Paper and Threads

 I'm still not brave enough to "draw" a figure with my paintbrush.  Oh well!  This can be one of my goals for 2012.

Here are 6 drawings from the 18 I did last evening.  I don't like the specific male model who posed last night, so all of my drawings were done of the woman model. 

Two minute pose:  9B graphite

Five minute pose: 9B graphite

Two 10 minute poses: 9B graphite

Two 20 minute poses:  Albrecht Durer watercolor pencils and a blue watercolor wash

Posted by Shirley at 12:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

My husband and I went to an open rehearsal of the NY Philharmonic to hear Mahler's 10th Symphony - and I sketched the lady who was in front of me on line (reading her NY Times which was hung over the glass partition) and the cellist who was warming up on stage.  Lovely concert which is scheduled for more performances tonight and tomorrow night. 

Posted by Shirley at 6:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

There are two parts of my deliberate practice program - architecture and figure drawing.  I posted Big Ben last week after I painted it without any pre-drawing.  Today I am posting my first figure drawn directly with my brush and watercolor. I used a photo in the book The Nude Figure by Mark Edward Smith.

Will I be brave enough to draw with my paintbrush when I'm sketching live models?

Posted by Shirley at 9:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

By chance, I went to the Society of Illustrators Sketch Night during Illustrators Week in New York City and many illustrators posed (clothed) with the models.  They were not introduced, so I have no idea who they were. 

Drawings 4 and 5 of 10 Two Minute Poses 

Drawing 4 of 4 Five Minute Poses - An Illustrator

Drawing 1 of 2 Ten Minute Poses

Drawing 2 of 2 Twenty Minute Poses:  Two Models and an Illustrator (who is sitting on a stool)

My watercolor paper is to big for my scanner and I haven't figured out how to photograph the pages without the blue-gray background.  Even Photoshop can't completely corrct it.

Posted by Shirley at 6:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

When Raena (from Every Day Matters Yahoo Group) and I met for the second time at the Quilt Festival in Houston, we took a few minutes to draw art dolls, as we did last year.  These dolls are probably 20-24 inches and are AMAZING!  We each chose one to draw, and then I sketched a second one while Raena looked at the whole exhibit.

This is my first journal page - note the little bird on the woman's hand.  It is called "Fine Feathered Friend and was made by Nancie Roach.

 I sketched the same doll as Raena for my second journal page - a fabulous doll entitled "Leo Was Allergic to Dogs" by Neva Waldt.

Here are photos that I took of the Dolls so I could remember the colors for painting them at home.  I thought you might enjoy seeing them.

               "Fine Feathered Friends" by Nancie Roach.

               "Leo Was Allergic to Dogs" by Neva Waldt.

Posted by Shirley at 11:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)