meldrum artIt isn’t easy to do life drawing when one isn’t inspired by the model. At least I wasn’t at first, but then after I had spent some time studying the model’s overweight and untrained frame I noticed he had an interesting face, so I focused on that. I sound like a bitch, I’ll probably burn in hell!
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| 15 minute sketch |
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| 10 minute sketch |
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| 10 minute sketch |
Location: Konstnärshuset, Stockholm, 20140225
This weeks model enjoyed testing our abilities to the limits. He formed all sorts of strange angles and shapes with his body. I enjoyed it immensely, although I did feel quite tired after the two hour session was over.
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| Five minute pose |
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| Five minute pose |
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| Five minute pose |
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| Two minute pose |
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| Two minute pose |
Location: Konstnärshuset, Stockholm, 20140218
Well, normally I am very self-critical but this time I have to admit that I’m totally happy with my life drawings. Instead of shading with a 6B lead, I used pastels. A friend uses charcoal and I was envious of the amount of shading he was able to achieve for each pose. With a 6B one has to shade carefully otherwise it looks rough and unattractive to the eye. This takes time and time is short at the life drawing sessions. So using pastels is perfect, they are quick, colourful and create smooth fills. I do not like charcoal as it creates intense contrasts. This results in very dramatic drawings which is something I do not want achieve. I’m searching for a more sensual, softer approach.
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| Five minute nude |
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| Five minute nude |
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| Five minute nude |
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| Five minute nude |
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| Five minute nude |
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| Two minute nude |
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| Five minute nude |
Location: Basis, Stockholm, 20140215
I’ve drawn Lars many times. He is fun, he has a name for each of his poses, like the ones below: “The Base Ball Player”, “The Prisoner”, “Björn Borg” and “The Egg”. I cannot remember the title of the first pose unfortunately.
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| Ten minutes |
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| Ten minutes |
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| Two minutes |
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| Two minutes |
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| Ten minutes |
Location: Konstnärshuset, Stockholm, 20140211
Today I improved some of the sketches I did at yesterday evening’s life drawing session, the first drawing especially, it was originally just a two minute sketch with little detail. I enjoyed finishing it and adding some design into the mix.
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| Two minutes plus ten |
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| Ten minutes |
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| Two minutes |
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| Five minutes + two |
Honestly, the more time I spend on a drawing the more I wreck it with uncertainty. Keeping it pure isn’t easy after two minutes. This is why I haven’t shown any of my drawings that were longer that two minutes this time around.
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| Two minutes |
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| Two minutes |
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| Two minutes |
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| Two minutes |
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| Two minutes – plus a little more shading |
Location: Könstnärshuset, Stockholm, 20140204
It was a struggle to begin with, I have not drawn a male model for a while and so the muscular torso threw me at the start. He was a dancer, skinny, with small butt and bird-like legs. After a few drawings I started to tune in to what I was seeing. I think I’m drawing lines at a slower pace these days, I look often at the subject as I draw the contour. I think that is key, draw what you see and not what you think you see. Anyway, I got a lot of satisfaction out of yesterday evening.
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| Ten minutes |
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| Five minutes |
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| Five minutes |
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| Two minutes |
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| Five minutes |
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| Ten minutes |
Location: Basis, Stockholm, Saturday, 20140201.
Saturday’s model was incredible in the way she could flex and bend her body into the most impossible positions. What was even more impressive was the fact that she could hold these poses for ten minutes without much effort. She left us feeling exhausted after trying to work out the lines of her anatomy during the two hour session. It was fun.
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| Two minutes |
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| Two minutes |
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| Two minutes |
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| Between five and ten minutes |
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| Ten minutes |
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| Two minutes |
Location: Konstnärshuset, Stockholm
It is always easier to sketch when one enjoys the subject that one is trying to capture on paper. This was the case for me yesterday evening when I drew one of my favourite models.
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| 5 minutes |
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| 5 minutes |
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| 5 minutes |
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| 5 minutes |