Portrait Drawing from the Live Model

Earlier this summer I had a show of my Figure Drawings at Ann Litrel Art in downtown Woodstock, GA. As part of the Opening Reception I did a live portrait drawing demonstration. And, just in case I wasn't nervous enough, I was using a sanded-textured paper, a surface I don't normally use.

Sarah was a beautiful model, the lighting created interesting shadows and I actually enjoyed the surface I was using. I really enjoy drawing from a live model verses drawing a portrait from a photograph. There is a sense of life, vitality, and of the moment that you are engaging with the model. Drawing portraits from a photograph has it's own set of challenges, and I find that I can overcome those challenges if I continue to draw from the live model.

One of my favorite portrait drawings from the last year was this one of Shanti. Her hair style, the rich colors in her skintone, the beautiful gesture of the hand - I love every element of this drawing.