I confess.
I took the day off yesterday. I earned it.
But here I am again.
One of the best things about drawing and painting are those moments when you can to do some life drawing. Whether it's a dressed figure, a draped figure, a nude figure or a portrait, it is quite simply the best and fastest way to develop your drawing skills.
People can get into a tizz wuzz about it. But any artist will tell you how quickly you forget it's a person. That figure becomes a bunch of shapes or lines, tones and colours. And every second you are trying to fit it all together like a jig saw puzzle.
Everything in you is so focused on making the thing (person) fit together you simply don't have time to spare for anything else. The human figure is exactly like a landscape at it's best and most difficult.
All those hills and valleys. All the different kinds of shadows. How does this fit with that? You're looking at size relationships, and proportions. Then there's always perspective to drive you straight around the twist ...
As for colour, you can only pray you come close. Every skin tone is different and presents it's own problems. Each drape and fold of cloth does it to your head too.
Never mind the actual structure, which you must get right first, if it's even to look human. Then there's making it look male or female. After all that there's the work required to make an actual likeness.
No, my friend. It's all work once you begin. The intensity of concentration required can bend the the strongest mind.
The simple act of drawing becomes a celebration of life. In the end you are filled with an incredible sense of wonder.
For myself, I especially enjoy the warm ups. We call them gestures.
Sometimes they maybe only 15 seconds long in which case you have to remember what you saw to get in down on paper. Then one minute poses. Then two mins. Five minutes, on to a ten minute pose, then perhaps one for 15 minutes and now you are on your way to a sustained drawing which presents it's own issues.
Make a mistake in the beginning and it comes back to bite you. There's something screwy about that mouth, that shoulder that ... well you name it
Remember the clock is ticking the whole time too. No pressure ... each medium is it's own task master
So today I thought I would show a few 15 to 30 seconds timed gestures.
Either I got it or I didn't but the doing of it is my greatest joy
Here are today''s treasures
Alice Edwards
various sizes
pencil on paper
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