome, so I played with it and added some finer pencil marks and some tonal treatment.

The approach to each of the above drawings was pre-planned and carried out in a self-conscious way. A useful exercise.
But for the last two poses of the morning I felt a real need to be more expressive, yet I am certain that as a result of the earlier 'considered' approaches these two soft pastel drawings were constructed less hurridly than usual and that each mark was more carefully considered.
The technique uses the soft pastel stick on its edge either to make a linear mark or to draw it across the paper.

Drawing Jamie on 15/11/2011

Just a quickie to start with to recall some techniques I have been engaging with recently.

Then two ten minute poses superimposed.

Followed by a 20 minute charcoal drawing.

This standing pose is a ten minute charcoal drawing. Somewhat crude.

Another attempt to relate a pose to a 'recycled' earlier drawing which had been treated with clear gesso with a touch of phthalo turqoise acrylic paint. For the male model I used soft pastel.

The earlier seated pose from the other side of the studio this time using three tones of soft pastel. I am attempting to slow up the drawing process and be more selective with the marks made.

And finally a fifteen minute soft pastel head at the end of the day.

At Extreme Poses on 10/11/2011

Same model as last Thursday, November 3rd.

For this first drawing I spent more time looking and thinking than actually drawing. This is an approach I have been keen to pursue. But it is unusual for me as I tend to explore the form through drawing it, often many times.  Here I studied it and then drew a line, studied it again then drew a line, and so on  and carefully selected lines and tonal blocks. I used an HB pencil and two soft pastel sticks (black and grey) on their edge.

The next drawing was not successful. I wanted to continue in the 'style' of the first drawing but somehow this got lost. I think I also wanted to set up a dialogue between two 'journeys' up through the pose. The main journey being a flow from the left  foot, up the leg then connections up to the head. The secondary journey would then be conveyed in a very different technique and set of marks in light pencil. The idea being that a dialogue is set up between these two. I conclude that execution does not do justice to the idea. So I will return to this concept next week.

So for a third drawing I returned to a familiar technique in order to capture and convey:
(i) the poetry and grace of this beautiful model, and
(ii) the 'extreme' nature of the pose as the model balanced within the rope structure.

Drawing Penny on 08/11/2011

I went to life-drawing today with no expectations as to my approach, technique or medium. What emerged was somewhat surprising and rather pleasing!

A new model at Extreme Poses

I believe this was the first time that the new model had climbed up into the matrix of ropes in Paul Fowler's life-drawing studio at Pegasus Art in Stroud. She took to the challenge very well and admirably held each pose for about 30 minutes.

Pencil and charcoal on A1 cartridge paper.

Charcoal on clear gesso treated A1 cartridge paper.

A pastel drawing juxtaposed against an earlier 'recycled' drawing which I had brushed over with clear gesso.

This final pose presented a major challenge and I completely failed to capture the perspective of her body as she leaned backwards. Her left knee should be slightly higher and much further to the left and the lower leg should be much shorter. However the marks made using a soft black pastel stick on its edge in the areas of the shoulders and hair are very satisfying to me, so I have included a cropped drawing below in order to concentrate on them.