Secret Scribble

So little time...

2011-12-31T17:01:00.001Z

Till 2012.

Totally Missed November

2011-12-03T17:30:00.001Z

Determined that won't happen again. Just real busy with the task of keeping wolf from door. Was in a bad way, now in a good one. Anything could happen, it feels like.

But

2011-10-04T14:33:00.001+01:00

Fun can be had, and should be

serious business

2011-10-04T14:30:00.002+01:00

Drawing

Jeff's back

2011-09-27T12:06:00.001+01:00

Not seen Jeff for a while, but here's his back view. Aside from the occasional break in the clouds, producing a lot of nothing just now. Maybe it's the end of summer.

back again

2011-09-18T15:32:00.002+01:00

Bit more successful this one. Enjoyable too.

Reddy

2011-09-18T15:31:00.002+01:00

Trying to find new ways to apply pastel colour. Attempt one. Looks like a man in a dress but isn't

face time

2011-09-16T15:09:00.004+01:00

30 mins, pastels. Just trying to get to grips with portraiture

New things

2011-09-13T11:03:00.000+01:00

Trying to use the evening life class to explore new territory, which means most of the drawings I produce are eye-watering-ly terrible.

Occasionally though, the frustration helps me let go and I produce something I enjoy looking at. This is an example of that.

I think Penny, the model here, is excellent too. That helps.

Just a quick one

2011-09-12T17:20:00.001+01:00

But I liked her. Kind of enjoying the new blogger admin as well.

digital

2011-09-03T16:47:00.000+01:00

shade

2011-09-03T16:46:00.000+01:00

lines

2011-09-03T16:45:00.001+01:00

Yelena again

2011-08-19T17:47:00.003+01:00

Terrific muscle tone. This was from day one of a week drawing.

Yelena

2011-08-19T17:46:00.002+01:00

She's a dancer

charcoal

2011-08-19T17:45:00.003+01:00

From earlier in the week. I seemed to get worse as the time crept forward

Restraint

2011-08-17T17:14:00.003+01:00

Holding back on the more startling colour choices...

Senellier

2011-08-17T17:11:00.002+01:00

That's the make of these new pastels, Senellier. They're extremely soft, so they're a lot like working with paint

Without a net

2011-08-17T17:10:00.003+01:00

Started working without a charcoal underdrawing for this one...

Second attempt

2011-08-17T17:09:00.001+01:00

Some improvement, good to have a range to work with.

New Chalks

2011-08-17T17:07:00.001+01:00

First attempt, bit tentative

small faces

2011-08-14T13:52:00.001+01:00

Bit of fun after ages trying to 'get the hang' of stuff

pencils again

2011-08-14T13:51:00.000+01:00

Tiny faces are so in.

Fewer strokes

2011-07-31T17:01:00.003+01:00

Stop sooner for a 'lighter' feel

Yet more ink

2011-07-31T16:58:00.002+01:00

Just ordered some new pastels, till they arrive - it is ink.

Too much fun

2011-07-22T22:13:00.001+01:00

Think it's obvious how much I enjoyed this.

Over There!

2011-07-22T22:12:00.000+01:00

Fun with ink and brush

Tinto too

2011-07-22T22:10:00.003+01:00

My shabby copy of a Tintoretto original. Vulcan and someone it was. An incredible piece of drawing

More hands

2011-07-22T22:05:00.001+01:00

Been kind of busy doing various bits and bobs. Just wanted to save these from gradual degradation in the sketchy.

handywork

2011-07-22T22:02:00.001+01:00

Bit of practice on the old hands here. Liked this one for some reason.

Limbs etc

2011-07-13T13:22:00.003+01:00

An experiment with line weight, Nina never stays still long enough for a proper study.

More clouds

2011-07-13T13:20:00.000+01:00

I remained prone for a while.

Clouds

2011-07-13T13:19:00.002+01:00

Lying around watching the clouds.

Clouds

2011-07-13T13:19:00.001+01:00

Lying around watching the clouds.

Dugs

2011-07-13T13:17:00.003+01:00

It's fair to say I'm no great fan of dogs. Just don't take to them. But I think that's because urban-wise they seem like a vanity. These dogs on one of the farms we stayed at in France were very likeable. Didn't stay still long though

Cows on a hill

2011-07-13T13:14:00.003+01:00

So I went out one day, desperate to find something to draw. In the end I found some cows on a hill. Once they lost interest in me they became much more enjoyable to look at. These are repeats of the same beast, who gave the impression of being in-charge. Somehow.

paint

2011-07-13T13:11:00.003+01:00

Not entirely sure where to start with landscapes, but being on holiday in rural France didn't have much choice. I enjoyed this, and had there been more time would have liked to do loads more. It felt a lot like the first foot on a very very long path.

Sweeping gestures

2011-06-10T09:37:00.001+01:00

Leaning on a broom for 40 minutes. Started to enjoy this though.

The gigantist

2011-06-10T09:35:00.001+01:00

Bits and pieces are okay in this. But I ran out of time. The main problem is the gigantic legs. AGAIN! Good pose from Brian though, just over an hour.

Revisiting old marks

2011-06-03T12:00:00.003+01:00

Just starting to get into this when the time ran out. I think one day I'd like to have space of my own, and the time to use it. Please let that be some time soon.

toning up

2011-05-29T16:18:00.002+01:00

Took a while over this, basically re-drawing it till it felt okay. Then worked up the tone. Some areas are more successful than others but it's okay I thought. Not sure whether to colour it now - it's on pastel paper so I could...

Back to the old drawing board

2011-05-27T09:32:00.003+01:00

It's not like I've been away that long, or even that I haven't been drawing, but not going to a life class for just three weeks and I felt a bit startled. The good thing about that is that I just enjoyed myself.

Most of the drawings were suitable for recycling but I could feel that tonal stuff is starting to make sense. At last. The old grey matter was actually sending back some useful information for once.

Been a while

2011-05-25T10:45:00.003+01:00

Been quite a while in fact. Done some travelling, some entertaining, lots of working and plenty of sitting on my arse, wondering. But not much time for drawing and I hate that.

So, back now, and it's funny what a difference attitude makes. The drawings previous to this were ugly as sin, I think because in my head I wanted them ugly to punish me for having been away and secondly because the goal was to learn something. The shape of a shoulder, the turn of a head or whatever.

This one I had no goal and it came out much nicer. So I left it.

Getting better but...

2011-04-30T18:52:00.002+01:00

I think a full re-study of anatomy is on the cards.

Still getting to grips with it

2011-04-30T18:50:00.001+01:00

As I think this shows

Pen And Ink

2011-04-30T18:49:00.001+01:00

Doing a bit of drawing with my new fountain pen.

Recliner

2011-04-19T10:09:00.003+01:00

Half an hour, new paper, charcoal with chalk highlights. Kind of enjoyed this but was unable to step back enough (back to the wall) while drawing it. After this it all went to shit.

Cartoon head

2011-04-19T10:07:00.003+01:00

Could not carry the rapidity of the figure drawing through to the head. Hence the apparent change of style. Still sort of liked it and may render it digitally at some point

Half an hour

2011-04-15T09:18:00.003+01:00

Seems like a good duration for a charcoal drawing. But the crucial thing is being rested and not suffering with deadline dread or similar.

Seeing Red

2011-04-08T13:48:00.005+01:00

Not entirely unhappy with this. The speed which acrylic paint forces you to work at can be a bonus. If things are going well, you don't have time to over-think.

This took just over an hour. With another hour it could have developed some solidity and maybe gone somewhere interesting.

Yes, it was a red wall.

The oldie

2011-04-06T15:05:00.003+01:00

Having a bit of a sort out, trying to anyway. Got tons of crap old drawings and binned them. And I mean tons.

Found this though, which I don't remember doing. Thought I'd post it for the sake of comparison.

Shady character

2011-04-05T10:21:00.004+01:00

Not the model but the drawing, you understand.

Although there's lots that's wrong with this, it's the first time for a long time that the tonal element seemed to be pulling its weight.

Curved space

2011-04-05T10:19:00.003+01:00

Twenty minutes this one. Again, trying not to fall back on the usual responses to problems but concentrate on trying to find the reason behind a given approach.

Big sticks

2011-04-05T10:17:00.002+01:00

Trying to work differently. Here I took up the largest piece of charcoal I had and applied it with malice. It was fun, and till I put it down was convinced this was a duffer.

More shade

2011-04-03T21:10:00.002+01:00

Hmmmm...

Previous Pencils

2011-04-03T21:07:00.003+01:00

This is what I digitally painted over. Actually I did a version with acrylics too but that was just maddeningly shite.

Pencil Shade

2011-04-03T18:38:00.003+01:00

Like it, don't like it. I really cannot make my mind up. Though this was enjoyable and felt different some how.

Green digital

2011-04-03T18:35:00.003+01:00

As part of my ongoing attempt to get to grips with tone I tried painting over a drawing digitally. This is with Artrage, which is actually pretty nice to use. No idea why green though...

Look away

2011-03-25T09:59:00.002Z

Had to leave after this, my back was murdering me. Shame because I was enjoying myself.

Hmmmmm

2011-03-25T09:58:00.004Z

I wonder what's on her mind. Five minute drawing. First of the night

Swings and Roundabouts

2011-03-18T10:51:00.004Z

Got to be quick with acrylic paint. So quick. This took forty mins but it would dry during the five minute break. While I was still applying paint the palette dried to uselessness. Means you can stick it in your bag at the end and not worry though so it's...

But then

2011-03-15T12:29:00.003Z

Once I start to loose that unselfconscious thing, it all begins to unravel. These two were my favourites but after this it just went to pieces. The two hour drawing had to be taken up behind the old barn...

For Starters

2011-03-15T12:23:00.002Z

Literally, the first two, two minute drawings of the week. And they kind of work okay.

Giuseppe Cesari

2011-03-13T19:35:00.002Z

Apparently Ingres told Degas in 1855, "Make copies, young man, make copies. You can only become a good artist by copying the masters."

So here's a loose copy of a Cesari that struck me as pure poetry. Obviously my version is more like a limerick but there you go...

Being more considered

2011-03-09T17:21:00.003Z

Actually, I don't like this image much but I'm trying to apply myself to being able to construct figures better in the hope that when I then 'just let it happen' the results will gain some substance...

Movement

2011-03-08T12:15:00.001Z

Nice pose, two minutes. My comfort zone entirely.

Uplifting

2011-03-08T12:12:00.003Z

New evening class. Not doing exactly what you want is hard. The difficult bit is getting used to creating something which reveals your weaknesses rather than hides them. This is me in the warm ups hiding weaknesses.

And then I thought

2011-03-05T11:40:00.003Z

Maybe I could just use some dark paint? Though the chalk worked okay in places here.

And another thing

2011-03-04T17:53:00.003Z

I would never have filled the background with blue if this was a pastel drawing. This is a definite 'advantage to acrylics' situation.

Black Chalk

2011-03-04T17:44:00.004Z

This one turned out best though. Just didn't overdo the chalk lines as much. And may I say, what a lovely beard you have madam...

Underlined

2011-03-04T17:42:00.004Z

Here I used oil pastel. It was nicer to put on but easily overwhelmed the image. Plus, you can't really do much with it once it's on...

Conversion

2011-03-04T17:38:00.003Z

I've been wanting to paint for a while but never had the time required to make oils work in the studio. But I have a load of old acrylic paints just sat in a box so I thought I'd try them out on the back of old drawings that didn't work out.

Given the time - about ten minutes each - I think these have swung it. I'll use acrylic instead of pastels for a while. See where that takes me.

The only problem is what to use as a line tool. Here I've used black chalk.

The climb

2011-03-04T10:42:00.003Z

Fifteen minute pose, great work by Sandra. I was finished at five though. And spent the rest of the time trying to resist the urge to cock things up. Had some success with that...

The fall

2011-03-04T10:40:00.003Z

Just about an hour. With another hour, who knows... Good fun though

The final countdown

2011-02-27T17:09:00.003Z

A full afternoon, two and a half hours. And at the end I was exhausted. Not entirely happy but on reflection this isn't a bad image. The head I liked best.

Then there was Robert

2011-02-27T17:08:00.003Z

Just a couple of minutes, but it looks like a detail from something else

Hitting the bar

2011-02-27T17:06:00.001Z

Graphite bar. It's like using live rounds, there's no going back

First there was Sandra

2011-02-27T17:03:00.006Z

But I was mighty tired

Hair Today

2011-02-04T11:49:00.001Z

In the end the thing which was driving me crazy for the duration of the drawing was the happiest part - Alexander's hair.

Tarzan

2011-02-04T11:48:00.002Z

Just kept thinking of Tarzan while drawing this. The last minute jawline is a bit narrow but getting there in terms of general outline.

Ropes

2011-01-28T12:19:00.002Z

The model is leaning into some ropes suspended from the rafters. Really nice pose. I'm not sure if more time would have helped or hindered the drawing. Probably the latter though.

The Rub

2011-01-28T12:17:00.003Z

Got a bit frustrated with the fact that chalk pastels reach saturation point and tried rubbing them away with my hand.

Katrina, the model, was excellent.

Perspective stretch

2011-01-21T13:02:00.001Z

If I could control the weight of line in a more meaningful fashion, that would help...

Pin head

2011-01-21T12:59:00.003Z

Funny how your sense of perspective can be so off while you're actually drawing. Get home and take a photo of the picture and voila! How did that happen?

Oh well.

It could have been worse

2011-01-14T11:14:00.002Z

Not much worse, admittedly. But at least I enjoyed it. A month away from the drawing board does have it's repercussions. Though there is a chance that it will help to lead in a new direction, break habits maybe?

There were moments here when I had given up and was just messing about with crayons. Which seems to me a good place to come from. Probably.

skulls

2011-01-10T22:31:00.004Z

Working on the old skull is somehow a bit therapeutic. And hopefully it's going to improve my portraiture at some subconscious level...

Skull One

2011-01-10T22:30:00.003Z

I bought a skull, to help me with my portraits. This was an early attempt. This is pretty much all I've had time to do since before christmas.

cambiaso copy

2011-01-10T22:25:00.002Z

In recent times Luca Cambiaso has become my runaway favourite artist. I only really look at drawings when I'm deciding on these favouritisms at the moment. I found this drawing by him and fell in love with it.

This is my copy. It's Hercules. It's very uncharaceristic of his style which is generally a lot more controlled though still full of life. When I checked the attribution it turns out he drew the picture when he was just seventeen. In other words, he was a master by that age.

Against all the odds

2010-12-10T09:42:00.004Z

Okay, maybe that's being a bit dramatic, but it had been snowing, and I missed the previous class so was fully expecting this one to be painful. And actually, all the drawings prior to this were terrible. But then this I enjoyed.

Plus, my budget skull arrived in the post so I can practice drawing heads over the weekend. His teeth had been smashed out in transit mind you...

Tintoretto

2010-12-05T16:21:00.003Z

That boy could draw.

jaggies

2010-12-05T13:05:00.001Z

There's something about this way of drawing that I enjoy. It's very energetic.

body only

2010-12-05T13:04:00.002Z

avoiding head, hands and feet!

Some tone

2010-12-05T13:02:00.003Z

Just trying a different line of attack on the head problem

Longer study in colour

2010-11-26T10:14:00.001Z

Bit of a battle but it felt good using bold colours.

Quicky

2010-11-26T10:12:00.001Z

five minutes, charcoal and chalk

After a long week

2010-11-26T10:09:00.003Z

Away from drawing I always expect things to go badly. Our new model, Penny, made that impossible.

Chalky

2010-11-12T08:52:00.002Z

Strange, but this looks better scanned than it does in real life...

Could this be?

2010-11-12T08:51:00.001Z

My most successful life drawing to date? It felt good and only took five minutes. Now why does that sound familiar?

Last Five

2010-11-08T11:23:00.003Z

Frustrated that the last pose of the weekend just wasn't working out I did a couple of colour studies to ease the pain. Let's hope it's the pain of progress...

Restraint

2010-11-08T11:19:00.002Z

Deeper concentration and a bit of restraint has this effect. I'm not really a great lover but it is certainly a direction worth looking into more. Particularly if I can feed that back into my usual way of drawing which can be a bit too slap-dash.

The only problem is I have a tendency to drift into a habit of working like a digital plotter, which can result in this sort of crazy ant crawl intermingled with big sweeps across to new areas of detail.