Moleskin pages

I'm now a lover of moleskin sketch books. It's a handy size and the paper quality in my current book is exceptional... It will hold gouache or acrylic without wrinkling too much. Here are a few pages from my latest book:

OCA D5: Assignment

This was interesting...

With guidance from my tutor I was going to set up and draw a full seated portrait with my full length mirror positioned so that the very bottom of it was sitting just in front of my left foot. Nice idea. However, I could not position the mirror. So, I removed it from its stand, but not surprisingly, I couldn't get it to stand. In the end I was so p*&%!d off that I threw the mirror down and had a coffee time-out.

After a much needed Nespresso coffee and some deep breathing I returned to my easel to reposition my mirror. While I was fumbling around with my easel, I happened to glance down at my reflection. It was quite an interesting composition. So, without considering my plans I picked up a crayon and started drawing. This was pure instinct. I hadn't considered composition or medium; I just picked up the nearest implement to hand and started making marks.

This was the picture created after 20 minutes of drawing...

I was happy with what I had created. I mean, this was purely accidental and something positive happened. Something was missing though. I was really happy with the interesting and dynamic composition, but it lacked depth. So, I photographed the picture and imported it in to Photoshop, where I could play around with some tonal values.

After much deliberating, I decided the image needed solidity surrounding the mirror and in the lower parts of the reflection. I have been cautious of how this was created ~ I don't want to lose the uninhibited nature of the picture.

I have submitted this as my assignment piece because I was excited by the composition. However, I do still feel that it could be developed further. I may need to work on more A2 studies to determine this, so I don't risk losing the spontaneity in this one.

Update...

Just looking at the piece on my log, I'd like to develop the draping hand more. Making this a little bolder and giving it definition may add more depth... Really bringing the hand forward and pushing my head back.

OCA D5: Studies in colour

This piece was a quick 20 minute life drawing study with some added colour samples.

I've just - 22:29 the evening before I'm to post out my work - decided that I'm unhappy with this as a submission for my colour study exercise, so I'm going to spend a couple of hours working on a self portrait.

So, last minute - late last night - I spent a couple of hours making some new colour studies. I wanted to experiment with some new pens I purchased so made a couple of self portraits mixing the pens with crayon. I'm not confident with pens and unsure of how bold I can be before they become over-worked.

Here is a little progression...

I'm going to work on more of these, gradually building up colour to see how bold I can make it.

Update...

I've just been experimenting, cropping compositions in Photoshop. I think the backwards tilt of the head and the downwards stare is quite imposing and is given more impact with a tighter composition.

OCA D5: Tonal study

I decided weeks ago I was going to work on a tonal study of my dad. He has more time than other family members and he's a willing sitter. Although, he is now at that age when snoozing takes places all too frequently, so the occasional probe was required.

I approached this portrait with sensitivity because I was drawing my dad. When the piece has been through its assessment I will frame it and give it to him as a gift. My dad appreciates traditional artwork and knowing this I was more reserved with my line.

Portrait of my dad

I didn't make preliminaries before starting, so I'm please with how the composition turned out. I knew what I wanted and just made a start when my dad was positioned. With a delicate portrait I struggle with 'completion'. Personally, and this applies to me generally, it is a fine line between incomplete and over-worked and I sometimes have a tendency to leave work in a more incomplete state. This is purely down to the fear of spoiling.

I think a little more work around the facial features would improve the picture and draw more focus to the head of the portrait. I'm pleased with the understated torso, which draws the eye down to the hands. I'm undecided about the work on the hands... I'm pleased with proportions and the sense of force pushing his fingers apart, but I think they may have been over-worked, taking primary focus in the picture. Perhaps I've been looking at it for too long and now I'm trying to find faults.

OCA D5: Research point

Ingres, David, Degas, Giacometti and Hockney

I'm researching the use of line in drawings made by the above mentioned artists. My initial reaction was that I'm not overly-familiar with drawings made by Ingres and David, and that Degas, Giacometti and Hockney couldn't be more different. But then I felt that it was difficult to really make comparisons with Hockney because his style has changed so much over the years. It is interesting to see variations and levels of experimentation change over the years. I think the reason these artists were selected is so we can make comparisons of the periods... Looking at the progression of freedom and expression, but also at the fundamentals, which haven't changed so much.

Ingres

His line is very clean; very precise. It seems he liked to render facial features, but then torsos are drawn mainly using line alone, and left in this almost, transparent state. His drawings are meticulous and the line quality in some appears very architectural.

David

His style, although similar to Ingres' from the same period, appears a little more traditional and in keeping with the handling of the old masters. It seems he possessed the ability to depict form beautifully with just a few hatched marks.

Degas

I have admiration for any artist who is skilled and imaginative, who will allow his lesser fulfilling works out in to the world. I'm referring to some of his reactive sketches, his preliminary drawings or doodles and it's great that they can be treated as such; taken for what they are.

One of Degas' cruder sketches

To this... A drawing that would inspire me to reach for my pencils. There's a solidity in the muscle tone and the line re-appearing from the denser areas is beautiful.

Giacometti

He seemed to enjoy the continuous line, while trying to feel his way around a drawing, finding form. Perhaps a lot of his preliminaries were made for sculpture. His drawings appear rapid and vigorous, but I believe he would return to them and continually amend. Very different from the clean and precise style of Ingres and David. I love Giacometti's work, especially the drawings he has worked and over-worked with some corrective paint... Seeking out those lines he wanted to keep.

Hockey

Hockney hasn't been afraid to experiment, with varying styles and different media. His drawings are no exception. Using Hockney's description, his drawings from the 90's onwards are much cruder, whereas his early drawings from the 60's and 70's and much more refined in the line he has included, and excluded. I'm going through my Hockney books and seeing comparisons between his earlier drawings and drawings made by Ingres... The rendered facial features and line-only torsos. Hockney is one of my favourite artists. Not because I think he is one of the greatest, but because his life is art and he makes it enjoyable. That alone is something to aspire to.

The Connoisseur by David Hockney (1969)

OCA D5: Line drawing of the whole figure

Once again, I took off to my life drawing group with my A2 pad and crayons. This week (Tues 11th) I wanted a line drawing of the whole figure. The model was a big chap with skinny calves and, excluding breaks, he was sitting the same pose for the full 2 hours. I came away with 2 line drawings. Actually, I came away with 3, but that's another story.

I was pleased with the figure in my first drawing, but overall the piece lacked composition; the image was lost. I have cropped the picture for my log, which has given it more focus.

Approaching my second meant considering the figure and the composition. This was much bolder with my figure occupying space at the forefront of my picture.

OCA D5: Quick studies

Armed with my drawing board, A2 pad and my crayons I set off to my life drawing session. My intention was to be bold and hopefully capture some quick poses and a line drawing. The structure of the session suited me just fine... The first hour was two 10 minute poses, followed by two 20 min poses. Break for 10, then a single 50 minute pose. I came away with a couple of good pieces and a 50-min piece that I regrettably destroyed - a problem of mine.

My 10 min poses:

I hadn't attended this particular drawing group for a while. One of the challenges I had to overcome was moving around a room full of artists... I was a little anxious. I feel my quick studies have improved and this was partly down to drawing larger. I enjoyed the freedom of the larger paper. Also, I used a crayon, forcing myself to think larger and bolder.

OCA D5: Time was (is) of the essence

It was agreed that I would complete this stage by the 22nd Feb, which gave me just over two weeks from completing 'Drawing 4'. I had to be organised. I signed up to a life drawing group in Whalley who meet Tuesday evenings, and arranged a couple of sittings with my dad for a tonal piece. Any exercises left over would be completed as self-portraits. Actually, I think my assignment piece for 'Drawing 5' will be a self-portrait.

OCA D5: Selection

So, I've selected to complete the figurative assignments. My passion for art goes beyond the figure as subject matter, but it is the organic line and form of figurative drawing and portraiture that really excites me.

I like to read about art history and movements and love discovering new pieces of artwork by the masters and modern-day, living artists. A handful of my favourite artists are Rembrandt, Egon Schiele, David Hockney, Tai Shan Schierenberg, Andy James and Sean Cheetham. Before I started my work for 'Drawing 5' I drummed up inspiration from these artists.

A self-portrait by Andrew James: