Friday, March 20, 2009

A challenging Challenge!







Farah from Dr Sketchy, came to pose for our thursday life drawing, we wanted her to impersonate a character,and avoid the boring academic approach of nude life drawing. She came in with katana sword, kimono, a  fancy hairdress. Also a Belly dancing outfit. So we threw ourselves in the challenging challenge of art. We're very used to draw the naked body, but the mere fact of covering it with drapery and artefact messed up our heads. I didn't expect it to be so hard, but today I understand more about me. Moreover why I failed so many time painting landscape. Depicting the costume on the model was a matter of lines and textures, coupled with lighting. I guess this is pretty much what happen on landscape too. I need to work on my texturing skill. How to give a feel to the surface I'm painting. dry, sotft, bricks, pavement, sand, old wood, etc... and moreover where to use texture, Edgar Whitney say... Textures happen at the transition of light and dark. I will focus on this. But Farah, you did a great job!


Friday, March 13, 2009

I've been used... again!


Xu Hui came back to our life drawing session. She worked her magic, and again we all started drawing better, how is she doing this? I have no idea, but this is no coincidence. We're not using her as a model, she is using us, playing with us and constantly challenging our skills by twisting her curves. That bring what's best in us out. For me, I think I've simply done the best drawing in my life. I barely never talk about my work in that sense, but this particular one, is simple, elegant and striking :). She helped me doing this, and I truly thank her. I used Holbein Ivory Black, and Payne's Grey watercolors, with my trusty Leonard #1 brush, synthetic fiber, for a great bouce, fixed with quills.