5th Entry for May 22, 2011

These are two 20-minute studies.  Both are done with hard compressed charcoal. The top one is on an 12 x 16" piece of Japanese paper, and the lower one is on an 18 x 24" sheet of Japanese paper.

5th Entry for May 9, 2011

These were a 20-minute and a 30-minute pose, both done with hard compressed charcoal on 18 x 24" sheets of Japanese paper.

2nd Entry for May 8, 2011

I stayed on for the longer sitting that afternoon. The top study is roughly 2 hours, and the lower one is a 20-minute study. The one above is on a 22 x 30" sheet of Japanese paper, and the lower one on an 18 x 24" sheet of the same paper.
The upper one has dramatic  shading and more detail, but is edging into being a little `fussy' in its handling.  The the lower one is more direct and has more `breathing space' in it, but could have a bit more resolution of values, especially on the dark end.
It has been striking me lately that somewhere between these two poles - too much time and too little - lies the best possibility for the freshest longer drawings.
Both are done with hard compressed charcoal.

2nd Entry for Apr 8, 2011

The topmost study is 15 minutes, and below it are two 20-minute ones that ended the evening. All of these are using charcoal on 18 x 24" sheets of Japanese paper. The handling is a little rough in places, but there was an `airiness' of shading that I clicked into that night, and a directness, that I liked. Now, if I could only do that a little faster...

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.

4th Entry for Apr 7, 2011

I was feeling lucky - or maybe just prodigal - that night, so I shifted over to Japanese paper for the balance of the evening, but stuck with the compressed charcoal sticks.
These are both 15-minute studies, on 18 x 24" Japanese paper sheets. I haven't tried to modify them at all with graphite or other media, thus far.

2nd Entry for Apr 4, 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...)

From the top, these are a 15-minute, a 20-minute and a 25-minute study.  All three are on sheets of Japanese paper. The top two were done with charcoal, and the bottom one with 8B graphite.  T
The graphite study is on a sheet of fairly tough, good-quality kozo paper that I thought might be a fair substitute for the `etchu heavy' paper I found and really liked (see March 13th).  It did handle nicely, but the dark shadows on M-  's lower shoulder and her hair were so close in value that I find her lower shoulder looks awkward.
Overall, though, it was a more succesful drawing outing than the previous two.

2nd Entry for Apr 1, 2011

The topmost study of K-    is 15 minutes, done with charcoal on 18 x 24" cartridge paper. The two below were 20 minutes and 25 minutes respectively.  They are on 18 x 24" sheets of Japanese paper, augmented with some 8b graphite afterwards, more on the middle one, less on the lower one.

The composition on the lower one was a bit of a tactical error. I was most interested in the shapes and shadows where her arm and feet met, and started there. I misgauged how high I put them, which meant lots of chair legs and such, but an awkward cropping of her head.  With the best of intentions, some drawings will crash on the reefs of awkward placement.

3rd Entry for Mar 22, 2011

These are all 20-minute studies, done with graphite on 18 x 24" sheets of Japanese paper. I was wrestling a bit more than usual with proportion on some of these studies, but the contours and the light and shadow ere working quite well. So in places they are more stylised than I would like, but each holds together well, and I feel they are fairly strong images.

If you want to learn about figure drawing, or if you have some ability and want to refine/deepen what you have, then you should check into the Toronto School of Art's Spring term, which is starting this week and next.  I offer a beginning 10-week life-drawing class on Saturday Mornings, and an intermediate/advanced 10-week course on Wednesday evenings. The school is right downtown at Spadina and Adelaide.
As well, in the Spring term, I also teach a Tuesday morning class on perspective basics for drawing objects (up to and including people, who are much more than objects...). It is called `Structural Drawing, and also runs 10 weeks.
The TSA's website has more info, here.

2nd Entry for Mar 14, 2011

From above, these are a 10-minute and a 15-minute study with graphite on 18 x 24" cartridge paper, and below that are a 15-minute and 20-minute study on 18 x 24" sheets of Japanese paper, also done with soft graphite.
On these papers, I have been finding that graphite replicates most of the feel of my preferred medium for a few years, which was Conte crayon. If you're interested in learning about Life Drawing working in a variety of media, I do have a couple of classes ( beginner and intermediate life drawing) starting soon at the Toronto School of Art. You can get more info and contact them via their website.

2nd Entry for Mar 8, 2011

 

Above are three 20-minute studies, done with graphite on 18 x 24" Japanese paper.
Below is a 10-minute study with graphite on 18 x 24" cartridge paper. 

2nd Entry for Mar 7, 2011

At top is another 10-minute and 15-minute study on 18 x 24" cartridge paper.
Below are a 20-minute and a 25-minute study on two types of Japanese paper, both around 18 x 24". The lower one has been reworked a bit in the studio afterwards.

3rd Entry for Mar 4, 2011

These two studies are 20 minutes apiece, and are done with 8B graphite on 18 x 24" Japanese papers.

4th Entry for Feb 18, 2011

Above are two 15-minute studies on cartridge paper, and below is a slightly-more-than 20-minute study on Japanese paper. All are in the 18 x 24" range, all done with 8B graphite.

2nd Entry for Feb 13, 2011

I stayed on for the afternoon, when L-   was doing a sustained sitting. These are a 2-hour study above, on 22 x 30" Japanese paper, and a 30-minute study from a slightly different angle on 10 x 20" Japanese paper. Both are done with 8B graphite.

It often seems to be the case that when I have a longer time span available, the drawing loses some of it's immediacy of mark-making, and starts looking more `academic' than I want it to. That was certainly the case that afternoon, especially when it came to L-   's face.  at first it was looking more like Z-   , my sweetheart, than it did L-    . That was at least a change from my usual tendency to impose my facial features on people. Revising that cost a lot of the image's immediacy.


The shorter duration study below is much more alive, by comparison.
Part of the elusive key for me seems to find the place between these two images - a little more time for accuracy/cohesiveness's sake, but retaining more of the freshness of a quick study.

Images of heads - including the lower one - were out for people to inspect last weekend. Thanks again to everyone who dropped by - it was a really enjoyable weekend. Look for another one in a couple of months.

2nd Entry for Feb 6th, 2011

In the afternoon, I worked on two longer studies of S-  . The upper one is on 18 x 24" Japanese paper,and took about 2 hours. The lower ne is on 22 x 30" Japanese paper, and took about 45 minutes.
As is often the case, the quicker study is the fresher of the two.


This upcoming weekend - Feb 26 & 27, I will be having an open house at my studio, to which people are very welcome to come visit. .
The focus will be on drawings of heads and faces.

Also,  Until March 4th, I have a piece in the John B Aird Gallery's Drawing 2011 exhibition. It runs Monday - Friday, 10-6 at Bay and wellesley, and has lots excellent and varied drawing on exhibit. More details here.

1st entry for Feb 6, 2011

I got out for some drawing time on the Sunday. I arrived late, and found S-  working.  The top three studies are on 18 x 24" cartridge paper with graphite. In order from the top, there is a 2-minute, and two 15-minute studies.
The lowest study is also graphite, on 18 x 24 " Japanese paper.

5th Entry for Feb 3, 2011

 

Above are two 15-minute studies, using graphite on 18 x 24 cartridge paper. Below are two 20-minute studies, using graphite on 18 x 24" Japanese paper