Home › Forums › Explore Subjects › Figure, The › This Week’s Struggles!
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April 13, 2018 at 7:10 am #454513
We had a male model for a change at this week’s lifedrawing. It’s been quite a while, so it felt like a whole new learning experience. Also the organiser decided to go for more short poses than normal. From the outset, I decided to work with charcoal on newsprint only – this gives me permission to experiment a bit, since I’m not wasting expensive paper or materials. I used three different types of charcoal, a hard compressed (but not particularly black) for the 2 min gestures, then vine charcoal for the second 15 min pose and finally compressed charcoal (very black) for the last one (about 25 minutes). Strangely, as soon as I saw them on the computer, I can see drawing errors on the two long poses and the set of quick ones is probably more accurate. Anyway, all a learning experience. All three drawings are on 30″ x 20″ newsprint.
Yesterday’s portrait session turned into a disaster. Our sitter was an elderly lady who insisted on reciting poetry to us in an animated manner, so a bit of a moving target! But it actually got even worse as the session went on. A couple of other artists who had basically given up the ghost started talking to her and, being polite, she turned towards them every time they spoke! My unintentional “cubist” portrait was wiped this morning!
Michael
MMcG
My Website www.michaelmcguireart.com My Blog http://www.michaelmcguireart.blogspot.com
C&C welcomeApril 13, 2018 at 9:18 am #603986I can sympathise with you on the short poses Michael, Us men of a certain age cant work as fast as the young whipper snappers:) I admire people who can do quick guestures but I cant imagine the masters using those techniques. 5 minutes is about when i can start getting something. I like the middle one more than the last, its almost like a ghost figure emerging. The third one seems to lack form.
Where the spirit does not work with the hand, there is no art - Leonardo da Vinci
More than happy to receive C&C on anything I post
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/the_henson_gallery/April 13, 2018 at 10:25 am #603976I can sympathise with you on the short poses Michael, Us men of a certain age cant work as fast as the young whipper snappers:) I admire people who can do quick guestures but I cant imagine the masters using those techniques. 5 minutes is about when i can start getting something. I like the middle one more than the last, its almost like a ghost figure emerging. The third one seems to lack form.
Excuse me, but I’ll have you know that I’m one of the youngest at our weekly lifedrawing session! And Facebook recently told me that if turn my age backwards I’m still a teenager! As regards the third one, I’m still learning what I can do with compressed charcoal on newsprint. Bet you thought I’d show the “cubist” portrait!
Michael
MMcG
My Website www.michaelmcguireart.com My Blog http://www.michaelmcguireart.blogspot.com
C&C welcomeApril 13, 2018 at 10:37 am #603987I was hoping:) have you used the conte pencils? They have a 2b compressed which gives very dark results and blends beautifully with the finger
Where the spirit does not work with the hand, there is no art - Leonardo da Vinci
More than happy to receive C&C on anything I post
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/the_henson_gallery/April 13, 2018 at 11:42 am #603977I was hoping:) have you used the conte pencils? They have a 2b compressed which gives very dark results and blends beautifully with the finger
When I started lifedrawing about ten years ago, David, I tried several different types of pencil and charcoal. I think I still have a couple of Conte pencils somewhere – they were called “Pierre Noir” I think. Anyway, I’m going to start experimenting again.
Michael
MMcG
My Website www.michaelmcguireart.com My Blog http://www.michaelmcguireart.blogspot.com
C&C welcomeApril 13, 2018 at 11:04 pm #603975That first group hardly looks like “gestures”! So nicely modelled!
Very nice work all together, Michael.
Still want to see the cubist work! ha!bethany
moderator in figures & portraits blogs: artbybethany life-presence
website www.bethanyart.com
My inspiration is art... because without art, we would just be stuck with reality. ~Daniel R. Lynch
April 14, 2018 at 3:44 am #603978That first group hardly looks like “gestures”! So nicely modelled!
Very nice work all together, Michael.
Still want to see the cubist work! ha!Thanks Bethany. The “cubist” effort is now a blank panel!
Michael
MMcG
My Website www.michaelmcguireart.com My Blog http://www.michaelmcguireart.blogspot.com
C&C welcomeApril 14, 2018 at 6:31 am #603988When I started lifedrawing about ten years ago, David, I tried several different types of pencil and charcoal. I think I still have a couple of Conte pencils somewhere – they were called “Pierre Noir” I think. Anyway, I’m going to start experimenting again.
Michael
I meant Conte charcoal pencils Believe it or not I just bought a dozen cheap charcoal pencils on Ebay for £1.99 (definitely not Conte) i can never resist a bargain, and they produce quite a nice result if you can manage to sharpen them without the charcoal breaking….
Where the spirit does not work with the hand, there is no art - Leonardo da Vinci
More than happy to receive C&C on anything I post
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/the_henson_gallery/April 14, 2018 at 1:30 pm #603985The middle image is my favorite, Michael.
Kate
April 17, 2018 at 3:38 am #603984Still chuckling about the veteran actress! These don’t look too much of a struggle.The multiple figures make a sheet full of nice curves and I like the young man leaning forward.
C&C always welcome.
Instagram harry.hamillApril 23, 2018 at 4:47 pm #603983I think I agree with you Michael: the short ones work best.
Nathan.
C&C always appreciated.
My art on InstagramApril 25, 2018 at 2:35 am #603989I like the second and third ones, and proportion issues seem to me minor. The detailed development of the face in the third is massively impressive in just 25 minutes, and you still found time for the hands, wish I could do that! If of any interest to you: I think your drawings have a more “contemporary” feel than your paintings, though not sure I could explain why – Guy
April 26, 2018 at 2:48 am #603979The middle image is my favorite, Michael.
Kate
Thanks Kate.
Michael
MMcG
My Website www.michaelmcguireart.com My Blog http://www.michaelmcguireart.blogspot.com
C&C welcomeApril 26, 2018 at 2:49 am #603980Still chuckling about the veteran actress! These don’t look too much of a struggle.The multiple figures make a sheet full of nice curves and I like the young man leaning forward.
Thanks Harry. I’ve gotten over it by now – just about!
Michael
MMcG
My Website www.michaelmcguireart.com My Blog http://www.michaelmcguireart.blogspot.com
C&C welcomeApril 26, 2018 at 2:51 am #603981I think I agree with you Michael: the short ones work best.
Thanks Nathan. Hopefully, it’s a sign of progress when I can see the mistakes in my drawings before someone else points them out to me!
Michael
MMcG
My Website www.michaelmcguireart.com My Blog http://www.michaelmcguireart.blogspot.com
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