Category Archives: Figurative

I strive to render the human figure, our abode of living, tingling consciousness, as succinctly and eloquently as possible. When it’s successful, it’s a communication from my embodied consciousness to yours.

Figure Drawing, February 17, 2017

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We visited San Clemente, California for three months this winter. During that time, I located a local art supply store (San Clemente Art Supply) that hosts figure drawing sessions twice a week. Twelve bucks, one room, one model, good lighting, free benches and drawing boards, 3 hours, no teacher. Just my cup of tea.

The model this day was  a good one in the sense that when she took a pose she held it. A thick stocky woman who you might not otherwise want to cross. Both of the drawings below were 20 minute poses. Conté pencil highlighted with conté crayon on toned pastel paper.30.5 x 40.5 cm or 12 x 16 in.

 

A succession of quick 2 minute poses. Chalk on toned drawing paper. 14 x 17 inches or 35.5 x 43.4 cm.

Figure Drawing, December 19, 2016

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Last session of the year before the holidays. The model with glasses. Sometimes I include them in my drawings sometimes I don’t.

Below  a few of the 15 minute poses. I experimented with blue on the shadows tonight but I find the most successful one (highlighted here) used warm tones for the quarter tones with black or white conté pencil for the contrasted accents. Conté pencil with conté crayon on tinted pastel paper. 32.5 x 50 cm or 13 x 19 3/4 in.

Below are a few 4 minute studies. Conte crayon on sketching paper. 35 x 50 cm. or 13 3/4 x 19 3/4 in.

 

Figure Drawing, December 12, 2016

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This evening yielded some interesting experiments. I’ve been playing with colored pastels for the highlights for awhile but what about using blue for the shadows  – and on sepia toned paper? Then tightening it all up with white and black conté pencils for the extremes.

Three 15 minute studies, one above and two below. Coté pencil with conté crayon on tinted pastel paper. 32.5 x 50 cm or 13 x 19 3/4 in.

 

Here below a few 4 minute sketches. Conté crayon on toned sketching paper. 35 x 50 cm. or 13 3/4 x 19 3/4 in.

Figure Drawing, November 28, 2016

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Luc, one of my favorite models. He’s a dancer so he’s very good a finding interesting poses.

Here are two 15 minute poses, one above and one below. Conté pencil highlighted with conté crayon on tinted pastel paper. 32.5 x 50 cm or 13 x 19 3/4 in.

And a few 4 minute poses. Conté crayon on sketching paper. 35 x 50 cm. or 13 3/4 x 19 3/4 in.

Figure Drawing, November 21, 2016

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I’ve started playing with using a dark sienna conté crayon to block in areas of shadow on the toned pastel paper. The highlighted one here is on soft gray paper. I like it because it is good example of the less-is-more principle.  However, I’ve also found that warm dark shadows also work on the sienna toned paper. Then, the hue contrast between figure and ground is less strong, allowing the figure to gently emerge from the paper.

Here are two fifteen minute studies, one above and one below. Conté pencil highlighted with conté crayon on toned pastel paper.32.5 x 50 cm or 13 x 19 3/4 in.

A few four minute studies.35 x 50 cm. or 13 3/4 x 19 3/4 in.

Figure Drawing, November, 14, 2016

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There are some evenings that just become magical. And I couldn’t have predicted it, either. The model was a brown skinned woman of Indian extraction. She was challenging to draw because highlights on her skin were almost blue – and her hair was jet black. But electricity began to jump the moment she put on her blue robe. Obviously, the effect wouldn’t have been the same on white paper. BTW: the quick poses were also quite successful, I think because she had a good feel for interesting movement.

Three 15 minute poses, one above and two below. Conté pencil highlighted with conté crayon on toned pastel drawing paper. 32.5 x 50 cm or 13 x 19 3/4 in.

4 minute poses. Conté crayon on toned sketching paper. 35 x 50 cm. or 13 3/4 x 19 3/4 in.

Figure Drawing, November 7, 2016

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Two poses of 15 minutes, one above and one below. Conté pencil highlighted with conté crayon on toned pastel paper. 32.5 x 50 cm or 13 x 19 3/4 in.

And three 4 minute poses. Conté crayon on sketch paper. 35 x 50 cm. or 13 3/4 x 19 3/4 in.

Figure Drawing, October 10, 2016

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Three 15 minute poses. with a clothed model – for a change. Conté pencil highlighted with conté crayon on toned pastel paper. 32.5 x 50 cm or 13 x 19 3/4 in.

 

Two 4 minute poses.35 x 50 cm. or 13 3/4 x 19 3/4 in.

Figure Drawing, October 3, 2016

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When the model has some background in yoga, the poses taken can be quite interesting – and challenging to both parties!

Two poses of 15 minutes, one above and one below. Conté pencil highlighted with conté crayon on toned paster drawing paper. 32.5 x 50 cm or 13 x 19 3/4 in.

Two poses of four minutes. Conté crayon on toned sketching paper. 35 x 50 cm. or 13 3/4 x 19 3/4 in.

Figure Drawing, September 26, 2016

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One of our regular models, the one who likes to wear her glasses while posing.

Tonight I experimented with doing one of the 15 minute poses on sketching paper instead of pastel paper. The tactile feel was different, and also the way the paper received the strokes of the chalk. Less receptive. But OK, the drawing turned out alright – but I wouldn’t do it again. Too much of a struggle. I prefer the other 15 minute study on the darker toned pastel paper but wanted to highlight the sketch paper one just to illustrate the difference. So two fifteen minute studies, one above and one below. Conté pencil highlighted with conté crayon on toned paper. 32.5 x 50 cm or 13 x 19 3/4 in.

A few of the four minute poses. 35 x 50 cm. or 13 3/4 x 19 3/4 in.