Eric-unfinished

[DanaT]

Hi all. This is Eric - a wonderful model who sits like a stone. We always put him in the long pose.

I got a little careless tonight and left the head off till the last pose when I found out I had 10 minutes to put it in. Never mind the lower body. Don't want to do that again. I felt kinda silly.

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/05-Mar-2005/6512-eric.JPG
White and black charcoal on Canson Mi-Teintes paper: 18x24.

[rimbauds shop]

Dana...this is splendid...it's without doubt my favourite Dana piece so far (of those I've seen obviously). Head looks fine to me. Looks like you have no trouble producing the goods when the pressure's on.

[macrobertson]

poor Eric, maybe if he fidgeted a bit he'd get some shorter poses :p
It surprises me Dana that you left the head till the last! to me it's the most powerful part of the drawing... could be a touch on the small side
I like the way the foreshortened hand and arm is coming on too!

Mac

[ArtistOz]

It has some nice delicate and tidy hatching, what you lack in housework you make up for in your drawings :D The curse of time prevents us from our masterpieces.

[DanaT]

poor Eric, maybe if he fidgeted a bit he'd get some shorter poses :p


mac, LOL I don't think he wanted the short poses, he just wanted to sit there and get paid for it. :) The women don't seem to be able to hold a long pose on a Friday night without slumping or falling asleep. I don't blame them.

I really want to do some more short poses but I hate to give up the long pose. So far I have two classes a week: the Friday night drawing and Sunday all day painting. We have two studios that offer open sessions during the week. Its just so hard to get to them with my schedule now.

With the head I got a little too cocky. I know I can pull a head together much quicker than the rest of the body but 10 minutes is too little time even for me. My teacher told me to start with the most important part first but my mind doesn't work that way. I work on the most difficult part of the drawing first and then when I figure it out, I go from there. Figuring out the light and shadow shapes for his right arm and side was the most difficult. This isn't the light that was there. I had to improvise because we didn't have too much shadow on that side. I'm learning more and more that drawing is not about drawing what you see but drawing what you want to say.

Plus I didn't know what I wanted to do with the cast shadows. He had a funky Afro and it was casting two weird shadows onto his chest. They looked like two snake nests. Definitely not attractive - but I didn't know what to do with it till the very end.

So this session required a lot of problem solving. It would have been easier if I had gotten in earlier and gotten an easel on the other side of the pose. :rolleyes:

Sandra would have laughed at me, I lost the whole 20 minutes setting up. One of my points breaking off and having to sharpen it with a razor at the last minute.

[DanaT]

Dana...this is splendid...it's without doubt my favourite Dana piece so far (of those I've seen obviously). Head looks fine to me. Looks like you have no trouble producing the goods when the pressure's on.

Dave, thanks. As much as I complain about pressure, I need some to get motivated. :rolleyes:

[DanaT]

It has some nice delicate and tidy hatching, what you lack in housework you make up for in your drawings :D The curse of time prevents us from our masterpieces.

Oh God Bill you should see my place. If I'm tidy anywhere, its ONLY in my drawings. :p Thanks for stopping by.

[Rosic]

Dana... I like your diagonal line approach... you may have inspired me to try something like this for my March figure. :wink2:
B

[DanaT]

Dana... I like your diagonal line approach... you may have inspired me to try something like this for my March figure. :wink2:
B

Thanks Bern :)

I don't know if this helps you any but this is a larger version of the shoulder. You should see the hatching better here. (plus I want to show Mr. Shop that I don't have line phobia :p )

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/05-Mar-2005/6512-ericcrop.JPG

I think I'm going to stop using the 6B black charcoal. Its so soft, I lose all the hatching once I put it on. I just get impatient and want to get dark right away. LOL

[sandge]

This is great! I love it! :D

My favourite part is that hand. I love the contrast of the value modelling against the geometry of the construction lines. The value modelling is very skillful and beautifully subtle.

If I am going to be picky, I would say that the face is a little less subtle than the rest. The white on the face is perhaps a bit overstated and gives a slightly mask-like quality. And the outline edge around the facial profile is also a little heavy. If I hold my thumb up so that I block the face from view, the picture has an entirely different feel - much gentler.

Sandra would have laughed at me, I lost the whole 20 minutes setting up. One of my points breaking off and having to sharpen it with a razor at the last minute.

:p :D I missed the first half an hour ... getting to the group this morning! (I'm not a morning person, especially not on a Saturday!) :wink2: :D

[drawright]

Hi DanaT

I saw your post and I thought the model looked familiar! I just drew him yesterday (Friday). Wait a minute. That's the same pose! So we must be in the same class. I'll ask for you next week.

Love your hatching-so subtle. I have such a heavy hand. Head looks fine to me too. Good job

[DanaT]

Hi DanaT

I saw your post and I thought the model looked familiar! I just drew him yesterday (Friday). Wait a minute. That's the same pose! So we must be in the same class. I'll ask for you next week.

Love your hatching-so subtle. I have such a heavy hand. Head looks fine to me too. Good job

Hi drawright! Isn't it a small world? Where were you standing? Why don't you post your version of Eric? I'd love to see it.

I was the one who Costa fussed at for not doing the head until after the long break. He's so funny, he later apologized for being gruff but he then said, "Well it got results didn't it?" :p

Do come over next week. I'm usually in the long pose. How do you like Costa's class? I think he is a character but a really a good teacher.

[DanaT]

This is great! I love it! :D

My favourite part is that hand. I love the contrast of the value modelling against the geometry of the construction lines. The value modelling is very skillful and beautifully subtle.

If I am going to be picky, I would say that the face is a little less subtle than the rest. The white on the face is perhaps a bit overstated and gives a slightly mask-like quality. And the outline edge around the facial profile is also a little heavy. If I hold my thumb up so that I block the face from view, the picture has an entirely different feel - much gentler.





Sandra, thanks so much for stopping by! Yes, it really shows that I left the head for last. :( but what can you do. Just learn from it for next time. You're right that it is lacking subtlety. I find that the most time I spend on a drawing is working out hafltones or the blends between dark and light. I just didn't have time to work that out on the head to the same degree I did on the body.

I'm glad you liked the hand too. The foreshortening of that arm and hand was a challenge.

:p :D I missed the first half an hour ... getting to the group this morning! (I'm not a morning person, especially not on a Saturday!) :wink2: :D

I totally understand Sandra. :rolleyes: I have to get up at 7 for my painting class tomorrow and I've been late more times than I care to remember. Once I'm there I'm fine though.

[Rosic]

Thanks Bern :)

I don't know if this helps you any but this is a larger version of the shoulder. You should see the hatching better here. (plus I want to show Mr. Shop that I don't have line phobia :p )

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/05-Mar-2005/6512-ericcrop.JPG


Thanks for the close-up... giving me even more inspiration.
Have you noticed how sweet I have been portraying you to everyone?... helping you loose that "big stick" image... :D

[DanaT]

Ahh, Bern! :) You know how to melt a woman's heart.

[rimbauds shop]

(plus I want to show Mr. Shop that I don't have line phobia :p )

Dana...I never thought you had a line phobia... just a heavy handed colouring in book big black outline line phobia.

[drawright]

Hi drawright! Isn't it a small world? Where were you standing? Why don't you post your version of Eric? I'd love to see it.

I was the one who Costa fussed at for not doing the head until after the long break. He's so funny, he later apologized for being gruff but he then said, "Well it got results didn't it?" :p

Do come over next week. I'm usually in the long pose. How do you like Costa's class? I think he is a character but a really a good teacher.

In the long pose section with the easel. I like Consta very much. He is one of the best instructor around. Very dedicated and sharing.

I'll post my version once I get it down to the size required for posting.

Hope to see you in class. ;)

[GlsSlipper]

Hi Dana! I really like your style in this drawing! It has a lazy feel to it almost (which takes a dedicated person to be able to execute!) I know you didn't spend much time on the head, but you know? I like it. The touches of white add that finishing touch. Very nice! I know what you mean about problem solving..I seem to get the worst angles for the still lifes at my drawing class....oy...

[DanaT]

Dana...I never thought you had a line phobia... just a heavy handed colouring in book big black outline line phobia.

LOL Dave. That's no fair; you know all my phobias but I know none of yours. ;)

In the long pose section with the easel. I like Consta very much. He is one of the best instructor around. Very dedicated and sharing.

I'll post my version once I get it down to the size required for posting.

Agreed drawright! There's always a long line to see him after class and he always waits for all of us.

Can't wait to see yours.

I know you didn't spend much time on the head, but you know? I like it. The touches of white add that finishing touch. Very nice! I know what you mean about problem solving..I seem to get the worst angles for the still lifes at my drawing class....oy...

Thanks glsslipper. Ah that's tough. I haven't taken a still life class yet. My cheap mind can't justify it. I keep thinking I can set up a still life at home but I never do.

[GlsSlipper]

To be honest with you, I really don't like looking at still life art, let alone drawing it...but it's part of my begining drawing class...at least it's forcing me to to beef up my observational skills! Trying to draw glass (with funky spices inside) is a real- um, it's difficult..

[Ikneadaneraser]

Dana, this is wonderful! I think you used your time judiciously (except arriving late and breaking your point-LOL!)
And with all due respect to your teacher, I feel as you re: leaving the head. I mean, I have an opportunity with a live nekkid person, and I'm gonna take time to do a portrait? Not likely! When I work out all the shapes and spaces, proportions and relationships, tones and values, and get everything balanced, then maybe I'll try for a likeness. Faces I can get anytime- how often can I study a nude?
Just my $.02!

[DanaT]

Thanks Jerry. I kinda agree.

[brine]

I really like the face. It's a lovely portrait.
brine

[DanaT]

Thanks brine. I notice you're in New Jersey. Do you come into the city at all for classes or open studio?

[kramus]

Hello Dana - this is exquisite - I am very taken in particular with the way your line in the models left arm and shoulder is handled, and the transition of the light from the arm to the volume of the chest.