Haven’t seen this model come for awhile. She is younger than most, so that just means that potentially she might take more energetic positions. Well, that wasn’t really the case tonight. Still, it turned out to be a productive evening.
Three fifteen minute poses, Conté crayon touched up with conté pencil on toned pastel drawing paper. 32.7 x 50 cm or 13 x 19.75 in.
Four four minute gesture studies. Charcoal on brown tinted sketching paper. 35 x 50 cm or 13.75 x 19.75 cm.
Fantastic model tonight. How could we be so lucky to have two great male models (almost) in a row (see February 12th)? For the model tonight seemed to know intuitively what poses create true interest. Weight changes. Tension – and/or lack of it. Being comfortable in your own skin. Well, OK, I was also experimenting – with some success – with my new skin tone pastels. Maybe both factors coming together?
Below six (count ’em, six) fifteen minute figure studies. (that means that almost every one turned out interesting, since we usually do seven in total). Conté crayon with conté pencil on tinted pastel paper. 32.7 x 50 cm. or 13 x 19.75 in.
Three gesture drawings. Charcoal on tinted brown sketching paper. 35 x 50 cm. or 13.75 x 19.75 in.
After a long (way too long) hiatus, I was finally able to return to figure drawing this week. What a delightful surprise to find that the model was one of my favorites(!). I distinctly remember when he posed for us last (about two years ago). That evening, almost every drawing turned out well, partly because he is/was such a good model: comfortable in his own skin and sensitive to what makes for an interesting pose. In the past (not knowing his name) I had called him Tintin, but as I learned this week his real name in Frederick. Thanks, Frederick!
In addition, during this interim I was able to pick up some additional skin tone pastel pencils and conté crayons which allow for subtle additions of warm accents. Yum!
These two toned drawings are 15 minute studies. Conté pencil highlighted with conté crayon onpastel paper. 32.5 x 50 cm or 13 x 19 3/4 in
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A new-to-me model last night. Young, lithe and somewhat ambitious at least in her 4 minute posing.
Three 15 minute poses, one above and two below. Conté pencil highlighted with conté crayon on tinted pastel paper. 32.5 x 50 cm or 13 x 19 3/4 in.
Here below are some 4 minutes studies from last night’s session. charcoal or conté crayon on pastel paper (because I ran out of sketching paper). 32.7 x 50 cm or 13 x 19 3/4 in.
Two fifteen minute poses ended up being keepers from this evening. I like how there is a different chromatic feel reflected in the choice of different papers and the subsequent development of the image.
Conté pencil highlighted with conté crayon on pastel paper. 32.5 x 50 cm or 13 x 19 3/4 in.
And a four minute one as well. 30.5 x 40.6 cm. or 12 x 16 in
Soeren, one of my favorite models. A tall, lanky guy whose body can never fully fill the page no matter how big the paper may be. The foreshortening in the reclining pose, below left, was particularly challenging so I’m especially happy with the way the final white highlights helped to define his splayed out body.
These three sepia toned drawings (plus one gray) are 15 minute studies. Conté pencil highlighted with conté crayon on pastel paper. 32.5 x 50 cm or 13 x 19 3/4 in.
Two of the four minute poses below. 35 x 50 cm. or 13 3/4 x 19 3/4 in.
The model tonight was a young girl who (obviously) does a lot of yoga. These kinds of models are quite supple and with a good feeling for interesting poses. Embodied awareness. I’m especially happy with the highlights of the featured image here. I used light yellow, light peach and sepia pastels to contrast with the dark brown of the conté crayon
Below are some 15 minute poses on tinted paper with conté pencil highlighted with conté crayon on toned paper. 32.5 x 50 cm or 13 x 19 3/4 in.
The four minute poses tonight went quickly and well. It’s always delightful to have a good model. 35 x 50 cm. or 13 3/4 x 19 3/4 in.
I find there is something disconcerting about a nude model, who decides to retain their glasses. When drawing, include them or not? If so, the hard lines and hard reflections from the glasses create an element where previously there were only organically flowing shapes. But still, I think the most successful drawing of the evening was the featured one here where the bright white of the glasses’ reflection forms the strongest highlight.
Conté pencil highlighted with conté crayon on toned pastel paper. 32.5 x 50 cm or 13 x 19 3/4 in.
Here below two of the four minute quick poses. Conté crayon on sketch paper. 35 x 50 cm. or 13 3/4 x 19 3/4 in.
A model whose ethnic characteristics are Indian. So she has almost bluish tints to the highlights of both her hair and skin. Nice, but it can be chromatically challenging if you take your visual impression literally.
One fifteen minute pose, spotlighted above. Conté pencil heightened with conté crayon on toned pastel paper. 32.5 x 50 cm or 13 x 19 3/4 in.
Three four minute gesture studies. Black charcoal on toned sketching paper. 35 x 50 cm. or 13 3/4 x 19 3/4 in.
Tonight felt like a bit of a breakthrough for me. I’ve just started using the sienna toned paper. But which color to use to draw the figure? And then what pastels to use for the highlights? It needs to become intuitive – as it did in this spotlighted one.
Three fifteen minute studies. One above and two below. Conte pencil tightened with conté crayon on toned pastel paper. 32.5 x 50 cm or 13 x 19 3/4 in.
Three four minute studies. Charcoal on toned sketching paper. 35 x 50 cm. or 13 3/4 x 19 3/4 in.
