Arts Alive summer school: day three.

I came to this third day excited by both the process and the final drawing of day two (see previous posting). In fact it had received some very complementary appraisals, and particularly so from Kate our model. Although I had not had a paricularly new experience, in other words I was enacting recent issues such as my 'anagram' approach (selecting parts of the body and juxtaposing them in a new relationship), overlapping and superimposed anatomies, transparency,  exaggeration and foreshortening, diversity of mark-making, two-handed drawing in the early stages. Again on day three we had Kate but this time seated on a stool. Again I was fortunate to be close to the model. I decided to closely relate what was to happen today with the outcome of yesterday. Now, this means I had a fairly clear idea of the nature of the end product, or at least I can say that this was not to be an experimental and exploratory process with no idea of where I would end up. In the words I used many years ago as an architectural educator this was to be a 'goal oriented problem solving activity'.
The overall experience was different. I was definately applying conscious thought, perhaps conscious analytical and judgemental thought. I believe this slowed the process down, in contrast to my more usual 'lets quickly start making marks and see where this leads us'.  The issues listed above were there, but I am certain I was making sure I followed them. I was definately 'designing' the composition. I feel there are differences between the two drawings which recall the differences in the two processes, but I will come back to them in a week or so and sit in front of them, and hopefully post my findings.
The charcoal drawing is of the pose after lunch. I put in place the blocks of tone and the principal angular geometry lines with a thick chunk of willow charcoal used on its side without any outline/overall/form sketch lines, which usually go in at the start with mark-making from both my hands working simultaneously. The final form seemed to successfully emerge from this rather scattered set of seemingly unrelated marks (I think what I'm trying to say is that from an observer's viewpoint it looked a bit like throwing black paint or pieces of triangular black paper and some straight black sticks at the surface in a random manner, but of course it wasn't random, was it?)

Arts Alive summer school: day two

I was about one metre away from the model looking down along the legnth of her body and standing at my easel. The first drawing was a fairly speedy exploration of the essential aspects of the pose. Perspective was a key issue, and an early realisation that if I was to include the full spread of her arms then the whole would need to be drawn at a small scale, even on my A1 paper. Drawing two slowed down the process as I further familiarised myself with the issues of this particular pose. Then in drawing number three I decided to start with the head which I advanced (exaggerated) towards me. Then I started to introduce the legs which in contrast to the head I emphasised the diminishing perspective. I don't recall which parts I then introduced and in which order, but what is clear is that I had no idea at all as to what the completed drawing would be like. This was a completely exploratory and experimental process. I only started to introduce colour, as a tonal tool, once I had superimposed upon each other the basic outlines of the various parts of the anatomy. The tonal areas helped me to clarify and articulate the parts. Gradually from the confusion of overlapping parts of the body there emerged recognisable forms which both intertwined and morphed together.

Arts Alive summer school 2017: day one

I'm doing 3 of Tony Tribe's 5 day summer school at Arts Alive in Crickhowell, Powys.
Today, Penny is our model who am very familiar with. The first drawing is her 10 minute 'on the starting blocks' pose, and the foreshortening of her advancing right leg juxtaposed with her ample bottom caused me no hesitation on how to start the process off.
Then I played around in 3 drawings with her seated pose, but nothing special here.
However my final two pieces after lunch I found fascinating. Penny is reclining on a chaise longue. My searching mark-making results in a dynamic which has emerged a few times recently, and I am beginning to feel I wish to pursue this process further. Then finally, there was space to move my easel close to the head of the chaise longue so I could look downwards on to her head and further down her body which I then enjoyed capturing the perspective but also the challenge of getting her legs and feet into the composition (a bit of artist's licence here, otherwise they would be right off the paper).

Shelly at 'extreme poses' on July 13th

In the second pose she is standing on a plinth and there was some of her weight taken by the ropes she was leaning on.
I very much enjoy the challenge of perspective and advancing feet as Shelley curls up in the ropes.
In the final 'contemplative' pose she is also suspended in a 'seated' position up in the ropes at my eye level. I concentrated a bit more on the diversity of mark making in this particular drawing.
All are two handed drawings using graphite pencils ranging from 4H to 8B (usually I use 3 grades of graphite in any one drawing), and are on A1 220gsm cartridge paper, portrait format.

Drawing the amazing Robin at 'extreme poses' on July 6th

The 1st, 2nd and 4th drawings each are pleasing in different ways and suggest I am still evolving.

June 27th and John is our model

To start with a front and back brought together, followed by playing with highlights.

Two sessions at 'Extreme Poses' on June 22nd and 29th

Our model is Paul.
Convivial and jokey, he rises to the challenge of the ropes.
And I feel I rise to the occasion.
Perhaps some experiments?
We shall see.