Life Drawing - September, October & November Sessions

After a year break from life drawing (originally only in first year) I was very excited to start it again as I learnt a lot of new skills and enjoyed working with charcoal. In our first life drawing session of the term, we worked with still life objects.

Above is the first session best pieces I produced. We used parts of animal bones and two human skeleton models that we could take apart and re-position randomly. Although I found it strange working so close to bones, it was a good chance to study bone structure and the skeleton form. In the last fifteen minutes of the session, we were asked to explore and have fun manipulating forms into a part of nature. I decided to incorporate bones into a tree which was challenging and fun.

In our second session, we had a male model and did a variety of compositions and timed pieces. I thoroughly enjoyed working in a background for context on a few, as the charcoal can give great texture and mood to a piece.

For our third session, we played around with lighting such as harsh light. It was interesting to study how strong light fell onto the body's form. I experimented with compressed charcoal, although some of the strokes if you're not careful can get very black. We also tested our skills by sketching with our charcoal taped at the end of a long stick which I found really fun.

For our fourth session, we had another female model and practised with some more longer poses. One of the sessions students brought in a prop snake to help develop his portfolio and it was fun working with the shape and flow of the two subjects. We also did a turnaround study where the model moves and everyone draws again and again until we have a complete rotation of the model over six stages; which I thought came out quite well.

In our last session of the term, we challenged ourselves with several quick timed poses from a few minutes to just thirty seconds! I really enjoyed working like this as it challenged you to not think but just include basic form and quick charcoal strokes. In addition to this, the model was very diverse and changed to a lot of different positions over the course of the session.

I also got the opportunity to work with coloured markers in the session and investigated two tone compositions; adding in harsh strokes with changes to brush thickness and outlines. Overall, I have really enjoyed the return of life drawing for third year in the course and have found it really beneficial, aiding my drawing and observational skills with the natural form.

Life Drawing - Session 19, 20 & 21

In our nineteenth life drawing session, we started off with the usual five minute sketches and then onto the longer poses with different techniques and also applying whatever we enjoyed the most. Recently I got back into using my watercolours and played around with water density and how much I removed from the brush when placing it onto the paper. Something I would always struggle with back in school was trying to make the different colours not bleed into one another. As I have a better understanding now of how to apply the paints, I can make broader strokes and place greater value where I would have been nervous to before.

For our twentieth session, we started by creating many one minute sketches. After this we had the opportunity to use any medium we liked. I decided on using compressed charcoal and bring out the harsh contrasts of lighting. Next we had to study foreshortening. I had known about rendering depth and distance for several years but did not know that that was the term given to the unusual angles. Furthermore, I really enjoyed pushing myself with this as we only had fifteen minutes on each piece.

In our very last life drawing session on the course, we could use any technique we wanted and play around with colour. At first I tried compressed charcoal again but did not quite get along with it as I thought I would. This was mainly due to the model having fair hair; making the harsh strokes stand out too much. Following this, I used three felt tips (red, orange and yellow) and also my fine liner pens that I thought came out well. I had planned on using an easel at some point for the final piece which we had to do foreshortening on. Unfortunately, I just used a board and table which made the proportions, from which the angle I was working at, come out wrong.

Below is one of my favourite pieces not only in the twenty-first session but out of almost every single one! We had about a quarter of an hour to sketch either the face, hands or feet of the model. I chose the hands as I really liked the angle and peacefulness in the light; making this composition. I placed the charcoal lightly across the page creating a light outline that I then put shading onto. If I could have spent a bit more time on it, I would have added some context in such as a solid black background. Overall life drawing has been an amazing part of the course that has both challenged me and given me experience for the future.

Life Drawing - Session 15, 16, 17 & 18

For our fifteenth life drawing session, we used a variety of mediums and could finally use colour! I mainly focused on drawing depth that stands out in things like the curvatures of the body. We first started off with quick four minute sketches, using charcoal and then moved onto longer quarter of an hour pieces. I decided to use an easel for this session, instead of on a table, as I wanted to get things in proportion; as it's quite difficult to balance an A2 piece of paper. For the colour piece, I used my Stablio coloured fine-liners. This was interesting to play around with and experiment with a cross-hatching effect.

In the sixteenth session, we explored form and shape of the model spending more time on each piece and really studying structure. We were then given the challenge of doing one minute sketches. At first I thought I was going to find it very strenuous, as I put a lot of detail in my work but I actually quite enjoyed the freedom and aimed at showing the most vivid shape 'paths' as seen in the bottom left hand corner of the image below. 

Our seventeenth session was pleasant; getting to use colour once more! We started off doing one minute swift sketches of the model and then changed onto coloured pens. I used a very fascinating black three-point pen which gave off the illusion as though I had made the same mark with a small distance in between. Furthermore, I used this as an advantage and created a cross-hatched piece. Towards the end I used a purple and pink pen, finding rough markings to shape the models position.

For our eighteenth life drawing session, we tried out negative lighting work by marking charcoal across the paper, creating a dark background and then using a rubber to erase out parts of the body which had the brightest tones. I enjoyed doing this again although we had less time on it then our last. In addition, we tried out the one minute quick sketches and I also brought my watercolours to have a go with blending contrasts.

Life Drawing - Session 11, 12, 13 & 14

In our eleventh life drawing session and the first of the new term, we created a range of pieces from quick sketches to quarter of an hour works using charcoal. I tried to vary my flow by changing methods to several techniques like stippling and rough lining which was fun but exhausting!

For our twelfth session, we swapped using easels to working on a table and board. I found it rather difficult to put 'pen to paper' without having to lean forward and hurting my back in the process for a long period of time; to cover the A2 page. However, I managed to prop up the board a bit and felt I was more comfortable to working with it like that. I experimented with tone and blending a harsh background against the lightest areas on the model's skin which I thought went well.

Our thirteenth session consisted of the same processes as the week before but with more practise of mediums. Underneath, I have shown a few such as Compressed charcoal, Biro pen, Ink pen and a 4B pencil. I decided to try and bring out some of the backgrounds context to make the body's form stand out; instead of just placed on a blank canvas.

For the fourteenth session, we had one of the regular male models. Personally this was an advantage, as I was able to easily recall his body shape and outline, giving me more time to focus on shade and context; while studying new techniques. I was also able to get a portrait or two done which I have been practising on recently (I rather enjoy the complex symmetry). On the other hand, I have been surprisingly leaving out the feet of almost every model in every session's sketches. I have no idea why this is, as I have no problem with sketching them but maybe more recently sitting down, it's because I can not see them behind the board; anyway I chose a composition and included them in this week!

Life Drawing - Session 9 & 10

For our ninth life drawing session we started off with the usual quick sketch; 3 pose warm-up using charcoal. We then moved onto highlighting key tones around the features of the body like a Topographic Map; although I found this a bit tricky as its a 'live' model and so circled principal areas. We were then given the chance to work with ink and so I took the opportunity to practice some more with negative lighting, strength of strokes with the brush and intensity of the ink.

In our last session of the term for life drawing, we had a female model. We were given chalk to work with and blend in the contrasts with charcoals. I decided to pick out key features of the figure and explore angles of harsh shading and curves around the body. Unfortunately, I was unable to put depth around the face of the model (finishing in the touches of the whole body in frame, takes up most of the time we are given) which is something I would prefer to focus on next year. Overall I have really enjoyed Life Drawing as a part of the course and look forward to it in the new term.

Life Drawing - Session 5, 6, 7 & 8

In our fifth life drawing session we began with the lengthy task of creating the composition of the figure behind a wooden border frame. I struggled several times on aligning the body with the wooden struts but managed to bring the angles in together with the vertical lines. We were then able to use pen to sketch and as this was something I practised alot in college before; so I enjoyed outlining the model more roughly.

In our sixth session we played around with form and tone on the male model. I used the charcoal more heavily and closer to the paper to get deeper lines and harsh shading. Towards the end of the session we had fifteen minutes to use a rubber on charcoal covered paper and find the negative lighting on the model. I really enjoyed this technique and hope to it try out in future sessions.

For the seventh session we got to use an ink and bush on paper. I had to do several attempts to get into using ink on thin paper again as I heavily used the ink before wetting the brush in water. At college I enjoyed, similar to the work above, finding the negative lighting on the model and using the ink only as the shade; I was quite happy with the outcome of the top right hand image below.

Our eighth session was more detailed focused and I really enjoyed finding the best composition of the model to put in the frame of work. We also got to work on sketching the face of the model for the first time. I found this easy as I have always enjoyed sketching the appearance and expression of the human visage.

Life Drawing - Session 1, 2, 3 & 4

In our first life drawing session we did several short pieces, focusing on the body shape and outline. I think my (second across) image below was a lot more successful and in proportion to the rest of the body structure.

In our second session we began with a series of four poses and then moved on to more complexed work. Still using charcoal, our mentor got us to try several challenging techniques such as continuous line drawing, using our opposite hands to sketch and change in distances with our contact on paper. 

For our third session we could use pencil, although the paper we used was more for charcoal, it was fun experimenting with various techniques such as Scumbling and Crosshatching. I played around with the depth of tone alot more and made harsh edges to bring out the silhouette of the model. 

Our fourth session was alot more concentrated on the figures stance and interesting angles to work with. I really enjoyed bringing out the expression of the model and toning. I also found using geometric shapes to prepare for the actual pieces relieving. The third image down was pleasing too, as once the time was up we had to move on to someone else's work and go over it. This is the one I started on and found it interesting how everyone had corrected several body features and yet left others.