Figure Drawing
January 26, 2007 by Jana Bouc
Pentel Brush Pen and water in 6×8″ sketchbook - 20 minute pose
As you can see we had quite a large model tonight. She was excellent at posing but when you faced her back it was like drawing a landscape with a big mountain in the middle. So I grabbed a small notebook that I could easily carry around to the other side of the room along with my brush pen and waterbrush. I drew with the brush pen and used the waterbrush to bleed the ink out for shading. Then the next pose I went back to my table and big sketchbook.
Pencil in 14×17″ sketchbook - 10 minute pose
Pencil and Pentel Brush Pen with water in 14×17″ sketchbook - 20 minute pose
It was a good night at figure drawing after an annoying afternoon working on the postcards for my show in March. I learned a lot of stuff I wasn’t really interested in learning but they’re done and finally ordered.
Tonight they had the overhead lights on instead of the directional ones because they needed to replace the bulbs in the spot lights. It was nice having enough light and there were still some decent shadows.
I love your free flowing line in these, beautifully done!
Nice work. Your washes are very effective on this body. I feel larger bodies are easier to draw than trim ones at times.
Oh Jana, I laughed at your comment about drawing a landscape for that large body. You did a wonderful job on her, big or not.
This reminds me of my life drawing class during my second year at university. It was fantastic. At various times we got to draw a very elderly woman in a dentist’s chair, and almost emaciated young man, the instructor’s 9-months-pregnant girlfriend and a pair of lazy Golden Retrievers. It made me realize how incredibly diverse the unvclad body could be.
You really captured the solidity and organic qaulity of your model’s figure, Jana!
I always learn something from you Jana… I would like to use this forum to direct you all — since you are read so much - to a wonderful artist. I am sure you all visitors will appreciate this one.
Her name is Anne Eldredge Harris and she is 88 years old. She is now in a wheel chair and still active. Her srt is outstanding and special, I think. Your e-mails, will brighten her days.
Thanks!
Sorry, This is the link: http://www.art.net/Studios/Visual/Anne/index.htm
Let me know if you agree.
I wish I had the opportunity to draw a model like this! I know from my experience that models with a little extra weight are much more fun to draw than those that are skin and bones.
And, on a side note, good for her! I can’t imagine being comfortable enough with my body to ever pose!
I love this. Your lines are as confident as the lady posing. Gosh i would love to have the opportunity to draw such a nude. I love those bold lines of yours.
I do feel fortunate for the variety — both in the drawing group models and in the S.F. Bay Area population which is very diverse, with people of all colors from all nations, with every possible kind of look.
Suzanne, I found myself thinking many of those kinds of thoughts about body image. She did seem quite at ease but her body seemed to be telling stories of devastation.
Wonderful figure studies!
Wow! What an amazing model - in fact on Friday I mentioned to the class that we really need some bigger models to draw! Fabulous sketches!
WONDERFUL job, Jana…and your comment about a landscape with a mountain in the middle was very astute; she is an imposing figure and your bold lines captured her beautifully.
And thank you for trying out the Pentel brush pen with a waterbrush, I’d been meaning to see if that would work!
Wonderful sketches.
The way you combine the bold lines with the soft washes is beautiful.
Oh, the joy of a fat model! So much amplitude and folds to draw/paint! They really work well.
Big ladies are such fun to draw / paint. You can get really bored with perfect bodies!
So…all I need, it would seem, is a very big mirror! Jokes aside, Jana, you have done her proud,in the washy ink and the sketch.I haven’t been here for a few days and I’m taking it all in greedily.Thankyou.
sweet stuff