Real life drawing? Like...from life?

 

Some recent drawings...from actual life! Yes, real life. Eat hot sh*t COVID. Lots of it.

January Red Paper Pastel

 

Keeping warm by the fire in color. A recent pastel on red paper—working within the figure style from previous work done last summer. 

Pastel returns...again

⁣⁣These are some recent experiments with color and pastel. There is something incredibly arresting and radiant about pastel—it's brilliance. And in a season that seems so incredibly dark at times; a little color and brilliance feels like an unarticulated necessity.⁣⁣

Daily Figure 2-26-2020

There is something so striking about an untouched solo mark. Pure. Unfussed. To the point. Efficient. Using a massive chunk of charcoal here on those large peripheral strokes.   

Daily Figure 1-27-2020

Using a multitude of various charcoals and tools here. Of particular usefulness as of late: Prismacolor Art Stix for upper-tier halftones and incredibly light values. It doesn't play with other media so well due to the strong wax content and a heavy application really puts this into high relief; but strategically used—it's perfect for gentle, light, and subtle gradations of value. Especially on really light or bright white surfaces where subtle slight value shifts can be difficult to keep tamed.   

3-28-2015 Life Drawing - 01

3-28-2015 Life Drawing - 01

24" X 36"

Charcoal on Paper

40 Min. From Life

2015

Daily Figure 8-3-2015

Daily Figure 8-3-2015

24" X 36"

Charcoal on Paper

20 Min.

Untitled 152

Untitled 152

24" X 36"

Charcoal on Paper

20 Min. From Life

2014

Untitled 121

Untitled 121

24" X 36"

Charcoal on Paper

40 Min. From Life

2014

Untitled 46

Untitled 46

24" X 36"

Charcoal on Paper

25 Min. From Life

2013

Untitled 03

Untitled 03

24" X 36"

Charcoal on Paper

20 Min. From Life
2013

Reclining Portrait 8-1-2015

Reclining Portrait 8-1-2015

24" X 36"

Charcoal on Paper

25 Min. From Life

Reclining Pose 8-1-2015

Reclining Pose 8-1-2015

24" X 36"

Charcoal on Paper

25 Min. From Life

Back Pose 8-1-2015

Back Pose 8-1-2015

24" X 36"

Charcoal on Paper

25 Min. From Life

Daily Figure 7-25-2015

Daily Figure 7-25-2015

24" X 36"

Charcoal on Paper

20 Min.

Untitled 53

Untitled 53

24" X 36"

Charcoal on Paper

40 Min. From Life

2014

Untitled #238

Untitled #238

24" X 36"

Charcoal on Paper

2014

I completed this drawing from life at the Joshua Retreat Center in about 40 min. last year. It was nice to have the extra time to fill in some detail related to the model's surroundings. Although details of the setting can sometimes diminish the timeless quality that nude figure drawing can evoke. 

The inclusion of setting details tends to put a definitive time and place stamp on a work which I don't always find necessary or desired, but of course these can be fun sometimes. Granted, it's difficult to completely escape the clues of time and place in a work, but I think that implied timelessness is one of the most endearing aspects to working in this tradition. There are no changing fashions of clothing or styles of architecture present. Just the human body, as it has been, for hundreds of thousands of years (give or a take few tattoos on the model).  ; )

First Post: Untitled #74 (Sold)

Untitled #74 (Sold)

24" X 36"

Pastel on Matboard

2012

This piece is a good representation of my working approach to start with. The Matboard is a fairly unforgiving surface to work on so I would practice each stroke several times just above the board before committing. This helped lend confidence to the choices made.

As you might be able to tell, I have a pretty deep affinity for a well placed bold and confident stroke in any medium. "Concision in description" is a desired goal as well. To explain the most with the least.