Both ways simultaneously.

My approach here, which I have pursued a few times before is to draw one half of the pose (firstly her left side from the front) then to move my easel to the other side of the model and then to draw her left side from the back. Two more moves, back and forth, is accompanied by a morphing process in which a degree of overlap and interpenetration of the two halves takes place. The outcome is uncertain. In fact I believe it is quite a gamble. How much I am in control of the content of the morphing process I don't know. The outcome is clearly a drawing of a seated model, comfortably relaxed, arms and hands resting on legs. But then the beholder becomes aware that something is not quite as it should. Attention is grabbed. One then just has to try and sort out what is in fact happening.

The plinth plays a role (March 23rd at 'Extreme Poses')

Paul Fowler at Extreme Poses in Stroud sometimes introduces one, two or occasionaly three plinths (of varying heights) which the model can decide to use in conjunction with the harness of straps suspended from hooks in the ceiling. I rarely make reference to the straps, except where their inclusion helps explain a pose or is in fact a very integral part of the pose. Sometimes a model will simply sit, curled up, on a plinth and not use the straps. Sometimes both straps and plinth play a supporting role for the pose. This morning, in all drawings, and this was not a conscious decision, I reacted to the 'structural relationship' between foot and plinth. This phenomena was only really noticed when all drawings became displayed together alongside my easel position in the studio. Yes, I must have been aware within myself of this significant relationship at the time (I suppose its the architect in me sensing the importance of the structural support that the plinth gives to the body) but what fascinates me is that the relationships between the foot and plinth, and in one case the two hands and the plinth, varies so much. There is quite a contrast, for example between the pose when all the gravitational weight of the body is supported fully by the plinth, and the pose in which a foot lightly touches the plinth because most of the weight is received by the suspended straps and partly by the other foot.
All poses are held for 30 minutes, but for the fifth and final drawing the model was attempting a challenging pose which she had to abandon half way through and enter a new pose. I am unable to recall from my drawing what these two poses were, but I expect the essence of each one to be there.

Not the whole pose, on March 16th 2017

In each of these drawings I brought together two or more parts of the pose and missed out the rest. Why? The simple answer is that I draw the bits I am attracted to, for various reasons. The answer which hints at a more complex issue is that I am probably attempting to focus on the essence of the pose, by bringing into focus the key parts of the pose, and thereby expressing more profoundly the character of the pose before me. Although this is incidental to my process I do know that the beholder has take far more than a cursory glance to understand what it is they are looking at. Today, I also introduced willow charcoal back into my pallete to work with and hopefully enhance my mark-making contrasts.

More life-drawing gymnastics

Following her four quick poses (see previous posting) our model for the morning took up a classical seated pose. She was facing me with her lower right arm resting on her right thigh. She presented a relaxed and comfortable form.
But I don't do conventional representative responses. I started with the right arm on the right thigh (portrait format). I then turned my paper through 180 degrees and added a breast and the other arm. I then explored the drawing thro' a 90 degree turn (landscape format). Then a further 180 degree turn. I asked myself what was beginning to emerge? I went back to the first orientation and carried out further mark-making to emphasis points of tonal contrast and anotomical junctions. Then again thro' 180 degrees and following the same process. The paper then went thro' a number of additional revolutions with marks being added, before our time was up and lunch beckoned. Conclusion: not at all sure, yet.

Life drawing gymnastics

I often place my responses to the quick warm-up poses on one sheet of A1 paper. The sequence of arrival challenges ones ability to anticipate and to allow flexibility to incorporate the unexpected. Today I decided to superimpose rather than keep separate the four poses. Within the outcome I see 'flows of forms', I see 'deep penetrative spaces', I see opportunities to take the resulting composition further. But, at the moment I will leave it as it is.

DRAWN 2017

Here are my three submissions. I have not entered before, so lts see what happens.

At 'extreme poses' on March 9th 2017..............

...........where we are all warming to the way that Shelley is creatively responding to the challenges of posing in the ropes for 30 minutes at a time.
Whereas I have been recently deconstructing the pose and playing around with a reconstruction to reflect something more of how I am feeling about the form and the anatomical presentation before me, here, today, because of the provocative simplicity of each pose, and the unchallenged beauty of the nude form before us, I just went ahead and started drawing without questioning, without any critical observation, without any thought of what the outcome might be. With a graphite pencil in each hand I entered a mark-making process to discover my feelings and to see what I was seeing.
However, there is a 'conscious' aspect to my art, at this time: it is to do with a fairly strict set of rules of how I mark the paper during the process of constructing the drawing. I have described this in previous postings. I start with two hard graphite pencils ( 2H/H), then I pick up perhaps two 2B/3B's, finally with something like a 7B or 8B I emphasise selected key points within the composition. It is usually my intention that the relationship between these points of emphasis create a journey up through the composition, I.e. they take the eye on an exploratory engagement with the aspects of the pose which I have embraced.

Seeing double

Tuesday March 7th 2017 at Angela Palmer's life-drawing class in the Mackenzie Hall in Brockweir in The Wye Valley. Katie is our model and to start with she presents two standing poses of 5 minutes each. She was in control and to my advantage simply turned to face the other way for the second pose. This then inspired me to bring her two halves together, in the second drawing, for the rest of the session, which I then played around with some tonal techniques.

Five differing responses to 'extreme poses'

Followers of my blog now know that 'extreme poses' is the name given by Paul Fowler to his presentation of his life models in his classes at Pegasus Art in Stroud. The model suspends her body in challenging poses in a harness of straps and ropes fixed to beams in the centre of the studio. The form of the pose pushes the artist to innovate and explore beyond the conventional life-drawing response. Here are today's five 30 minute poses within which can be seen elements of my current pre-occupations, I.e. morphism, anagramism, 

superimpositioning, transparency, together with my interest in mark-making.
All are drawn with graphite pencils on A1 220gsm cartridge paper. I start with a pencil in each hand (H or HB) drawing simultaneously and tend to complete the drawing with a softer pencil (7B or 8B). I will often use something like a 2B or 3B in both hands at an intermediate stage in constructing the drawing.
This is Thursday morning of March 2nd 2017.

Three in one

Each of these two compositions are made up from three drawings. I have taken parts of the pose which interest me and superimposed them.

Four 5 minute poses on February 28th 2017

The sequence of arrival, and form, of the poses is totally in the hands of the model. Yet, sometimes there appears to be a 'design'.