1st entry for Aug 17, 2014

On the Sunday I went over to the Rebellion Gallery for the morning drawing session. Polyna was there, and these are two 5-minute studies on one sheet, and two 10-minute ones below. All are done with a Pitt calligraphy point pigment ink pen, on 18 x 24" sheets of Canson Recycled Sketch paper.

Entry for August 16, 2014

On the Saturday morning I cycled out to Rebellion Gallery. Tanya was working, and these are a 5-minute study at top, two 10-minute ones below that and three in the 15-minute range.
The top three are done with Pitt pen on 18 x 24" sheets of Canson Recycled Sketch paper.
The lower three are water-soluble pencil on 18 x 24" sheets-  Canson Montval for the upper two, and the bottom one on Canson Mixed Media paper. I haven't washed over the pencil strokes in the lowest one.
There were a few other studies, but I was not happy enough with them to share.

On this blog I tend to post the top 60 - 70% of what I draw, and only edit out the really weak ones. I look at it as a documentation of process. Lately I have begun a new Tumblr site, where I am cherrypicking what I feel are the top 10 - 20% of the studies I do. It is also a mini-retrospective of older studies, as I am looking back through past entries one month at a time.
You can find it at http://thomasdrawn.tumblr.com.
It also skips the commentary, and just presents the studies straight, if you prefer interacting with images that way.

3rd entry for August 10

In the afternoon I went over to the ARC space, where I found it was Ronan working. Rather than overworking one 2.5 hour study, I pushed to do two. The top study is roughly 1.5 hours, and the lower one is about 30 minutes. Both are water-soluble pencils and Artgraf graphite washes on 18 x 24" Strathmore Series 300 watercolour paper.
The ARC space uses natural light from one big set of north windows. The difference in character between the back-lit side of the room at top and front-lit below is quite pronounced.

2nd entry for August 10, 2014

These are two 30-minute studies and a 25-minute one. All are water-soluble pencil and Artgraf water-soluble graphite washes on 18 x 24" sheets of Canson Montval watercolour paper.

1st entry for August 10, 2014

It was this month's Sunday drawing session at the 519 Community Centre,  and Greg was in working. These are five three-minute studies above, and two 10-minute ones below. All these are done with Pitt pen on 18 x 24" sheets of Canson Recycled Sketch paper.

2nd entry for Aug 9, 2014

These are two 15-minute studies above, Pitt pen plus diluted india ink in a Pentel brushpen. Below are two roughly 20 minute studies, water-soluble graphite pencil and Artgraf washes on 18 x 24" sheets of Canson Montval watercolour paper.

1st entry for Aug 9, 2914

On the Saturday morning I rode out to the new location of the former Sackville drawiing sessions, at Rebellion Gallery on Eastern Avenue near Leslie. There are lots of sessions in town, but the short-pose ones have not been lining up with my free times.
The trip is a bit of a trek, but good exercise. The space is not crowded, which was nice. Ronan was working that day.
These are four 10-minute studies, Pitt pen on 18 x 24" sheets of Canson Recycled Sketch paper.

Entry for August 2, 2014

On the Saturday it was Ronan working at the ARC studio in a sustained 3-hour session.  The top study is roughly 2 hours with post-session shading.  The lower one was roughly 25 minutes.
Both are done with water-soluble graphite on 18 x 24" sheets of Canson Montval watercolour paper.

2nd entry for August 1, 2014

These are two 10-minute studies above, two 15's below that and a 10-minute one at bottom. The top is a mix of Pitt pen and dilute india ink in a brushpen on 18 x 24" Strathmore Series 300 paper.
The next four all have water-soluble pencil and some Artgraf washes; the upper 10-minute one leaning on the chair is 18 x 24" Canson Mixed media paper, the next two 15's are 18 x 24" Canson Montval watercolour paper; and the lowest one is a medium pitt pen as well as graphite, also on the Canson Mixed Media paper.

1st entry for August 1, 2014

 The Friday night at Round Venue in Kensington Market was August's edition of Dr. Sketchy's Anti-Art School. Burlesque performer Rubie Magnitude was modelling, and it was an '80's theme for the night. The study above is a 10-minute one. Below are five 2-minute studies, and two 5-minute ones.

All of these are done on 18 x 24" sheets of Canson Recycled Sketch paper. All were drawn with a Pitt calligraphy point pigment pen, and the topmost and bottom ones have some dilute india ink applied with a Pentel brushpen, plus some graphite for ms. Magnitude's shades.

2nd entry for July 28, 2014

These are two 15-minute studies and a 35-minute one. All three are done with water-soluble graphite on 18 x 24" sheets of Canson Montval watercolour paper.
The top one is moderately strong, but it was not a good night at all for getting Shel's likeness. I think it's true of many visual artists that for each person some faces are easy to `get' and others harder. For me, Shel's likeness is one I have a harder time with. The last pose, a long one, was a semi-reclining pose leaning back and staring into the distance, and that night I couldn't think of anything to do with it. as a full-figure study (which I ultimately lay the blame at my feet for a lack of any creative compositional solution- surely they exist). I tried more of a portrait focus, but was too far away to accurately read details, and the best I could come up with is what's here, after a bunch of post-session reworking. It's still awkward and unsatisfying - not a keeper.
Some nights are like that.
(and my drawing has subsequently been bouncing back, I feel.)
Works that I do like I am now selecting and posting on a new Tumblr blog I started. It's up over 100 of the year's best studies, and has no whining or other extraneous details. just strong figure drawings, fast and extended. You can see what's posted here, at From The Stream.

1st entry for July 28, 2014

On the Monday, Shel was working at the TSA. These are three 1-minute studies above, and three 10-minute ones below. All are done with Pitt pigment pens on 18 x 24" sheets of Canson Recycled Sketch paper. There were others, but not worth sharing, in spite of strong work from Shel. My opportunities for focussed faster studies were quite limited in July, and the quality of the drawing was lower than I like that night. The back study was the first that came together , though the stool is very shakily rendered.