Feelin' Sketchy Saturday

 25 minute sketch

charcoal and pastel

 2 minute gestures

 2 minute gestures

 20 minute sketch

charcoal and pastel

10 minute contour drawing

pencil

20 minute sketch

graphite and pastel

The drop-in drawing session today was fun, although I left early because of a headache. I sat in a similar place this week (facing the windows), so still battled back-light issues on the model. I used my white pastel more sparingly just to show the bright highlights (and some reflected light) on the body. I enjoy the difference between the contour drawing and the sketch I did of the same pose. The arm coming towards me was quite foreshortened (dramatically so in the contour drawing- he he) and offered a challenge as did the line of her torso. The man sitting beside me happened to be the instructor of the drawing class I took last summer. I said something about our angle being a challenge and he told me to think of it as a landscape. Humph. Helpful!

I am very excited because I have ordered some new art books and they should be here soon. One is called "Art Models 6: The Female Figure in Shadow and Light" by Maureen Johnson. A girl probably should have started with book #1, but #6 looked so good! Anyway, even though it is not as good as a live model, I will have some images to work from at home now and I will be able to work on a pose for more than 20 or 30 minutes at a time.

Have a great weekend!

Feelin' Sketchy Saturday

 20 minute sketch

 20 minute sketch

 8 minute contour drawing

20 minute sketch

I went to the drop-in drawing session this morning and mucked around with my pastels (I still have a small box from Grade 12 art class!). It was tricky today because they turned out the lights and had a spotlight facing into the class on the same wall as the windows. I was looking straight at the window/spotlight wall so basically the model was very dark except a halo of back-light all around her. If I knew how to sketch in that scenario I would have been golden! Never-the-less it was interesting (if not blinding)!

I love the contour drawing- I usually enjoy how they turn out. The last sketch, well, I was planning to do a white chalk/black charcoal sketch and then shoot in some colour patches like amazing Marcia LaBelle, but somehow she ended up looking like the Wicked Witch of the West!

Oh well, onward and upward!

Feelin' Sketchy Saturday

chalk and charcoal drawing

I went to the drop-in drawing session this morning and I'm not thrilled with my results, so I also found an old drawing from about ten years ago to show you. Obviously I didn't have time to finish it, but I think it looks cool anyway.

Here are two sketches from this morning. I'm not sure why, but everything I drew today was small and not placed well on the page. I am also finding myself a bit frustrated because the lighting is very bright (no spot-lights) which means I really have to search hard for contrast. It is especially difficult when the view or angle of the pose is like what I had today...

 10 minute pencil sketch

...it's hard to make it interesting. And this one was no better...

25 minute pencil sketch

Oh well, as I have said before and I'm sure I will say again, they can't all be winners!

Sketchbook Sketch

Margot- Sketchbook Sketch

vine charcoal
© Nicki Ault, 2011  

This is the last drawing I have to share from my two day class. On the last evening the model offered to pose for an hour of her own time. She had fulfilled the obligations of her contract, but wanted to continue for anyone still wanting to draw! She was a good egg! I decided to do a quick portrait... well, only after I ditched my first effort which was a foot study. I had to crop this one because I really misjudged the placement of her head on the paper.

I'm no Barbara Muir, Suzanne Berry or Rahina Q. yet, but I'm not giving up and I'll get there someday! Thank you for watching me on my journey.

Sitting Pose

Sitting Pose

graphite on paper
© Nicki Ault, 2011  

The model we had for the drawing class was a pro. Her gesture poses for the warm-ups were excellent and her longer poses were well thought out and interesting. She could hold a pose like no other (even with the mosquitoes!)... until this one. Bless her heart, she actually fell asleep! She kept sinking lower and lower until her chest was more caved in and the arm propped on the back of the chair was at a very different angle than when we began. 

I like areas of this one; I like her right leg and the overall gesture of her seated position. I think you get a real sense of the way her body weight is distributed in this pose. However, I do feel a bit bad about the man-hand I gave her! She really did have the most graceful and beautiful hands, but you would never know it by the big honkin' mitt I put on her! It's like a paw!!!

Standing Pose

standing pose

vine charcoal 
© Nicki Ault, 2011  

This is possibly my favorite drawing from my class at Emma Lake. It is obviously not finished, and something is not quite right from the belly button up, but I don't care! How's that!? I still feel really happy with how this one went. I love it from the belly button down. I wish I could remember what the time limit was, but I don't. Thirty minutes comes to mind.

 Cabin #11

a little piece of heaven

Did I mention how much I loved my little cabin? I had it all to myself and although I wouldn't want to be away from my family permanently, it was a glorious respite from never ending Lego pieces, Bey Blades and Pokemon card debris!!!

Girl Unfinished

Girl 1(unfinished)

charcoal and chalk on paper

© Nicki Ault 1999

Another old drawing from back in the day before paint.

I am extremely excited because tomorrow I am northward bound! I am going a day early to spend some quiet time alone at my parents' cabin at Waskesiu Lake. I may paint or read my new book... or just sleep, sleep, sleep! I need to arrive on campus by suppertime Thursday at which time I will meet the instructor and other students. It's going to be good!

Life Drawing Session

Cheryl

10 minute pose

vine charcoal on newsprint

Cheryl 2

10 minute pose

pencil on newsprint

It has been raining so much this week you would think it would have to end at some point. Today we were supposed to take part in the community garage/yard sale, but clearly that wasn't going to happen. I woke up and remembered that one of the artists from the studio had invited me to join her other art group for a life drawing session. My guys were just going to be lounging at home this morning, so I scrambled and got myself there for 9:00 (I woke up at 8:10!). I felt very nervous and extremely rusty, but it honestly felt fantastic to have my charcoal out again. I really didn't know what to expect of the set-up, so all I brought was my pad of newsprint and charcoal/graphite. We did some 30 second and one minute poses to start. My gesture skills slowly began to warm up, but are far from where I used to be years ago. The above are 10 minute studies.

Cheryl resting

20 minute pose

graphite on newsprint

Cheryl standing

20 minute pose

graphite on newsprint

Cheryl- portrait sketch

pencil on newsprint

The remaining sketches I am showing you each took about 20 minutes although I think the last one was possibly closer to 30 minutes. I used a basic HB pencil on this one- straight from my son's school supplies, so it is quite light. Sorry for the quality of the images... you can tell they are right out of the sketch pad. Let's just call them authentic!

Apparently this group is trying to meet the last Saturday of every month to do life drawing/painting sessions. I hope to attend again. I really struggled with proportions today and I need to keep up these exercises so I can continue to grow. As always, I was humbled by how much I need to learn. Cheryl was a talented model and gave us beautiful poses for the quick gesture studies at the start of the session. She had very graceful lines to her body and she was so confident!

Charcoal Drawing and Thank You

Monday, the kick off to another week. And it looks like it is going to be a busy one.

 

I am switching it up and just for fun posting a charcoal drawing I did a few years ago. I love drawing, but really haven't stretched those muscles in awhile. This is hanging in my bathroom and it maybe measures 16x20.

When I look at yesterdays post I realize how wordy I was! Whew! Thanks to everyone who bothered to read it. The kids are at school and I am really tired so I think I will keep it brief for today and then go rest. However,   I did want to thank those of you who have decided to follow my blog... it means a lot... especially when I know I haven't gotten off my butt to do any following yet... this whole time I have been bookmarking my favorites! I actually didn't even fully understand what following meant, but I just read a Blogger article on it and it is more clear. Anyway, thank you to my 12 Followers! And also thanks to those that have taken the time to leave comments for me- they are a treat to read each time I find a new message. Hopefully new readers will find your blogs (those that have one) through mine.