5th Entry for Apr 7, 2011

(People looking for life drawing instruction - or basic perspective instruction - should take note that I have an intermediate/advanced life drawing class on Wednesday evenings starting in a few days at the TSA, and a perspective basics class on Tuesday mornings. Both run for 10 weeks, and you can get more info through the TSA website. There is still space for any interested students, and all ages of adults are welcome - but act fast - the window of opportunity is drawing to a close...)

These are two 20-minute studies, that finished the evening.  The upper one was especially strong, I felt, and perhaps the most successful one I've done using the compressed charcoal. That was partly due to my being in a good viewpoint in relation to what was a dramatic pose on A-  's part.

Not all physically taxing or unusual body poses translate into remarkable visuals, and location is an important factor - what is a striking collection of forms and angles from one place may not be so strong from another. But when someone's pose strikes a chord - and they are pushing themselves - it makes a heightened sense of an event that I as a drawer want to reach to describe. But for those to work, one benefits from all the practice time and experience in setting things down on the less dramatic moments, to be ready for when something subtle or dramatic does strike a chord.