At least there will be no more teapots

[the_deep_magic]

My portrait drawing class began last night, and you know what that means...

Same teacher, same time, same classroom (obviously, I fear change), but all faces this time.  There's one other woman from my previous drawing class that signed up for this one, and when we got there, the teacher said that since we already had the right materials and knew how to use them, we could go ahead and get started on the model, who was already in position.  Well, after the teacher finished catching everyone else in the class up on the technique, he told the model to take a break.  When we reconvened, she said the light was hurting her eyes at that angle and repositioned herself.  Fine, okay, I wiped my paper "clean" and started over.

Then the teacher starts giving a demonstration, and since I'd heard most of what he'd said before, I started afresh.  After about half an hour, when the demonstration was done, everybody took another break.  And when we came back, for some reason the teacher repositioned the light source, so I had to start all over again.  (It should be noted that my classmate just effectively said, "Aw, screw it" after the second pose and tried to draw from memory.  Perhaps she had the right idea.)



So I only had about an hour to work on this, but considering that, I'm very pleased with how it came out.  I didn't have as much time on the eyes and the mouth as I would have liked, but her ear actually looks like an ear and is in the right place (first time that's happened, I think), and I managed to get a little texture and shading into the hair.  Again, the model didn't look quite as... severe, I guess, as I drew her, but I do think I'm improving.  Lots more people in this class, so I may have some competition. ;o)

Comments

[chibinecco.livejournal.com]

I LOVE your art teacher XD He's a clever little brat.

The ever-changing light-source was on purpose to force you guys to restart. All the observation classes I've had make you do five minute sketches again and again; and MAYBE late in the course, you'll get up to 20 minutes, but observation practice like that isn't about getting the one piece just perfect. Especially not on the first lesson.

[the-deep-magic.livejournal.com]

You're probably right -- I remember the teacher saying something about 10-minute sketches he has students do in another class. But... but... I MUST MAKE IT PERFECT. ::twitch, twitch::

[chibinecco.livejournal.com]

LOL XD BTW, if you haven't done any skull observational drawings or skull anatomy drawings you REALLY should. It'll make a HUGE difference in your portraiture work. My last art teacher wouldn't even let us start portrait work until we'd spent forever on skulls, and I gotta say he was right. Made a HUGE difference, I can now see the base structure of a face before I start looking into the skin. I can see the bones so I know where there will be dips and rises before I even put the light source in. It just makes a HUGE difference.

Crash a biology class if you have to and draw the full-scale skeleton in the corner if you have to. Time yourself too. Start with 1 minute drawings, smaller don't fill up a whole page with one, one minute drawing, then do five minute drawings then do some ten minute ones. Getting your basics down perfect will mean fewer corrections when you get into the details.

[aliassmith.livejournal.com]

I know you said you didn't get as much time on the mouth as you would've liked, but the depth and shadow there looks really fantastic to me-- you've really brought out the detail of her features (she's kind of got a prim school mistress thing going on, huh?). Really lovely.

[the-deep-magic.livejournal.com]

Yep, she definitely had the schoolmarm thing going on. Glad I managed to capture that. ;o)

[therumjournals.livejournal.com]

that's amazing! i'm so impressed! i recently had a convo with an artist/art-teacher friend who was all "everyone CAN draw, you just have to do it/ practice /etc" and I was like "uh huh, uh huh, but i CAN'T" ;-) So, anyway...I'm impressed :-D

[the-deep-magic.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I think it might just be a matter of finding your medium, because just stick a regular pencil in my hand and tell me to go for it and you're going to get something that looks like it was drawn by a six-year-old with motor control problems.

[1lostone.livejournal.com]

Is that T'Pau? Even subconsciously? Bb that's so good!!!

[the-deep-magic.livejournal.com]

HA HA HA, OMG, you're so right! Just slap a headdress on her and bring out the gong!

...that would make art class very interesting indeed...

[1lostone.livejournal.com]

You should totally listen to Bang the Gong and (re)read that fic just to get you in the mood. It can be like your Eye of the Tiger for art stuff. :D


I kid, but it's really terrific, bb!

[danack.livejournal.com]

Nice job!!