"Remember a line cannot exist alone; it always brings a companion along. No lines can go wild; every line must have its function" Henri Matisse 1908.
For some time now I have avoided the approach of a 'tonalist'. In fact, I have claimed that I can deal with tone with line, through variation in weight and strength in the way I touch the paper with my graphite pencils, in the way I make my marks on the paper.
However over the past months, whilst participating in virtual life-drawing sessions, tonal responses have crept in. However much I have attempted to explore and exploit 'line', and to constrain myself to nurture a minimilist linier approach, I keep finding myself hatching and cross-hatching and applying tonal washes with, for example, finger smudged charcoal. I don't know, but I feel this may be brought on by my sitting in front of my big tv screen on to which I direct the live pose from my computer/zoom link. Maybe it is the flat screen upon which lighting contrasts appear to be exaggerated which makes me respond in this way. I am really not at all sure about this.
This evening we have Fra, and her first two poses of 7.5 minutes each I placed on one A1 paper. I deliberately intended to respond in this way and fortunately Fra presented two standing poses which I was able to superimpose and follow my 'transparency' process.
Then Fra presented a 15 minute standing pose which had strong lighting contrasts so I found myself drawn into using dark charcoal. Her legs and bottom had to go in first: such lovely curves and tonal contrasts. But there were other parts to the pose. How to include these? Her face went in (in the way I have been recently placing a head within a torso) and interestingly it appeared to look out from within as her skin was pulled back as in an medical anatomical investigation. I always enjoy drawing feet, so one of these just had to go in.
We are now on to the first of two 30 minute poses. The breast and left hand were the first to be engaged with. I had in mind at this early start to bring in the right hand eventually, but this had to waite as the coupled feet attracted me. I then became aware of the contrasting lines of the context. I have on a number of occasions felt that the organic curvilinier lines of the body would be enhanced by contrasting them with the linear geometry of any supporting structures, e.g. plinths, tables, etc. so here the door panels and skirting board were introduced in order to provide this contrast. As a result we seem to have a rather mystical, ghost like, figure floating within this structure.
Finally, Fra lay on her back with her legs up against and supported by the wall beyond, her head towards the camera. The legs and the attractive groin area immediately went in taking up the full verticality of the A1 sheet of 220gsm sheet of cartridge paper. But then I was presented with how to respond to her folded arms and the lovely tilt of her head as it faced towards the viewer with its tonal lighting contrast. In it went, superimposed.
When I came to photograph the drawing and started to reflect upon the outcome I turned the paper thro' 180 degrees, and it seemed to make a greater sense to me. At this point I recalled how Egon Schiele on many occasions played with his clients and with his exhibition organisers by applying his small rectangular block of 'date and name' at 90 degrees to the way the drawing had been made, So some of his works were often displayed to the public turned thro' 90 degrees. No one knew of this, but he enjoyed it, and of course his drawings worked.
An interesting outcome of this little play of mine is that a narrative seems to more easily come to mind. How about;: "Please don't leave me. I won't let you go!" or perhaps its more of a rugby tackle.
Postscript: from Paul McCartney "I used to think anyone doing anything weird was weird. Now I know that it is people who call others weird that are weird" As you view my drawings are you calling me weird? If so, then please let me know. Or do you simply accept that what you see in my drawings reflects what I am seeing, reflects how I am seeing it, and my drawings represent my perception and my interpretation of the muse before me?
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