Ballerina #30

Ballerina #30 / oil on linen panel / 18 x 24

Another ballerina takes stage front! This one is 18 x 24, oil on Fredrix linen panel. I love the texture of the Fredrix linen and how it grabs the paint but wish it was a little bit less expensive. Even though I love it, I only buy it when I can splurge once in a while.

A Struggle at Life Class

1 minute poses / conte on newsprint

I attempted to do some shading during the 1 minute poses. Out of five sketches, these two are the only ones that are recognizably human!

20 minute pose / ebony graphite on newsprint / about 18 x 12

Our model was leaning on a pole and I really struggled with the proportions for some reason. Although I came away with not one drawing that I like this session, this one really bothers me. I wish I could figure out why I struggled so much. One thought is that I had positioned the paper too low on the easel and in drawing her legs I was drawing down. So I moved up the pad of paper for the next two and didn't do much better.

40 minute pose / ebony graphite on newsprint

I was not in love with the pose and it shows in the drawing.

45 minute pose / graphite on newsprint

This seated pose is the best of the bunch although I did not put in the stool so she is floating in air. Oh, well - there is always next week : )

Ballerina # 29

Ballerina #29 / oil on linen panel / 24 x 18

I am a little happier with this ballerina than with my other recent attempts even though the color is unusual for me. Thank you for looking and for your thoughts.

Ballerina #28

Ballerina #28 / oil on linen panel /16 x 20

Harmonic Resolution

Harmonic Resolution / 16 x 20 / oil on linen panel

Finished this afternoon. I am intrigued by the blue background and greenish sky. I may try that combination again in another painting.

Back to the Drawing Board - New Life Sessions

1 minute warm up poses in sienna Conte crayon

 I forgot how nerve wracking the 1 minute poses are, and I felt soooo rusty and a little nervous with so many weeks between life drawing sessions. I tried just for the gesture - the emotional component of the pose - in these very quick sketches. It amazed me at how short 1 minute actually is!.

20 minute pose / graphite on newsprint / 24 x 18

 Gary was the model and it was his first time posing for figure drawing. He posed for the portrait workshop a few months back. He did a very nice job and held his pose well. If I thought the 1 minute poses went by quickly, this 20 minute pose went even faster!

45 minute pose / graphite on newsprint / 24 x 18

 This was an interesting pose to me - I was directly in front of the model as he was raised on a platform, sitting on a stool with his feet on another small stool (no time to draw the stools - lucky I had time to draw the fabric under him although he still seems to be floating in space!). In any case, in tying to take my drawing a step further, I tried exaggerating his forward hand and feet. Not sure if it worked or not.

45 minute pose / graphite on newsprint

I loved drawing this perspective - directly at the models head, seeing only a small portion of his face. I loved the shape of his legs and the glimpses of feet. It was a challenge and was a lot of fun to wrap up this first session.

Untitled / 16 x 20 / oil on linen

And today I began an equine painting - this is the first pass after about 2 hours of work.