Life Drawing - Week 3

After the surprising success of my last life drawing class, I was eager and excited to get back into practicing and experimenting with drawings of the human figure. This time, as I was based in a different studio, I was able to use materials such as charcoal and ink and wash to create a varied collection of responses. Similarly to the previous time, we were given different time limits and instruction each time, which could be to do with the line quality (straight or curved), technique for drawing tool or any other instruction to challenge the way we looked at the drawing process.

To begin with, I started by drawing two basic 10 minute each sketches using a regular HB pencil creating light flowing marks.

Looking at both of these responses now, I think closer detail could have been applied to both the facial area and head shape, and also proportion of the head to the torso. However, as it was the first life drawings I had done for a while, I realise it took a few drawings to completely settle into the swing of things again. In the first image (left), it is clear that the feet have been grounded and sized in proportion to the head and legs, however I feel that the second drawing (right) lacks some of the proportion key to the success of a basic line drawing. Although the model himself did have a rather long torso, the size of the legs here is not directly related to the other limbs such as the arms, and length of both limbs has become slightly off.

After the initial drawings, we were directed to use compressed (hard) charcoal to create a series of 4 minute long drawings. In comparison to the last two drawings, I think I have been a lot more successful with proportion here as the accuracy of length of limbs and angles of shapes is a lot more evident - particularly in the first of this series of drawings (top left) where I used more of a straight line technique to form the basis of the sketch.

In adition to this, by using soft willow charcoal, I was able to make a variety of marks. I used the end of the thin willow charcoal to make swift, hard lines to create the outline, and then tended to use the flat side of the charcoal stick to create more curved softer lines and shading.

Furthering on from the previous charcoal responses, I experimented with several techniques using compressed (hard) charcoal such as only using the flat long side of the stick, only using curved or straight lines, and only using the pencil like end of the charcoal.

• top left - 3 minute, compressed charcoal, only using flat side of the thick charcoal

• top right - 3 minute, compressed charcoal, only using curved lines and the flat side of the charcoal

• bottom left - 3 minute, willow charcoal, straight line only drawings using the tip of the charcoal only

• bottom right - 2 minutes, willow charcoal, (left) straight lines only, (right) combination of all techniques used in this set of experiments, compiling all outcomes together

We also used compressed charcoal attached to the end of a stick to create a response, which in my opinion looks much rougher and sharper than those previous.

I do think however, that using this technique is a good way to allow yourself the space to be able to step away from the easel and view the model better, paying less attention to the paper and more on the shapes and line the eye is viewing. It also gives a really nice scruffy and messy look; good for experimentation but not useful when it comes to creating accurate drawings.

I chose to o the drawings over the top of each other which was successful, but would look even more effective with more overlapping surrounding drawings, built up to create some sort of pattern or abstract scene. It is also interesting to see how the shapes from the two different poses overlap and create new spaces that couldn't be seen when drawing.

I then experimented with using pen and water (wash) as a method of recording the human form, which I was apprehensive about as I know how temperamental ink can be when too much is used. In the past when I have used it, it has run over the page or dripped and ruined it, however I was determined not to try and erase such lines, but instead allow them to be a 'happy accident; and incorporate themselves into the drawing,

The water mixed with the ink allowed me to dilute the intensity of the black ink, and therefore varied the tone of the marks. I started out by brushing a pale underneath outline onto the page in the style of a line drawing, and then going over the marks in the appropriate places in a darker more intense ink to create tone and shadow. The watered down ink was the on of the most effective methods I have yet discovered of showing shadow on the paper.

I concluded the days' experimentation with 3 tone drawings, which I believe were successful due to the intense concentration payed particularly to the highlight and shade of each limb.

The first two drawings (top left and right) were completed in 10 and 12 minutes, and the bottom drawing a much longer intense 30 minute sketch. The bottom tone drawing was made by layering up a thin layer of charcoal on the background, making a rough line drawing (this almost disappeared when adding the shadow and tone) and then finally marking in the darkest points on the drawing and filling them in as dark as possible to make a marker for the darkest shade on the page. From there, it was all about deciding where the shades fitted on my personal tone scale in order to produce and effective and carefully though out response.