I took a life drawing course this past spring. The class was open to anyone in the community and met weekly on my school campus. I enrolled in the class for a three reasons. First, I enjoy trying new stuff. I have tried to enroll in one unique activity each year during my college career. I also appreciate the fact that charcoal and live models are an essential practice towards improving my ability as an artist. The most influential factor for signing up, however, was that the class fit perfectly with I.M softball that night. This is crucial because I don't let anything get in the way of I.M softball.
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| 20 minute pose |
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| 35 minute pose |
The class had a precise sequence. I arrived at 5:50pm, set my easel up, waited with a few charcoal sticks, blending sticks, pieces of white chalk and paper, ready to go at any second. At this time, the model always stood in a faint terrycloth robe, chatting colloquially with the instructor. Things began promptly at 6pm with quick gesture poses. This was a warmup in which I had to capture an image in 4 seconds without watching my hand on the pad. This led to a second warmup of a dozen, 1 minute poses. Then, we would follow with a 10, 20 and 35 minute poses. It was a deliberate procession, shifting our attention from general form to more detail.
For the 35 minute poses, I approached the drawing in layers. I would begin by lightly holding my charcoal stick and drawing a faint outline of the body. My eye would fix on a point on the model and I would move my hand, only checking the paper every 30 seconds or so. For a 35 minute sketch, this would take up nearly 20 minutes because I would correct the scale and proportions of the outline and draw multiple layers of darker line onto the coalescing image.
Following this, I would outline shadows and segregate highlights. I used my fingers to blend and design the overall picture as I saw fit ( I remember feeling that this was a major faux pas but learned everyone uses their hands and that they are the best tool). I spent the remaining 10 minutes sharpening edges and adding details to the picture. By this point the model was less a factor and I was finishing the picture based on its own appearance. In one class I would draw three 20 minute poses and one 35 minute pose. I enjoyed charcoal enough that I practiced at home a bit.
I did some charcoal drawing while I was taking the class. Sometimes I would use an image I saw in magazine and turn it into a black and white charcoal - as in the one of a man holding a gun - or combine a few pictures and ideas into one - such as the landscape and walking man.
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| This was a large portrait I completed using both graphite and charcoal powder |
I took a life drawing course this past spring. The class was open to anyone in the community and met weekly on my school campus. I enrolled in the class for a three reasons. First, I enjoy trying new stuff. I have tried to enroll in one unique activity each year during my college career. I also appreciate the fact that charcoal and live models are an essential practice towards improving my ability as an artist. The most influential factor for signing up, however, was that the class fit perfectly with I.M softball that night. This is crucial because I don't let anything get in the way of I.M softball. 
For the 35 minute poses, I approached the drawing in layers. I would begin by lightly holding my charcoal stick and drawing a faint outline of the body. My eye would fix on a point on the model and I would move my hand, only checking the paper every 30 seconds or so. For a 35 minute sketch, this would take up nearly 20 minutes because I would correct the scale and proportions of the outline and draw multiple layers of darker line onto the coalescing image.
Following this, I would outline shadows and segregate highlights. I used my fingers to blend and design the overall picture as I saw fit ( I remember feeling that this was a major faux pas but learned everyone uses their hands and that they are the best tool). I spent the remaining 10 minutes sharpening edges and adding details to the picture. By this point the model was less a factor and I was finishing the picture based on its own appearance. In one class I would draw three 20 minute poses and one 35 minute pose. I enjoyed charcoal enough that I practiced at home a bit.
I did some charcoal drawing while I was taking the class. Sometimes I would use an image I saw in magazine and turn it into a black and white charcoal - as in the one of a man holding a gun - or combine a few pictures and ideas into one - such as the landscape and walking man. 
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