Life DRAwing

To me life drawing is to painting what five finger exercises are to a pianist.

It is an essential tool for sharpening observation and deepening understanding of form.

This is an Oil study of Adrian, one of a series I made at The Princes’ School of Drawing sessions in Hoxton, where workshops are accompanied by anatomy demonstrations.

Here’s the same model drawn using the Trois Crayons method, at a Princes’ School course at Windsor Castle during which we were treated to an exclusive tour of the Queen’s Collection of Raphael, Titian and Michelangelo drawings. I wish!


MODELS

Girl in Red, charcoal and chalks The ‘Lit and Phil’ Society’s Victorian Bolbeck Hall, Newcastle provided ‘life blood’ of regular drop in drawing sessions for artists. Alas it is now a posh office block.

The Little Writer, Hand Editioned Stone Lithograph using the transfer drawing method. Size approx 40 cm x 30 cm.

Charlotte Press, Newcastle provided excellent facilities for artist/printmakers. Preparing a stone is a bit of a grind though!

Paula, hand printed Offset Lithograph drawn directly on the plate size 60cm x 80cm

One of my students posed for this lithograph, done as a demonstration for BA students, Northumbria University.

Ngozi, charcoal and chalks Teaching provides wonderful students as models.

ILLUSTRATION

Graphics training kicked in for a series of Pen and Ink Illustrations commissioned by the Duke and Duchess of Roxburgh for a leaflet introducing their Millennium Parterre Garden at Floors Castle. This is Queen Victoria’s Teahouse. It also made an excellent venue for my Watercolour classes.

There are wonderful Jacob Epstein sculptures at the Garman Ryan Gallery in Wallsall. I sketched ‘Esther with a flower' while taking round a group of students.


Girls been shopping

You can grab a quick sketch to capture the atmosphere pretty quickly with water soluble pens. Especially in a pub with great music!

Faust Series. "Give me my youth!"