Saturday 18 February 2012

Unexpected Opportunity

A visit to the wonderful Barter Books in Alnwick presented me with an unexpected opportunity. I spotted a small notice that advertised a life drawing class with a contact phone number. It's over a year since the life class that I used to attend folded for financial reasons, a victim of rising rents, so I rang the number to find out that I was just in time to attend a session that evening.

Attending a life class is a first rate way to hone drawing skills as well as explore the subtleties of tonal shifts in subject matter but I think it's a discipline that should be done on a regular basis to maintain the necessary skills. You'll probably have guessed by now that I found the session testing and my effort is a little wooden. As the only painting kit I had with me was my trusty watercolour sketch box the medium dictated itself.

I'll have to try and discover a life class nearer home if I'm to get any improvement in this type of work.

Life Class - Watercolour on Not paper 12" x 9"

8 comments:

Ray Maclachlan Art said...

The areas of light on the body are very good Mick, and so is the drawing. Perhaps a little of the seat colour could become a lost edge and merge with the body.

Unknown said...

Ray - Cheers and thanks for the positive feedback. The seat is a bit unsatisfactory largely because it was done in a hurry at the end of session. It's difficult to fit into the constraints of a timed session.

Peter Ward said...

Not a bad effort at all Mick. For the overall effect I'd vary the colour in the sofa using arbitrary colours - a la Charles Reid. As for the figure I think it pretty good, especially considering it isn't something you've done much of recently. I've never done figure drawing so am not really in a position to make detailed suggestions.

Unknown said...

Peter - You are right about the seat it needs variation and probably would have been better transformed into another base colour. Thanks for your kind comments.

Nora MacPhail said...

She's lovely. Great skin tones that go nicely with that big red chair. I love life drawing. It's an interesting way to learn how to draw.
Happy Painting,
Nora

Unknown said...

Nora - Thanks for visiting and for your kind comments. I agree life drawing is a great way to hone drawing skills.

RH Carpenter said...

Well, you don't look rusty at all, Mick - beauty! I do think a life drawing or painting class takes your work forward by leaps and bounds.

Unknown said...

Rhonda - Thanks. You are quite right. I just wish I could get to a regular life class. There isn't one near me at the moment.