October Figure Drawing

Here are a couple of long pose figure drawings from this month at Sarum Studio. Each one was approached slightly differently, and I consciously experimented with different ways of putting down charcoal – sometimes using a stump, sometimes a tissue or chamois leather or brush to work up different textures and finish. I personally quite like to see evidence of mark-making and enjoy cross hatching or drawn lines left unadulterated. With time though, the temptation to fiddle with these marks is great, and that spontaneity of drawing can easily be lost. I very much admire highly finished academic drawings, but I feel they can often be more an exercise in patience and technique, and can be stunning but somehow hollow. My work is rougher around the edges, but I hope more expressive; staying within the same basic tradition.

Both drawings here are on grey Roma paper, heightened in places with white chalk. The drawing of Sam had a little more time spent on it and I used the smoother side of the paper, while for Emma I used the much more heavily textured side. I think you can see the difference even in these not very good photographs. The charcoal sits on top of the paper ridges so much more on the rougher texture. Having a little less time for the Emma drawing, I really thought about the expression of the pose and strove to quickly capture the key features of it – such as the general flow of weight placement through the body and proportion – rather than worry about chasing the pose and greater accuracy. On these terms it pretty much does what I set out to achieve. Sam, on the other hand, was more considered and I’m disappointed that while it is almost there in so many ways, it looks a little laboured in places. The articulation of the back leg doesn’t feel correct and the forearm and hand look clumsy and wooden. Grrrr. I am happy with the portrait and overall proportions however, as well as the sense of space around the figure, which I am increasingly wanting to develop.

Here’s a gallery of progress shots for the Emma drawing, taken at the end of each session before completion.