Hangover by the pool.

I was in a strange zone this morning, after a bachelor party yesterday night, and 3 hours of sleep. I wanted to to something "relax" this morning. I went out by the pool with some of my stuff. Sat there for few minutes, and started to draw without really knowing where I was heading with this. The result ended being a quick black and white study, using india ink, a nib, and small kolinsky brush. Like the sketches i did in Tokyo. I even had the patience to work the textures of the stone. I really suck at painting environment, and I think quickies like this one will give me some techniques and confidence to tackle more complex subjects.

Double Trouble!

Not having enough of Xu Hui, we ask her to come with a friend, Zhao Li. To discover new ways of making mistakes. And it worked. Being not accurate when you’re drawing a single figure is forgiving. These inaccuracy haunt you as soon as you try to put down the 2^nd figure on the paper. Whatever you do, it doesn’t work. It took me some time to actually realize that the problem Was not the new figure, but the first one, to which the 2^nd relate to. It was a great session, as Xu Hui and Zhao Li know what we need, and delivered raw inspiration thru their natural beauty.

A challenging Challenge!

Farah from Dr Sketchy, came to pose for our thursday life drawing, we wanted her to impersonate a character,and avoid the boring academic approach of nude life drawing. She came in with katana sword, kimono, a  fancy hairdress. Also a Belly dancing outfit. So we threw ourselves in the challenging challenge of art. We're very used to draw the naked body, but the mere fact of covering it with drapery and artefact messed up our heads. I didn't expect it to be so hard, but today I understand more about me. Moreover why I failed so many time painting landscape. Depicting the costume on the model was a matter of lines and textures, coupled with lighting. I guess this is pretty much what happen on landscape too. I need to work on my texturing skill. How to give a feel to the surface I'm painting. dry, sotft, bricks, pavement, sand, old wood, etc... and moreover where to use texture, Edgar Whitney say... Textures happen at the transition of light and dark. I will focus on this. But Farah, you did a great job!

I've been used... again!

Xu Hui came back to our life drawing session. She worked her magic, and again we all started drawing better, how is she doing this? I have no idea, but this is no coincidence. We're not using her as a model, she is using us, playing with us and constantly challenging our skills by twisting her curves. That bring what's best in us out. For me, I think I've simply done the best drawing in my life. I barely never talk about my work in that sense, but this particular one, is simple, elegant and striking :). She helped me doing this, and I truly thank her. I used Holbein Ivory Black, and Payne's Grey watercolors, with my trusty Leonard #1 brush, synthetic fiber, for a great bouce, fixed with quills.

Farah Dawood @ Dr Sketchy

After a year, I finally managed to attend a Dr. Sketchy Life drawing session. In fact I've organized it, with the help of many friends in Singapore. It was very fun indeed. My palette is, Cadmium Red, Raw Sienna, Chrome Yellow, Indigo Blue, burnt sienna and a very light touch of Alizarin crimson.

Zen was her name, but zen she was not.

Yesterday session was akward, the model showed 1 hour late. And maybe because she felt guilty, she was kind of uncomfortable. It was just strange to draw someone, naked, who didnt want to be there. I tried to make abstraction of it but in the end that particular mood showed up in my drawing in a very particular way. Every drawing I could do, was when she couldnt make eye contact with me. Every front drawing, are just worthless. I'm feeling kinda stuck with watercolor, having difficulty to judge my improvement, I decided to do some india ink. I also tried a reese pen, and a wet brush to smear the ink for shaded area. I really enjoyed it.

Joelle, The Sleeping One