Middle aged madness: First signs

[Marian Rowling]

tehmeh: Thanks Olly for your feedback. I had ago as you suggested at keep the shading simple. I still find it difficult to see the form shadow so I shall have to keep working at but I did think I was getting the right idea with the first long pose below, especially on the legs.

jorvaa: Ha ha Elle I do often choose complicated objects on purpose! I'm not sure if it's because I'm older but my brain interferes far too much when I draw and does not want to draw what my eye sees. I find drawing a complicated object soon makes it more obedient, although I to do go cross-eyed sometimes

andres333: Hey Andres I'm always happy to help you if I can.




Life Drawing - Term 8
29.2.12

We had the model that moves a lot this week but I find now that it doesn't cause me as many problems as it once did. Following Olly's (tehmeh) suggestion above I tried to keep to just a single tone for the shadow. I found it more difficult this week as we didn't have the spotlight.

I really like the shape of the first longer pose but I made the arm look to blocky with my tone. The last pose was much more challenging to draw, especially getting the leg that wrapped around the table leg to look like it was attached to the thigh. Overall I think i made the torso to wide and I didn't manage to work out the tone for the shadow before time ran out. I will have to wait until next week for another go.

1. 5 min gestures.
2. 35 min pose.
3. 35 min pose.

[Marian Rowling]

Sketches Update:

So I've stopped drawing teapots for now and I've been having a go at drawing my right hand, I am right handed, so I have to look, remember, draw and then get my hand back in the same pose to look again. I thought this would be good practice to build my memory drawing muscle. All of these are from life.

[lennon]

The bird is my favorite, I absolutely love the style of the shape. It looks like something of picasso.
The figures are really good too, though! I really like them, they're very proportioned and the pose has elegant curves, very subtle with no exageration. The pastel works are amazing, with this glowing feeling; still your approach to adding the lights could follow more the 3D shapes (or maybe I have some envy, since they look pretty neat, you should hang that stuff in your wall).
About the last drawings, I'd say they're brilliant. Maybe the skull you have with the different plains have too little room for a thinking brain, I think it should be bigger in the upper part. The hands are looking really good, everyone knows how difficult this machines are to draw, and the memory excercize seems like a good idea.

[ThomasM]

WOW marian that sculpture is incredible. Absolutely love it.

Other than that, I see some other nice updates too. I have one crit for you, which I have recently had a little revelation about: Planes. I seem to have only just realised how important they can be, after doing some rock studies and thinking "why havent I been applying this logic to my other drawings..?".

I think a more "planar" approach could help you simplify, as tehmeh commented earlier. If you take some objects and break them down into 3-4 planes it really helps you to simplify those areas of light and shadow. Anyway, I am by no means knowledgeable about this, as it has only struck me how important this is fairly recently, but I hope it helps!

ciao for now

[Jesus Food]

really nice studies man, id like to see u try to get some more detail in some of ur ld sketches bc ur proportions and everything are sound

[ashess]

hey marian. radially wierd bird sculpture; the models are looking great too; you have such a unique style!

hands from memory, it helps me if I look for very distinct plain and push those first.

[Vritra]

Marian, as usual, it's really a good experience visiting your sketchbook. I really love the bird, very creatively visualised.

Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to offer a small crit. Right now, the value transitions in the shadows are a little off. For example, on this one, the value transitions are so sharp, it takes away from the roundness of the features, especially the arms. You see, light hits different planes at different angles, and hence, different intensities. A rounded plane actually is an amalgam of innumerable planes (360 degree, remember?), hence there will be (what looks like) a gradual transition of values.

Does that make sense? Anyway, keep up this fantastic sketchbook.

[John Silva]

Cool stuff all around!

keep it up!

[Dark_Eyes]

Yo! Nice work man, you have a knack for sculpting, something I suck at . Keep working hard! *****

[Trixtar]

Your studies are really great and inspiring!
-I also really like the bird sculptures, have never seen anything like that before ever!

[Marian Rowling]

Lennon: Hey Lennon many thanks for the high praise! I really appreciate all your feedback and the time you've taken to look at my work. I shall continue to work on making my rendering's look more 3D.

ThomasM: Hey Tom really glad you like my sculpture. I'm keen to get on and get it painted to see how it will look. I hear you about the planes and I do need all the help I can get in this area at the moment as I am finding it very challenging. I still tend to run out of time to really get into rendering but when I do I get confused very quickly. Did try on my last pose below to quickly block in what I thought of as the side planes.

Jesus Food: Hey Jesus Food great to hear from you and many thanks for your encouragement. I will keep working towards getting more detail in my life drawings.

ashess: Hey Agnes thanks for stopping by I'm glad to read you think I have a unique style, and as always I appreciate your support.

Vritra: Hey Vritra, yes it makes sense. Thanks so much yet again for your encouragement. Your crit is spot on as I am struggling to understand how to render my drawings at the moment. I shall try to think more about planes and that form change = plane change which equals a value change and make sure I use smooth gradations.

John Silva: Many thanks indeed John I really appreciate you saying so.

Dark_Eyes: Many thanks Colin I'm new to sculpting so your kind words are very encouraging.

Trixtar: Hey Trixtar thanks so much I'm really pleased you like my bird sculpture. It's a first attempt and something from my underused imagination!




Life Drawing - Term 8
7.3.12

Good class this week I am feeling happy that I have managed to produce some consistency in my longer poses these last couple of weeks. I do feel I have sorted out those first steps of my drawing process and I now have to really work on my rendering as I quickly begin to flounder in this area. In my last long pose I did try to quickly block in the shadow side thinking about the side planes turning away. Time ran out before I could work out anymore.

1. 5 min gestures.
2. 45 min pose.
3. 35 min pose.

[ThomasM]

lovely foreshortening on the second to last one!

[Marian Rowling]

ThomasM: Ahh thanks Tom, you can still see the initial lines I made for that one, and they were way off, so I had to work hard to get it to this.


Pastel Figures:

It's been about a month since I last did these so I was feeling a little rusty. So I was quite pleased with how the first one went. Ran out of time on the second one so I didn't get to put the light in. I have noticed when doing these that I am making the figures to tall and skinny, so now I'm aware I shall have to watch myself. Each one 15 mins from photo ref.

[Marian Rowling]

Life Drawing - Term 8
14.3.12

This week the teacher decided that after our quick gestures warm up we would do one long pose. I was very excited to have this chance as I really enjoy drawing this weeks model. I started out doing a thumbnail just to work out light and composition. Then I spent about 30 mins differing around not really drawing the pose at all as I kept changing mind on where to place it on the paper. After the break I realised that I had better get a move on otherwise I wouldn't even have the pose blocked in. So all in all a great learning experience as I know I can work much faster and better than this, and given a second opportunity I would cut out all that differing!

1. 5 min gestures.
2. Thumbnail for long pose
3. 1 hour 25 min pose.

[Marian Rowling]

Sketches Update: Just a few bits and bobs, all from life.

[Marian Rowling]

Pastel Figures:

.......and some more. I really enjoyed having ago at these. All 15 mins each from photo ref.

[Marian Rowling]

--- and finally a little life drawing.

Life Drawing - Term 8
21.3.12

I really enjoyed the different poses this week and found them pretty challenging. I mainly got caught up in both longer poses with the arm around the leg. Despite trying really hard I just couldn't get the perspective and portions right before time ran out. This always leaves me keen to try again the next week.

1. 5 min gestures.
2. 35 min pose.
3. 35 min pose.

[ThomasM]

lovely life drawings marian - they are really showing some nice solidity and form now.

And thanks a lot for posting that link on my sketchbook. I watched the whole thing this morning (much to the annoyance of my gf, but then she knows I'm an eccentric git when it comes to drawing). Very informative, and in fact much of what he talks about is the underlying message in the Vilppu Manual, so I found it backed up a lot of interesting points.

Anyway, I know how important crits are here, and mine have been a little scarce on my sketchbook lately, so I'll just say one thing:

For those "5 min gestures" are you laying down any actual gestural lines first (i.e. a sort of flexible stick figure in motion) or are you going straight into the blocking in. If not, I'd highly recommend drawing an individual line (or two) for each limb, and a line for the curvature of the back and neck. It would help to give a little more weight to some of them, especially as they seem to be adventurous poses!

Hope that helps

[poetry man]

Hey Marian! Just checkin in... I still think you're great at those ink studies. And for the life drawings, uhm.. I think, utilize your straight line measuring technique- but at a more speedily consistent rate- when it comes to judging, or boxing in the silhouette of the figure, maybe that will help with proportions, if you say it is a problem. I dunno.

feel free to disregard. Peace!

[Marian Rowling]

ThomasM: Many thanks Tom for the crit and help. I know it's not always easy to offer crits or advice, so I always appreciate any feedback. I did watch a Vilppu video on You Tube before I went to life drawing class this week but I'm not to sure I improved any! I just haven't felt the flow with the gestures at all this term. I shall have to make sure I do some practice to get over this and keep thinking about what you suggest.

poetry man: Hey Andre, lovely to hear from you and thanks for the feedback. I always appreciate your thoughts on my drawing. Hope yours is going well.



Mortar and Pestle:

Finally got round to making myself a shadow box and getting a 120 watt halogen light. So I decided a longer study would be a good idea. The photo's show my setup and my progress so far. I still haven't worked out my whole process so after I get the initial drawing and shadow shapes in it's all a bit trial and error! If I manage to work out the drawing I would also like to have ago at painting this one. I think this is just the sort of practice I need to help me see the light and get rendering. For those who like to know I'm using willow charcoal and a Wolff carbon pencil on smooth newsprint.

[Marian Rowling]

Life Drawing - Term 8
28.3.12

I was really pleased with how my longer poses went this week. I think there is something wrong with the head in the seated pose and the composition is a bit unbalanced, but I like the lean I captured in the torso. The last pose really flowed for me and I quickly blocked in some background tone to capture the composition. This was the last class for this term so it was good to finish with a nice drawing. I shall really need to focus more on my gestures for next term as I've not been feeling them at all.

1. 5 min gestures.
2. 45 min pose.
3. 35 min pose.

[Satu]

Good looking new stuff here! I like these latest poses.
Also cool shadow box, I should really make one for myself too.

[Istmin52]

Hey Marian,

Sorry I haven't commented on your sketchbook. I've stepped away from the site for a while. You seem to be really busy which is good. One thing I notice with your figures is that they look a little bit on the blocky side. It's gotten better though. Great shadow box set up. I have no idea how to make those.

[Marian Rowling]

Satupeikko: Many thanks Satu I really do appreciate your feedback and support. I'm finding my shadow box to be really useful.

Istmin52: Hey Ian no need to apologise I know you are busy with your own art. Thanks for the crit it really helps me. I followed a online lesson to make my shadow box, so I can't take all the credit. Hope your new job is going well.


Pastel Figures:

Here are some more pastels all with a 15 min time limit, which is challenging but I do think bit by bit the time seems longer and I get a little further. Although I am aware, I still seem to be drawing some rather tall, skinny figures, maybe I'm over compensating for my own shortness....hehehhe! All from photo ref.

[Marian Rowling]

Mortar and Pestle:

Here's what I ended up with for my first study. I feel like I need to do a lot more before I can really see those shadow shapes and understand how to render the form. So here is my setup and quick block in for my second study. I feel quite excited as I'm doing these because I'm thinking of doing them as paintings as well as value studies.... I am seriously addicted to drawing and painting.

[Marian Rowling]

Pastel Figures: All 15 mins each from photo ref.

[-D_art-]

wonderful work and drawing skills, keep it up you are doing more than great!

[kevinwueste]

Hiya Marian! Great shapes in those new drawings !! It's great to see your progression ! Keep up the hard work! (why am I using all of these exclamations !! ??)

Cheers,

-KEvin

[TFsean]

Hey man really nice stuff, like that you work in planes. Wonderful how much you work from life too, my crit would be to make your initial focus when working from your life a quick skeleton of keypoints , shoulderline, hip line etc as some of your figures look like you started drawing a part of them then another and they didnt quite fit in terms of proportions or movement. Saying that I really like what your doing and you might already do what ive said but yes, keypoints

[Marian Rowling]

-D art-: Thanks so much David for your kind words and encouragement. I loved looking through your sketchbook, I could feel your passion on every page.

kevinwueste: Hey Hey Kevin! Thanks so much for the feedback! You know it motivates me so much I break out in exclamation marks!!!!!!!!!! hehehe I most certainly will keep working hard as I have a long way to go to catch up to you, especially as you sat in for Henry Yan's class......now that speaks volumes! ( You know I have his book, so you should do one to, with drawings and paintings, you know I will buy it!)

TFsean: Hey Sean thanks so much for your wonderful feedback. I appreciate the crit, it's a good one and I shall try hard to remember. Thanks also for introducing me to 'Tricking', it's very cool and looks like a lot of fun. I would love to try, but maybe at my age I best stick to drawing others 'tricking'. (Oh and I hope your back is better now.)



Mortar and Pestle:

I really like the composition of this one but I am having some real problems with all my ellipses and the actually shape of the sides of the bowl. I decided in the end it would be best to stick a piece of tracing paper over it so I could try to improve it. I'm at that stage where I'm not to sure if it does look better or not. When this happens I find it best to leave it for a few days and go back with fresh eyes.