Drawing Class - Week Five: Drawing is Hard

scanning and photoshopping are harrrrd too. sorry about the gray rectangles and shadows.

More of that outline-shape drawing stuff.
We were supposed to draw the outlines of the figure's shape and then draw in all/lots of the background lines/shapes connected to the main figure. The idea is to make a coherent composition with interesting shapes, patterns, diagonal lines, whatever. The teacher's 5 minute sample was gorgeous. My versions, umm, errr--I had trouble getting to the background before the models changed.

Meet our models Rebecca and Luke. Rebecca is the same model from the first day of class, the one whose portrait looks like a topographical map.

I ended up drawing everyone's backside all night. I'm going to get to class earlier next week so I can get a better chair.

All the drawings are 9B graphite on paper 18x23, with bits and strips of white tape covering up mistakes I didn't want to bother erasing.

This was a longer drawing, probably 25 minutes. I got it into my head that I needed to draw the chair in silhouette and I fiddled with it for way too long. The teacher called "5 minutes" and I realized I hadn't drawn in any of the background, so I panicked and started scribbling in the windows.

I think it was a mistake. I liked it better when the lacy chair was floating on all that clean white background. I don't think the background works because it doesn't really match. It's too obvious that I didn't draw it with the same care (or fussiness).

For drawing #2, I was determined to get to the background. You'll also notice that this time for the chair, I just drew the thing with as many interior lines as I needed, no more fussy tricks. Well, I started drawing Luke's head a little too big and so his figure ended up huge (and took more time). Once again, I ended up with a 5 minute background. I wish I had drawn more of the floor.

But the radiator? (far right) I like it. At first, I thought "this is the worst object I have ever drawn--it's like I wasn't even trying" but I was too lazy to erase and start over. Now I like how the top and bottom of the radiator don't match, and how it screws up the perspective lines. It seems sort of puppy-like, with a furry bottom and a back leg dragging behind. Hey! Look at me!

The Ten-Minute Sketches

this one I kind of like except for his right paw. I think this is the fastest drawing I've ever done in my life. It felt kind of like cartooning.

Trying to go faster. My least favorite sketch. In life, she's twisted more than the outlines of the drawing suggest, her shoulders are thrown out and back, her right leg is cocked down toward the floor and I have the weirdest angle on her neck and the left side of her shirt. She's actually very thin and well-proportioned. From where I sat (below her), this is pretty much how it looked, but it looks so weird now. I gave her the biggest back in the world. Sorry Rebecca.
another sketch with problems. [This is a "warts-and-all" drawing confessional.] I was doing crazy things at the end of class--miscounting the chair legs, messing up angles because I was looking at one thing and drawing another. I needed a Coke.