Untitled #122

Untitled #122

22" X 30"

Charcoal on Paper

2.5 Hr. From Life

2013

Untitled #94

Untitled #94

24" X 36"

Charcoal on Paper

2013

Poses like this 40 min. standing arrangement are nice when the model has something to keep themselves steady with. Krissy, the model,  didn't take a break for the duration of the pose which always makes it more challenging to stay steady. She has a lot of experience though and she wisely added extra support by putting one leg on a stool.

Whenever confronted with a long pose where the model is standing you've got to anticipate more movement than usual as it's a lot more strenuous because they have to constantly stay on balance. So if one leg gets tired they will have to shift their weight to the other and in so doing will alter the angle on many forms slightly. For this reason I usually attempt to articulate the most difficult aspects of the figure first on standing poses. As the model is less fatigued at the start and will generally be more steady. The head especially moves a lot towards the end of long standing poses. Even with the best models.  

Untitled #37

Untitled #37

24" X 36"

Pastel on Matboard

2013

This large pastel work from life was created with Pan Pastels. As I've mentioned in a previous post; they make it fairly simple to cover large areas of your working surface in a really short amount of time. So they make it possible to work much larger when working with a model. 

This pastel is also a good example of my working style. Especially in how the hair is handled. Due to the time constraints in working from life and the tendency of hair to be a complex juxtaposition of values and shapes - it is where a lot of artists develop their shorthand.  

Untitled #108

Untitled #108

24" X 36"

Charcoal on Paper

2013

Most facial expressions are short lived, but on occasion you will find a consistent expression on a models face throughout the duration of a pose. It's usually not an ebullient one given the strain that life modeling at length can cause, as in this 25 min. pose.

The truth of observation is one of the richest rewards and goals in drawing from life. To see things as they are, and not as we would wish them to be is not often a simple or easy task. Given this, I think it's no small accident that humanity existed for countless generations before the advent of the scientific revolution in Europe. Perhaps due in part to the natural aversion we have to truths that don't conform to the stories we have concocted. It is painful - the truth; but as they say, "No pain, no gain."

It's remarkable to think that so much of the technological and scientific advancements of the last 500 years began just with simply looking, truthfully, at what is in front of us however beautiful or painful*. Faithful observation is at the heart of progress and Life Drawing is a wonderful way to connect with that tradition. 

*The model's hand only presented three fingers to my angle of view. I could have added another one, but hey, that was the painful truth. ; )