Aside*

11x14 Pastel Study from Life

I am leaning toward figurative work outside of life drawing. The image above is a 30 minute portrait from life. I began by drawing the skeleton in garish, inaccurate colors. These colors are still semi visible in the pit of the neck and the breast plate. I am enjoying the subtlety of these structural marks in contrast with the delicate handling of complex color in the skin. I would like to further these observations in nude (or nearly nude) studies from life.

20 Minute Pose 22x30

*Note the changes in the foreshortening of the foot and calf, and the flattening of the shoulder and back from the short sketch to the longer drawing. The mark making in the second is much more delicate and refined as well.

10 Minute Sketch for Long Pose 22x30

30 Minute Pose
22x30

Drawing Digis

Hands have proven to be the MOST challenging area of life drawing. I struggle because I am accustomed to making large sweeping gestures when drawing from life and then going back in to rework details. I get caught up in the complex forms within the hand and my drawing style becomes tight and cramped.

Hands are helping me to learn how to recognize and render plane changes better than other body parts. I am improving my cross contour line work because the contours in the hands can be so dramatic.



10 Minute Hand Study 22x30

Craniums & Stuff

Image;
Amy's Lecture Notes 4/26/10

Yesterday I began to explore the skull bones. We learned the proportions of cranium to face, which are probably surprising to many, but I had a good idea prior. This doesn't mean, however, that I was able to draw the skull right away! It's going to take a lot of practice to learn how the bones of the face sit in relation to the cranium. I find that I've been elongating the cranium and shortening the height of the face. Drawing from the maniken skull rather than life was very beneficial to my understanding of the bone structure. I am planning on doing a few more skeletal based studies to further my understanding of the figure.

My first attempt at rendering the skull

Shell Drawing III

22x30 Shell Drawing III
Charcoal, Pastel, Tea


Close Up of Wash Detail

Color

This is my first attempt at drawing from a live model in color pastel. I chose to do this study in a 5x7 format simply because it is the given format for our 'daily paintings'. I immediately regretted working this small. I have grown accustomed to large gestural marks whether painting or drawing, and trying to place these delicate accurate marks proved to be frustrating. I think it was good for me to attempt these, simply to learn better control of my tools.

Proportion, Proportion

Attempting Proportion

Life & Shoulders

I learned about the anatomical structure of the scapula and it's relationship with the rib cage and shoulders today. The human figure is always so much more complex, even visually, than I had assumed before our lectures on anatomy. I have been drawing these areas of the body all semester, yet after today's lecture, I am seeing them completely different.

We drew from a male model for the first time this semester today. It was actually a difficult transition. Male and female anatomy actually differs quite a bit, from muscle development, to bone structure, to how they carry excess weight or lack of.

Today becomes Tomorrow

http://figuredrawings.com/

I found this website today that I believe I will be frequenting this semester. It has some great image references as well as a plethora of writing relevant to my studies.

Staining Experiments

I've been experimenting with creating stains from loose tea. I've struggled to control india inks in the past. I tend to have issues with over-saturation and control, leading to a murky mess. I decided to explore teas and coffee instead. This week I took 5-10 containers at a time and attempted to create stains with varied amounts of loose tea and water. I experimented with different brands and varieties of teas as well. Here are a few images of the more successful dyes I've created. Brush control became my next issue. I learned that I prefer to use a foam brush, although the marks can appear 'manufactured' if you aren't careful. I am really enjoying the subtly of the less saturated hues and the color variation in the others. I am also interested in the way that the moisture is interacting with the charcoal where the lines become heavier. This may be something worth taking further outside of life drawing.



*The last image was an attempt at wet on wet staining and drawing. I think it turned out a bit cheap-hotel-watercolor looking.