Double Difficulty: Drawing Two Models.

  Oooh this was a tough one. We were lucky enough to have a couple model for us at life drawing group last night but what a challenge. Two heads = two portraits. Four hands and four feet = one heck of a lot of work! It’s hard to focus in on what’s the mostContinue reading “Double Difficulty: Drawing Two Models.”

A Lovely Lovely Line

Sometimes when you’re drawing you get into the physical act of it, where you’re not just trying to create an image of something, but you’re also getting into the beauty of the mark. I had one of those moments earlier today when I was working on a large drawing in the studio. This started lifeContinue reading “A Lovely Lovely Line”

Hiding Behind A Hand

Portraits are so often a way of the wealthy and powerful showing off their wealth and power and so they usually show the entire face of the person paying, hopefully, a great big wad of cash to the artist. Egon Schiele did a lot of drawings and paintings of hands covering faces and I likeContinue reading “Hiding Behind A Hand”

In the life drawing studio.

  Sometimes during life drawing it’s nice to focus on what’s around the model and we have a terrific old bentwood chair that we use as a prop and it’s good to draw as well. The drawing studio has large mirrors on one wall and this gives a lot more depth and perspective. What IContinue reading “In the life drawing studio.”

Nostalgia Is The Thief Of Time!

  Mixed media: work in progress. Here’s a large piece I started some time ago – over a year. Sometimes you just get stuck on something and have to put it away for a while. Apparently Titian used to work up his underpaintings then turn them to a wall for 6 months before completing themContinue reading “Nostalgia Is The Thief Of Time!”

Printmaking All Day – Tired and Happy Now!

I spent a long day at Swansea Print Workshop today making a large full-colour monotype. It’s a technique used by the Impressionists – Degas and Monet used to work over their monotypes in oil pastels. I started with a drawing in my sketchbook that I’d done in life drawing group. It’s gone through several incarnationsContinue reading “Printmaking All Day – Tired and Happy Now!”

Wrinkles! [caution – male nude]

It’s nice to work with a veriety of models of all ages, fascinating to see the human body going through different phases. This is an experienced older model whose body wrinkles up beautifully. I know that goes against what’s currently our culture’s idea of beauty, but I like it – great to draw a bodyContinue reading “Wrinkles! [caution – male nude]”

Squidgy Squiggles With My Fingers

  I’m not a painter. But sometimes I wander over to the dark side and have a go. Trouble is, I really don’t like paintbrushes. There’s just something a bit wussy about them. I like big fat sturdy Japanese rubber printmaking rollers and great big tins of stiff printmaker’s inks, not faffy little brushes andContinue reading “Squidgy Squiggles With My Fingers”

A Corset and A Quickie

Oooh got to go and get my corset and big hat on and go to the monthly Steampunk Meet so won’t have much time to post today. Here’s a large drawing I did from a small life drawing in a sketchbook. I used a large piece of Somerset Velvet, coloured with black and pearlised acrylicContinue reading “A Corset and A Quickie”

Mucky Hands and Monotypes.

I spent a happy morning yesterday making some direct line monotypes down at Swansea Print Workshop. The trick to getting a good result is to roll out your ink VERY very thinly. I used Intaglio Printmakers oil-based litho/relief ink in black and a Japanese rubber roller inked onto apiece of Perspex. Don’t be tempted toContinue reading “Mucky Hands and Monotypes.”