In The Beginning… (life drawings – nudes)

In the beginning there is the sketch. And it may be good. Or it may be rubbish. But even if it’s rubbish, it’s still useful because I can look at it critically and work out what’s wrong with it and that’s learning something. Here are three pages from my life drawing sketchbook. The middle oneContinue reading “In The Beginning… (life drawings – nudes)”

An Older Man (male nude)

I like to draw older models because it’s interesting to see how anatomy changes with age. When I’m drawing, I often make mistakes and do a few sketches until I get it reasonably right. Here’s the first attempt (above) with notes about what’s wrong with it. I had another go and was happy with theContinue reading “An Older Man (male nude)”

Reclining Pose

Each day, the lurgi seems a bit weaker and I went to life drawing tonight, for the first time in a month! I only managed an hour but I did some quick pen and ink sketches, using a traditional dip pen and then I used chalky pastels and graphite block (6B) to draw this fabulousContinue reading “Reclining Pose”

More Old Life

The dreaded lurgi is getting a little bit better each day but I’m still finding it hard to do much and that includes drawing. My brain’s like mush and doesn’t want to tell my hands what to do, so I’ve been searching through my old sketchbooks to blog some blasts from the past. About 5Continue reading “More Old Life”

Old Life

This horrible lurgi has lasted so long that I’ve missed three weekly life drawing sessions at Swansea Print Workshop. I’ve been cataloguing old work and coming across stuff I’d forgotten about. I went through a phase of drawing with oil pastels into A3 canvas pads, mainly because I’d been given canvas pads for a present.Continue reading “Old Life”

Pregnant Nude – parental guidance

I was lucky enough to be able to draw a pregnant model a few months ago. It’s a rare chance and I’ve only worked with one pregnant model before, some years ago. However, I’ve had huge problems getting these works seen. Nudes are contentious anyway but there seems to be particular discomfort about naked pregnantContinue reading “Pregnant Nude – parental guidance”

Back To Life

Back to the first life drawing session of the New Year at Swansea Print Workshop this evening. I’m definitely rusty after a fortnight’s break. Our model managed to hold this post for an hour – marvellous. I used a Pentel V5 pen into an A5 spiral-bound Bockingford watercolour pad, with a Derwent watercolour pencil toContinue reading “Back To Life”

Poor And Skinny

I was tidying up the other day and found an old life drawing that I’d forgotten about. I like it very much so I’ve started working it up into a mixed media drawing. People often tell me that my nudes remind them of Egon Schiele’s work. I’m very flattered by this because he’s one ofContinue reading “Poor And Skinny”

Getting Butch

  Sometimes I draw in white ink into a rather lovely black sketchbook by Paperchase. But it ain’t half difficult! Funny thing is, if I draw onto paper that I’ve coloured with a wash, I really enjoy it. Maybe it’s because the commercial one is so evenly coated and perfect, it’s like drawing straight ontoContinue reading “Getting Butch”