Learning from the Masters with R.B.Hale

A year back, I mentioned this book by Robert Beverly Hale (Drawing Lessons From The Great Masters). I’d read through it and was very impressed. But this time I’m not just reading, I’m even drawing the Masters’ works and really studying what Mr. Hale (an outstanding teacher) writes about them.

I know my results are not presentable, but the experience of concentrating on the Masterwork and attempting to see or feel what the artist was doing or where he (strangely enough, artists were all “he”s centuries ago) stresses a line (where one doesn’t actually exist … I mean, we’ve all heard this before: lines don’t exist, they are a technique to transport a change in light, orientation, colour, surface texture (in German: Oberflächenbeschaffenheit), form, and probably more to the audience) … where was I? … oh, yes, “Where he stresses a line …” Well, the experience is just really worth it, I feel a connection, I don’t mind if my result looks only similar to the Masters’, I’m pretty convinced something of the lesson will seek into my subconscious and improve my future Life Drawing results. Oh, yes, funnilly enough, these Masters’ works seem only to be of figures, they didn’t care much for drawing shoes, coffee perculators, bags of flour. Strange. But I don’t suppose there was much call for it back then.

20160102-1

20151230_masters-220151206-1201512_xmas_journalling-1

Sick Left Hands

[Sorry, Ed (author of Six Left Hands)]

Back in the times before Paris … <interlude> … you know, I follow a few great sketching sites on wordpress … and one of those are Suhita Shirodkar’s sketchaway … </interlude> well, a few days before Paris, Suhita published a blog entry with a tonal study of her left hand.
And I thought, hey, I’ve got one of those (i.e. left hand and even a blog, too). Here’s Suhita’s left hand: hand_shadows.jpg.

So I continued running a few days with 30(!) second gesture drawings of other peoples’ hands… Then Paris happened.

Yeah, well, anyway, and then Ed published his six lefties and I thought, Stuart, the time is ripe again, are your hand skills up to scratch? … do a few more quick gesture drawings and give it a try.

Today, in every free 20 minute slot, I jumped to the challenge. Lamy fountain pen in hand. Sometimes standing in front of the mirror. So some lefties look like righties. Enjoy.

20151128_morning-120151128_afternoon-120151128_afternoon-220151128_evening-1

And here are some of the quick gesture sketches. You can see more of these gesture sketches in the gesture sub-menu.

Snow, Rain and Life

[Stuart arrives at Life Class]
[Outside it’s raining, snowing, and sleeting]
Richard: Hi Stuart, the tutor called, he’ll be late, but the model’s already here.
Stuart: No heaters? No Life equipment?
Model (teeth chattering): I need those heaters, I’m soaking, need to get out of these clothes.
Stuart: Well, bad luck, get on that stage now … 10 minutes ok for you?

20151124_evening-1

[Tutor arrives]
Tutor: Ok, hi folks, let’s do a pose and then I’ve got an idea for you.
[Heaters are set up]

20151124_evening-2

Tutor: Hey, the next half an hour, we’re drawing blind.

Stuart: Yeeees, this is what I’m talking about. What a great experience! The result isn’t important, but the act of looking at the model becomes so intense.
Tutor: Now see if you can use anything you learnt in the past half an hour.

20151124_evening-520151124_evening-6

Stuart: Well, I’m not complaining, that was really fun. Used my Lamy Safari “F” nib, Blue/Black ink, in a rough surface, 110gsm, A4 sketch book. The paper really soaks up that ink.

Tea time

Spent the day in town with my wife and my Polychromos pencils.
Packed in a bunch of browns today, too (sorry, I just see it was ochres: Brown Ochre, Burnt Ochre and Light Ochre, and a Van Dyke Brown).

In the Tea Room after our Syrian meatballs and cold starters, I signalled to my wife it was reading time for her as I retrieved my pencils and Leuchtturm1917 DINA6 sketchbook from my mens’ purse. I’d decided to attempt capturing my last cup of tea.

20151008I began with the background (negative space), outlining the cup and saucer with Van Dyke Brown, Scarlet Lake (red Teapot in background) and Burnt Carmine. Then I went for the shading with Light Grey (too light) and Sky Blue. Had trouble with the gold plated rims. The tea itself was built up slowly, whereby I had noticed the cup’s rim reflecting in it and that the colour had a somewhat consistent shade, but still managed to change tones in places.

What I can say is, it is simpler for me to work with the dry medium at the moment when out and about. I have noticed in one of the books currently on the top of my pile (Tommy Kane Sketches The World: An Excuse to Draw) that the author also seems to use coloured pencils a lot.

I haven’t turned my back completely on watercolours yet. I certainly heard more “Aaahh!” and “Ummm!”-ing when using the watercolours while in town.

“Charging in” in Class

Giving my Lamy Safari and the watercolours another chance tonight at my weekly, evening class.

20150825_A-3 20150825_A-1

The “charging in” is a watercolour technique which means you continue an “activated”, washed area with a new colour.
E.g. you mix 3 washes on your palette (me, I mixed a green, a yellow/orange/ocker, and a greyish blue). You start washing an area and then switch the colours and let the new load of wash touch and mingle with the still active area.

Figure Drawing again

20150804_figure_class_1Wow, … no easel today, no charcoal, no newsprint, just a 4B pencil and smooth drawing paper. Inbetween a stint at watercolours, which actually doesn’t look too bad for a noob like me.

Tutor wasn’t there tonight, so I took over the role of setting the timer, I also sat all night at a desk, which was probably quite hilarious for the other students.20150804_figure_class_2

We begin with three 5 minute poses, then <coffee break>,  then two 10 minute poses, then <small chat (break)> and a 15 minute pose, then <walk around and inspect “competition” break>, 20150804_figure_class_3then 20 minutes for the watercolour (started with 3B sketching, then an obviously non-water-resitant Japan-nib 0.5mm Derwent fineliner and finally the watercolours, that’s where the fineliner ink starts to show its non-water-resistance), then <yawn, stretch and take a break>,20150804_figure_class_4 in the End a 13 minute sketch for me (3B) … and clear up and go home to a glass of Prosecco.

New Model

DSC03966A very interesting evening with a new model. And this evening I arrived with the idea to do some watercolouring. DSC03967As I am not very experienced with watercolours, I need to do more and more and make mistakes for the first year or so.

DSC03967_2So here goes, after a phase of warming up with charcoal on newsprint, DSC03968one watercolour was achieved during a 3 x 5 minutes spree and a 5 minute break.

DSC03965