2nd entry for Jan 28, 2013

These are some more 2-minute and 3-minute studies with a Sakura Graphic felt pen. I do find the thickness and absoluteness of the pen's line intimidating, especially where subtle contours occur, like faces.
It may sound hokey, but as I was drawing these I was internally exhorting myself to "not fear the pen", and to just trust in the potential of what came out. Lately I feel I've also begun to gain a better grasp on a couple of facial details that are making it easier to choose which are key details with motr confidence.

5th entry for Apr. 24, 2012

After a break, the apparatus was switched up for silks, and S-  kept going with 5-minute poses. These studies are all done with hard compressed Nobel charcoal on 24 x 36" sheets of Durotone Extra-white paper.

Short poses like these are an excellent challenge, and in some ways an ultimate test of figure drawing capability. They don't allow for any revisitation of the pose with the person modelling, or time to revise proportions or such. There is not much time to investigate the relationship between figure and its environment, either.
The extended poses of next week's "Body in Context" intensive are set up especially to investigate that side of figure drawing (or painting, for that matter). It runs Monday - Friday May 14-18 at the Toronto School of Art, and there is still room for a couple of people, with lots of room to spread out or try working from a couple of angles.
The TSA's website for further info is here.

4th entry for April 3, 2012

There was a change-up in mid-session, from trapeze and hoop to silks.

These are 5-minute studies of S-    , done with hard compressed charcoal on 24 x 36" sheets of Durotone paper.

Drawing people doing things like this challenges all the basics of life drawing, and basic life drawing is something I teach on Saturday mornings. The 10-week Spring term is just starting at the Toronto School of Art this week. Their contact info is here.

1st entry for Apr 3, 2012

On the T uesday I got over to the Drawing Room session, where S-    was working, at first on hoop and trapeze. These are some 30-second and 1-minute studies done with hard compressed charcoal on 18 x 24" sheets of bond paper.

5th entry for Mar 23, 2012

These are two 10-minute studies that ended that evening. Both are on 22 x 30 sheets of Maidstone paper, and drawn with hard compressed Nobel charcoal; the top one has a powdered graphite underlay, while the lower one has a dusting of cool gray chalk pastel as an underlayer.

3rd entry for Mar 6, 2012

These are 5-minute studies. During the mid-session break,  Diane switched the silks up for a hoop, and S-  continued.   I underestimated my paper supply, and was using the backs of a couple of less successful 1-minute studies on the 18 x 24" Strathmore Charcoal paper, and the lowest one is on the dirty back side of a cheap piece of 18 x 24" bond paper.

2nd entry for Mar 6, 2012

These are some 2-minute and 3-minute studies. These were all done with hard Nobel charcoal on 18 x 24" sheets of Strathmore Charcoal drawing paper with a thin underlayer of graphite on it.

1st entry for February 16, 2010

One by one, these images aren't being posted in the exact sequence the poses were done, but they are very close.
We started into 5-minute poses just before taking a break, and after switching to a set of very nicely draped silks. J- continuesd with more 5-minute poses. Some yoga experience is evident (in my estimation) in the stamina and flexibility in sustaining headstands and back bends for long stretches of time like this.

J- 's expression in the middle image is far too grim-looking. She had more of a relaxed smile at the time. But with studies like this, there can only be a minute or so alotted to setting down a face. Any more, and there's no time left for the rest of the pose. Which means that if I miss the likeness, it is smarter to live with it and keep going.

3rd entry for February 16, 2010

These poses are all either 2-minute or 3-minute ones.

5th entry for February 9, 2010

These were 10-minute poses that C- towards the close of the evening. like many people who get engaged with life drawing, I appreciate the variety of different people who are available to pose. My assumption would have been that drawing C- two weeks in a row would be repetetive, but with each time she has worked for us she has grown stronger and more impressive in the aerial work. I felt that this was her best work yet, and the evening ended on a strong note.

2nd entry for February 9, 2010

These were all in the 2-minute range