Back in Asia

So everything is cleared, I will be moving back to Asia end of June. I will leave the pretty mountains of the french alps, for the sunshine and lush sceneries of Singapore. I've been very fortunate with my job and my family, to be able to travel around the globe. Following the advice of John Singer Sargent, "Above all things, get abroad, see the sunlight, and everything that is to be seen...". I'm very excited about it, painting outdoor can be done all year. Plus it's a very nice city, a lot of subject. Annecy is very nice too, but unfortunetly to many tourist during the summer make it quite difficult to find a quiet place to paint alone. I hate having someone over my shoulder talking about his nephew studying fine art in Paris. There are times I'm glad to carry an ipod. Anyway... end of June, Back in Asia, and very positive about it.

Johanna and my Custom 823

Yesterday was quite exhilarating, Johanna posing was superbe, and I was in the zone. I left all my watercolors gears at home. I just had a pad and a my new foutain pen, Pilot Custom823. Medium nib. Expectations were low. I was there just to draw. During longer poses, I borrowed from Yannick a brush and few drops of india ink, 2 smalls glass container, one with clear water and the other with diluted ink. I believe yesterday was one of my favorite session so far. Directly drawing with ink is unforgivable, so one really think before touching the paper with the nib. Once the line is on the paper, it is there to stay, so you have to deal with it, and compose with them as you proceed in the blank of the paper. The lines drawings are 1 minute poses. and the inked ones are 5 minutes poses. I like the way the non waterproof ink smugded when I passed the wet brush. The paper is Lana Esquisse sketchpad, 96g/m², not made for watermedia, but still held pretty well.

Fat Mobster

Character Design

I drew one character yesterday, that I really like. I can feel that I'm getting closer to what I wanna do with watercolor, I still have a lot to learn. But I'm getting there, and that is the sweetest feeling I can get. The exercise that helped me a lot, is doing life drawing with watercolors. You can read all the books you want, if you don't experiment, you know nothing.

Magalie

Yesteday was quite fun, the first minute-poses were terrible, not on the model side, but on mine. My brushes kept doing on their own. I had to tame them quickly. I wanted to see result, and the pressure I've put on myself wasnt helping. Nothing came out during the first 30 minutes. I stopped, took a beer, and went back to my easel. Repeating to myself, the most important thing is the experience, not the result.... and from then things went smoothly. Here is a selection of my favorites of yesterday session.

• Magalie 1
• Magalie 2
• Magalie 3
  

Life Drawing

Yesterday we had our Life Drawing session. I was in a good mood, loose and detached. Expecting nothing, but the sound of the brush shaking the water. Aimée, our model, was very inspiring. I started the session with 1 minute poses, and use watercolor throughout the entire session. The 1 minute pose allowed me to loosen, and prepared my brushstroke for longer poses. At the end of the 3 hours session. I felt like I ran a marathon. Drained and happy. Following the advices of Charles Reid and Mel Stabin and Hawthorne. Here are the results of my understanding and concentration.


Here is a list of my favorites.

• Aimée 1
• Aimée 2
• Aimée 3
• Aimée 4
• Aimée 5
• Aimée 6
• Aimée 7
  

Drawing during meetings

I took the habit of drawing during meetings at the office. It helps me being concentrated, and allow me to draw without thinking about drawing, like a background process that happen while I speak to other people. At the end of the meeting, I browse the pages of my sketchbook to see what I realized. Many of them a totally worthless, but from time to time, one really stand out. I like using a fountain pen for drawing, with a 14k gold nib, fine and flexible. My favorite pen is a Japanese Foutain Pen, made in the 60's. Pilote Socrates. I bought it on Ebay for a fair price at Kamakura Store. Check out their website, there a very rare and beautiful items.