Life drawing
Today I went to life drawing on Salt Spring Island.
It’s been awhile since I’ve been to life drawing. I know it’s been awhile because I couldn’t remember how to assemble the easel I use for this purpose! Perhaps with more time I would’ve eventually figured it out but as it was, we were late getting started (someone had brought the wrong key and we had to wait until the correct one was brought). So I ended up sitting which was unusual for me. I like standing so I can draw with my whole arm, not just my hand. I like to move away from my easel. Still, it felt soooooo good to be back at life drawing. And the cherry on top? – Andrea was modeling today.
We take our seats, and Andrea enters the circle we have created. We begin with five 1-minute poses. These warm us up, shifting us into the right side of our brains and drawing mode, basically a different reality.
It’s tough getting something down in one minute and so moving to two-minute poses (also five of them) makes things a wee bit easier (yah right!).
We then move on to three five-minute poses. I’m not that keen on these – too long to make a quick impression and too short to really get into. Even so…..
Next it’s the two ten-minute poses. By now, although I am warmed up, I feel pretty rusty. Still, it’s good to be life drawing again.
An hour has gone by and we take a break. Andrea wanders over for a chat and before I can get around to converse with anyone else, we are back at it. In the next hour we have a twenty minute and a twenty-five minute pose. I get out my oil pastels and black paper and go a bit wild. I wish the first pose had been the longer one. I had a great viewpoint and wish I’d had more time to go a bit further with it. I know, I know, whine whine.
I haven’t shown the second pose because the photo was out of focus. So I’ve included a pose from the last time I was life drawing…which was when? sometime last Fall perhaps?
So that was it! Not a brilliant day of drawing but I was happy happy. And it was so wonderful to see so many familiar and welcoming faces – Martin, Dee, Melanie, Marguerite, Carolyn, Rosamunde and of course my Mum.
Jamaica
The Olympics are done for another four years but I cannot leave it before mentioning Usain Bolt again. He won the 200m for a second Olympics with Jamaicans Blake and Weir placing second and third, and then the team won the 4 x 100m relay and broke the world record. Brilliant!! There’s going to be some homecoming for them all. And just because, here’s another cool video of Bolt.
As you know, I’d love to hear from you. Just click on the title of this blog which will take you to my website. At the bottom of the blog, you’ll find the comment box. And you know I’d love you to share with friends and family 🙂
I am wondering what the model thinks about as she poses. Any ideas??
For now,
~Gail
4 thoughts on “Life drawing……it’s been ages!”
Loved your drawings and the ones in colour looked so dynamic. Why didn’t I look at them when we got home? Too Hungry I guess! Let us do this soon again! Mondays never come fast enough for me!
We’ll do it again for sure – when I am next over. I totally forgot to look at your drawings. I’ve shown you mine now I get to see yours 🙂
What does the model think about? Well mostly I count… trying to see how close I can estimate the time that has gone by. Also, once I am in the pose I think “Opps… not enough negative space in this pose… I’ll have to change my arms/legs in the next one.” I try not to think about whatever is hurting and focus on something else. It is easy to hold any pose for a minute or two… after that, you realize something is hyperextended, or going numb, or really stretched; holding that for 20 or 25 minutes is a challenge. (From Gails drawings I notice mostly I looked down this time… have to change that next time!)
I love modelling for the Salt Spring Artists. They are a wonderful group, always compimentary and a lot of fun to work with. I feel honoured whenever someone puts one of their drawings of me in a show.
Thanks for the blog post Gail. Really beautiful sketches.
xo
A
PS Drop-in Life Drawing Sessions happen upstairs at the Core Inn every Monday from 1 to 3pm. (There is a small fee to offset costs.)
Andrea, thanks for the comment. I was hoping you would. You certainly never give any indication of discomfort so your methods must be working!
Wish my camera (phone) had taken a photo of you in that 20 minute pose. I guess I was rushing, thought I’d taken it and…guess I hadn’t. Rats. A great pose!