As always in these art posts, clicking the images will take you to larger-size versions with more description. To see all these pictures together (and five others from the figure studio), visit flickr.
My life-drawing practice is making me better/faster at capturing people. Over the weekend we went to San Diego, and I made these quick sketches on the train on the way back — meaning, when I was tired and conditions were not ideal.
BART sketches, 7/25/11
Now that I paint more frequently than I draw, I feel very limited when I don’t have any colors at hand. About a month ago it occurred to me to start carrying colored pencils along with my regular graphites, but I never had a chance to use them until this train ride.
BART portrait, 7/25/11
The term at the Richmond Art Center is coming to an end — next week is the last session — but the figure studio will resume with a few more sessions in September. Last night’s model, Prudence, was one of the first I drew when I started at the RAC in 2009, and it was fun to see her again.
Two-minute gestures
Many of you have mentioned that you enjoy looking at the two-minute gesture sketches. Prudence’s were a treat.
More gestures
In looking over what I produced yesterday, I think it all looks good, strong and bold. It’s surprising because I felt like I was having a real off-day: I came in tired, I felt distracted the whole time, it seemed to me I wasn’t “feeling it” for the entire three hours. But the work doesn’t reflect that (at least I don’t think so). Which just goes to show that, as usual, off-days are all in my head.
Seven-minute pose
Pink pool (20 minutes)
Or maybe it’s that my weariness made me less fanatical about small details? I applied the paint heavier, thicker, and more opaque than usual. My strokes were more sweeping and I made the sketches bigger — this one below goes from top to bottom of the paper.
Column (20 minutes)
It is very weird to think that my lack of energy can translate into paintings that come across as more energetic. Compare last night’s paintings to the ones from last week, when I felt “on.” Very peculiar.
satsumabug.com | Lisa Hsia 
I love these drawings, Lisa! Of course, I’m especially drawn to the ones of the model in which you drew her wide legs and big belly with such fluidity and love. It’s easy to see the beauty in her through your eyes. I’m going to recommend that the Love Your Body participants look at your drawings for inspiration on seeing the beauty!
Kimber! Yes, life drawing is one of the best things I know for learning to see beauty in every body — and it doesn’t hurt that the models are clearly comfortable with theirs. I’d be honored if you recommended my drawings to your workshop participants! You could also have them browse the model photos/art at the Bay Area Models Guild website: http://www.bayareamodelsguild.org/
I’m also simmering an art project in which I hope to use real people as models for my paintings. I’m not ready to start it quite yet, but I’m keeping a roster of people who are interested in posing for me. I don’t know if that’s something you’d be willing to bring up in your workshop but if so, I can give you more details via email. Let me know.
Love and gratitude!
I love looking at these sketches, the last one especially!
It’s interesting to see you writing about that feeling of being “off” and “on” because today I dragged myself out of bed with perhaps two hours of sleep (after a week of maybe four hours each night, when I need eight or nine.) I thought I would be awful in computer class, and I wasn’t really awake when I got there– but by the end, I understood how to do everything in today’s hands-on test, and surprised the teacher by doing some things in ways he hadn’t taught us yet. Sometimes I write things that people respond to the best, when I can barely keep my eyes open. I don’t understand it either. Interesting subject though. I’d like to hear what an expert would say about it. Now I’m going to bed. 🙂
Aaaack, I hope you got some good rest last night! I’d be interested in knowing an expert’s view on our experiences too. Do you think your inner critic has anything to do with your late-night writing? Maybe the inner critic goes to bed before you do? 😉
I don’t think it’s because my inner critic goes to bed before I do, because for the past few weeks I’ve been tired and sleepy all day long. I think my body is close to giving up because of the insomnia, and I have to temporarily make it much worse by incorporating exercise into my weary days. I hope it helps. I haven’t the slightest idea of how to push through that.
My inner critic is a mean little bugger, but I seem to be able to tame her by having a specific viewpoint on a subject, or some semblance of plot, before I start writing. I’m finding, sadly, that the freewrite technique (writing down whatever comes to mind and just letting it flow no matter what) seems to unleash a torrent of self abuse that I didn’t
think I believed. I can’t afford therapy 😯 , so I think I’ll stay away from that technique at least until I fix my sleep problem.
Oh that’s interesting. My inner critic is the opposite: if I start with a plot, she goes crazy. But if I tell her it’s just freewriting that “doesn’t count,” she goes away and leaves me in peace. Hmmm.
Good luck with the insomnia. 😐 That sounds so disruptive on so many levels.
Love looking at your quick sketches…you really have a knack for capturing gestures. In comparison, the 20 minute ones look over-worked!
Amazed that you managed to draw so well when tired and on a bus!
Also, it’s interesting what you say about the influence of ‘feeling’ on or off, on your psyche, as well as your ability to perform well. I have a theory about that. I think we take ourselves for granted when we’re rested and happy and feeling on top of it all, so whatever we do just happens naturally. But when we’re not feeling ‘on’, we tend to be aware of it, and so we make a conscious effort to shake ourselves out of it, work a bit harder maybe, and that’s when we surprise ourselves.
Sound plausible? 🙂
bus=train !!
Thank you, Munira! I do actually feel sometimes like I’m overworking the 20-minute paintings. But then, I come from a drawing background and that’s all about line, whereas people from painting backgrounds pay more attention to stuff like form and texture. I can do line quickly, but in the longer poses I’m trying to make interesting things happen with texture and color, and I don’t know if I succeed. ;b
Your theory is great! I think you have something there. I definitely did move more consciously toward experimentation when I was in the studio on Tuesday night; my attitude was “I can’t draw tonight anyway, so I might as well try something different!” And I wrote something similar once, in my LiveJournal, about off-days and yoga… let me see if I can find it. Aha, yes: “It’s reasonable to suppose, in fact, that I actually work less hard when I’m feeling good. When I’m happy, I’m more likely to be self-indulgent or to go fun-seeking; when I feel bad, I tend to just put my head down and keep grimly on working.” (Original post: http://satsumabug.livejournal.com/2009/10/10/)
You’re getting better and better. I love the train drawings. Always wanted to be able to do that. Well done.
Thanks, Alan! I’m always surprised how nonchalant people are about my drawing on the train. Occasionally someone will seem interested, but mostly people don’t even seem to notice. Of course, that doesn’t stop me from being paranoid about it.
LOVE that first gesture series!!! I think the wrinkling/puckering of the drawings of the other side show through as well. It adds movement & dimension to the painted figures. I agree with the other commenters – you are getting better and better, great work!
The second & third sentence are messed up. Should be “I think the wrinkling/puckering of the drawings on the other side add such interesting movement & dimension to the actual painted figures.” Gaaaaah. I should really not post in the middle of the night. I make no sense.
Hee. Thank you, Alison! 🙂 I love the gestures too. This model put so much energy into them. I’m glad to know everyone thinks the wrinkling is interesting… it’s an added bonus to my saving-paper efforts. 😉