Gestures from last night

Since we won't be meeting next week I'll be stretching these out as far as I can. The second batch of gestures tomorrow. All in all, it wasn't my best night.

Last of the session

I think this may be my favorite of the night. Wish I had more time but... I'm pleased with the cast shadows and the simple manner of the face. Would like to have explored the lost edges, though.

Conté crayon

I overworked this one but I got it to the point where I am pretty happy with it. I'm starting to add conté back into my repertoire. A little heavy with the cast shadow on the face but I kind of like it.

Twofer

It's Tuesday and I'd like to say that I'm posting two for that reason. But no, I'm not. I'm posting two because I really am disappointed in the top drawing and I didn't want to have that as the only one to look at today. I am much happier with the second one, even if it didn't get as complete as I'd hoped.

I agree, turn your back on Monday

Hmph. I don't like Mondays, as the song goes.

Good start

I got a bit carried away with the little details in the face at the start and didn't get as much done as I'd hoped I would (such as the right eye).  Still, I like what I did get done.

Back to basics

I have an affinity for drawing the back, I know.  There is just something appealing about the large, relatively unbroken planes of the back with the gentle slopes of the various muscles masses interacting.  I know I've compared it to a landscape before but in mind it really is.

Return of the Figure

Sara returns for another great session. Here are the gestures from the night.

Meanwhile, in a galaxy far...

eh, you know the rest. Tomorrow I'll put up some new life drawings.

More of the Jones'

Kinda like these.

More Topps

Hopefully I haven't posted these before. Probably variations of them, but not as a group. I will start posting new drawings Friday. Man, I hate having whole weeks taken from us.

Some Indy for ya

Some old cards from a little ways back.

Work in Progress

I've had this on the easel for some time now.  I hope to finish it in the next couple of weeks.  I'll update when that happens.  In the meantime, here's a preview.

Again with the arms

I guess I got a little over focused on the models arms for those last couple of drawings.  I was kind of thinking of Steve Huston's art right then.  Not that I'm apologizing for that, it's just my explanation.

Fore...

arm, that is. I really got into this one. I had a blast over rendering this particular sketch and pushing the contrast. Probably my favorite drawing of the night. Oh, and in case anyone is wondering, this piece and the one I'll post tomorrow are from last week's session since we didn't meet last night. I'll have to dig out some old stuff to fill out the week.

Eh...

I got lazy on this one. Mistakes in proportions, no definition in the mid-section, etc... Oh, well.

A sculptor's hand

An isolation piece. I spent a bit of time on the hand, something I have to pay more attention to. Not much to say on this one. Just a study.

It's been a whole year

So, Happy Anniversary to my little blog. We'll leave it at that for today.

Another head study

Jeff has a great face for drawing and painting. Probably why I have so many head studies of him as well as having done a couple of paintings with him as the subject. I'm happy with the technique I employed for this one. Broad strokes and impressionistic rendering with lost edges make this a bit fresher than others.

Landscape

The abstract nature of the back, when rendered without the familiar outlines one associates with the figure, can sometimes remind a person of something other than the human form.

Two fer one

I had this drawn (completely wrong) in charcoal, erased and drew over it in conté.  Not sure why it worked better the second time but it did.  Not real pleased with it but it certainly is an upgrade over the first one.

Jeffsture drawings

Thanks, Jeff. I know you would rather have been drawing but we appreciate you stepping in at the last minute.

Last of the session

Last pose. Very dramatic and one I wish I had a lot longer to work with. Instead I chose to render this very roughly and more like a pencil study. I like it though.

Lost Edges

I had a blast working this one. I've always loved lost edges and it seemed to work here. The hair flowing over the stage and pooling on the floor added so much. This is one I'd like to go back in on and tighten up and add some stuff to. But I know I'll never get to it.

A couple more

Not so crazy about the leg study.  The head study was coming along but I kind of lost focus.  Alas, the price I pay for peaking with yesterday's sketch too early in the session.  Maybe the next ones will be better.

Ah, Bach

This was my favorite drawing of the night and my favorite drawing in a while. While keeping the Tennant article uppermost in my mind I think I combined my style favorably with the ideas that I had recently read. Get the feeling I kinda like this one?

Happy Easter

No, the drawings have nothing to do with today's holiday.  I do, however, really enjoy the shadow play that I was even more aware of this week.  On the head study the right eye was placed in the last few seconds of the pose so I didn't really have a chance to adjust it.  Doesn't really bother me that much.  I might have shaped the hairline a bit better and that may have given the head a more rounded look and thereby making the eye fit a bit better.  I guess that's why these are only sketches.

Chiaroscuro

Well, not completely.  However, I went for a much higher contrast than I have been in a long time.  I'm pretty pleased with the majority of Thursday's work and the overall direction of the drawings this week.

Got in a bit late...

so I was able to only get one page of gestures done. However, Sara did such a fantastic job that I treated most of the drawings as gestures anyhow. I had just finished an article on Mark Tennant and was pretty influenced by his concepts. As the week unfolds I hope you like what you see as I really had a blast drawing last night.

Hulk SMASH!!!

Okay, maybe not. Tough pose though, seven minutes with his arms locked over his head. Well done, sir. I was pretty happy with the heavy handed rendering in this piece. It seemed appropriate.