Figure Drawing - 1.16.2015

I thought that drawing a model in costume wouldn't be too much trouble since I usually go to cafes to get my life drawing fixes. I was wrong this time around, I found myself constantly struggling to get the model's skirt drawn correctly on paper. 

I did my best to make sure to understand the position of her legs and how they affected the shape of the skirt. Anytime I moved into drawing more details in the fluffy skirt, I just got lost and found myself not being able to communicate the skirt clearly on paper. 

I wasn't having fun. Without having fun, I was just churning out terrible drawings after terrible drawings. Towards the end was when I started to relax by exploring more with ink and the two tone pencils. I did some skirt studies in pen since the last pose was over 30 minutes, which started to make me realize what mistakes I was making earlier. I was just making every tier of the skirt the same size and shape, or drawing them on a linear plane. Unfortunately the session ended and none of the drawings I made reflected what I learned last minute, so some drapery studies are due this week!

Next week will be a nude long pose, I'm debating on if I want to try watercolor or if I can bring some kind of digital set up. 

Figure Drawing - 1.9.2015

I am very excited to get back into figure drawing! I don't think I attended any figure drawing sessions last year, mostly have resorted to getting my life drawing fix at cafes. Definitely need to change that!

I learned A LOT in those three hours, mostly spent fumbling around and making mistakes. 

I learned that I've become really impatient and lazy with sketching, so the first short poses were in ballpoint and are just unreadable. It wasn't until I switched to pencil that I started to slow myself down and really begin to get wrapped up in observational drawing. Towards the end I started to have fun with my materials which made me much more relaxed.

Next week is going to be a costumed model! 

Idyllwild

Time is sure flying by faster than I would like!

Here are some paintings and sketches from my trip to Idyllwild this past weekend. I had a lot of fun!

My first attempts at watercolor painting... I still have a lot to learn, especially how to not make my colors look so pastel and edge control.

Some pen and paper work... I forgot how relaxing hatching can be. 

Here There Be Monster Heads and Rambles

Hello! I apologize for the silence on this blog - it's not intentional!

My wrist and shoulder have been feeling much better, but my attitude and ego have not. It's been a stressful couple of months and these past few weeks have been extra taxing on me due to working so much at my day job (which always makes my hand and shoulders hurt, then makes me mega frustrated and depressed). I'm happy to report that I put in my two weeks notice on Monday and by the end of the month I will be unemployed - but free from the world of retail!
The plan is this: The same week I work my last day at my job is the same week I'll be going out of town to the countryside of Ohio, and I plan on just leaving my laptop at home to get a breather from all my external stresses here and truly relax. When I come back, I want to whip myself and my work into shape. I have a schedule set up where I'll study three hours in the morning and then do four hours of portfolio work. The idea is to have some images to show off at Workshop SF 2012 and hopefully get some pointers on getting some freelance jobs. What happens after the workshop, I haven't a clue, but I just want to keep it like that and adjust when the time comes.

That also means more blog updates! Going to start bringing back Sketchy Saturdays (that does mean more life drawing, I miss my LCAD buds!) and I'm going to begin a new series: WIP Wednesdays where I'll post up any WIPs I have and will allow crits on it. In between those regular updates I will post up any finished images I complete, and will begin to put together a portfolio site (FINALLY).

I welcome any cheers of support and some slaps on the wrist if I stray too far from my goals. I blog because it helps not only let others see my progress or hurdles, but allows me to see how far I've come. And having voids between posts doesn't show much progress.

Okay, without further ado, here's my current sketching binge - MONSTER HEADS!

While visiting Arizona last month, I had the chance to sculpt one of the monsters! I want to do more of these, they're a lot of fun and it's so awesome to be able to hold a monster head in my hand. 

Thanks for reading!

Sketchy Saturday: Watercolor Pencil

Due to my wrist pains, I've been using a watercolor pencil to draw with and use a brush pen that has a capsule for water on it to darken my lines when I need to. It's training me to not draw so dark thus reliving tension in my wrist.
I also got a new sketchbook that I plan on doing looser drawings in. Moleskines are difficult sometimes because I'm scared to ruin the nice paper with bad drawings, but I plan on getting on to do more refined drawings once my wrist is better.

 

 

And today's life drawing session, I didn't get a chance to continue reading Michael Hampton's book but it's interesting to see last week's lesson merge into my current habits.

Sketchy Saturday: Last of '11

Hard to believe this year has already come and gone! What started off as a year of struggle and strife turned into a year of reward and art. I'm completely passionate about art again and cannot wait to see what I come up with the next year. I already have some projects planned, but it's the unexpected that keeps me going.

My next year resolutions are short, simple, and sweet:
1) Less thinking, more doing.
2) Create more.
3) Take more pictures.

Otherwise, here are some sketches and experimental paintings - the last of the year!

Happy new year! :) Onward to 2012!

Sketchy Saturday: Marathon

I once heard an interview where Anthony Jones compared drawing to running. One could run daily and be considered a runner, but to be an Olympian - one must train and run for hours on end. He applied that same concept to drawing - one could draw all day and be considered a drawer, but to be a master artist, one must train and study for hours on end.

If this concept were to be applied to Paul Richards, I'm sure he would have ran to and from the moon at least eight times now. For those who don't know Paul, 87.67% of his time is spent drawing. I tried my best to keep up with him today. Even after I was tuckered out and exhausted, Paul was still drawing. What an Olympian.

Today's life drawing session went great. The model was beautiful but had a super skinny waist yet thick thighs. I'm trying my best to draw accurately, but sometimes I could see myself slipping in some extra fat for her. Also below are some sketchbook pages from today.

Sketchy Saturday: Relearning

One thing I am starting to do when studying from life is having something to focus on, it helps me from feeling too overwhelmed (especially since the last time I went to life drawing was over a month ago). My focuses today was line and proportion, something I continually struggle with in my own works. Both can only be accomplished with a lot of patience and understanding.

While in pursuit of these goals, I've started to uncover some of the things I've already learned, yet forgotten. The torso is a key foundation and once that's drawn perfectly, everything else should be compared to it. Note where overlapping happens, don't just guess. Compare the torso to the legs and arms (I have a bad habit of drawing both of them too long). And always, always, always block in the head. 

Other notes I've made are in regards to the model herself. Most figure models have either a slender look to them or some extra weight. This model had a little bit of both: her back, arms, and legs were slender, but her abdomen was quite round. Plus, she did something I haven't seen a model do before, she would do the same pose but just change the direction she was facing. I've always wanted this and was excited when she started to do this. But after a while, it just became rather redundant. 

Overall, I felt it was a somewhat successful session today.

As a bonus, here's one of my favorite sketchbook pages as of late.

Sketchy Saturday: Two in a Row

We only have challenges in life so we may overcome them. At least, according to very tired and optimistic me.

Sketchy Sunday: Spectrum

This one is for you, Matt!

It's been nice to have some old characters filling up my pages again. 

Attempting to rebuild my relationship with gouache. It's getting there... 

 

Life drawing from two weeks ago. I will never grow tired of drawing women!