1st entry for July 19, 2014

On the Saturday afternoon Karen came to work at the ARC studio on Adelaide St. This is a 2.5 hour study, done with water-soluble graphite washes as an underlayer, and regular graphite pencils on top to add a broader tonal range and clarify details. On 18 x 24" Canson Montval watercolour paper.

4th entry for July 8, 2014

These are two 10-minute studies above and a 15-minute one below. All are water-soluble graphite pencil and Artgraf graphite washes on 18 x 24" sheets of Canson Montval watercolour paper.
I'm finding that forcing myself to work in pure line for the first part of a working session sharpens up the full tonal studies on the later longer poses

3rd entry for July 8, 2014

These are 5-minute studies, done with a medium-point Pitt pen on 18 x 24" sheets of Strathmore Series 300 paper.
Knowing about body structure is a real asset in drawing people. From August 18 - 22, I'm teaching a 5-day intensive course on anatomy as it applies to figure drawing at the Toronto School of Art. If you're interested, you can get more info and enroll through here.

2nd entry for July 8, 2014

These are some 2-minute and 3-minute studies, also Pitt pen on 18 x 24" Canson Recycled Sketch paper

1st entry for July 8, 2014

Jasper came to work for Diane's Drawing Room session. It was good to have a chance to draw a male aerialist, and Jasper is a strong and experienced performer. These are some 30-second and 1-minute studies, done with Pitt pen on 18 x 24" sheets of Canson Recycled Sketch paper.

Entry for July 5, 2014

On the Sunday I went to a new drawing studio, the ARC, Artists Resource Centre. I found it a roomy, light-washed and fairly uncluttered space, which uses mostly the natural north light from a big window. The studio is in one of the long-running downtown hard loft buildings on Adelaide near University. It, like many of the old remaining commercial buildings,  will probably be converted in a year or two, which is a real shame from a low-income artist standpoint.
Marlo was working, and these are all in the 30-minute range. The top teo ware watercolour pencil used dry on Strathmore series 400 paper. The lower two are water-soluble pencil and artgraf washes on 18 x 24" sheets of Canson Montval watercolour paper.
I like that I can draw in some background information and then wash it over to make it much softer and softer-focussed (and shade back over to bring back any elements I want to draw focus to, as well.)

Entry for June 26, 2014

This study of Amanda is a demo of water-soluble pencils I did for the last class of a costume/clothing drawing class I taught at the TSA. Brushing over the pencil shading is very conducive to establishing big fold patterns.
It's on 18 x 24" Canson Montval watercolour paper.

3rd entry for July 4, 2014

The evening wrapped up with a 15-minute pose, some 2-minute ons and then a final 10-minute pose. The two longer ones top and bottom are water-soluble graphite pencils used dry on 18 x 24" Strathmore Series 300 paper, and the shorter studies are Pitt pen on 18 x 24" Canson Recycled Sketch paper.
It was a bit of a goofy, anarchic drawing session, and fun. I'm not a huge comics fan these days, and enjoyed the costumes more for what I saw as a fetish-y edge than for any sort of DC comics connection.

2nd entry for July 4, 2014

These are some 10-minute studies, done on 18 x 24" sheets of Strathmore series 300 paper. The second one, where TB made the rookie model mistake of hoisting a weight overhead is done with water-soluble graphite pencil. The others are medium point Pitt pen.

1st entry for July 4, 2014

 The monthly Dr Sketchy's session took place on the Friday night at Round Venue in Kensington, with a `naughty' Batman-themed night. The models were local burlesque performer Kensie Vicious and local character Toronto Batman. The top study is a 10-minute one, as are the bottom two. the others are quick studies. All are done with Pitt pen on 18 x 24" sheets of Canson Recycled Sketch paper.

2nd entry for July 3, 2014

These are three 10-minute studies above, and a couple of 15-minute ones below. The line studies are all Pitt pen on 17 x 17" Canson Recycled Sketch paper. The lower two are water-soluble graphite pencil and Artgraf water-soluble graphite washes, on 17 x 17" sheets of Canson Montval watercolour paper.
I'm still wrapping my had around the square format when I do try it. Some situations, like sitting and foreshortened bodies work fine, but there's so much empty space with a standing or reclining figure, so i've cropped many of these studies down quite a bit. (Which is true of many of the ones done on 18 x 24" sheets as well.)

1st entry for July 3, 2014

On a rare Thursday not teaching I went to a Collective drawing session at an apartment near Kensington Market.  Matt was the volunteer model for that night. These are, from the top, a couple of 1-minute studies, three 5-minute ones and a 10-minute study.
All are Pitt calligraphy point marker on 17 x 17" sheets of Canson Recycled Sketch paper.

2nd entry for June 27th

These are a couple of 10-minute studies above, three 15-minute ones  below, and a 20-minute study under those.
Pitt calligraphy marker on 18 x 24 Canson Recycled Sketch paper for the top two and Graphite water-soluble pencils/Artgraf graphite washes on the lower one.