Extended poses 12-3-13

The same process, this one is more successful.

Extended time poses 12-3-13

I set an intention this week to do a major shapes block-in of just 2 values, shadow and light, as the underpainting. I used non-fleshtone colors for this step: a purple and a yellow. After being more or less satisfied with the arrangement, I went back over with a light and dark fleshtone, hoping not obliterate the underpainting completely and to keep an "unfinished" look. This one is a little overworked, the next one is better.

Drawing #2 11/19/13

Suede paper - strong blue/purple color and strong contrast - trying not to explain everything.

Life Drawing CAM 11/19/13

An excellent new model can always inspire, and one can only work and hope that one can do justice for her work! This is on Colourfix Suede paper with Terry Ludwig pastels - so much fun, but I can sure overwork it - not unknown to me.

Pose 3 10/15/13

The last pose of the evening, worked on some homemade sanded paper with swirly colors. The pose presented itself with that feeling and was extremely foreshortened, so placing it on the page and trying to decide what to leave out and what to put in was challenging!

Pose 2 10/15/13

Pose 2 - 25 minutes - continuing the effort to be more painterly and exploring the lights & darks

10/15/13 Longer pose 1

25 minute pose - just trying to be more painterly

CAM Life Drawing 10/15/13 15 minute pose

This was a quick 15 minute pose - almost gestural - just trying to find the little dark places that define the lights without trying to explain every detail.

10-1-13 Extended Pose Night

I usually kill a drawing if I have too much time to work on it - so I willed myself not to touch it after I reached a point in which I thought it was "finished".

Drawings from September 24 continued

Liking this color use

Drawings from September 24

Still working towards being looser, more expressive, not so controlled.

Playing catch-up the latest

Last drawing night's work - trying to work looser and be more expressive while trying to render the figure accurately. Pastel on toned paper.

Playing catch-up

I like these black paper drawings - kinda gives me shock - changes my energy and perception.

Playing catch-up

Pastel on paper, two weeks ago, I think. I like this smooth toned paper.

Playing catch-up

Have been rather underwhelmed with my drawings lately, and have not been focused on my postings. Thought I would do a little catching up.

This one was done just a few weeks ago - maybe July sometime. I thought when I was doing it that it was about the hands - hands that I hadn't rendered well. I tinkered with it a bit, and am a bit happier.

4-30-13 CAM Life Drawing

Had an off night, this was the closest to something I like.

4-23-13 #3

Head was in a funny position, feet were  hard to draw at that angle, kinda lumpy looking.

4-23-2013 #2

Extreme foreshortening, looks like the creature from the black lagoon.

Life Drawing at CAM 4-23-2013

After a brief discussion, it was pointed out to me that a certain body part (the right foot) was in an awkward  position, resulting in an odd shape in an unfortunate location.   So I thought about it and agreed and removed the offending appendage. This was the first long pose of the evening and it is by far the best. The next two are bizarre and stiff, respectively.

Life Drawing 4-16-13

I tried out the new pastels that came with my award and they are fun. They are Diane Townsend Terrages - they have a fine pumice combined with the pigment and binder, and the idea is that they "open" the paper surface (abrade is the action) to allow smoother paper to accept more pastel. They can be used as any other pastel brand and can be combined with other pastels as per usual. I really appreciate this gift as I would probably not have tried them (they ain't cheap!  ;-[  ), and they are different. I did several drawings on prepared paper, and on Canson MiTientes  as is this one - and overall, I think this is the better drawing.

Life Drawing 4-9-13

These last 2 are also on treated paper, and they were both difficult poses from my view - the last one I think I was just wore out!

Life Drawing 4-9-13 #2

This is the first on gessoed paper and a 25 minute drawing - I like this one the best, it's more accurate and has a lot of drama.

Life Drawing 4-9-13 #1

Spring has sprung! Fresh palette, new model! For the last 3,  I was working on paper treated with Liquitex Clear Gesso which dries with a tooth, and I swirled in different watercolors to create a ready-made background - which in itself creates another dimension of challenge. These first 2 are on plain smooth paper, 15 minutes each.

#1 smooth paper

#2 smooth paper

The last pose of 3-12-13

Same palette colors as the one before, and a challenging view. It seems disorienting to me without the legs.

Life Drawing #4 of 3-12-13

This one done on gessoed paper which gives it a little tooth. Pastels are NuPastel and Schminke. And I strengthened the colors but still my favorite palette.

3-12-13 Life Drawings

3-12-13 Life Drawing Night

After having to take off a couple weeks, I went into the evening with no expectations. I just decided I would change my palette to my favorite colors and go with the flow. Sometimes I surprise myself and do better than expected when I don't set expectations! Just relaxing and having fun!

This one, and the next two were done on smooth drawing paper and using NuPastels and Schminke dry pastels.

CAM Life Drawing 2-19-2013

I was not happy with the first drawings of the evening, I did not get the drawing right from the get-go and I got way too far along before before I decided I needed to fix them. So I tinkered with some rather strong complementary palette colors, just to see what they would do. I'm working in oil sticks still and I'm still learning what to do with them. But this drawing was the last one of the evening and I focused on getting it right from the start and then building up the form through color, but still not explaining every little detail. This one works for me better than the others from this night.

I'm getting good at backs! I did one almost like this last week!

Long pose #3 2-12-2013

The last one and this one speak to me more than the earlier ones of the night. I like the design, the patches of color, the lines or lack of. This one reminds of me of something too - I must channel things from time to time?

Long pose #2 2-12-2013

 Now I tried to remember to work with a complementary palette, and I did not "pre-draw" the figure, but used the oil stick to lay it out and develop it. It gives a more interesting edge?

Long poses 2-12-2013

This one was also started with charcoal line drawing but on gessoed paper this time, still a bit stiff and I forgot my intention to use a complementary palette - I started out that way, but veered off course along the way.

2-12-2013 Drawings

The intention I set for tonight was to challenge myself in a media I have used before but not too effectively and to use a complementary color palette to develop the figure. These first 2 are 15 minute drawings, starting out with charcoal sketch lines, then filled in with color on smooth drawing paper - no gesso. I feel like the drawings look stiff here - but it is the long warm-up - that's how I look at it.

Long Pose Night Part Deux

Even more pastel colors insisting to exist in oil!

Long Pose Night 2-5-13

An opportunity to work large in oil. I set my intention to develop the figure starting with placing my darkest darks, lightest lights, and midtones. I also started out with a different palette, but those pastel colors just won't let me go!

1--29-2013 drawing 3

This was the last, longest pose and it may be difficult to see on your monitor, but there is some fun things going on with scumbling of color over color on treated paper, which creates not only some interesting texture, but also some dimension.

Not a perfectly proportioned figure but interesting.

1-29-13 drawing 2

This one is on unprepared, slick drawing paper, 20-25 minutes, just trying simplify a rather exaggerated pose.

January 29, 2013 CAM Life Drawing

I definitely find that I need to establish an intention to accomplish "something" when I draw - and I'm thinking that applies to "everything" really. While I think these drawings are not finished products by any stretch of the imagination - there are some things about them that I can continue on with at the next sessions, so I'll have to review them beforehand to see where it goes, hopefully.

Fifteen minute drawing

Drawings from January part 2

Drawings from 2 weeks of January

I have not been as happy with my work these last few weeks, and I'm thinking it may be because I have not set an intention. It seems to me that I do better when I establish a plan, goal or target for the evening, rather than just let it happen. So I'm going to try to do that with more deliberation than I have lately and see if that helps. So here are 2 of 4  of the latest in order of execution.

2nd drawing of 2013

This reminds me of something - some artist I have studied - but I can't remember who . . .

The first drawing night of the 2013

Used pastels on gessoed paper. A bit stiff, my hand-eye coordination is OFF!