Two Life Studies of Alan from Class

6.5" x 8", Pencil and White Gouache on Brown Paper

I did this page of studies during a class I was teaching at The Art League.
It is called "Figure Drawing in Varied Media", and every quarter I have the
class try some new materials. This was done when we were using a combination
of pencil (could also be colored pencil and a different colored paper) and
white gouache highlighting on toned paper. I was happy with these studies
and saved them. -  I am so sad that Alan moved to Florida. He was such a
wonderful model, and a real gentleman. We all miss him.

Oil on Vellum Sketch of Nude Male

NFS
Although this looks like a life study, it was actually

painted from Eadward Muybridge's collection of

photographs The Human Figure in Motion. This

interesting study of men, women and children

in motion, using stop -action photography against

gridded backgrounds was done in the early 20th

Century, but has been reprinted and is available

today.

It is a fabulous reference source for anyone who

wants to practice figure drawing and doesn't have

a live model. The only drawback is that the pictures

are about 1.5" x 3". One can blow them up on a xerox

machine however. Some of them are very inspiring.

He was obviously much more interested in the mails

who, in general are in lively poses, including sports,

running, even wrestling. While he has his women

walking prettily up the stairs waving scarves, sweeping

and standing nicely by tables with pitchers.

The book is published by Dover Publications, in case

you are interested.

Thanks for visiting today.

Man from the Back in Essence

NFS
5" x 9", Essence on Canson Paper

Another example of the technique

I will be teaching in my workshop.

It looks rather like pastel or gouache

when it is dry, because of the lack

of oil in the paint. I really like this

way of painting.

Did I mention that you can paint an

entire grisaille and then paint an entire

picture in color over that? So much

fun....

Seated Model & Monochromatic Sketch of Walking Nude

Upper- Essence on Canson Paper,

Lower - Oil on Vellum Tracing Paper

Because this vellum paper has a treated surface,

and is impervious to oils, it is possible to

paint on it with paint right out of the tube.

The upper study was done from life,
however, the lower drawing was

actually done not from life, but from

a tiny figure in Eadward Muybridge's

classic text The Human Figure in Motion,

which is full of hundreds of photos of nudes,

all of which were taken using stop-action

photography in the late 19th, and early 2oth

centuries, against gridded walls.

He also took photographs of horses running (one

of which Degas used as a model for one of his sculptures),

and of birds flying.

Essence, and also painting on vellum, are two

of the techniques I will be teaching

next week in my Gesturing the Figure in Oils

workshop at the Art League School in

Alexandria, Virginia. - We will be working from

live models however.

Thanks for visiting today.

Oil Paint Essence Drawing of Robert Saunders

Oil on Paper, 8" square SOLD

This man is one of my favorite models ever. He is tall and stately

with long red hair that is turning white, and a beard and mustache,

a big belly, and long graceful legs. A great leonine head. He looks

like a Viking.

It is really fun to do gesture drawings of him. He often will wear

this floor-length yellow and black kimono if I ask him to - he's

sitting on it in the picture. His body plus the kimono create

a wealth of shapes to draw gestures from. But, as you can see,

he is also good for longer poses, because of his elegant head

and posture.

This was not a particuarly long pose, but I was really on a roll

with my paint brushes. I sometimes find I can draw better with

a brush than I can with a pencil. It is odd.

I did already explain the essence technique a few postings back,

so I won't repeat it here. But, for people who love to draw and

paint at the same time (and you can do it in color too - Dover

Publications has a wonderful book on Degas' Drawings that has

quite a few of his beautiful essence drawings in it) it is a wonderful

medium. A lot of fun!