This one was coming along

 There are a few aspects I want to finish on this but I am pretty happy with where it "sits" right now.  Pleased with the likeness, as well.

45 minutes and not very satisfactory

 This was a really great pose and I am frustrated that I didn't nail it to my satisfaction.  C'est la vie.

Back to the back

 This was fun to draw.  So many shapes to play with and some great shadows.  Would love to do a few studies like this in a single session.

Lightly sketched

 A tepid sketch that has a nice feel about it.  Would like to finish this up... someday.  Always "someday".

Gestures, gestures, gestures

 Yep, gestures.  What more can I say?

As usual, the long pose

 This was a challenge because of the nature of her forearm as it rested on her knee.  I spent a lot of time making sure it looked like it flowed into her upper arm and didn't end up looking broken.  Pretty happy with how her face turned out as well.

My favorite pose of the evening...

 ...just not enough time to finish it off properly.

Another sketch

 A theme is forming here...

Just a sketch...

 ...nothing more, nothing less.

Gestures from Thursday

Lady S always does such a beautiful job for us.  Too bad the sessions are over so quickly.

Favorite sketch of the evening

 This was only ten minutes long but it worked out nicely.

Vignette

 A nice study, if I do say so.  It was nice to do a very focused little drawing and not stray... much.

Languid

 Fifteen minutes was just not long enough.  This was rounding into a halfway decent drawing.  But I have no idea if it would have worked out, though.

Knees and elbow

 Started as a study of knees and really didn't go much further.  Ultimately, this is just a practice sketch.

Gestures of Lady P

 It's been awhile since we were graced with the presence of Lady P.  Nice set of gesture poses to get the artistic blood flowing.

As usual, the long pose

 As I wandered around the studio it looked like everyone was getting a pretty good drawing from this pose.  My only wish is that I could have changed the lighting to really throw the right side of his head into shadow.  I would have if it weren't for the fact that we had 16 artists in the room and that would have messed up 15 others just for my wishes.

Swipes and picks

 Started this as just a bunch of big swipes of charcoal and then I use the kneaded eraser to pick out some of the highlights.  Mildly successful.

Startin' to warm up

 Didn't hate this one.  Was playing with lines and broad strokes.

A couple of different poses on the same page

 I wasn't quite into the evening yet, so I just did a couple sketches on the same bottom half of the page.  Just throwaway stuff.

Gestures of Mr. O

 16 artists packed out room last night.  9 students, 6 regulars and a new attendee.  A bit tight, to be sure.

Long pose to bring the evening to a close

 I think this one turned out pretty well.  I started playing with the shadows a lot more with this one, trying to get an almost liquid feel as to how they merged with one another.  It may not have been how it looked on the model but I have been trying to embrace a motto I read a few months back.  Let me paraphrase..."It's not what you draw, it's how you draw it."  It's given me a bit of artistic freedom that I think I may have lost.  Happy Halloween.

15 minute reclining pose

 Even with the extra 5 minutes this just didn't materialize as an interesting drawing, very static.  I may have gotten too precious with the shading...

10 minute seated study

 I loved how her arm and leg framed her midsection.  If this had been a longer pose this would have become quite interesting.

10 minute torso study

Simple little back pose.  The rest of her figure was obscured by a stool so I just concentrated on her left side.  Wonderful shapes and shadows.

Gestures...always start with the gestures

Since Lady S has been working with the school her gestures have gotten more dynamic.  She took some really great one minute poses in those 10 minutes.

Long pose and, I suppose, the best drawing from the evening

 This was coming together well enough, but I could have used another 45 minutes to really focus in and bring this to a bit better finish.

What? A headless torso? Go figure!

 Really enjoyed this drawing.  About 15 minutes and I'm pretty happy with what I got done.  Sure, I was able to get more done a couple of decades ago, but like Toby says "I'm as good once as I ever was".  

A little rougher head study

 Last week's study came together a bit better than this did.  Still, the likeness is fairly accurate so there's that...

Sittin' purty

 A little torso study for about 10 minutes.  Barely started and it comes to an end.

Gestures of Lady S (part 2)

 Lady S graced out stage for a second consecutive session.  This is, obviously, the one minute gestures.

The last drawing of the night

 I took her face out at least two times before I settled on this partial rendering.  I also reworked the hand a number of times and refined the forearm.  Things just weren't falling into place very easily on this one.  Glad I didn't give up.  Not my best sketch but I learned a few things and exercised patience.  That's not a particularly normal virtue of mine.

A longer head study

 I really got hung up around her mouth.  It looks like her, so I'm happy.  I only wish I had been able to get her left eye in (correctly).  As you can see, I tried drawing it a couple times.  Just wasn't working.

A gentle view from the back

 Kinda like how soft and minimal this is.  I'd like to say it was planned that way, but time and focus conspired against me, and I ended up with something that is probably better.

A quick head study

 I think this was my best effort of the evening.  Nothing like setting the bar for the night and not reaching it again.  Oh well, that's just how it goes.

Gestures of Lady S

 Our very own Lady S is now modeling for the school as well as us.  Let's hope she doesn't get burned out...

Not my favorite of the night

 I was having fun, taking my time with this.  The problem?  There was too much time (I know, go figure) and I ended up finishing the face when I should have left the right eye, ear and the whole right side of his head unfinished.  Coulda done a second sketch or something.  This ain't bad, it's just not as cool as I wanted.

Two fer the price o' one...

 ... what a deal!  I probably enjoyed this page the most of all the sketches for the evening.  A plus is that it is on newsprint, not the bright white bond paper I use most of the time.

Started to look like sumpin'

 Ran outta time for this one.  It had potential.  And, just to be clear,  that squiggly line is indicative of his hair, not a malformed shoulder and trapezius.  

A blocky head study

 Really wanted to somehow use the term "block head", but that might be taken the wrong way.

Small group...I guess ya can't win 'em all.

 A messy batch of gestures started the evening off.  For me, the evening really didn't get much better.

Long pose

 I guess 45 minutes constitutes a long pose.  Would have been fun to have spent another 45 minutes or more on this.  This was a bit difficult for Lady S but she soldiered through.  We are grateful for her service.

Leanin' right

 This one was coming into its own, just a bit too slowly.  A huge change of direction from the previous drawing.

Abstract(ish) leg study

 This was the most fun sketch, for me, of the session.  This is a bit more abstract than I usually do, but I really fell in love with the shapes and the rendering.

A little side study

 I left my drawing implements at home so I had to scrounge up what was lying around to work with.  Makes a bit of a challenge using materials that are not of  your choosing.  Still, it also opened me up to other solutions.

The gestures of the Lady S

 I was distracted with business so I only got in about half of the poses.  C'est la vie.  Still a great warmup for the evening.

Headless torso

 I love foreshortened poses and this one was a joy to work on.  Probably should have used better paper but that's just the way the conté crumbles.

Gettin' there

 Pretty happy with this little 13 minute sketch, especially the treatment of her face.  The proportion and pose fell into place pretty nicely.  Not sure I would even want to finish this.  Kinda happy where it "stands".

Head study

 This was coming along quite nicely.  I want to go back in and push the graphic nature of the cast shadows.  We'll see.  Got quite a work load on my drawing board...

Conté study

 10 minutes.  Not enough time.  I liked the right forearm and how it merged with the cast shadow.