Paper and Threads

My friend Melanie Testa and I went to the Society of Illustrators Figure Drawing session last week - and enjoyed a 3-piece jazz combo, a glass of red wine, and 3 hours with 2 models for every pose.  One of the models was new to me - and was the tallest and thinnest I sketched there.  It took me awhile to get used to the thinness of her extremities and seemed to draw her, rather than the other model during each pose.  Here is one 5 minute sketch, two 10 minute sketches, and two 20 minute sketches.  In the last drawing, I added the second, seated model, as an afterthought and she probably should be larger.

See Melanie's blog for her sketches from the session.  She is also posting them today.

I met Melanie just over a year ago and love having someone to share art, surface design and quilting, and bookbinding with.  This was our first Live Figure Drawing together, although we regularly sketch around New York City, and work on projects with our Journal Study Group.

Posted by Shirley at 9:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (10)

I still sketch from Carla Sonheim's book Drawing Lab, and hope to finish all 52 exercises by the end of Winter.  I periodically post some of my 100 Faces (Lab 16), but have only completed  36/100.  I have a zipper pouch with cards cut from watercolor paper, pencil, pen, eraser, 8 watercolor pencils, and a watercolor brush that I carry with me when I know I might have a chance for a live Face Drawing.  I'll post a picture of my great pouch with the next batch of faces.

Lab 35:  Browse a magazine and rip out a few pages that speak to you.  Then collage one or more elements to a page and add a sketch around the collages.  I picked up the Sunday NY Times magazine and found this mask/color samples, and didn't want to look for anything else.  It spoke to me!

Lab 37  Instructions for this lab are as follows:  Quickly make a list of 20 things.  Using a random number generator (she provides the URL for one on the web), draw each item in the order that they are "selected" as a random number. 

My list of 20 items is on the left side of the spread.

This was great fun and another one of her terrific methods for making original drawings.

Lab 38:  Sidewalk Crack Drawings

I photographed sidewalk cracks for several months while walking around New York City.  When I finally got to this Lab, I selected a photo, rotated the image on the computer, and finally saw a little lamb.  I should have left out the curb edge (upper left corner) and the bottom of a scaffold support (bottom left corner) - but I hope you can see my lamb anyway.

Katherine Tyrrell, on her blog Making a Mark, posts monthly data re: art book ratings and sales.  I'm not surprised that Drawing Lab remains tops in sales for Drawing Books.  It is a great book if you want to loosen up and have fun - especially with a group.

Posted by Shirley at 1:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)

I still draw faces when I'm out around NYC - as part of Carla Sonheim's Drawing Lab book.  This is a long term project for me, and I probably will still be working on my 100 Faces months from now. 

These are 6 of the recent faces that I drew from life - a security guard at the Social Security Office, a girl on the crosstown bus, audience members at the theatre and at a Textile Study Group lecture,  a page at WABC-TV, and an usher from the NY Philharmonic open rehearsal,

I got bogged down at Lab 36 of the Drawing Lab book and finally skipped it and moved onto 37.  My goal is to continue working through the exercises sequentially now to the end of the year.  And I'm simultaneously reflecting on any progress in 2010 and making some personal art goals for 2011.

Posted by Shirley at 4:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (9)

I discovered that they were having a special evening at the Society of illustrators this week after I arrived.  There was a brief announcement the week before that I didn't hear and a listing in the program for Illustrators Week.  There were 4 musicians (instead of the usual two), at least twice as many artists sketching, and an audience full of well-known illustrators (but certainly not to me).  The energy in the room was amazing and the drawings that I could see from my seat were incredible. 

There were two models, as usual, and an illustrator - in street clothes with an added mask, or hat - posing with them for 10 minute poses.  It was difficult for me to draw 3 models in 10 minutes, so I focused on what I could do and just enjoyed the experience.  Here are sketches with two illustrators who were sitting near me - both are fashion illustrators

This was one of the models with Bil Donovan - a very friendly and amusing man.  I sketched in 9B graphite and had trouble increasing the contrast without also increasing the smudges!

The final illustrator modeling (out of approx 10) was Robert Richards.  He sat behind me throughout the evening and almost every other illustrator took the time to come greet and speak to him.  When I looked him up, I learned:  "The New Yorker multi-talent Robert W. Richards started his career as an illustrator for the fashion world; his striking talents delighted the fashion tsars in Paris and Rome. His clients included Yves St. Laurent, Valentino and Gaultier, among others. He drew portraits of Hollywood stars like Cher and Tony Curtis, and worked for years with gay publications like The Advocate and Mandate."

It was a memorable evening - and I will certainly attend if they celebrate Illustrators Week the same way again next year. 

Posted by Shirley at 2:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)

While I was at the Houston Quilt Festival, I spent a wonderful afternoon with Raena, one of the EDM members who lives in Houston.   We've exchanged comments on our blog entries, but never met in person, so this was a great place to sketch together.  We each selected one of the dolls from the exhibit to sketch and then sat and talked and painted for the remaining time before she had to leave.  Here is my doll sketch.

And here are Raena and I - photographed by an anonymous Quilt Festival attendee who surprised us by actually having read Danny Gregory's book Everyday Matters.

Posted by Shirley at 8:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (11)