Sunday 7 December 2014

Week one: Reportage and life drawing

Also in our first week of our reportage project, we were given our first life drawing lesson. In this lesson we were given a professional burlesque dancer to model for us. In the lecture theater where we were based we had brightly coloured lighting and did many different drawings, where the model posed in various positions. We were working against the clock producing studies within different amounts of time, going from quick minute sketches to longer, 20 minute drawings. We were also challenged to do things like create multiple sketches of the figure on one page, and sometimes turn our books upside down also.
Throughout the lesson I varied my media and marks, experimenting with tone and line. I found the class to be quite enjoyable and was happy to be life drawing again after it being such an important part of the course I previously studied.
I found that the lighting in the room was fun to experiment with in colour in my studies, and in my palette when experimenting with paints I often used a lot of reds and pinks, resulting in quite a feminine feeling.

In this study I have created multiple drawings in pencil, overlaying the different poses on one page and flipping my book upside down also. It creates a crowded feeling. 

I am unhappy with this study done in charcoal, although the marks are quite suggestive.

I am not pleased with this one either in fineliner, although I like the feeling given by the figures pose.

I enjoyed adding colour to the studies here with watered down acrylic

In this study I tried to focus the colour of the lights and where abouts on the models body they were hitting and tried to paint this on to my study. I think the effect might have worked okay.

I am still unsure on this, using graphite and adding water to different areas to direct the viewers eye across. 

In this study I focussed only on the figures face however have used very limited detail and I am not happy with it.

I have added a tiny bit of red paint to this study to lead the viewers eye again, however I wish I had used a bolder media rather than pencil to create a bolder and more obvious look because my pencil marks are quite unrecognisable in comparison

I have drew the same pose multiple times and gone lighter to darker on the page, using pencil and ending in charcoal.

I dislike the colour palette I have worked with here but have tried to build the form of the figure in quick measured brushstrokes. I am not sure if it is correct in proportion.


I think I have used pencil here and fluid marks with watered down acrylic to suggest the figures surroundings and also the lights used in the theatre. 

Same media here, I think this study worked better, it also has a very feminine feel.

I have painted details in pink with tones giving the idea of shadows on the skin etc but the colours give the same feel as the previous.

I think that this first life drawing experience helped benefit my practice because I was able to further study capturing people in a limited time period. I was also able to further experiment with media and think about what was working and what was not. Even though I am not overly pleased with the studies I have created I enjoyed being able to study life drawing again. I think that in the future when I am on location capturing people in my sketchbook I could remember the pressure of drawing under these different time limits and remember my capabilities with experimenting with media etc.

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