The model tonight was a large, overweight woman. I find these kinds of bodies really exciting to draw. There is a massive quality to the form, weighted, earthy, the groundedness stimulates the muladhara chakra. So here below, the evening’s catch.

On the fifteen minute poses, I think the most successful are those in which I had the time to add in a few touches of extreme highlight. These white highlights do not need to be many, but they function in important ways to set the dynamic range. But these extreme highlights can only be correctly placed after I have already set the figure and begun to suggest some of the chromatic values on the toned paper: there is not always enough time for all that in fifteen minutes.

Four fifteen minutes poses: Conté crayon on toned Canson pastel paper. 32.5 x 50 cm. Or 13 x 19.75 in.

Three four minute studies: Black charcoal on tinted sketching paper. 35 x 50 cm. or 13.75 x 19.75 in.