Classwork - Figure Drawing - Comparative Anatomy

Luther and Karen - 11/30/15 - 3'x5', Conte on Paper

Figure Drawing class and working big again (36"x 48"). The overall goal was to compare the anatomy between both sexes. The class was two long poses. The first with Luca, and then the afternoon with Karen.

I wish I took a photo with just the Luca pose in there. My goal was to get the whole figure in the page. I covered up a great right hand with the second pose.

I am pretty happy with this drawing. However the lament is that to get this drawing finished will take a few more hours of work. There is a great feeling of space between the two models. Used a chamois to smudge the earlier drawing of Luca to the background.

Things to fix when I get some time to work on this:

• I think the room perspective is a little steep.
• The highlight on Luca's stomach is popping to the foreground.
• A little more dark shades in the figure of Luca. The chamois took away a little too much of the darks in places.
• General focus on background forms paying close attention to straightening the lines and even out the dark to light transitions.

Figure Drawing 2015-11-07 - Luca

Luca 11/09/15, Conté on Paper, 3'x5'

Working big again. This time in black and white instead of toned paper. The drawing is powerful to stand in front of because of its scale and contrast. I am liking what I'm able to get done in the four hours of my six hour of class, but there are some problems with this drawing.

I am liking the effect of the chamois to give a base tone to things. It lets me pull texture in the highlights with an eraser and is making a nice effect on his chest

I am a little unhappy with the right hand and foot. The foot especially looks kind of flat.

In Love with Beauty

Sweet Okole, Conté on Paper, 18" x 24"

"A heart in love with beauty never grows old."~Turkish Proverb

I like the line quality of this drawing. However, her lip looks silly to me.

All that is not Beautiful

Funky Nude, Conté on Paper, 18" x 24"

"In the nude,
all that is not beautiful is obscene."
~ Robert Bresson

I was trying to do a two-tone on this one, using light and shadow. I was happy with the shapes and it is different from how I usually sketch my nudes. 

With her looking down, it makes it easier for me to make the drawing more interesting.

All True

Dark Nude, Conté on Paper, 18" x 24"

This drawing was done at the Windward Community College class. I used one of my favorite techniques here. I covered the page with conté that I rubbed on its side to get this textured effect. I did the highlights using an eraser, then filled with black charcoal.

This technique gives a wonderful mood to the piece when I use it.

"There's no one thing that's true. It's all true."
~ Ernest Hemingway

Called Content

Sleeping Nude, Conté on Paper, 18" x 24"

This is an exciting piece because I nailed the perspective. Both hands look great and the face looks good. Everything works for me. There is great movement because of the way I applied the Conté.  The pattern from my scribbling vibrates and moves the eye around the drawing.

"My crown is called content, a crown that seldom kings enjoy."
~ William Shakespeare

Block of Granite

Study of Cellini's Perseus, Conté on Toned Paper,  18" x 24"

I really like this drawing of Cellini's Perseus in the Palazzo della Signoria of Florence, Italy. Cellini's piece is the only bronze in the square and is quite dramatic to see. When I was in Florence, I was really passionate about drawing sculptures.

After doing a small drawing, I prepped a piece of paper and worked on this larger drawing. I worked on this for two hours at the square. I think my sketch captured the strength and mood of the piece very well.

"The block of granite, which was an obstacle in the path of the weak,
 becomes a stepping stone in the path of the strong."
~ Thomas Carlyle

Criticize by Creating

Angry Nude, Conté on Paper, 18' x 24"

This was another assignment for the pastels class I took in Italy. It is probably one of the most academic nudes that I have done. It looks cool. This is one piece of Conté, rubbed on its side all over and then I shaded with an eraser. This is an excellent likeness of the model.

"Criticize by creating." 
~ Michelangelo