Life drawing

This is the first life drawing session i have ever taken part in so obviously i felt out of my comfort zone. In order to make us feel more comfortable with drawing the human figure we were set a task of over laying many different positions all consisting of different densities so you are able to make out the individual poses. I started off by using charcoal, as im not use to proportioning the figure i found this difficult in the first couple if poses, however as the morning session continued i started to settle and feel much more confident with the drawings being produced. After i finished with the media charcoal i rubbed over the top to make them appear faded then begun over laying the images with pastel and pencil crayon. The colour brings a sense of depth to the composition and allows them to stand out from the background. Again charcoal has been used but not rubbed out being the main focus of the image as its the densest subject in the composition. The use of different tones from dark to light brings dimension into the image. I found this method very effective as it made me feel more comfortable in the right proportions such as leg length to body length.

 Michael Duchamps 'nude descending the staircase' reminds me of this method as he uses overlay to make the abstracted woman look as though theres motion. This is similar in my image as the numerous drawings of the woman brings a sense of movement of her continuously changing positions.

Charcoal was the media uses here, a grey background was first placed on the paper. I focused on the light and dark areas to build up the figure. A ruber was then used to highlight the lighter area on the body, charcoal was again used to add darker areas to the shadowed areas giving the impression of form. These figures appear to be slightly unproportioned, for example the middle figure's shoulders are too broad. If i was to improve upon this image i would only focus on adding darker and lighter areas to build up the image, instead of adding outlines such as on the legs.

This is a similar technique as the previous image. However, this is only built up of dark tones indicating the shadowed areas, the lighter areas left as the whiteness of the page. Slight colour is incorporated into this composition to help indicate the proportions of the body. About 10 minutes was given on each position so i was able to add details of shading. There are areas on this piece which coule be improved, such as the knee on the middle figure which appears to be out of place. Also the breast on the third figure appears to be misproportioned compared to the other breast. Her face is also too round, it should be more oval and her hair line is too far back so if i continued on this piece i would have to adjust and improve it. I am still getting use to the proportions of the body at this stage, so my tutor pointing out faults and giving me positive critisism will help me to improve in future work and not make the same mistakes.

I started off by adding a grey background and then added the darker areas to give the impression of dimension in the figure. Her neck and lower head seem to be too small in comparison with her body so it could do with some improvements. Also the shading should be darker underneath her breast and leg and in the crease of her arm to add more contrast in the image. I decided to add another surface such as newspaper to add interest in the composition. I worked onto the newspaper with pastel which is much darker than the pencil creating contrast between the medias. If i was to improve on this piece i would work the black pastel into the shading on the figure as this would bring the composition together and add more depth to the shading.   

I divided the sheet up into 8 sections so that each drawing would be about the same size. I used charcoal here and just added dark shading on the shadowed section of the body instead of an outline to indicate her figure. The darkest sections help add depth and dimension to the drawings making them appear more realistic and life like. I like the outcome of just highlighting the dark areas as it allows the viewer to complete the figure in their mind, enabling her to look how the viewer 'thinks' she should look.

I used cedar oil and graphite powder here to emphasize the shaded areas on the body. However the surface that i used didn't pick up the cedar oil and graphite powder that well as usually it has a very dark appearance. The body seems to be slightly misproportioned in these drawings and a darker line needs to be added to show shape. However, this was just a trail to see how the surface worked with the media.

This method consisted of quink ink and bleach. I used wax crayon at first to add a hint of colour to the work and then applied a wash of quink ink over the top. The bleach takes away the colour from the ink therefore leaving a lighter area helping to add form in the image as the ink which is left represents the shadowed area on the body. I really enjoyed this session as i experimented with a different technique of drawing which produces a rather abstracted form. On each pose i was given a couple of minutes, this ment i had to be quick and not spend to much time adding detail with the wax crayon. The first image isn't very good as i was getting use to the method but after the first couple of poses i became use to technique and became more confident in my drawings. The bleach dripped down the body as i had to apply it quickly yet i like the effect it produces. This is an effective and enjoyable method which i will most likey use in later work.

In this session instead of drawing a life model i drew a skeleton to understand how the body works. I choose different methods and media when drawing sections from the skeleton such as stick and ink, pencil and pastels. The bold ink contrasts to the soft pencil and pastel in the composition. By overlaying the sections it brings interest to the composition and incorporated colour to create an extra dimension. I found it difficult drawing the skeleton instead of the figure as its much more complex and detailed however by doing this it allowed me to appreciate the body abit more.

This session was about drawing hands as this is a part of the body that i always try to avoid drawing. I started off by using my left hand and by only observing the life model, not looking at the paper. This allowed me to get use to the hands and get use to the movements of the chalk. The chalk is an easy media to use and flows easily so i didnt have to worry about the mark making when focusing on the hands. After a few sketches with my left hand i moved to my right and concentrated on different poses the hand can form. By focusing solely on the hands in this session it has allowed me to feel much more confident, i shall try to incorporate them into my work instead of avoiding them next time.

After focusing on the hands i moved onto concentrating on the feet. Again like before i didnt look at the paper when drawing for the first few sketches. This got me use to the form of the feet. I found drawing the feet much easier than the hands as the form is slightly more simple. However, again by using this technique it has made me much more confident in my drawings. By adding slight colour it has helped add form and dimension to the drawings.  

To experiment with drawing in a different way i used a protractor to build up the form of the body. I built up the shadowed areas by making that section denser with more line. I didn't want the figure to be built by only outline so i built up the denser areas then worked out. After working with pencil i started working with pencil crayon and fine liner, the fine liner adds tonal qualities to the work therefore giving the abstracted figure slight form. Then i worked with pastel around the figure which helps bring attention to the form. I enjoyed this method as the abstracted outcomes look very effective. If i was to develop this idea i think it would look effective on a larger scale, i would only use fine liner to build up the form as i would want it to stand out more.

Instead of drawing the life model straight away i started off with concentrating on the shape and shadows on a mannequin. This session was about incorporating pattern into my drawings. Projections were shot onto the subjects set about the room such as various mannequins, flowers, plimths etc. I represented the projections by using a denser line on the top half of the mannequin which then extends out to the top right side of the composition. I think the pattern brings an extra factor of interest into this drawing as this would be  very simple otherwise. The delicate placement of the flowers seemed quite ironic to me at the time so i wanted to capture that in my work. The soft form of the flowers compliments the flowing curves of the body and the pattern so i think this composition works well together.

The life model then came into the arrangment and choose an area to intermingle with the other subjects. This drawing was built up of stages, first starting out with drawing pattern in pencil which has faded dramatically with the bolder colours overpowering it. Then drawing pattern with a chosen pastel, the blue pastel stands out much more than the pencil allowing the viewer to see it through the model, as though it had been projected on her. And last was drawing the model and subjects which were around her. As pastel is one of my favourite media i choose to use them as i find they stand out more intensely than other materials such as charcoal. I think this composition works really effectively as even though its busy it doesnt appear too overwhelming.

This is a similar method as the previous image however this time i drew the pattern over the model. I moulded the lines around her body representing the pattern that was projected onto her at the time. I wanted this piece to seem rather abstracted, so i decided to make her shadow red contrasting to the pale appearance of the figure yet complimenting the lines occupying her body. The white mannequin creates contrast to the dark background and leads the eye into the centre of the composition. I enjoyed incorporating pattern onto the life model as this attracts a different focus point, instead of just looking at the overall body itself the viewer is forced to look at whats 'on' the body.

In the next two drawings i was asked to focus on the shoes that the life model was wearing. However, i found this task surprisingly hard. I found this shoe to be easier than the second drawing as this is a flat and i was able to get the proportion of the foot okay.

However, in this drawing it took alot of trial and error to finally get the proportion of the foot reasonably right. A heel completely changes the form of a foot and lenght of the leg so i found it difficult to understand the changed proportions. After changing the lenght of the shoe and size of the heel i began to see improvements. This task made me appreciate how hard it is to draw a shoe whilst getting the measurements of the rest of the body right. Unfortunately this is not one of my favourite sessions so i dont think i shall continue this type of work in future.

In the last 20 minutes of the lesson the life model choose different positions to hold for only a couple of minutes. I was able to achieve quick sketches with pastel outlining the form of the body and where the projections were lying. I liked doing this drawing as i was able to choose which media to use and which pose or part of the body i wanted to capture. I found over laying the images to be attractive so i used different colours in order for each pose to be distinguished between the other. However i think i could have improved the figure on the top of the drawing as the arm seems too big and theres not enough tonal information. Overall though im happy with this drawing.

I was given about a minute for each pose to produce quick sketches using my left hand, the first 4 with the media being pencil which gives soft line. The second line was using pencil in my right hand which ment i could put more pressure into the page with full control over my movements making the line slightly darker. In the third line i used thick graphite focusing on tonal qualities as i used the side to mark in large area of shadow to build up the form of the figure. And the last row was with thinner graphite stick. Im not very happy with the sketches i produced here as i misjudged the sizes of each drawing and wasnt able to include the feet, i find it harder to work smaller scale. This technique was to prepare me for monoprinting as i was focusing on different pressures and ways in which i could make marks.

I used the technique of monoprinting in this series of photographs. To start off with i used my left hand in the first two images, holding the pencil at the far end to make my movement more loose. I found this a rather difficult task at first as i didnt feel in control of the pencil or my movements, this makes the outcome of the drawings rather unpredictable which i think is an interesting factor. After a while however i found myself getting use to my other hand and used continous line, making the outline of the figure appear scribbled.

After experimenting with my left hand i moved onto using my normal hand which allowed me to feel much more in control of my movements. These first three images consist mostly of outline, there is not much tonal work which would have improved the drawing if it had been incorporated. However, its difficult to tell how much pressure should be put on the paper to pick up the ink.

The legs don't seem to be in proportion here. They are to thin and small in comparison with her body. Her arms are also to short so this drawing could do with a lot of adjustments to improve it.

  

Instead of using a pencil i used a graphite stick which produces a denser line allowing for more tonal qualities to be included. I prefer the pencil to the graphite stick though as i find i am able to add much more detail with a thinner mark.

I wanted to see how the ink would pick up on other surfaces, i think it has worked quite sussessfully here. I used the matt side of the brown paper as it absorbs the ink much more effectively than the shiny side. I think i have made the proportions to big here as the life model looks larger than her actual frame. However i love the curves on this drawing, i enjoy the idea of emphasizing the figure and exaggerating the curves on the natural woman.

Jenny Saville over exaggerates her subjects features hugely to make her model seem in some peoples eyes slightly grotesque. It seems shes doing the complete opposite of what society is trying to publicise, the perfect figure. Jenny Saville is trying to cause controversy in her work by highlighting the womans natural curves in not such a good light, but by doing this in my own opinion actually makes the viewer feel better about themselves.

The knee here needs improving as it is too large in proportion to the rest of her body.

I incorporated much more shading into these two images so the tonal areas help add three dimensional qualities to the figure. These drawings are much more representative of the model than the previous as she is proportional and the shading allows you to make out her form.

This time instead of placing the paper on the inked up matel plate and applying pressure to pick up the image, i wiped away the ink directly from the plate and placed it through the press to achieve a negative outcome. This worked better when there was abit more ink on the plate to create a darker background. I think this method produced some very interesting outcomes, however i was not able to put in as much detail as it was difficult to wipe small areas away. Yet it still appears effective with the contrast of the dark to light.

The benefit of monoprinting is that i could achieve alot of interesting outcomes in a very short amount of time. The only disadvantage is that the images can become quite samey. I have really enjoyed this method as its a different way of drawing that i have not explored into this amount of depth before.