3rd entry for Oct 12, 2014

I stayed for the afternoon's long pose, and worked on two studies. The top one was about 90 minutes, and the lower one is about 50 minutes. Both are done with water-soluble graphite and Artgraf washes. Both are 18 x 24" sheets of paper, Strathmore watercolour paper above and Canson Bristol below.

In the top one I layered in big shadow washes, and once the paper was dry I returned to add in more dry pencil detail. On the lower one I was building up more detail with a brush and light washes, working to darks. They underscore the differences in effect between more frontal lighting versus back lighting. The side of the room offered more deep space, while the more front-on viewpoint is a shallower space owing to backdrop elements. I left out the other sketchers and some other background details, to keep the space less busy behind her in the top one. Val's head is a bit too small, and her extended leg long in the lower one, but  don't entirely mind the exaggeration here - it seems to suit her build.

2nd entry for Oct 12, 2014

These are three 15-minute studies and a 20-minute one at bottom. The top and bottom ones are water-soluble pencil and Artgraf washes on Canson Mixed Media paper, while the middle two are Pitt pen on Strathmore Series 400 and Water-soluble graphite on Strathmore Drawing papers, respectively.

1st entry for Oct 12, 2014

No class on the Thanksgiving Sunday meant I could go out to do some drawing that day. Val was working at Rebellion Gallery, and these are two 5-minute and two 10-minute studies, Pitt pen on 18 x 24" Canson Recycled Sketch paper for the top three, and the same pen on Strathmore Series 400 paper for the bottom one.

2nd entry for Oct 10, 2014

These are a 10-minute study at top, and a couple of 15-minute ones below. All are Pitt pin on 18 x 24" sheets of paper; the top two on Canson Recycled Sketch paper and the bottom one on Strathmore Series 400.
I slipped out early that night, and I don't feel it was a strong drawing night either. But I was glad to be there and working while I was.

1st entry for Oct 10, 2014

On the Friday, Henry was working at the TSA. These are four 5-minute and two 10-minute ones. All are Pit pen on 18 x 24" sheets of cartridge paper.

2nd entry for Oct 6, 2014

These are a couple of 10-minute studies and a 20-minute study with a bit of additional background work right after the modelling finished.
The top two are Pitt pen on 18 x 24" Canson Recycled Sketch paper, and the lower one is water-soluble pencil and Artgraf washes on Canson Montval watercolour paper. All three are on 18 x 24" sheets.
It wasn't a strong session of drawing for me, but I was glad I had the working time. I felt it took the better part of the time to get into more connected drawing, but there's still a fair bit of awkwardness.

1st entry for Oct. 6, 2014

ON the Monday morning I went over to the Heliconian Club  drawing session in Yorkville, as I was wanting to get sharpened up for a project I was doing that day. Ginamaria was working.  I was having a hard time getting into a drawing groove., and all the first studies here are fairly awkward. These are a 2-minute gesture, four 5-minute studies and a 10-minute one.
All these are Pitt pen on 18 x 24" sheets of Canson Recycled Sketch paper.

3rd entry for Oct 3, 2014

These are all 15-minute studies, done with water-soluble graphite pencils and Artgraf washes. The top one is on an 18 x 24" sheet of Somerset Book paper, and the other three are on 18 x 24" sheets of Canson Montval watercolour paper.
With the costumes, expressions,and comparatively short poses the Sketchy's sessions do make for an above-average figure drawing workout.  I was fairly tired that night, as I tend to be currently on Friday nights, but I did what I could.
The topmost image had about 10 additional minutes or more of post-pose shading and background textures added during the break that followed.

2nd entry for Oct 3rd, 2014

These are several 3-minute and  5-minute head studies of Erica Furness (there wasn't time to draw her whole outfit and pay any attention to facial expression.) Below that are a 5-minute and a 10-minute study of Severin Stargher, and another 10-minute study at the bottom.
All these are Pitt pen on 18 x 24" sheets of Canson Recycled Sketch paper.

1st entry for Oct 3, 2014

There was a vampire theme for the October Dr. Sketchy's session at the Round Venue. Severin Stargher and Erica Furness were the models for the evening, with a mix of punky and more classic Hammer-style clothes. Erica Furness did the first short poses. These are a 15-minute study (from later in the evening) of the two of them, water-soluble graphite pencil and Artgraf washes on 18 x 24" Somerset paper, a 10-minute study of Erica alone and three one-minute plus two three-minute gesture sketches below that. Everything other than the tw0-person study is Pitt pen on 18 x 24" sheets of Canson Recycled Sketch paper.
Before the session started, there was an endearingly macabre collection of props out, to set the tone.

2nd entry for Sept 26, 2014

These are two 10-minute studies above, Pitt pen on 18 x 24" sheets of Canson Recycled Sketch paper.
Below are two 15-minute studies and a 20-minute one at bottom. They are all water-soluble graphite pencil and Artgraf washes on 18 x 24" sheets of Canson Montval watercolour paper.
The stripes were interesting - and a bit tricky as they have subtle form shadowing and bold pattern value contrast. Any drawing or shading of them gets washed into gray when water is applied. The best approach for me seemed be to wash in the base values sans stripe, let that dry and go back with a dry pencil to map stripe edges and shade into them.
I still haven't tried it, but I continue to be curious about wax resists as a quick way of retaining highlights in a washed area (and masking fluid, but that would be better for longer studies.)

1st entry for Sept 26, 2014

On the Friday evening I was over at the TSA, where Alex was working. These are 1-minute studies above, and three 5-minute studies below. All are Pitt pen on 18 x 24" sheets of Canson Recycled Sketch paper.