Last model session for February

Hello all,

this is from the latest model session I've attended. I used sepia and I really had a fun time working with the medium trying to understand values. L

Polyvios Animations February 23, 2024 9:06pm

Hello, Thephilistine.

Nicer job on your greater display of forms, movement, motion, spaces, and relationships. I love the tones, too, therefore, I'm not getting enough of your display of your gestures and exaggerations of lines of action in terms of looseness. Would you like to kindly go ahead with 131 minutes of 1 minute poses, all done with drawing from your dominant shoulder and your non-dominant shoulder? (131 drawings and poses)

As a result, if your want your specific goal to be make your poses less blander and more dynamic and fluider yet. Then I suggest you go for it.

My hat's off to you.

Aunt Herbert February 24, 2024 12:23pm

Wow, you are just miles ahead of me. Even ignoring the fact, that you are drawing a 3d model, while I am still having a hard time copying photo references, there is a just a ton of skills, that I am still struggling with.

"Trying to understand values..." ... if you say so:)

Out of curiosity, how big is your frame? From the texture of the finer lines, it has to be quite big?

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Thephilistine February 24, 2024 5:24pm

Thanks, Aunt Herbert! You should look to see if there are any live model sessions in your area, even going out and drawing people helped me understand form more than drawing 2D models.

The frame I'm using is around 16x16 I think? It's smaller than my 19x24 pads

Aunt Herbert February 25, 2024 5:51am

I probably should look for modelling sessions.

I spent some time sketching people "in the wilds", but there is the general problem, that some meddling lawmaker ruled, that it's considered illegal to shoot someone dead just to stop them from moving. And even calm persons start to get twitchy when I keep staring at them for minutes at end with a block and pencil in hand.

Asking if I am allowed to draw them didn't help either, as even those, who agree, then show a tendency to freeze in the most unnatural position, and then start to twitch anyways, as they just aren't trained models used to holding a pose.

My best results came from people sitting close to a window or some other glass surface, as I can draw their reflection without making them nervous.

But in the end, unless someone is sound asleep, healthy people will just regularly do minor adjustments to keep their blood circulation going, so generally the level of detail in urban sketching can't go far beyond a one minute sketch or so, before it turns from drawing from reference to drawing from memory. Not ideal conditions for in depth studies of values or any fine detail work.

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Thephilistine February 25, 2024 10:46pm

Oh for sure, I agree. Drawing "in the wild" is almost impossible especially since people are subject to moving all the time. I try to focus on the forms rather than the details there.

That's interesting though, I've never thought about drawing people's reflections in the mirror. I know my old art teacher suggested using a mirror for studying portraits, but never bought one.

Aunt Herbert February 26, 2024 6:35am

Well, drawing reflections instead of people is more a hunter's tool than an artist's tool for me. People just get less twitchy from someone staring at them directly. I think buying a mirror and setting it up would defeat that purpose a bit.

But chosing your seat in a cafe strategically helps. Ideally outside on a sunny day, when the inside of the cafe is in shadows. That way the glass front physically turns partially into a mere perfect mirror, especially when you are sitting at an angle to it. That way you can spend all day drawing people without anyone feeling observed, and also enjoy the coffee and sweets.

Another good spot are any public transports.

You just have to start looking for reflections, and you find lots of unsuspecting motifs.

Disadavantage is off course, that you have to keep your block and pencils to a somewhat unconspicious minimum. Can't show up with easel and pallet to do that.

Din A4 clipboard, and a wallet with a selection of pencils and brush pens work best for me, but I am still pondering for a good way to economically pack a workable selection of colored medium.

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Aunt Herbert February 26, 2024 6:38am

The inside of a brightly lit cafe on a dark day has the same physical effect on windows, btw.

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Thephilistine February 27, 2024 4:27pm

I take a more brazen path and stare at people without being conspicuous. A little more unnerving, but like I said, I'm only capturing the form and not going into depth. My favorite place is the airport since you can find some people who are sleeping! Plus no shortage of people to draw.

Depending on my mood I either go out with a mechanical pencil and sepia or a charcoal stick and a small sketchbook. Sometimes, I'll even bust out MS Paint on my laptop and sketch people using my mouse.