Drawings from other larger sketchbooks - Life

Life and portraits from classes. Have done lots and lots of drawing from life classes over many years but recent contemporary drawing classes have taken my drawing further because of the spontaneity and flexibility promoted.




.10 min life pen sketch awards best drawing prize at Lancaster University
Life class




Ten min seated drawing from life





15 min life drawing in charcoal

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Project 1 painting from working drawings 7 hrs

This work began in Feb following previous tutor report but because the tutor found my log hard to follow, I am simply making further evaluative comments to add to earlier blog

I enjoyed this project work, and especially line drawing and the colour studies which helped me to work out what worked reasonably well.

Briefly, I focused in on an outdoor scene and used a section of my photo.
Looked carefully at Sickerts paintings of which I have a great book. What I find interesting is that some artists part from original drawings and Sickert sticks to drawings
I made a tonal study with focus on shape and the relationships between these and the resulting forms in particular.
Was looking for these elements in particular and the need to concentrate on colour - to interpret it vividly as noted on page 174

Although I enjoyed the process, the first flush of the painting with reverse tonality worked better than the final painting result.
I learned such a lot from this painting prep though. In particular, to sort out the colour and tonal range really well and keep to the dynamic refreshing frost flush of paint!
Knowing how to increase the sizes proportionally is a real help too.


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Project 2 Developing a shorthand page 177- 7 or 8 hrs

In the past I haven't made colour notes made that have been useful but this time, maybe because I was more focused, they really helped together with the numbered tones.

I think this was because I had a painting in mind. Chose a Sunday morning newspapers and tray on the bed quilt!
Having made too many tonal notes in the past, to no specific end, I kept these simple and focused on the shapes and knew that I couldn't refer back to the scene as the task set out.
No shading used in the drawing and oh my goodness this really helped! Numbering tones made me LOOK and SEE more precisely. Loved doing this process. Did a tad shading for crease around tray but the emphasis on the shapes and forms with the numbered tones worked so well in teaching me the HOW and adding to my repertoire.
So, the pattern and rhythms came to the fore rather than me struggling with the colour proportions as I usually do.

No it's not a great painting but it taught me to select and the correspondence in size from drawing to painting was a solid learning opportunity for me. I used paper as I felt it was an exercise and didn't want to be precious.
I kept the paint statement simple and it worked much better than usually.
Can translate colour shape into paint better now and I have learned how to prep drawings for painting in profitable ways.

I know that the paintwork is harsh and incomplete but it tells a good story of the learning process for me so I need to keep the end result as it is now.
I will be able to move paintings on more quickly and successfully now because I have these prep skills

Pleased with the process definitely! Might do another version on canvas but smaller.


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Drawn hands - 'Emulsion' print

Interesting way to develop an idea using ordinary resources!
Drawn with a stick, printed with White emulsion, over washed with Indian ink then rinsed in water.




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Contemporary drawing with print with tutored group

Using earlier life drawing of a moving nude, I did an 'emulsion' print with Indian ink and fresh drawing on foam card with a new drawing in oil pastel as a layer.

Interesting results that triggered ideas for developing the theme and taking it forward.




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Evaluation of painting recently

Haven't enjoyed painting at all this year and lost my passion. This is mainly because I find the subject matter or probably my interpretation of the project subjects, uninspiring. Yet I am very inspired when I see paintings in exhibitions and watch artist work. Instead of working at how to inject some passion for the form and indeed acrylic paint, I just put my head down and did the tasks whilst trying to 'do my own painting on the side'

It didn t work. In fact I did some of the worst paintings I have ever done even though I have a degree in art and have inspected art in schools for years. So I have had to ask myself why?

Here's my reflection

I chose the wrong course because I thought I would need the scaffolding of deadlines and some theory re colour.
I realise that I need to work with other artists as is evident from my work in workshops
Process work is strong when I work in an exploratory way and widen media use even if discrete , such as print work
I dislike using the plasticity of acrylics on their own and work well in a mixed media painting environment
The electronic log is OK but limited in a tactile look- back way so I tend to use my own folder of things, ideas and images that I might use later.

So what's next? How do I trigger an impetus and redirection? See next post
As I do not want to lose text so far.




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Left handed rapid drawing of standing nude.

Just loved the fluidity and delicate nature of this drawing and the tutor again picked this out as a good example ( and the other two!)

Drawing this way adds such an integrity to the outcome as the eye rather than the presumptive hand dominates.
Not a good image as weather and light poor. Again, I cannot rotate the image.



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