Life-Drawing and Trees

Prior to attending Laurie Steen's 'the nature of drawing' course (see my last four postings) I gave some thought to how my life-drawing might synthesise with drawing trees. Here are a few images which at the time suggested a diirection things might take.

'the nature of drawing': day four

I had seen Laurie Steen's seductive drawings of trees, places and landscapes, for the first time, at the 'Drawn' exhibition at the RWA in Bristol only a few weeks ago. I instantly loved them, followed up her work on her website, and discovered she was running a course at Coombe Farm Studios in Devon. I was attracted not only by her work but also by the double meaning of the title, 'the nature of drawing'. Not only was it to be about drawing as mark-making using a variety of media, but also drawing from nature itself in the form of trees, foliage and places.

So I saw the opportunity of perhaps taking into the drawing of natural subjects my life-drawing skills, of perhaps adding to my life-drawing journey some new steps of experience, and perhaps finally aquiring some techniques to help me record the qualities and mysteries of the places on my hillfort.

Laurie's main approaches focus on a) using conte on mylar, and b) using various drawing matrials on heavily textured surfaces, e.g. layers of white gesso, perhaps on board, and c) using a variety of different, often textured water colour, drawing, and cloth papers. I experimented with many of these.

Her exhibition drawings were on mylar, and I worked hard to come to terms with the technique with which she is so accomplished. On this occasion, I had to admit, that I didn't think it was for me (I will return to mylar and persevere at some later date). However, I did experience some very satisfying experiments with layers of white gesso, sometimes coated in poppy oil, sometimes sprinkling charcoal dust from a bush on to wet gesso, sometimes moving droplets of sepia ink across a gessoed surface with a tissue, etc., etc., etc., etc. 

Below is recorded the sequence of drawings on this fourth day, starting with a one-handed pencil drawing of my selected 'place' near the studio, which then became the starting point and resouce for the experimental drawings which followed.

Two of these achieve my aims. They are the final two monochromatic drawings using charcoal dust and inks on white gesso.

'the nature of drawing': day three

More experimental stuff.
To start with, sitting side on to our paper and not looking at it but looking at our hand and drawing our hand. I repeated the drawing of my hand a number of times using pencil, fine-liner pen, charcoal, and black conte. We were supposed to draw with our unusual hand, but seeing that I now consider myself to be ambidextrous, I drew with my right hand (I am now known as 'two-pencil-bob').
The other drawings, all on A1 heavy (220gsm) cartridge, some treated with clear gesso, are interpretations of various still-life items placed on the table in the centre of the group of the six of us on the course. We rotated clockwise around the table with our paper and drawing board, and were required to use the media chosen by each person. So as I moved around I encountered paint and brush, sticks and inks, charcoals various, etc., but also a different artefact or set of objects in front of me. This all happened quite quickly.

'the nature of drawing': day two

Yesterday's posting I made no comment.
Today I feel I can say something: ...........much more confident with experimental approach....... (although I take the view with my life-drawing that I should 'consider everything an experiment').
So we were encouraged to use cotton/rag paper with layers of white gesso and then a coating of poppy oil before drawing with graphite powder, charcoal powder, conte, woodless pencils, etc. etc. Also drawing with inks whilst distancing ourselves from the paper at the end of a very long stick.
So here is today's pieces. Not planned but explored. Not designed but entered into to discover.

'the nature of drawing': day one

No comment. I'm just posting my drawings for comment at a later date.

This is me Now! What will the path ahead be like?

This is the last life-drawing session before I head off to Coombe Farm Studios in Devon to indulge myself in Laurie Steen's week of 'The Nature of Drawing' May 18th - 22nd. 

Today Robin was amazing in the way she held her challenging poses for 30 minutes each. She is so strong and determined. Her creativity in the air inspires us.
Not only are the poses a challenge to herself to hold, but to us the twists of her body, the perspectives, and the sculptures in the air, are a joy to behold and a demand to respond with equal drawing creativity.

Drawing John on May 2th 2015

The tall lean figure of John triangulated himself into this attractive pose. I've always enjoyed triangulated poses and set about drawing him with no pre-conceptions or intentions except to enter the process ahead and to see what happens. The only conscious decision was where to position myself in relation to the pose in order to maximise my engagement with 'triangulation'.
A pencil in each hand, standing in front of an A1 sheet of cartridge paper, I moved my hands around in front of the paper to spatially map out the form which I wanted to fully include within the boundaries of the paper.
The head on hand was outlined followed by the long legs. The right elbow moved inwards and the left upper arm moved outwards during the making of the drawing. The scale/size of the dangling hand was critical.
In the second drawing I started with  a block of tinted charcoal in my right hand and, because I was already familiar with the 'form', I fairly quickly placed on the paper the darker tonal areas, which I then sculpted and lightened with a piece of toilet tisue. A second layer of tonal treatment went in emphasising the darker tonal areas. These were then also lightened with the tissue. Picking up my two pencils lighter and darker lines built up the pose. Finally I went in with a piece of willow charcoal to take into the paper the deep dark tonal points.
For the third drawing I moved my easel position and the soft edge of his right side and similar treatment to his feet I expected to place the beholder's emphasis on the central parts of the pose particularly the advancing right elbow.
This was the short evening session at Angela Palmer's class at Brockwier in the Wye Valley.

Sometimes including plinths and ropes help explain the pose

Most of the time I have no interest in the supporting structure but sometimes they can be essential to help explain the pose. Two examples from my early two-handed days.

All-time favourites of mine: 4

I think I will always include this drawing in any selection of those I'm really pleased with because it was just about the first time I picked up a pencil in both hands and they contributed equally to the mark-making. I am still astonished that it is a thirty minute drawing.

An all-time favourite of mine: 3

I travelled through a fascinating period of my life-drawing journey during which I placed a longer drawing within the boundary of a quicker gesture drawing. Each drawing would be completed within the one session. I have retained many examples of this approach which appear quite complex and retain ones attention as one works out exactly what is happening.

An all-time favourite of mine: 1

Long before I started drawing with both hands at the same time, this is charcoal on gesso treated A1 cartridge paper. I did not include the supporting ropes so the model appears to float. I recall moving the charcoal marks across the textured surface with my fingers

An all-time favourite of mine: 2

The majority of my life-drawings are produced in a short time. Here is a rare event. This was produced over two to three days. I recall it grew gradually. It is much bigger than A1, and I think we must have had around twelve half-hour poses at least.

Five 30 minute poses, with Paul up in the ropes.

Just got home, photograhed my drawings, so here are my five two-handed pencil drawings from this morning's session at Extreme Poses at Pegasus Art in Stroud (May 7th, 2015).
A rather mixed bag, simply responses to each pose. No plan. No pre-thought strategy for the morning. No aims in sight. No goals to achieve. Just standing (or sometimes sitting to gain an upwards view of the pose) and then, drawing. A pencil in each hand, with perhaps a conscious effort to get each to equitably contribute to the mark-making.
The outcome? Why evaluate? Of course, I will, and I do evaluate. I am self-critical. I will assess my drawings in the context of the role they each play in the evolution of my life-drawing journey. But not too much. And not to the detrement of achieving the main purpose of my engagement and fascination with life-drawing: I.e. that it is a therapeutic and meditative activity, which I pursue fully within myself. Answerable to no-one.