Still Life: day three

If you are reading this after Christmas you may have already seen a later posting in which I included some explanatory notes. In the meantime,  this is the final drawing of the 3 day session at Pegasus Art set up by Paul Fowler (see next two posts for days one and two).
All 12 participants arrived to discover their new location for this third day, and set about selecting what new artefacts might be introduced into their developing narrative.
This is a big drawing: 92cm x 113cm, and mine is completely executed using my two-handed technique (except for one or two lines which have been used to re-emphasise the spout, kneck and lid of the initial elegant copper vessel). I feel I am naturally now a 'two-handed artist'.
On this 3rd day I had to depart at 12.00 mid-day, so in total I devoted about 14 hours to this drawing, but I find that the intensity of my two-handed approach is quite exhausting and much time is required to recover, during which thought is given to selection of the next contribution to the composition/narrative.
So, I will need time to reflect on these three days, after which I will post my thoughts/analysis.

Still Life: day two

Continued with selection of artefacts viewed from my new location. The theme changed a little and a number of rules began to emerge to direct the drawing. There could be a major change tomorrow.

Still Life: day one

This is the first of a 3 day still-life session at Pegasus Art with tutor Paul Fowler. The photograph shows the pile of artefacts from my position on day one. Tomorrow Paul will relocate us and then on day three we will be repositioned again.
Where to start? And then what next to include?
Inuendo played an important selection motivaton, I.e. a link to 'the female', as in drawing the female nude in life-drawing classes. Also I was keen to include and to develop certain approaches which have pre-occupied me in recent life-drawing, I.e. a figure within a figure; complexity; surrealism.

That's enough explanation for now. So here is what happened (it should be possible to find each object in the photograph, accepting that I have introduced a degree of personal interpretation in the drawing of them).

Drawing Sue on Dec 3, 2013

Drawing Michelle and Sue on Dec 3, 2013

Drawing Robin and Paul: Nov 28th 2013

Quite an emotional day, at least right at the start.

I had not experienced anything quite like it.

Robin, a ceramicist and former dancer, and Paul, a gardener, both professional life-models, had intertwinned themselves into a beautiful pose. 

Where to start? All earlier thoughts about the morning went out of the window when presented with the symphany of their two bodies.

Taking a pencil in each hand I seemed to be quided by an inner force. I have previously talked about the concept of 'drawing a feeling', but this is probably the first time it has truly happened.

When time was called at the end of thirty minutes it took me a few moments to withdraw from the meditative state I had entered.

I don't think I reached the same depth of experience or produced the same type of drawing during the rest of the rest of the morning. But I need to reflect on this before I reach a conclusion. 

Sue on November 26th: Part Two

Two ten minute poses. But only half of each, joined together. In my two-handed 'linear' technique. Then the third pose, in my two-handed 'squiggle' technique. For this I positioned myself very close to the model, looking down at her, and I used the outline of the first two drawings as the boundary or parameters for the third drawing.

Sue on November 26th: Part One

Here are the three 10 minute poses at the start of the morning session in Brockweir in the Wye Valley. The first two are standing poses and I am pleased to have inadvertandly introduced an element of ambiguity with respect to her left arms. Are the two figures entering into a slight embrace?

What happens when the model does not turn up?

In 7 years of life drawing this has happened only once before.
Today our tutor, artist and art historian Tony Tribe, posed for10 minutes in the hope that the model would arrive eventually, but late. She didn't arrive at all, so the day was abandoned.
It may appear that he is being crucified for the misdemeanour. In fact he is leaning against a radiator, and after a short time experienced some discomfort tohis hands from the extreme heat. I am reminded that models frequently have to put up with challenging poses and conditions. Usually, it is at the other end of the thermal scale.
Thanks Tony!

Drawing parts of Paul on November 21st 2013

This two-handed, two 2B pencil drawing on A1 220gsm cartridge paper, is composed of selected parts of the model Paul from the five 30 minute poses on Thursday morning at Extreme Poses at Pegasus Art in Stroud. Locating the model up in the ropes is the brainchild of our tutor, Paul Fowler.

As I journeyed through compiling this composition it became clear to me that my mark-making was different in each part, and changed through the morning. I started with the hanging arm on the right, then the two feet on the lower left. These were followed by the centrally placed knee and foot. Later I deliberatly emphasised the emerging catalogue of my personal mark-makings by finishing with my much more intence and tonal approach with the hand and the two feet at the top.

'head to head'

Two cropped details which emphasise my contrasting mark-making and indicate the potential of juxtaposing one pose within another.

Theme: 'bodies within bodies'

Here are three drawings in which I have looked at the model from two locations, and my assumption is that I am gaining a fuller understanding of the model and thereby increasing my chances of 'drawing my feelings' rather than drawing an object. All three are created with my two-handed 'exploratory'approach to drawing, and I am deliberatly emphasising the two contrasting mark-making methods.

More faces of Chika

The evening of November 19th 2013 and Chika has returned to Angela Palmer's class at Brockweir in the Wye Valley.

Drawing Abigail on November 19th 2013

Drawing Robin & Damaris together on November 14th 2013

Abigail meets Abigail meets Abigail

Firstly two ten minute poses then into the main pose which I started at the eye in an attempt to create a narrative about their relationship. Their eye contact certainly suggests one to me. What do you think?

The whole drawing is made by using both hands and I am making a clear distinction between the two mark-making approaches. In the more linear approach the two pencils search almost independently of each other for the form of the body. In the more tonal squiggle approach the two pencils work very closely together.

All my drawing is now two-handed. It's becoming quite natural to me.   

 

 

 

 

 

Portraits of Chika

This is probably the first time I have entered the world of portraiture. I didn't approach it any differently. Then why should I? 

Chika is from Japan.

 

 

 

 

 

Three recent significant drawings

Drawing Liv on November 9th & 10th 2013

Drawing Paul on November 7th 2013