Wednesday, December 03, 2008

Life Drawing

I've always wanted to be able to draw people but have always been pants at it when I've tried, give me an inanimate object and I'm well away, but a person? Eeeek, run off and hide! LOL However last week I went along to a life drawing class at the studio of my artist friend, Richard Savage. I decided to use charcoal as I'm much more comfortable with it than pencil and didn't fancy using pen as I wanted to work BIG! So, here are my first three drawings:


This was my first drawing and my favourite of the week! The hands and feet aren't brilliant and I couldn't tackle the face but otherwise I was thrilled with my first effort!


I usually have problems with foreshortening so I was pleased with this apart from the shot putter shoulders I seem to have given her!



Didn't get the leg shape right here and her neck seems to have disappeared!
Encouraged by this first session I went again on Monday and this week we had a nude model which I found rather more difficult but am still pleased with the results:


My first effort at a nude....the hands and feet aren't right and I much preferred it before I added the head and hair but even so I was pleased with the result.


Found this pose really challenging! The hands aren't right again, I didn't capture her position very well and then topped it with an ET head! LOL


This is my favourite of the evening! The model was talking about how your hand is the same size as your face and how alot of artists draw hands and feet too small. Once I made the foot bigger it did look better.

What do you think of them?

Overall I'm loving this new venture and plan to keep at it! ;o) I'm very pleasantly surprised at the drawings I've made so far and really wish the sessions were longer as by the time we reach the end of the two hours I'm getting in the groove and ready to motor on! I think I need to focus on hands, feet and faces at some point but for the moment I'm happy just trying to capture the human body in all it's beautiful glory. ;o)

7 comments:

Rob said...

great work especially for your first life drawing

Alis Clair said...

Maz, these are just wonderful. Well done you. I rather like them without faces but I bet you will master them soon.

artfulzebra said...

Thanks guys, this week's class wasn't as successful but I'm having fun and learning lots, am going to try pastels next week. ;o)

Becky Mairi Farrell said...

These are really interesting, and I also like the first one best. I am intrigued by their facelessness. I think your composition is better in the first week, I think your nervousness comes across more with the nudes. I also struggle with drawing people and tend to avoid it as I am cowardly! I know in theory that there is no difference between drawing people and drawing anything else because the mental process of drawing should remove such distinctions. I think maybe it's our nervousness that makes the difference rather than the task itself.

End of verbage!

Unknown said...

what a brilliant challenge you've given yourself! one of my friends keeps pushing me to take a drawing class... i wonder if you felt anxious at all beginning these classes?

have fun with it!
xoxo
jul

Leah said...

they're gorgeous!! i really love your drawings! the more you do them, the better they'll get too.

artfulzebra said...

Thanks for your comments. ;o)

Jul, no, I didn't feel anxious really, it's something I've wanted to do for such a long time that I think my eagerness outweighed any nervousness the first week! Can't wait for class to restart after the Christmas break on Monday. ;o)