Curious technique

This is not a great image, but I think it has something lurking in it that I will pursue. It is just two curved stripes of acrylic ink, drawn over with soluble crayons whilst still wet. A bit too wet possibly. The curious red zigzag trail on the right is just a great blob of red ink dropped on the paper by accident. This was meant as a birthday card, but I thought it a bit of a mess, so didn’t send it. On reflection, I think it was probably the better image. No photo of the sent card, so we will never know.

Latest birthday card

This one was for my brother, so I thought I’d do him something a bit sophisticated. I’m very pleased with her, not sure why

Tuesday life class

Back at the class after a two week break. I like these classes because you just pay for when you attend, which has saved me a lot. I always miss sessions for various reasons.

We had a lovely model who not only looked great, but was at least as old as me. I love confident people who are happy to flaunt whatever they have. She had on a pair of “racy” red stockings which she thought might add a little life to things. I think they did. She held one pose for the whole session, with only one break. Remarkable. I did two drawings from the front, displaying my usual ability not to fit everything onto the page.

I moved around in the second half for two side on sketches, but I think I was losing it somewhat. Drawing for two hours after work is quite tiring.

Tuesday night life class

We had a beautiful model who for reasons that I can never really understand was having huge tattoos engraved on her side, bottom and feet. I suppose we all want our bodies to be works of art. I really struggled with this pose. First I drew it in pencil. Then went over it with water soluble crayon which didn’t work at all. Finally I dragged a stick of charcoal on its side all over it,followed by white chalk for highlights and finally conte crayon for details. It finally started to work. Never give up.

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…