Category: David Meldrum

Two minute nudes

Here are a few two minute nudes from life drawing at Basis today. I learned one thing, never sign your signature with a felt-tip marker before spraying fixative on the drawing.

Two minute nude. Fabriano A4 paper, 21×29.7 cm

David Meldrum figure drawing My Life Drawing Nude

Life Drawing

Post author By meldrum
Post date 2013/12/04
2 Comments on Life Drawing

Life Drawing at Konstnärshuset (The House of Artists), Stockholm. 20131203
I did not produce a high yield of drawings from this session. I struggled, but don’t we all from time to time.

Five minute nude, Charcoal. 29.6 x 40.5cm / 11,5 x 16,5″

Ten minute nude, Charcoal. 29.6 x 40.5cm / 11,5 x 16,5″

Five minute nude, Charcoal. 29.6 x 40.5cm / 11,5 x 16,5″

David Meldrum figure drawing My Life Drawing Nude Sketch

I was very pleased with my life drawing sketches from Basis at the weekend. I used a chunky charcoal stick and a synthetic coal, Koh-I-Noor pencil. It’s so dramatic with the strong contrast of black and white, very pleasing. A lot of the drawings were completed in two minutes, I have a lot of fun working within that short time frame!

10 minute nude 30 x 42 cm / 11,5 x 16,5″

2 minute nude 30 x 42 cm / 11,5 x 16,5″

David Meldrum Watercolour

Stockholm’s town hall minus the best part.

Post author By meldrum
Post date 2013/11/30
2 Comments on Stockholm’s town hall minus the best part.

The best image of Stockholm’s town hall is the reflection of the building on the water. So this painting was doomed to fail before I even started as I hadn’t left room for the water. Still, I used it as an exercise and I’m happy with what I learned. I used masking fluid for the first time, inspired I guess by Lars Lerin. Learning one brush-stroke at a time, that’s what it’s all about!

Stockholm’s town hall. 31 x 23cm.

David Meldrum figure drawing My Life Drawing Nudes

Extreme Life Drawing

Ten ‘two minute’ life drawing poses in a row, I’d call that extreme, extreme fun.
The coloured sketch with pastels took ten minutes. It was nice to be back at Basis here in Stockholm, we were thirty people and the atmosphere was pleasant as usual.

2 minute sketch, A3

10 minute sketch, A3

David Meldrum figure painting Nude Watercolour

Bringing Arches watercolour paper down to size

Post author By meldrum
Post date 2013/11/18
2 Comments on Bringing Arches watercolour paper down to size

I recently bought Arches watercolour paper. Each time I try to paint on it I get cramp, I find it almost impossible to relax. Why? Because I have such a respect for the beautiful 300g rough cotton paper. I finally worked out the solution to my problem, I simply chop up the paper into smaller pieces and in doing so I make the paper less precious. Now I am not afraid to make mistakes, now I can experiment and learn. You wouldn’t believe what a relief this is to me. I’m just another artist with mental problems!

A4 Nude on Arches 300g rough paper.

David Meldrum Francis Bacon Gustav Klimt Sketch

Learning to be patient

To be patient, to spend hours on one drawing or painting; it is certainly something that does not come naturally to me. These two small sketches are exercises in extending my length of focus on one drawing. It is
not so hard really, I was relaxed and I listened to Bach playing serenely in the background, the minutes flew by. It is creating time to achieve this which is the hardest art to master. If my life resembled a tightly packed suitcase, then something would have to be discarded in order for me to make room for my art. The question is what?