hold me closer tiny drawing

For the past month I have been trying my darndest to draw more of the figure. I miss drawing bodies! So I'm trying to meld portraiture and figure drawing together. Also, the highlights are just calling to me recently. I find that starting with white loosens up my drawing style. You've gotta have no fear of that China White pencil!  Cheers to making Maura and Gilmore happy. 

Also! Yesterday we found a secret treasure trove of grey and Bogus paper!!! I was so happy I almost cried. I had to be diplomatic and split it though… at least we can all share the joy of dark paper.

Fall Portraits

Here are portraits I have drawn over the last semester. They go from most to least recent.

These are two of my many drawings for the self portrait I painted at the end of the summer. It's a little stern, but I like it. 

October- Faces and Figures

September 27, 2011

October 4, 2011

The Travelers
October 15, 2011

My first attempt at painting figures. It's based on a photo I took of my sister and her husband on the metro in Barcelona. 

back to the old HB

September 20, 2011

September 13, 2011

It's September, and you know what that means? It's drawing time again! My recent challenge for myself is perfecting the 3/4 view from below. Difficult? Yes. Impossible? Hell no! Hopefully we shall see a journey of improvement over the next month as I get a little obsessive with angles and fight that damn mouth to the death.

All I can say is, "Well self, challenge accepted." 

ps. I really need to start taking pictures with and actual camera...and not just my iphone.

nice parks and naked men.

Ireland Update!  


So, I have just gotten back into the swing of art things. I had my first life drawing session last thursday night at the Trinity Arts Workshop. This is basically a tiny little room, shoved full of people and drawing boards, and one naked man on a table with a sheet on it. In terms of any "nice" drawings, I basically was drawing like crap. But, we did some contour drawings (when you don't look at your paper at all and your not supposed to lift up your pen or pencil). You are just supposed to focus on really "seeing" the subject your drawing. I enjoy them because they are quite freeing, and surprising when you finally can look at what you've drawn. Its been 2 years since I last was in a life drawing course, so I am hoping I improve! And this workshop is only 4 Euro for students, which is SHWAAAET. You don't often get the chance to draw naked people for that kind of money! 

       (Sorry these are hard to see! I need to find a better way of photographing pencil!)

I also bought a set of oil pastels as a reward for finishing my last start up program paper. This is my first drawing of anything on the Trinity campus. Its a pretty grass square towards the back of campus, people play frisbee and read and such there. Its also where campus stops being so touristy because it's pretty far from the front gate. Anyway, its just a quickie, but I like it. 

This is my first drawing I did upon arriving in Ireland. I drew it when I was living in Rathmines. Its a self portrait, (which I have never really done before) and its totally terrifying. I finished it and realized, "Dear God! It looks like I'm going to kill something." But I suppose thats just the face I make when I'm concentrating...Anyway, I've grown to like it because at least it portrays some sort of emotion. I decided I wanted to begin my trip with a self portrait and end it with another self portrait. I think they will be interesting book ends for my work here. 

Rawr! 

Portraits

"Queen Mary the First?" March 2010 

 

"Joshpants" April 2010

"Rachel?" June 2010

"Rachel??" June 2010

So, these are a taste of the portraits I've done since January. For me its fun to look at the first and last ones...its like my hand has grown from a stumbling caterpillar into a little butterfly fluttering it's wings trying to fly. (and now I'm done with the cheesy metaphors) Anyway, if anyone actually reads this, and for some reason has a fiery passion to be drawn and wouldn't mind sitting still for maybe 3 hours, let me know!! I always need some faces to draw. Hopefully while I'm abroad I will meet some lovely people who will sit for me... for free. That's the dream.

Anyway, in my portraits I try my best to draw people as I see them. I try to find them and capture who they are to me on paper. I question my drawings because I am never really sure if I have found my subject yet. It's a very odd, slightly philosophical process of problem solving and drawing lines...and listening to some good tunes.

Oh! And I took all of these pictures on my cell phone (because my camera died) so unfortunately these are the only photos I have 'till I am back in Spokane.