12/16/11 Florence

Continuing in the spirit of the conversation between John and I in the last post, I really attempted in these drawings to NOT focus on the idea of beauty. Instead, I made a specific point to try to clearly understand where the model’s feet are and what role they play in setting up the rest of the pose. As you can see I’ve drawn and redrawn
different part of these poses (especially the feet), in order to try to make sense of what was happening in each pose.

November 13, 2011

20 minutes

10 minutes

5 minutes

2 minutes

2 minutes

While I am motivated by the character of the pose, I can see my drawings are more about the forces and physical mechanics of the model's body. I like to draw what the model is doing and how he accomplishes the pose. Even when I approach the model's face, it most often has to do with the role the face plays in the direction and power of the forces operating through the entire pose. Looking at Rob's drawings from his previous post, I think he is responding to a delicacy in Jess's expression and how that delicacy manifests throughout the pose. My first response to the top drawing was "it's beautiful and captures a softness that I never seem to get but, I wish he had drawn her feet." 

I say this, not as criticism but, as an effort to identify my own shortcomings (or reliance on my own comforts) and to challenge myself to reach further into the meaning of the pose as Rob has done.

These drawings are from a workshop at CalArts lead by Phil Rynda. Watching Phil draw and hearing him talk about his effort to find the emotional center of the pose by first and foremost establishing the model's face as the foundation from which the entire pose is motivated, coupled with Rob's drawings, has me reevaluating my own approach. 

Nov. 2011 Jess

October 30, 2011

a 10, a 7 and some 2's of Aichel.

Peggy

From the final session in this term's drawing workshop. The models have been amazing and I hope the program will continue in the Spring. This week's model was Peggy.

October 16, 2011 - more Parker

Here are some more Parker poses from the October 16 session at CalArts. I am attacking the short poses as a warm up to these longer poses. My hope is I can keep moving quickly through the drawing without getting caught up in too many fussy details. I do move a bit slower and more carefully but, I know if I go too slow, I lose my way and wind up with a drawing of a foot and the back of a knee. I have to maintain a sense of urgency as I move through the drawing or I begin to concentrate on one area and lose track the whole pose.

October 16, 2011

Parker is a wonderful model who mixes grace and sensuality with character in her poses. Many of the drawing workshops in the LA area are appropriately geared toward the artists working in the Entertainment Industry. It can often be quite fun to draw from the costumed model and use the pose as a springboard to experimentation and building your character design or storytelling skills. But, I prefer to use the time I have to study what the model is providing. I make a living drawing out of my head. If I have the rare opportunity to draw from a model, I'm going to take advantage of that opportunity. LA models will sometimes take absurd poses which appear as difficult to maintain as they are difficult to draw. I believe this is intended to create some kind of dramatic animation in the pose. I'm not sure. I am very happy with the difficulties presented to me with classic contrapuntal poses and often ask the model to take a pose as if they were waiting for a bus. For me, it isn't necessary to over-think or over-elaborate the drama of the pose. I'm quite happy to struggle through what some might consider "simple" or "boring" poses as there is inherently so much drama and complexity in the model's body already. I enjoy the time I have trying to understand what is in front of me and trying to make sense of my responses in the drawing. Here are some drawings of Parker's 2 minute and 4 minute poses from October 16.