New Watercolor Figure Paintings

My favorite night of the week is Wednesday, when I get to draw and paint from the live model.  But really, it has become much more than just a night to draw.  The artists who participate in these weekly sessions are truly kind and generous people, who form a diverse group of artists of a variety of skill levels and styles.  And among all of this, there is no competition, pressure, or inclination to be anything but Who You Are.  It thrills me to see such a broad range of interpretation when it comes to drawing the live model - precise and tight, loose and quick, abstract and gutsy.  And it's not just me who thinks this.  So many of the wonderful models that work with us remark about how enjoyable it is to work with our group - the camaraderie is palpable, but they are also there to work, which makes it so successful.  It's not just a drawing group anymore - it's a circle of friends.

But I have been really slacking with showing you my weekly drawings!  So in an attempt to get back on track, a few of my sketches from this past Wednesday...

A 25 minute watercolor on Wallis paper (using watercolor pencil and softening the lines with a damp brush)

We have worked with this lovely model several times in the past but this was our first time where she had this adorable pixie haircut.  I am now wondering if I should chop my hair - she looked so cute!

Also on Wallis paper, I started with a watercolor wash then added layers of pastel on top.  

I didn't want to over-work the pastel, so for the last 20 minutes of the pose I worked on another watercolor on Wallis, using a red watercolor pencil and a damp brush to soften the lines.   It's tricky to know what to define and what to leave loose - I added and subtracted information from her face several times.

Figure Drawings in Pastel and Charcoal

We've had a spectacular line up of models in the studio the last few weeks, and I am just now getting around to photographing and sharing some of the drawings.

A couple of new pastels on colourfix paper...

This pose was about an hour and a half...with lots of breaks so the model could regain feeling in her arms.

A 45 minute pose with no breaks, a beautiful arch to her back, and I love the foot tucked into the fold of her knee.

Vine and compressed charcoal, about 20 minutes.  I didn't want to over-work this loose drawing, so I did a second one from a different view.

And a 20 minute charcoal from the male model - great twist in his back!

New Watercolor...

I was recently commissioned by a fabulous collector to re-visit a series that I created last year.  A number of female nudes in a Citrus color palette that were designed specifically for the beautiful renovation of Brennan's Restaurant in Houston, TX.

My client had several favorite features from the first series...the softness of the facial features, the amounts of oranges and yellows present in the palette, the flow of the figures and the drapery.

She had asked for only one piece, but because I was working with watercolor, and a specific pose was not set in stone, I decided to work on three pieces at once - allowing her to chose which one fit her vision best.  I was so pleased that not one, but two of the pieces captured her heart and found their way into her home.

The third piece is also lovely and I have just made this Original Watercolor available in my Etsy shop.

I hope that if you ever have a vision that I can help create, you contact me as well!

A new painting on my easel...

I have been in the new studio (yay!) for a couple weeks now and as soon as I moved in I knew I wanted to work on a large painting.  I had taken some photos about a month ago of one of our gorgeous models in a red tutu, a little striped vest, and a black cap, keeping with the ballerinas and the stripes and the dancer motif I have been exploring!

Yesterday I started on a 30" x 40" primed panel, first sketching out the figure in charcoal.  Then, I added a layer of primer - a mix of gesso, modeling paste and paint to seal in the sketch, put some color down, and build up some texture on the surface.

Next I drew on top of that with some blue paint, working out scale and position of model.

I wanted to start with blue because I thought the red of the skirt, which is a really true red with cool undertones, would work best on top of blue rather than an olive green or brown.

Today, back in the studio, I worked with very thin layers of paint to block in the larger areas of color - the background wall, the cast shadow, the skin tones, the red skirt.  I love the texture from the modeling paste! 

I love this stage of the painting, where everything is loose and bright.  My goal is to build up several layers of color, maybe sanding back to the blue primer in some areas, or rubbing in some dark glazes in the textures.  It's hard to predict where I will go...but I always enjoy the ride!

New Drawings of Two Models, Male and Female. Watercolor Pencil

Great night of figure drawing...where I took a lot of great photos of the models, yet only produced one decent drawing!  Oh well.  I actually did start a couple that have potential - if I ever finish them I promise to share!

But here is a watercolor pencil drawing from the long pose.

I started out with a light graphite drawing to get the scale and shapes correct, then erased about 75% of the line so it was "ghost-like" and I could draw over with watercolor.  I used a light periwinkle blue first, then layered some orange, olive green, fuscia, and dark purple.  In a few dark areas I added a little prussian blue.

I'm not sure about what's actually happening between the two of them.  If it's anything like my relationship with my husband, she's just gotten over-emotional about losing something somewhere in the house and he's exasperated because all he really wants to do is go to bed.  But I digress...

The pose was beautiful from all angles.  It's interesting because when I looked at one artist's drawing before he finished - the woman's hand was not yet included (on the far left) and it made her appear to be clutching the male model's hand behind her shoulder (cover the hand with your thumb to see what I mean)  By eliminating that hand you totally change the relationship.  It's amazing how a turn of the head, a placement of the hand, the angle of an arm can change the dynamic between two models in a pose.

Figure Drawing in Graphite

Last night was a little rough for me at figure drawing...I don't know if it's allergies or a cold, but man, I was WIPED OUT.  I was going to work in pastel, but since I was spending most of the night sneezing, I opted for a less dusty media, graphite pencil.

These are on 11" x 14" white sketch paper, using just a standard #2 pencil.

I haven't worked with graphite in a while, but I think it worked well here, and I don't do a lot of blending - I like the crisp lines to build up in layers.

A glorious day of painting with two models

A few weeks ago our Wednesday evening figure drawing group had the privilege of working with two wonderful figure models together.  Truly professional and incredibly talented - they both have incredible "stage presence" and transform poses into mini-stories, in  a way. 

A small group of us to wanted some extra time to work on one long pose booked the same models today and had almost 4 hours to paint one fabulous pose.

I started on a primed and tinted canvas, 24" x 30", blocking in both figures.  I wanted to be sure that I was leaving enough room at both ends of the pose, so that her elbow was going to be in the frame and his foot would not be cut off on the other end.

 Working with a 1" brush I blocked in some of the larger shadow shapes.

As I started to work into the smaller areas of detail, I had to move a few elements - the length of his leg was too long, and his head was too high, so I had to re-draw both areas.

I continued to add local color, trying not to get too bright too fast.  I still feel that his leg may be in the wrong spot, or that his torso is just too long.  But I like the composition, and the space between the male and female figure.  There is an important element, his hand caressing his thigh, that I really need to paint in - it shows more of a connection between the two figures.

It was so nice to work for such a long time from one pose, to really have a chance to look, and re-look, and think about where elements need to be.  Now, when I finish this in the studio from reference photos, I'll be able to draw from both the photograph and the actual experience.

After a morning in the studio...

....here is an update on the drawing of the nude couple.  Looking very sculptural...there are a few issues with scale....still bringing in the darker values...but it's coming along!

I've ignored my family. And liked it.

Did you ever have one of those pieces that just DEMANDED your attention...a painting or drawing that haunted you at night, causing restlessness and the inability to fall asleep, a piece that just says "PAY ATTENTION TO ME!"  Well I have one of those pieces right now, and my family had to pay the price.  I ignored them all day just so I could do what needed to be done! (of course...if you ask them...they may have enjoyed my absence...but let's not go there!)

So here is what I'm working on! A new 30" x 30" drawing from the evening that we had the couple model for our group.  (his head looks really blurry right now!)

  Because of the complexity of the pose, I used a grid to transfer the photo to the board.

Then I used some vine charcoal to establish an over-all sense of light and shadow.  Trying very hard to think of the WHOLE drawing...not just the little moments that I wanted to dive into.

 After using the vine charcoal, I switched to a hard charcoal pencil to start really defining the shapes. 

I still have a long way to go, but I am so excited about this piece I couldn't wait to show you! It's probably the most beautiful pose I have ever seen...I kind of have to shake my head in des-belief that I actually get to work with these incredible models. 

Oh...and the family's ok.  I think I'll ignore them more often.

The Engaged Couple. Drawing the male and female together.

Our figure drawing group has been very lucky the last few months...we've had several opportunities to work with two models together.  It's always a challenge, not only capturing all of the information of two figure vs one, but the posing of the models is challenging as well.  You want both figures to look great - interesting, well lit - from several vantage points as artists are drawing on all sides, you want them to be comfortable, and, you want them engaged with each other - either thru a hand resting on one another or a turn of the head indicating a conversation.

Last night our models were able to give us all of that - poses that were interesting from every angle and that gave us a connection between the figures.

After a series of (INCREDIBLE!) gesture poses, we worked on this 25 minute pose.

The angles of the arms and legs, the variety of height, the beautiful shadows on the figures and cast onto the floor, the masculinity vs femininity, it was all perfect.

As I looked around the room...everyone had created beautiful work!

For the longer pose, the models utilized a bench and sat together in, to me, was a very protective way.  The male model was perched above, his arm gently holding the female models back, she leaned into his chest as if seeking shelter.

I can't wait to keep working!  I have some amazing reference photos to work from, and I think they will continue my most recent series of figures in shadow.  I'll keep you posted :)