Figure Drawing: A Nude Human is in Front of Me...What Next?

A 30 second gesture drawing using a graphite stick


A one minute gesture drawing using conte crayon



Another one minute drawing, using compressed charcoal

As I mentioned in my last post, I started figure drawing years ago. After taking a series of classes in art school, I've continued the practice intermittently over the years. It's a great way to challenge yourself. The human figure is infinitely complex.

Having a good model helps the process. Good models are people who have graceful and fluid motion and conversely, are able to hold a pose without moving. Try it sometime. Find a position and try not to move an iota for a whole minute. You may find it feels like a lifetime. Then imagine sitting/standing/laying in the same pose for 20 or 30 minutes. Just thinking about it makes me start to itch.

Warming up is usually the first step for the artist in any figure drawing session, starting with gesture drawings. A good model is able to make a fluid gesture and hold it for anywhere from 10 seconds to a couple minutes and then change to a new pose without pausing between. It's a bit like a cross between dancing and that old statue game, where you freeze in mid-motion. The idea is to draw quickly and capture the sense of movement. Gesture drawing is also used to loosen up (kind of like stretching before going for a long run). It's hard to worry about how the drawing is coming out when you're basically scribbling like crazy on your paper. And that helps, too, because the minute you get self conscious about what you're drawing, you tighten up and can no longer capture the gesture.

I like to use a variety of media during this process because I'm never sure what's going to work for me at any given time (if anything does). Yes, there are days when nothing works well. That can be frustrating to say the least, but it's like anything else. There are good days and bad days. Just as with everything else in life...

P.S. A reader sent me a link to his website, which lists various figure drawing venues all over the country. Here 'tis–http://www.artmodelbook.com/figure-drawing-directory.htm. Thanks, Andrew, for the great tip.

Figure Drawing? One Time and I Was Hooked

The ongoing or sometimes occasional foray into figure drawing is something many artists do. Surrounded by myth and mystery, I daresay the ordinary (that is non-artist) person on the street would find the practice of drawing live, unclothed human figures unsettling, to say the least. And I'm sure that to the uninitiated it would be.

My first encounter with figure drawing happened oh lo those many years ago, during my first studio art class at U.C. Santa Barbara. Although prepared for what was happening, it was still something of a shock to set up my easel and have a male model drop his robe. I think this was a first for just about everyone in the class.

After a few instructions from the teacher, we all started drawing. First, are the gesture drawings. They can be anything from 10 second to one minute drawings wherein the artist strives to capture a sense of movement in the figure. It's hard work to look and draw that fast. Next comes longer, 2 or 3 minute poses. After that, a series of longer, 5 or 10 minute poses. Within a few minutes, I was totally absorbed in drawing. The next thing I knew, the three hour studio class was over. I was hooked. And totally exhausted.

Amos Lee at the Rialto Theater in Tucson

The crowd lining up at the Rialto Theater in downtown Tucson.

Amos Lee surrounded by the band.

Vusi Mahlesela (in the light colored shirt) with Amos Lee on his right side, singing together.

Jim and I had an afternoon and evening on the town last Sunday. We don't go to concerts often, so this was something I'd been looking forward to.

In order to make the trip into Tucson multipurpose, we decided to stop by Tohono Chul Park to see a couple of art exhibits. Of particular interest was the Family Ties exhibit, which runs through April 3. It was interesting to see the way in which the relationships between husband and wife, father and son, etc. influenced each person's work. A number of the artists in the show live in Oracle.

From there, to the Tucson Museum of Art, where we planned to see the Lewis and Clark exhibit. It helps to check the calendar. The show was gone and most of the museum was closed for new installations. Since we're members, we went in anyway and spent a little time roaming around. Sure is a lot of neat stuff in the gift shop. Way too many temptations.

Hunger struck, and we proceeded to El Charro, the oldest continuously family run Mexican food establishment in the country. The food is really good and the atmosphere is great. Always a treat.

We decided to cruise by the Rialto Theater to check out the scene before going to get a bit of dessert. Lo and behold, there was already a line at 6:30 (show scheduled to open at 8 pm). So we cashed in the idea of dessert (probably not a bad thing anyway), found parking, got our tickets and got in line. Fun people watching. I dare say we were among, if not, the oldest people in line.
The doors opened at 7 pm and in we went. As I said, we don't go to concerts very often. Things change. I have no idea if this is standard or not, but the theater was set up with a handful of chairs in the back and lots of open (standing room) space in the front. Since we'd toughed out the wait, we got seats. Not that most people seemed to want to sit. Lots of toing and frowing of the audience, moving about, jockeying for position, all in a most friendly way.

At last the concert started with the opening act, a man from Africa, Vusi Mahlesela, with a great voice and interesting things to say about his part in the political scene in South Africa.

Then Amos Lee came on stage. I was enthralled. We really do miss out when we don't see live performances. It's good to be reminded of this. Kind of like looking at art on the internet versus looking in person. So much is lost in the translation. Anyway, it was a wonderful experience. I felt like I was transported to another place. Of course, I couldn't leave without buying his latest album. I proceeded to give myself a concert of all four of his albums yesterday while painting in my studio. I'm sure my work was brilliant as a result.

So you see, Tucson is a great place to live near. A short drive from sleepy Oracle gets us to a vibrant city with plenty of interesting cultural opportunities. All located on US Route 89!

A Visit to the Studio of Phoenix Artist, Carole Hanks

Carole with Week #52

Artists for the most part aren't the frivolous lot the media makes them out to be. Part of the purpose of this blog is to give my readers a chance for an inside view of art in the making. And art in the making is so much more than just making art. It's making the time to do it, having the training, putting in the years of practice, making connections with other artists, galleries, maintaining relationships with collectors, marketing online and off, keeping up a mailing list, entering shows. Not to mention needing to make a living.

My friend, Carole Hanks has been working on a project for the past year. She completed 52 weeks of "comics", gorgeous line drawings which were published every Monday for the entire year, 2010. In order to do this, she gave up travel (including visits to yours truly), and most social engagements to stay on her grueling self-imposed schedule. True to her word, she managed to publish one large piece of this series each and every Monday, come rain or shine, in good health and bad. The results are magnificent.

A not so clear shot of three of her pieces hanging in her Phoenix studio. Click on "comics" above to get a clear look at the work and find out what it's all about.

Her next step is to figure out her next step. She already has a show lined up for this June/July, at the Willo North Gallery in Phoenix. And she's getting ready to start her next big year-long commitment. She gave me a few hints, and it sounds just as exciting and demanding as the previous year-long project. You can check out more of her work at her website. And be sure to check back on her blog in late February, for the new series.

Gone Missing, Back Now

Snapshot Reflection II Acrylic on panel 12" x 12"

Calligraphy on Peña Blanca Lake Acrylic on panel 12" x 12"

Palisades Panoramic Acrylic on panel 6" x 24"

Early Morning on the Dock Acrylic on panel 16" x 16"

Morning Dawning Acrylic on panel 12" x 12"

Hard to believe (for me) that it's been well over a month since my last blog post. Been doing a lot of painting. Plus the holidays and other stuff. Above are a selection of completed paintings from the series of reflection paintings I've been working on. There are more. Plus three I'm currently working on and three panels awaiting my brush.

My classes at Tohono O'odham Community College start in a few days. Plus I'm committed to applying for a show opportunity, due on January 14. This application is for a joint show with my husband, James Cowlin. The proposal is for a two person exhibit relating to our US Route 89 project. All of the reflection paintings are located at sites along US Route 89. I also need to get with the program and apply for a residency or two (another part of being a professional artist that I've neglected to pursue).

I need to get back into my routine. It's always a balancing act to do the blogging, grant and show applications, marketing my work, work on the 89 project, teach my classes and make time for painting. Artists talk a lot about the dilemma of trying to do it all. Other (non-artists) tend to be envious of the so-called laid back life style of artists. Interesting how the public perception differs from reality.

Been Busy Painting

For the last month, I've been painting non-stop, preparing for a couple of opportunities. One is the annual Art on American Avenue show/sale here in Oracle. Last year, our first in Oracle, Jim and I were invited to participate in this event. Each year, a temporary location is leased by a group of artists who get together to display and sell their work. It was a great way to meet Oracle artists last year and we're both happy to be able to participate again this year. We have a great space, wonderful light, and it's heated, which is a big improvement. I bought nearly all of my holiday gifts at Art on American Avenue last year.

In addition, a Small Works exhibit is opening tonight at the Duley-Jones Gallery in Scottsdale. I will have at least one, maybe several paintings of water reflections in the show. The gallery is located on Main Street and the opening is from 7 – 9 pm tonight. The work will be up through December 23.

Can a Painting Be Too Pretty?

A painting in progress, part of the Water Reflection series I'm working on


As I was motoring along, painting enthusiastically, an unbidden thought came into my head. I had a clear memory of doing a paint-by-number painting of a lake with a swan floating in it, complete with a reflection. I was probably about 10 years old. Usually, I'd get frustrated with those things, as I didn't particularly like staying in the lines, and I'd end up tossing the unfinished masterpiece into the garbage. I stuck with this particular one, and once completed, my proud mother had it framed.

So here I am, painting away, and it suddenly struck me that this image had some similarity to that old paint-by-number. Can a painting be too pretty? When does a painting become a cliche? I can't tell if I've crossed the line or not. What do you think?