2nd Entry for May 15, 2011

I haven't seen L-     around in a long time, but she was working on the Sunday night at the TSA.  These are some 1-minute studies,  done with hard compressed charcoal on 18 x 24" cartridge paper.


** Today, Tuesday May 31, marks the opening of a group exhibit I'm participating in. It's called A Figure Runs Through It,   and features works by over 20  artists who are involved in a very loose collective, called `Five Loely Guys'   (the number and gender never having had any literal meaning.
5 Lovely Guys coalesced from the TSA's Thursday night drawing sessions. The show is at the Blue Moon pub, at 725 Queen St E (just east of Broadview. We'll be there from 7 - 10, give or take, so drop by and say hi if you're in the area.

My piece in the show is an overlay of two graphite studies of Z-   , both done done on Japanese paper.

1st entry for May 15, 2011

On the Sunday afternoon, I came in for the final hour. C-   was working, and I just worked on the one study. This is done with hard compressed charcoal on 18 x 24" cartridge paper.  In hindsight, the lower part of her legs are a little too short.

5th Entry for May 9, 2011

These were a 20-minute and a 30-minute pose, both done with hard compressed charcoal on 18 x 24" sheets of Japanese paper.

4th Entry for May 9, 2011

These are two 15-minute studies of Z-   .
So far, much of my output drawing from life of late has been aiming to set down the person's whole body in the time available.  The potential of more consciously cropped compositions is not something I've explored, though it does hold interest.
I had the idea of `vignettes', centering on areas other than heads and faces, so I tried that out a bit on these two poses. Where and how to have the edges fade out was challenging.

These are done with hard compressed charcoal on sheets of 18 x 24" cartridge paper.

3rd Entry for May 9, 2011

These are some further 5-minute and 10-minute studies, done with hard compressed charcoal on 18 x 24" cartridge paper.

2nd Entry for May 9, 2011

 

Below are a couple of roughly 3-minute studies, and above are a couple of 5-minute ones. These are also hard compressed charcoal on 18 x 24" cartridge paper.

1st entry for May 9, 2011

On the Monday, my sweetheart  Z-     was working over at the new location of the Behind The Front drawing session. I was happy to be drawing her, and these are some of her 1-minute poses, done with compressed charcoal on 18 x 24" cartridge paper.

3rd Entry for May 8, 2011

I got in for  the very end of the evening session as well. A-    was working. I hadn't drawn her before. These are two 15-minute studies, done with hard compressed charcoal on 18 x 24" cartridge paper.

2nd Entry for May 8, 2011

I stayed on for the longer sitting that afternoon. The top study is roughly 2 hours, and the lower one is a 20-minute study. The one above is on a 22 x 30" sheet of Japanese paper, and the lower one on an 18 x 24" sheet of the same paper.
The upper one has dramatic  shading and more detail, but is edging into being a little `fussy' in its handling.  The the lower one is more direct and has more `breathing space' in it, but could have a bit more resolution of values, especially on the dark end.
It has been striking me lately that somewhere between these two poles - too much time and too little - lies the best possibility for the freshest longer drawings.
Both are done with hard compressed charcoal.

1st entry for May 8, 2011

On the Sunday morning i got in for part of the drawing session. A-   was there, and these are a 5-minute study above, and two 15-minute ones below. All of these are done with hard compressed charcoal on cartridge paper.

1st entry for May 6, 2011

On the Friday, T-  was working. These are a couple of 10-minute studies above, and a couple of 15-minute ones below

3rd Entry for May 5, 2011

These are two 20-minute studies. By then I had found a chair to sit at, and could focus more on my drawing.  All the same, I was moving quite slowly - it wasn't an especially strong drawing night. But  D-   was doing good work.

2nd Entry for May 5, 2011

In my younger days, i used to often crawl on the floor doing large drawings, an sit cross-legged on the floor at drawing sessions when all the seats were full. Thursday at the TSA was super-full, so I set myself on the floor, and was disturbed to find I could not comfortably sit cross-legged ; some of my ligaments had become too tight for that. So these two 15-minute studies were done while shifting awkwardly through a variety of sitting poses, with the drawing board in my almost-lap.

1st entry for May 5, 2011

On the Thursday, D-  was working.   There are some 1-minute studies, done with hard compressed charcoal on 18 x 24" cartridge paper.

5th Entry for My 1, 2011

These are two 15-minute studies, also done with hard compressed charcoal on 18 x 24" cartridge paper.

To my mind, images like these are floating on a sea of possible directions into which the surrounding space could situate M-  , or contrast with his image.  I find that is often the stage the drawings are hovering at at the end of working with a model.

Any people who people who like investigating longer figure drawings of their own should check out a  Spring Intensive workshop I am teaching at the Toronto School of Art next week. (May 16 -20).   It's called "Bodies in Context", and runs from 9 a.m to 4 p.m daily     

Each day features a different model, set up in a tableau with props and backdrop elements, to explore narrative and symbolic  situations.  Good figure drawing practice, lots of time for one-on-one feedback and coaching, and an excellent opportunity to consider content - and the meaning of figures - within your work. 

There are a couple of places left, and for details, check in at the TSA's website.

Act fast, though - it starts tomorrow!

4th Entry for May 1, 2011

 These are two 10-minute studies, done with hard compressed charcoal on 18 x 24" sheets of cartridge paper.

3rd Entry for May 1, 2011

I came back for the evening, and M-    was working. At top is a 1-minute study, and below that are 5-minute studies, al done with graphite on 18 x 24" cartridge paper.

2nd Entry for May 1, 2011

I stayed for part of the afternoon as well. This was a 1.5 hour study, with hard charcoal on 22 x 30" Japanese paper. I was quite happy with the handling of all the forms here, and the texture of the drawn marks. I prefer this degree of graininess on the larger surface.

An image like this is floating, in my mind, on a sea of possible directions into which the surrounding space could situate G-  , or contrast with her image.  I find that is often the stage the drawings are hovering at at the end of working with a model.

Any people who people who like investigating longer figure drawings of their own should check out a  Spring Intensive workshop I am teaching at the Toronto School of Art next week. (May 16 -20).   It's called "Bodies in Context", and runs from 9 a.m to 4 p.m daily     

 

Each day features a different model, set up in a tableau with props and backdrop elements, to explore narrative and symbolic  situations.  Good figure drawing practice, lots of time for one-on-one feedback and coaching, and an excellent opportunity to consider content - and the meaning of figures - within your work. 

There are a couple of places left, and for details, check in at the TSA's website.

1st entry for May 1, 2011

On the Sunday morning, G-  was working. From the top, these are a 5-minute study, two 10-minute ones and two 15-minute ones. All of these are done with hard compressed charcoal on 18 x 24" sheets of cartridge paper.