3rd entry for December 15, 2009

These were a 20-minute pose facing away and a 10-minute pose Z- ended the night with.

It was part-way through the back study that I got my groove back, once the Russians had left the radio (see the previous entry).
Prior to that it was an hour of false starts, where I just could not get the proportions - or even a semblance of Z - to work at all. As it was, it took 3 tries to get the size of Z- 's hair on the page to be small enough to allow the rest of her figure to fit.

The shorther study was about 10 minutes, but only 5 or so of those were spent drawing as from where I sat a lamp stand was bisecting her face, and I tried unsuccessfully shifting a bit here and there so her head would be one side or the other. It is a rough drawing, but I think there is something good and direct in it in spite of it not being very polished in its handling. It was an alive study.

Prior to that, whether due to music or neurosis or whatever, there was an hour where I seemed to have completely forgotten how to draw people. That happens once in a while.

Anyone else have that experience?

2nd entry for May 14, 2009

My arriving late also meant I wasn't in my accustomed place. I was wondering as I worked that perhaps the responses I have built up in drawing these ultra-short poses were perhaps dependent on very controlled conditions. I think that is likely part true; the most information can be set down when everything is in its most familiar configuration. But some of that carries over into any drawing I do, I believe.

After a long break, P- did a series of 5 and 10-minute poses on a combination of hoop and trapeze. As before when this has been used, I liked the mix of round and straight-line elements framing the figure. Towards the evening's end I was finding my bearings, but it wasn't a banner drawing night. Ah, well....