Techical Process: Figure Drawing, Part 2

Untitled Nude, graphite on plate-finish bristol, 16"x 12"

This is the result of a two-day figure drawing session.

I finished the figure by blending the shading, increasing the contrast, and finishing the hands, feet, and face.
This was the fun part! Day one was the hard part- check out my earlier post if you want to see the details.

I plan on darkening the background, especially under the bench and around her feet. I want to leave the background with a rougher texture, so the marble-like quality of her skin stands out in contrast.

When I finish the background, I'll add a new image to this post.

Here's an image of Rodin's The Kiss. This is an example of what I mean by contrasting texture. Rodin left the base of the sculpture rough and unpolished, which makes the flesh of the figures seem more alive in contrast.

I'm no Rodin, of course, but it's nice to dream, right?

It's just what I do

My last post was about John Stewart, who teaches my figure drawing class. This class keeps me sane- for about six hours per week. I sit still, pop in my headphones, and just DRAW. There have been days when I might have skipped class in order to catch up on work in other courses, but I just can't- I love it too much. I don't always love the result, but the process is... I don't know... sublime.

I don't typically decapitate the models. I was just most interested in hands and feet that day. John Stewart said the hands remind him of "bunches of bananas" and to avoid that in the future. He's right, unfortunately. This is graphite and white chalk on gray paper, with touches of black charcoal.

I did this one the first day of class. I think it's my favorite, because it reminds me of Ingres. I felt unsure of myself, out of practice, but it works with the sensitivity of the model's pose. Graphite on white paper: my favorite medium for figure drawing.

I love this model's dramatic poses. And he never moves a muscle!

Next post I will include some color work. I do love my graphite on white paper, but I love color too.