Self portrait

Exercise Drawing your face

I drew these self portraits, one from a photograph and the other using a mirror. The first is from a photo and I think captures the likeness better. The second is from an unfortunately angle and is less flattering. I was leaning back on the sofa when drawing. Faces are the hardest thing to draw but really looking at each feature and the shape and space around it helped to break it down and thus simplify the task. Adding shading or using soft pastels of charcoal would have added another degree of difficulty for me, so rather cowardly I stuck to pencil.

Portrait from memory.

Drawing a portrait from memory is difficult but I tried to remember the rules of proportion and shape.  I don’t think this portrait looks anything like me but at least all the features a roughly in the right place. The mouth is too narrow but that can easily rectified. I should rework one of these sketches to add shading which will give a sense of perspective and depth.

Check and log

Which drawing materials prodded the best results? Why?

Well, I stuck to pencil, so I guess I need to go back and try some other mediums.

Does your self portrait look like you? Show it to a couple of friends or family members and not down their comments.

I think it does. My husband, who is not easily complementary thought I had made a good effort and could recognise me. My daughter giggled a little but said she could see the likeness and remember where the drawing was from, which was encouraging.

Did you find it easy to convert your sketches into a portrait?

I didn’t use my sketches to work on when doing the portraits. I started afresh. The sketches helped to break down the parts of the face and proportions.

Were your preliminary drawings adequate?

They weren’t particularly helpful and were not of a good quality.

The moving figure

Exercise Sitting and waiting

I sketched different people in different poses and tried hard to capture the mood of them as well as draw them correctly. I drew these people from observation except for Adele which was from a photo in a magazine. I used an HB pencil and stuck to mainly line drawings with a little shading. I do not have the confidence to sketch with charcoal as it usually ends up in a grey mess. I do enjoy using colour pencils, as I like the control this gives. Again, these drawings are rather structured and controlled, I need to work on loose sketching with more freedom.

     

Fleeting moments

I have a few sketches of people in movement or when it was not easy to sit and draw. I found this difficult to organise so this section is another that needs working on. My husband playing golf started as a quick sketch but again I worked on it to make it more presentable. I really don’t like the quality of my quick sketching and will make this a focus for the next and final assignment as well as more detailed work.

Check and log

How well did you manage to create the sense of a fleeting moment rather than a pose?

Not so well, I think it is an art in itself to be able to sketch just a few lines and make it look good. Unfortunately, I don’t have that skill. Even though these sketches were quickly done, I still feel that there is a feeling of pose.

How successful were your attempts to retain an image and draw later?

I struggle to draw realistic things from memory. I prefer to have the image in front of me, whether a real model or photo.

Were you able to keep to a few descriptive lines to suggest the person’s movement or were you tempted to keep introducing more elements into your work?

No! I felt the need to complete the drawings too improve the sketches. I will work on this technique as I think practice will help.

The clothed figure

Exercise Fabric with line and form

For this exercise I draped a cotton cloth over a chair and started by drawing the outlines. I drew in the folds and then in the second sketch tried to shade the fold lines. In the second set of drawings, I reduced these clothes from a washing line to simple line drawings. I had originally drawn them for another project they depicted the form of clothing well.

Form and movement in a clothed figure

In these sketches I tried to capture the pose and also the feeling of form within the clothing. I tried to shade using hatching rather than tone. I like the couple lying on the grass. I guess to improve this section of the course I could do a more detailed and longer drawing of a model. The 2 drawings below were also something I had done for another project but I had spent a lot of time looking at how the clothes fell and the folds.

     

Check and log

Did you find it easy to approach the figure as a whole or were you distracted by details of the sitter’s dress?

I roughly sketched the outline of the forms for each person and then started sketching in the details. I was always aware of the shape, form and proportions of each person. I tried my best to keep true to the correct proportions.

How did you create volume in the folds of fabric?

I am not sure that I did that well, perhaps it was more successful on the first page of sketches.

Does the finished drawing give a sense of the figure beneath the fabric?

Again, I am not sure the drawings are detailed or finished enough to critique this. I do feel that they are 3 dimensional rather than flat and 2 dimensional and have a feeling of form.

How would you tackle a drawing like this again?

Structure

Exercise Three drawings

I choose to do these 3 drawings in pencil, pen and oil pastels. I tried to look at the proportions and detail. Getting the face right was difficult, it’s easy to make someone very ugly.

I think that perhaps these drawing should have more detail or shading but am happy with the general gesture and form of the model. I also added some drawings from the class which corresponded with this theme. I am happy with these as managed to deal with the foreshortening of the legs in the sitting poses.

       

    

Check and log

How accurately did you depict the overall proportions of the figure?

I am happy with the overall proportions. I think there should be more detail and shading in the drawings so maybe reworking them could be a positive thing.

Did you try to imagine the sitter’s skeleton and muscles? Did this help you to convey the figure’s structure and form?

I concentrated more on the lines and shapes that I saw rather than the skeleton. Thinking about the muscles is more useful to me, helping to give the idea of bulk and form.

Gesture

Exercise Stance

I did quite a lot of quick drawings in the class sessions as warm up exercises but they unfortunately got lost before I could take them home. They were really quite rough and not necessarily worth keeping. I find quick, rough sketches incredibly difficult and usually end up with a lot of rubbish. I prefer precise, detailed drawings. The large drawing here is one of the sketches I managed to save.

Exercise Energy

Again, this was a difficult exercise for me. I cannot produce decent quick sketches showing movement. I struggled with this and skipped quickly on to the next section. I will before the end of the course come back to it and try again.

Check and log

How well have you managed to capture the poses? What could be improved?

I struggled to produce sketches of the moving figure and if I did I tended to work on them and continue with pen or watercolour to improve them. I realise that this wasn’t the object of the exercise and need to go back and rework some of this section.

Do you think that your figures balanced? If not where did you go wrong?

In the sketches I did the figures were proportionally correct but failed to convey a sense of movement perhaps?

How did you go about conveying a sense of energy?

Curved, sweeping lines and more fluidity in the drawings.

Form

Exercise Essential shapes

With these two drawings you cannot see the basic shapes too well. I started by drawing the energy flow and main axis of the model and then continued by drawing the curves of the body. I didn’t reduce it to cylinders and boxes but tried to draw what I saw continually modifying to get the right proportions. The second drawing below is again A2 in size which I guess I am beginning to adjust too, although I still much prefer working in a smaller scale. It is also new to me to work on an easel and holding the pencil in a different way. You can see the outlines have been reworked many times. These drawings are more precise than my previous sketches, we were encouraged to work precisely but remain loose at the same time.

Exercise Essential elements

The following drawings were again, part of the life drawing class. This time they were shorter exercises roughly 10-15mins each and using charcoal. This was another challenge altogether. On some of the drawings we were instructed not to use any outlines but to use the charcoal flat and produce shapes and shading. This was difficult at first and created a lot of rejects. This was an interesting way of looking at the model and if you could let yourself go a much freer way of expression. I am sure it needs practice as with all drawing.

     

     

Check and log

Were you able to maintain a focus on proportion at the same time as creating a sense of weight and three-dimensional form?

I think I was always aware of shape and form, maybe too much so but if the form was completely wrong I wouldn’t feel able to continue until I had corrected the form. So, on reflection I probably put too much emphasis on form when I should have concentrated more on shading.

Which drawing gives the best sense of the pose and why?

The two drawings I prefer are the girl with the hairband and the girl above her leaning forward on a table (which you can’t see). They seem to flow and have a certain energy and ease. The girl with the hairband has shading which work quite well, although, upon reflection, I should have also put the props so she doesn’t appear to float on nothing.

Was there any movement or gesture away from the model’s central axis? If so did you manage to identify this and put it into your drawing? I am not sure I understand the question.

Proportions

Exercise Quick poses

    

For this part of the course I signed on to a life drawing course which ran for 5 weeks.  In the class I tried my hand at large, charcoal and pencil drawings using a life model. It was the first time I have experienced this type of drawing and I struggled to draw on such a large scale and using charcoal. Throughout this module there will be drawings taken from this course with other drawings made on a smaller scale in my sketchbook. The more I work through this drawing course the more I have realised that observational and life drawing is not what I am good at or what I enjoy most. I have tried my best but realise that my motivation is not what it should be and I am therefore disappointed with the results.

My sketching is either too rough and inaccurate or it turns into a 3 hour detailed drawing. I am discovering that I much prefer to stylise drawing and have an interest in graphics and design.

With these sketches I tried to look at the proportions and angles of the body.

Exercise The longer pose

    

For the longer pose I chose to use the longer life studies. These are drawings in pencil on A2 paper and took just over an hour to draw. They demanded a lot of looking at the model, measuring, looking and reworking.

Check and log

Have you managed to make a complete statement in this time? What were your main problems?

I believe I have managed to make a complete outline drawing of the model but it could certainly be improved with more time. Working in such a large scale is a problem to me, I am really not comfortable with this size and prefer to work in a much smaller scale with more detail. Placing the model on the page so everything fits on was also something I had to think about and work out roughly before starting any detail.

How well have you capture the characteristics of the pose?
I am fairly happy with the longer pose drawings when thinking about the characteristics of the model.  I feel I have captured the posture of the man sitting facing the mirror quite well.

Do the proportions look right? If not, how will you try to improve?
In general I think the proportions are ok especially as there was foreshortening with the leg and arm. The curve of the spine looks a little odd and needs some attention.