Artistic Anatomy - Observation Drawings

Artistic Anatomy - Front View - 04-30-16,  9"x12", Ink on Paper

The New York Academy of Art offered an Artistic Anatomy class over the weekend. The class included drawing from actual cadavers at a medical school. There was a brief lecture by David Klass (His sculptures are amazing BTW.)

At the onset, I had these romantic ideas of Leonardo Da Vinci sneaking around the streets of Florence, risking imprisonment and punishment to dissect corpses in a Aristotelian pursuit of understanding human anatomy. Those notions were dramatically crushed by the brutal reality of the flayed lifeless body in front of me.

I managed to get a few really great drawings done.  A number of them were done from this corpse that was suspended so that is was standing. There were a number of other corpses that were open around the room.

On this post I have the more observational drawings. I also did a series of drawings that were more diagrams of the muscles structures.

Artistic Anatomy - Back View - 04-30-16,  9"x12", Ink on Paper

This was the first of the drawings I did at the lecture. There is not a lot of information from the back view. David explained that because the bodies are stored laying down, the backs of the body are severely damaged just by the storage.

Artistic Anatomy - Interior Arm - 04-30-16,  9"x 12", Ink on Paper

 I did a pair of drawings just exploring specific views of the bodies. There was some really fascinating things happening in the limbs.

This drawing is after another student moved the arm to reveal the intricate network of veins under the arm of the body.

Artistic Anatomy - Leg Interior - 04-30-16,  9"x 12", Ink on Paper

The transition from muscle to tendon was really neat to actually see. The body's tendons are often buried under other muscles and fat. To see them on display was really fascinating. The texture and color of the muscle visibly changes as it transforms into tendon.

I was kind of overwhelmed after this class. The chemical smell, the coldness of the room and the general brutality of it all eventually got to me. While this was an invaluable experience, it was also difficult and emotionally draining.

Tomorrow I will have the more diagram like drawings.

Man and Beasts - Bones

Camel Skull - 04/16/16, Ink on Paper, 9"x12"

Wade Schuman opened up his collection and there were 5 boxes of animal bones, taxidermy heads and other animal talismans. It was like an odd buffet of animal parts, visually interesting and fascinating.

I was kind of enthralled by the skulls and bones; and yes I sort of felt creepy writing that last sentence.

"What would you like from Texas?" my father asked me, while preparing for a conference.  I remembering pondering for a moment before asking my dad to bring home a cow skull. I guess I was a weird kid.

So working with two color ink,  Burnt Sienna and Cobalt Blue i began to draw the bones that caught my attention

Above is a Camel skull it was the first of these I did. I was kind of surprised how large it was, but then again Camels are very large animals. 

Moose Jaws - 04/16/16, Ink on Paper, 9"x12"

This was the second bone I drew, a moose Jaw.

I put the objects on the floor to give a more intense and shadow to the object. I think it adds a lot giving the form almost an outline. I also like how the edge of the paper crops the shadow.

The croping of the shadow is something i have been thinking about looking back on these drawings after the fact. The Camel skull drawing reads a complete study and object. where as the other two drawings feel a little disjointed because of the cropped shadow. I may have to play with this a little more in the future.

I remember debating how to much of a wash to cover the drawing with. 

Bison Bone - 04/16/16, Ink on Paper, 9"x12"

Above is a petrified Bison bone and the last drawing I did in the morning before heading for lunch.  The petrified bone was very textured and remarkably hefty. It did not feel delicate at least initially, It felt very sturdy especially in comparison to the other bones on the table.

Despite the petrified bone being very dark, I focused the wash nearly exclusively on the shadow of the bone. I was debating going back into it but decided that this drawing works.

I had a good morning.

Painting around the House

Staircase 03/03/16, watercolor on paper, 9"x12"

So the day before Tribeca Ball, the school is undergoing a radical transformation to get ready for the event and I want to be nowhere near the chaos. I have been wanting to do watercolors around the place I'm living. I am happy with how this came out.

I hope this will be one of a few of these I am able to complete.

Judy Fox Master Class

My clay sculpture of Jake. Master class with Judy Fox. Sculpting with a giant piece of wood and a butcher knife.

Man and Beasts - Lulu Reclining

Lulu Reclining, Ink on Paper, 9"x 12", 2016

I got to play with a kangaroo today! Even more fun we got to draw her.

This is Lulu.  She was pretty incredible to see so close.

She reminds me of a giant rabbit. (Isn't that the plot of a Looney Toons cartoon?) The same nose flares and sniffing that a rabbit would do, she did. There are also some structural things about her face that are very reminiscent of a hare.

Her handler let her out of her pen and she explored the room we were in. Almost like a dog exploring the world with her nose first.  But most memorable for me where her arms. Everything in the room she would grasp with her front arms and steer towards her nose. She also tried to eat everything in the room: from the gum stuck on the floor, to coffee cups and bagels.

A student told a story about Lulu eating her kneaded eraser then vomiting up and presenting it back to the student like a gift.

At one point Lulu bolted down the hallway. It was surprising to see how quick she could hop when motivated.  It was after that escape attempt that she was corralled back into her pen for the afternoon. Like the owl that also posed for us, Lulu was tired in the afternoon session making for a steady model.

Man and Beast - Sleeping Eagle Owl

Sleeping Eagle Owl, 9"x12", Ink on Paper, 2016

I had a blast at the Man and Beast class today.

This is an Eagle Owl. This Owl was a character, vocalizing with assorted hoots of all kinds. It also was huge. Its wing span was close to 5 feet. The two feathery "ears" give it such a distinct character.

I drew this in the afternoon, the owl had fallen asleep after an eventful and active morning of visitors streaming through the classroom.

I worked with my fountain pen doing sketches in the morning and in the afternoon switched to a collection of tombow pens and wash.

I love how this drawing came out. I am really working to work the balance between the colors. The black tombow ink is very powerful and controlling that color is really important to making these drawings work.

Figure Drawing 03/28/16- Naked Folk Dance

Figure Drawing 03/28/16 - Megan - Morning Pose,  Ink, Shellac and Oil Paint on Paper. 18"x 24"    

So I have been playing with sharpies and Shellac, then painting the surface. This Monday's figure drawing class was no different.

In the morning the model was Megan, who has become a regular model this semester. The morning pose was a long 2-hour pose. I spent half the time working on each figure. Going through yellow, green  and then a blue green sharpie.

I am finding the yellow sharpie electric on a white page. To the point it is difficult to look at. Works great with this process because the amber shellac leaves them as a delicate ghostly lines.

This was a standing pose where Megan was holding on to the model stand. I wanted to draw multiple figures and changes to the left hands to make them look more interesting. I had the El Greco hand gesture at one point but choose sometime a little more naturalistic.

When I was done I was originally planning to make  two overlapping figures. Until the model come by and said, "It's like a naked Folk Dance." A fact I did not see or plan for really until that moment. So instead of overlapping figures they became interacting figures.

I have been having a obsession with Gerhart Richter after seeing a few of his paintings at the High Museum. I used a painting trowel to make the background of this. I am happy with it although the purple may be a little dark. I may rework it with a white green scumble.

I am enjoying this process.

Man and Beasts 03/22/16 - Leaf Cutter Ants

Leaf Cutter Ants,  Ink On Paper, 9"x12",  2016

So today in the Man and Beasts class we had a lesson from Kate Javens on mounting insects.  Her passion for art making was palpable. 

It was kind of a interesting process. The act of piercing the bug with a needle was difficult. I did a Stag beetle.  Unfortunately the dampening process to make the movable makes them difficult to handle until they dry again so I could not draw the bug I mounted.

I did this drawing of a leaf cutter ant in the afternoon. I think I was able to get a motion from the insect.

Friday Figure Drawing 03/18/16 - Luther

Luther 03/18/16 , Ink, Shellac and Oil Paint on Paper, 18"x24"

Working with this Sharpie, Shellac and Oil Paint process again.

The Friday figure session was a single long pose of Luther.

My red Sharpies died in this drawing. So was working with the green in places.

I really like a couple things about this painting. I like the contrast of the white of the page and the off white of the background and the table he was leaning against is really compelling to me.

I also really like the play between the yellow orange of the shellac and sharpie mixture and the purple of the shadows I used.

It is a simple painting, but I like it.

Anotomical Drawing #2 - Devin 03/16/16 - FINAL

Devin 03/17/2016,  20"x30", Graphite and Shellac on Paper, 2016

Day 4 and Final day of this drawing.

Devin was unable to come for the morning. Amaya did a lecture on toning paper with Shellac. there then was a period of drawing where I really was able to work on the background. Adding the details of the  heater and the other room details.

As I was working on the drawing the main parts that had to get punched up really started becoming obvious. I created a checklist for when Devin came in.

Job #1 was the feet. The lighting had changed over the week so they were brighter in this pose but I decided keep with my original thumbnail.  It actually took a while to draw them. The foreshortening of the right foot was a little maddening. 

Job 2 was the face and neck.  Devin has a lot of ornaments. I really wanted to get the details of them as done as a could. Glasses were already done. Nose ring and cowrie shell necklace check and check.

The final job was to really push the half tones of the drawing.

I am really happy with how this drawing came out. I'm looking forward to start next week's drawing.