John's Figure and Portrait Sketches

[JTMB]

Wow, as one of the (almost) original regulars in this forum, I can't believe I let this thread slip to page 3, and that I've been so busy with other stuff that I haven't posted much at all lately. I have continued to draw, though my painting needs more time, and will soon as plein air weather appears it might actually make an appearance in the Northwest this year.

Anyway, I've been doing a drop-in from-life open studio drawing session on Monday mornings whenever the schedule allows. Much of the time is quick (1 and 2 minute) gesture sketches, then we do 5 minutes, a couple 15 minutes and one hour-long pose. I do the shorter ones on 18x24 newsprint, so they really aren't art journal material, but the last few times there, I have been doing a couple of the 15 minute and hour poses in an 11 x 14 Robert Bateman sketchbook, so decided to post a couple here. These are mostly in graphite, and a number of them used fairly hard (HB) leads because I didn't want to worry too much about smearing, so they are (and reproduce) a little faintly. And I find with light drawings, my camera and photoshop don't deal too well with color casts - sorry.

Here are a few. They all have issues of some sort, but I am seeing improvement in my ability to get things 'right' (or incrementally 'righter' I guess would be more accurate ). The gesture sketches have definitely improved.

[kevinwueste]

John - these are good! Esp like this last one! Even in your SB - it can be good to think about the big shapes first and then refine.. like Sherlock homes - from the general to the specific!

-Kevin

[DrDebby]

These are really good. (Note to self - practice more, it really does help. )

[RainySea]

Wow, those are great gesture sketches. . .

[JTMB]

Kevin - Wow, thanks for the compliment, as I hold your figure drawing skills in absolute awe...something to aspire to but probably not get there, as I tend to spend more time painting. I can certainly now see why life drawing is so valuable - it really pushes you in ways that help improve. Guess that's why artists have been doing it for centuries...! And thanks as always for the advice as well.

Debby -Thanks so much!

Here is one from yesterday's session that I didn't have photographed yet when I uploaded the others. I think this one may be the best one I've done so far. This is again graphite in the 11 x 14 Bateman sketchbook. Shading was done with light pencil hatching then smudging. On that small paper, it's a bit more difficult to get smooth shading because you simply don't have the space to work with the gradients. This was a one hour pose (broken up into four fifteen minute sessions).

[JTMB]

Thanks, Rainy! We cross-posted, so I missed thanking you last time.

[Joan T]

You capture a lot in the short pose sessions. These are really nice...good shading, John.

[DrDebby]

I'm amazed he held that pose for an hour. Good job on the sketch.

[JTMB]

Thanks Joan and Debby!

Yes, Debby, I'm amazed by all the models. If I had tried to hold the pose Richard did here for ten minutes, I would be so knotted up that they'd have to carry me to a chiropractor and massage therapist to get me moving again...! He had 5 minute breaks between each of the four 15 minute sessions, and the session coordinator taped the location of his feet and hands so he could resume the same pose...but still, not something I could have ever done.

Even more amazing, we had a female model one day who was big time into yoga. She did a two minute (or it might have even been five minute) pose holding a headstand. In high school gym class I could never do a headstand (and certainly not a handstand) for more than a few seconds. When she went into that pose, murmurs of disbelief and admiration went around the room between all the students.

Modeling is not easy, I've decided that for sure. The female model in this last group of pictures was overall the best one we've had - she's trained as a dancer, and the fluidity and gracefulness of her poses very much showed the influence of her dance training.

[jacquip]

Fantastic sketches John. All that practice is certainly showing. I think doing from life adds so much more too. Well done.

[poochemio]

Pat yourself on the back John, huge strides forward in your life drawing. That last picture is great. Sometimes when models are holding an arduous pose I start to tense up myself and don't even realize until break and then it's like eek I can't move, how on earth can the model! I miss my life drawing groups something fierce, I've found a couple I can go to here, a mere 40 miles to the closest and 50 to the other 2, time to fire up the Jeep and get back into the fray. I'd like to take a class this summer from Anthony Ryder and I'm way too rusty.

[thesnowybee]

John, your portraits are really imporvin each time...but the coloured pastel one is exceptionally good

[JTMB]

Thank you Jacqui, Margo and Brenda!

[Joan T]

I think it is hard enough for the models to pose for portraits...doing a headstand takes that to another place altogether. lol

[thesnowybee]

i hope she had clothes on when she was doing a headstand lolololol