Drawing Abigail on March 19th

It takes time to get to know a model. Their character and personality and the way they approach their role as model in the life-drawing process are aspects that the artist will only gradually become aware of and appreciate over time. It also takes time for a model to settle in to a particular life-drawing venue and to make their own contribution. When the model and the artists, together with the tutor, all begin to know each other and begin to work together, there is no limit to the sense of fulfilment, to the degree of achievement, to the level of artistic attainment. And I am sure this applies to all parties. 

Today we welcomed a new model, Abigail, to Angela Palmer's life-drawing class at Mackenzie Hall, Brockweir in the Wye Valley. Last Thursday those who attend Paul Fowler's Extreme Poses class at Pegasus Art in Stroud met for the first time Damaris (see previous posting: Drawing Damaris on March 14th).

So, with two new models, in both cases my drawings should display evidence of:  exploration, enquiry and challenge; frustration, fight and battle; with glimmers of insight and breakthrough. And I think they do. To start with, in the simplest and crudest terms 'the model is an object to draw', however much one tries not to think in these terms. However, with time the artist will get to know the model, and the model will get to know the artist. A dialogue will emerge. A shared venture will result of which the artist's contribution will be a drawing which will be strongly influenced by what the artist feels than by what the artist is looking at.

Can we claim that we are drawing 'a feeling'  and not simply drawing an object.  I believe we can. Eventually.

To start with, three short warm up poses. An HB pencil in each hand, each on A2 cartridge paper.   

 

Then on to the main pose for the day, which we will also have next Tuesday.

Three drawings from the one position facing the model.

All on A1, 220gsm cartridge paper.

'a bold attack with charcoal: includes a number of layers of drawing rubbed back each time, and attempting to capture the left hand side profile of the pose, and also attempting to include the whole pose within the paper but this failed and both the feet and the clasped hands were eventually allowed to leave the confines of the edges of the paper'  

 

'the second look from this location. A lighter approach, less sculptural with a greater emphasis on clarity of mark-making' 



'the third look from this location. This time no lines, but with the knowledge built up from the previous two drawings I dipped a whetted tissue into some charcoal powder, made some marks by drawing the tissue across the surface of the paper, then added some darker marks with a charcoal stick on its side, and then on its edge'