I love to do life drawing. It is the best way to learn about all that stuff that helps create something that resembles the subject in front of you. But, it’s hard–not just at the early stages but every time I am in front of a model. What keeps me at it is the reward of catching something of the beauty that is found in everyone.
That’s right. All ages, shapes and sizes. Light falls on a shape and you have form but the human form, the one we thing we know the best, is the most complex and elusive subject to capture well. Anne, the instructor of our weekly sessions, recommended a book by Douglas Graves. You can google him if you like…old, classic reprint of excellent charcoal work. Right now, I’m working through some of the exercises, in charcoal, because that’s where all good drawing and painting begins, in black and white.
It’s vine charcoal so it’s really messy and I love that too. Right now my fingers are black and my nails will soon be full. I can wear gloves but then it won’t smear as well. Nothing feels so good as getting messy and making mistakes. It’s been my motto for a long time now.
Some of the pics show the result of starting with black and either pulling lights out or adding them versus the opposite method of, yes, adding dark to a light surface. Really good exercise for learning to see form. Anyway, back to the drawing board. Anyone know a good soap for getting this stuff off your hands?
I’ve just re-read a book ( same title as this post) by author Tom Smart. It’s been on my shelf for years now and it’s a favourite of mine for many reasons. Of course, the paintings of Mary Pratt are technically brilliant. In addition, she’s Canadian and a female artist and I have a special spot in my heart for this unheralded and under appreciated category of fine artist. Don’t get me started….But what brings me back again and again to her work is the subject matter and her response to it with paint. She had been trained to be an artist but found herself married to another artist (Christopher Pratt). His career took priority and with a household and children to care for, she found little time or inspiration to paint. Until, one day when the quality of light filling the room where she was doing her household chores, caused her to stop and get her easel. She developed a new technique with which to capture these moments and became a New Realist painter. I’m not going to ramble about styles or genres of work but I think she says it best herself. “The things that turn me on to painting are the things I really like,” she allowed. “Seeing the groceries come in, for instance. Or cooking, I’m getting supper, and suddenly I look at the cod fillets spread out on the tinfoil and I think, ‘That’s gorgeous, that’s absolutely beautiful.” Oh Mary, I know just what you mean.