Life, May 18 (06)

[FriendCarol]

Hi, y'all! I had fun tonight.
Critiques welcome; I could use some pointers now... Any proportions I'm still not getting, regularly? Other suggestions also considered.
Only managed to get one 2-minute pose, not worth posting (arrived as model was starting ). These are 5-minute poses:


10-minute poses:


And just 2 20-minute poses (we chatted lots tonight; the group seems to be growing bigger!):

(I'm happy that I got that face -- took the last 3:30 to try it)

I didn't expect to get through the night so well, because I painted a complicated (blue iris) greeting card in the afternoon, when I should have rested. Yet, although I was sore going in, I managed to get through the whole evening! Maybe I'm getting a little stronger just from getting out once a week.

[macrobertson]

Carol you are doing pretty well with the movement in these, and I think the last one is the pick of the night

Mac

[vhere]

you are really growing in confidence and ability.

I think the last one is the best too but like the second one as much except for the left shoulder - that line across it spoils it rather - but it could be washed out.

You are 'feeling' the movement and flow of the body

[jjackm]

You new found strength is showing up in your paintings. Get out as much as you can!

[WV.Artistry]

You're in good company . . my hands are still post-surgery, numb, and tingly nerves, so I haven't been able to do much except wander around and ask women to take their clothes off.

Oh, well .. no I can't sketch them, I just want to know if they will take their clothes off. I have to give em' an "I.O.U."

Glad somebody is being productive.



Hope you feel better.

[Adair_P]

Richard...

hehehe

You are going ahead in leaps and bounds Carol.... my fave is the last one too....your proportions there are pretty good now, and it has a great feeling about it..... can tell you were having fun.

[FriendCarol]

Thanks, Mac, Vivien, Jack, Richard, & Pauline! I know they still don't look like much, but I'm very pleased at how much more I can get done in the same amount of time now, compared with when I started. Not only am I faster, but I think I'm more accurate, most of the time. Starting to have time now for rudimentary hands & feet. I love feet -- some wonderful compound curves there, and often great expressive qualities, too.

Next week the back-ordered Isabey sable quill should arrive. Thursday night I used the #8 da Vinci Maestro model 35 most of the time, rather than the quill, since I can't yet control the excess moisture in the quill (second brush needed ). That's why this week's lines are so much thinner. But I'll be back to shapes soon.

After I can lay a shape the way I want it, one proper edge (probably with tip, Chinese-style) and shape, plus control inner edge with second brush, I can start to work on color. Last night I used a small porcelain flower palette with some dried Cadmium red & various yellows, getting just the FUM from my Field Box. Borrowed that from Charles Reid. (Just noticed the scanner did a very poor job translating that color. The cushions are bright red, pure Cadmium red for the most part.)

Richard, I was just wondering how you were getting on today (um, yesterday)! Good to hear from you again. The numb hands are annoying, but don't worry about it. We really paint with whole hand & arm, much more than with fiddly finger movements. (My handwriting is practically illegible after a few words, yet I can still paint the finest curves when I want to, so I know!)

Good luck with getting women to take off their clothes....

Home health aide #8 came by to meet me today, and starts Tuesday, if things go as planned... I'm not sure, actually, whether she's #7 or #8, since #7 only called and got directions from me, but never actually showed up in person. Anyway, presumably I'll get out more with home health aide than without, and I've been without the past 3 weeks. This one is a (former) New Yorker, and a very fast talker, very high energy, so here's hoping.

[ArtistOz]

Critiques welcome; I could use some pointers now... Any proportions I'm still not getting, regularly? Other suggestions also considered.

Hmmm you'd be a difficult person to teach Carol as the normal systematic methods of drawing are rejected by you Once you work out your own system you might be in demand as a teacher

Think of it as calligraphy and look for the correct place for the mark. The brain is good at working out measurements ask Pauline

[FriendCarol]

Dunno, Bill, none of my actual teachers ever reported I was difficult to teach. Difficult to follow, yes! (My thesis professor often would repeat some statement I'd just made and ask how I got there from where we had been a minute ago. Links that seem obvious to me aren't, it seems.) But then, art classes are a whole 'nother thing. I still think I really don't 'get' visual art as artist, most of the time. So I'm doing it my way, since I don't really have a choice! It has to be authentic, before it can get any better. No point copying something the end result of which I wouldn't value, right?

Seriously, I think if I had someone teaching me f2f, I'd be able to learn faster. There must be many things people probably assume I understand that I really don't. Also, I could ask questions immediately when I don't follow, or ask why something is done a certain way (instead of whatever I'm doing ).

[ArtistOz]

Originally Posted by FriendCarol

No point copying something the end result of which I wouldn't value, right?
.

(Shakes his head) I would say copying master drawings would be of value, you learn their language, much better than photos. Yes f2f would be better, you'd need an ecletic teacher to adapt to your needs. I don't think the master apprentice system would work for you or the teacher Can you think in pictures? Can you walk around your room in your mind and see things that are there?

[FriendCarol]

The things I've already drawn/painted, sure! I do think I'm slowly becoming more visual, though -- drew & painted an iris yesterday (actually, day before yesterday; I just haven't slept yet ), and didn't have trouble with the 'folds.' When I started a couple years ago, I couldn't follow folds without huge effort, and then only very slowly, but I painted the card (and drew the same subject in 4"x6" sketchbook during resting sessions) in a few hours (which translates to 90-120 minutes, including preliminary masking and wet-in-wet background). And before I painted the iris, I used a Masquepen to 'draw' its contours, very quickly and easily. (Drawing anything else seems easy now, after drawing figures!)

The Andrew Loomis book should be on its way in a week or two. That will help, won't it? I asked around at the life sessions, but haven't found a teacher I feel is 'eclectic' enough yet. Primarily I need teachers who are articulate, I think (like you, in fact! ).