More Figure Drawings

Haven't posted anything from the figure drawing groups lately so thought I'd catch up. I have got to find a better light setup to photograph graphite drawings or start working in a different media.

A new, first time model last night, a friend of Joni, one of our regular models on Saturdays. She did very well. All in all it was such a good session that I'm posting almost all of the drawings that I did. One that isn't posted went to the model. As I understand it the story goes; she reluctantly told her mother she was thinking about modeling for an art class but didn't know if she should. Her mom told her she "had to", that she'd done it "back in the day". So I gave her a drawing to show her mom. Forgot to mention to her that if her mom wants to come out of "retirement" ..............



The first 3 show 1 minute more or less gesture drawings.

The next 3 are 5 minute incompletes.

This one would be 10 minutes

The next 2 are twenty minutes each.

The one below is almost a ringer for a painting I'm doing now. Seated contraposto.

Three drawings of Sharon from a couple of weeks ago. This is the best I've done with her in a long time.

And finally one of Enya from sometime in the past that I don't think has been on previously.

Not getting much art done this week. I'm in the middle of building a studio that if there are no disasters should be finished by late next week. I can hardly wait.

Starting March

"Fly Away on a Magic Beach Towel" acrylic 42 x 38

I guess this is the obligatory beach scene. Doesn't seem much changed from the last post but it really is. This one may be good for re-using the stretcher strips. I've got 4 little paintings underway that need to be finished in some way. I'm ready for a shift in what I'm doing. This picky stuff is getting boring. I like the bird.



It wasn't a great drawing week. A couple of things from Saturday of Joni. With her they should all be good.

Joni's foots

A little "up the nose" experiment

Update on the seagull

I'd intended to post the progress on this painting each time I worked on it but just haven't done so. This painting is making me wish that I was working in oils. I've been working in acrylics so long but am missing the flexibility of oil paint.



Have no idea where this painting is going. I like the bird though.

Figure Drawing 2/24/10

Our model last night had laryngitis like symptoms and couldn't talk. Sign language with a Russian accent is even more difficult.

Before the session started was talking to a friend and they reminded me of the principles of an English painter that I like involving planar break down of the forms of the figure. So I decided that would be my direction for the night. I don't think it turned out all bad. This would be better in ink washes or even charcoal but I'm lazy so I stuck to graphite.

Things went quickly and a couple of times a was able to do a second take on a pose.

I'm going to try to do a few of these as small acrylic studies. Got to do something useful with all these drawings.

Space 301 2/10/10

A new model at figure group. She did very well for her first time. I'm curious about how she ended up in LA from Russia. (LA being south Alabama.)

Saturday Morning at Space 301 2/6

We stated early. Managed to miss the parade, a real plus. I haven't been to a parade in at least 20 years. We had a good group, 11 people I think. Some went to lunch after where the company was great, the food good but too plentiful.

Joni was our model; great as usual. I managed
to get several right profiles to start off. I brought
painting gear but never got to it.

A New Painting-the fun part

I got up this morning meaning to finish a little painting that's been hanging around for a while-----------but there was a blank canvas on the wall, there was a sketch I'd been meaning to use for a while and I'd just found a perfect seagull picture. So I thought it might be fun to track the development. This canvas is 42 x38 inches. One thing that I like for a painting to do is make the canvas appear bigger. It's hard to tell on the computer but so far this one does that.


Day 1, 7:00 AM



Day 1, 1:00 PM

Too much beach towel. Going for more sand. The colors

are off but for now it doesn't matter.

Space 301-the male figger 2/3

I'm not particularly interested in drawing male models but this young man did a good job. Really didn't think much of what I'd done but reviewing it the next day they weren't so bad.

This is a rather heroic pose.

This drawing really just re-enforces my resolve to get

away from pencil and get to a broader stroke medium.

Too much hatching.

The little quickie at the bottom of this drawing may

be the best thing all night. Hard to get on a photo. I

scanned it below. May be a little better view.

Lucifer Hummer-Acrylic-30x28

I posted this little painting once before and took it down. Since I've redone much of it several times. The paint is getting thick and it's time to quit. Upward and onward.

The Beat Goes On at 301

Hannah modeled for us at Space 301 on the 23rd. At some point her friend who had driven her over asked if they could pose together. Of course. Believe it or don't, it was the first time I'd ever tried to draw 2 models. 25 minutes wasn't enough.

The light during the day in the Clerestory Studio is great.

Sharon modeled for us on the 20th. These little 2 minute sketches started off the evening. I liked the one in the upper right so much I gave it a star.

I always tend to add a few pounds to Sharon. Hope that's OK.

Hannah at the Eastern Shore Art Center-1/16/10

I've tried several physical approaches to drawing lately; standing at an easel, sitting at an easel. a table easel and just can't get comfortable. These are on a 14 x 17 sketch book propped on the edge of a table. This isn't deep artistic discussion but it worked pretty well for this time at least.

A good session this time. Last Wednesday at 301 we had a male model who, through no fault of his, I don't like to draw so that was a bummer. I should have gone home.

E.S.A.C. had some interesting stuff on exhibit. First an primative installation of work by Tres Taylor that was written up on the Mobile "Living Arts" section this morning. It was interesting to a degree but grew awfully repetitious rather quickly. This is a self taught "artist". Reading the techniques that he used in this morning's paper was disturbing. Apparently the work was done on "tar paper" which I believe is actually roofing felt, plywood, house paint, acrylics and gold leaf. I wonder if it's actually gold leaf considering the craft required to use gold leaf, and considering the other materials used. I've always felt that an artist had a responsibility to know his craft and practice it as best they could if they're going to hang it on a wall with a price on it.

Oh well, someone told me how happy Tres is so I guess if he's happy, I'm happy. Yeah!

A really interesting exhibit was wooden objects and sculpture. These people knew their craft and used it well. Really good stuff.

While I'm on a tear; parts of the currant exhibition at Space 301 disturb me, just a little. That part being polaroid pictures, a bunch of them, stuck on the wall. The premise seems to be that written on each picture(of a person) is what they want to do before they die. Frankly, dear readers, I don't give a rats ass what these people want to do before they die. There are other arrangements of photos but I didn't bother figuring out the schtick for them. This is one of the nicest galleries around and they ought to show art.

There is some 3-D work in the gallery that I don't believe is connected to the above stuff.

Have a nice day.

In With The New

Our first Saturday drawing session at Space 301. Joni is a wonderful model.

First painting finished in '10 although started in '09. The Lucifer Hummer is an evil looking little dude. As usual the photography is just a bit off.

TAKEN DOWN FOR RENOVATION "Lucifer Hummer" 32 x 30

Starting off figure drawing for the year. Sharon on Wed. night. I wish that I knew whether I've made any progress.

New model in Fair hope. We've had some extreme poses there lately.

I need to wax poetic and come up with some exotic titles for these things.

"Contemplating her Muse"

More Fun in Fairhope 12/19

Interesting new model this session. I hope she can stick with us for a while. This does it for drawing in 2009. Time to get a new portfolio and label it 2010. Looking back over what I've done this year I can feel some progress.

Good Day at Fairhope- Nov 21

Ron Thomson did a great job setting up for this week's drawing group. We didn't get to use everything but with Joni modeling it was a good day. Most of these are in the 20-25 minute time frame. A little more time might be good. She's got a wonderful face and I just can't seem to get to it. May try to turn one of these into a painting.

I Thought I Saw A Puddy Cat.....I Did, I Did, Acrylic 32 x 30

I sure spent too much time on the cats and I'm a dog person. Takes me forever to get to a stopping point on these things. I do know I've got to get a better lighting setup for photographing. Things are just a smidge off.

MEOW!