Fabrics in mixed media

We have started on a two week project, representing fabric in pictures. This first week just trying to draw various fabrics draped and twisted over hangers of one sort or another. It took me a while to get into it. Mainly using oil pastel, but with charcoal and soft pastel laid over the top. I am not that keen on oil pastel, but I like the way you can keep layering and layering it on. It gets so thick you can carve down through it. Colours show through so the final image can be very rich, even if a bit inexplicable.

Last life class this year.

I shall miss the class next week so this is the last one of this year. We have just had old men as models this session. I shall be hoping for more females next term.

This sketch is in conte crayon on tinted watercolour paper. I am quite pleased with it as a quick study. I had tried a couple before on a smooth drawing paper and the marks were so dull I just stopped and threw them away. This textured paper is a bit mechanical (it is machine made Bockingford, which is quite good stuff) but gives a much better mark.

This final sketch was entirely in the cheap Pentel oil pastels that I bought last week. I think they are excellent and just £2.99 for a complete set of nearly 30. The texture of the paper works again. I got the head in the wrong position so just drew over it in dark blue, to show where it should be. It gives a nice dynamic to the drawing.

Latest life drawings

I set a new record, seven drawings in one evening class. All of a retired man who looked remarkably fit. I kept thinking that if I looked as good as him at that age, I would be very content. Then I had to admit I probably was that age already.

The three standing sketches are in soluble crayon and oil pastel. I like simple standing poses, they are really hard to get right.

Then four shots at a reclining pose, with the best two here.

The first is in black conte crayon. Done in five minutes at the very most. I like conte, but sometimes it just doesn’t work. I think it does here.

This final one was done in the last ten minutes of the class. Just an oil pastel scribble, doing the first sketch with red and blue pastels held together and then worked on in a dark blue line. All drawn on a good, tinted watercolour paper, which helps hugely.

First responses to Bill Buchman’s book

Out of my head 2: twisted torso

My first picture, after reading just part of the book. I like it (the book). He is exploring very fast, fluid drawing, which is what I always want to do. I have had a box of soluble crayons for ages but could never achieve much with them. But they are starting to make sense now.

Out of my head 1: just an imagined pose in soluble and oil pastel

This second imagined pose is again soluble crayon, but with added oil pastel. I think as a resist, it could work well. The trick seems to be too draw so loosely that the viewer is forced to see what they think is there, rather than what is…