Life Drawings

We had to draw big for last night's life drawing class.. but unfortunately, I can't show you what I did.. because it's for an exhibition.. but when I get some pictures after for it, I'll post it up so you can see. =)

Until then, these are just the smaller pieces I did from last night.. trying to explore using coloured pencils.. the skin tones are way off unfortunately.. too much red.. looks like they've been roasted in the micro. =) Eeek!

Thanky. =)

Battle of the Pencils

Did a few tests with pencils today, HB range in particular.. my values suck btw.. but.. I just wanted to see how all the HB brands compared.. In the end I found that I reallly liked Staedtler Tradition HB and the Derwent Graphic HB. I used to draw a lot with a 4B mechanical pencil, the lead sails onto the page, but you can't really sketch with it. Only last year I started using the HB again, and it felt really hard (and I still find it I might add) to actually draw with..

Staedtler Tradition goes on really nicely and evenly imho. Derwent Graphic however goes on really accurately and nicely. With both of these pencils it's almost effortless to lay down the values.

The Rolfes Satin HB is awesome too, the lead flies onto the page, but I feel the values would be difficult to control if you need much accuracy.

The Lumograph is okay.. but not as good as the Tradition.

Derwent Sketching is also fine, just that the point is really thick and difficult to put into a chisel shape (which I like, I don't use a sharpener, rather a craft knife to sharpen my pencils). In fact this is the pencil I've been using for most of the holidays, but I'm going to be using the Staedtler Tradition and the Derwent Graphic HB's instead now.

WH Smith and the nameless (no idea where this came from..) pencils are rubbish. Values were really difficult to make. Also the WH Smith pencil is difficult to sharpen, the wood is pine or something and hard as hell to cut with a craft knife..

Tonight's Studies

Some are from life, just around the town, some random drawings really, also starting to practice some continuous line drawing, as well as some female head studies and basic shapes drawing from life.

I'm trying out different ways to draw, gesturing quickly (light drawing), and then using shorter strokes (roughing in) for a more precise line over the top of this gesture, and then going over this again with a final contour line. I love this way of drawing. =)

Tonight's Drawings

Tonight's life drawings, focusing on heads mostly, trying to draw in boxes, then planes, and finally details. Drawing slower also, and trying to focus on the quality of line. Started on the perspective drawing, my gosh, it is difficult for me.. it took over an hour just to do a few plan views, still haven't even started on the perspective view from the elevation view, that's a whole new thing in itself.

Eye Drawings

Here are some eye drawings, some in rotation as well, and the shape of them. Referenced from Christopher Hart's Cutting Edge Anatomy book. My female drawings aren't so hot though, need to work on them.

Anatomy Studies (very loose sketches)

These are some of my really really loose sketches.. I'm not sure how useful they are.. but they're anatomy studies but here if you would like to see.. the idea is to find out the most important bone structures in the body, and put muscles into groups to make them easier to draw.. Forms are imagined based on the anatomy and realised with boxes, cylinders and my favourite, spheres...

  

1st - 6th July 2010's Drawings..

Working on form drawing.. need to work on neatening things though.. the head is most important to me at the moment, focusing a lot on it. Look at the mass of something and try thinking of it as a mass, cylinders are easy, and boxes are the easiest to imagine forms.

Life Drawings (Body 169 - 170)

Last night's life drawings. Trying to work on my construction and form in my line work. Moving home tomorrow, so I may be offline for a few days..