Module 2

This module explored formulaic and observational life drawing techniques. Formulaic techniques rely on creating anatomical landmarks, essential a formula to create a base that can be built upon. Observational methods rely on representing what is being observed. This module was preceded by a life drawing class where I worked solely with charcoal. I saw this as an opportunity to take a free handed, gestural approach to recreating a live image.

Painting 1-3; the Michaelangelo counting heads method.

This series of exercises utilises the Michaelangelo counting heads method. The subject is divided into 8 segments, using the head as the metric for the segments. Each exercise has a time limit for the base sketch, and then a time limit for the painting, each being painted from its lightest tone to its darkest. Rather than refer to a vairety of poses, I decided to rely on a small pool of images so that I could see how the technique was developing.

Painting 1: 10 short poses. 2 minutes to sketch, 2 minutes to paint. 5 monochrome, 5 using 3 colours to represent light and dark.

Painting 2: 6 medium poses. 10 minutes to sketch, 10 minutes to paint. 5 monochrome, 5 using 3 colours to represent light and dark.

Painting 2: 4 long poses. 20 minutes to sketch, 20 minutes to paint. 2 using 3 colours to represent light and dark, 2 using any combination of colours (I decided to explore pastel colours in the second exercise).

Painting 4: The Frank Reilly method.

Painting 4: Frank Reilly method. This method relies on gestural shape based figure construction, and implemented by painting light to dark using 3 colours.

Painting 5-6: Gesture Drawing Method + Observational Techniques.

Painting 5: continuous line. Thin out the paint with medium so it acts like an ink or watercolour paint, then apply as a continuous line. After which, paint the darkest sections.

Painting 6: contour line painting. Paint the outer lines and lines wherever a contour is present. Then paint from dark to light. For this exercise I started with a digital sketch to explore the colours I wanted to use. I decided to only fully colour one figure, so that there was a sort of before/after comparison.

Painting 7: the Face

Painting 7: the face. This exercise is an extension of the prior module where I combine the underpainting techniques from module 1 with the colour techniques explored in module 2. I started with a digital sketch to explore the potential colour. I was intending to use raw pigment after applying “colour blocked” glazes, however after seeing how the glazes layer over each other on the oil grade paper I decided to create the painting exlusively through layers of exclusively glaze. I love the result, however this A4 painting took me no fewer than 18 hours.

Resolved Work

After the absolute white-knuckling series of exercises above, the techniques work combined in a resolved work. I decided to do a partial life drawing with a focus on the portait aspect. After creating a digital sketch of the subject I created an exagerated colour representation of the original image. I intended to be more gestural after the time I invested in painting 7, however I still found myself getting into the finer details of the face.