Saturday, August 16, 2014

CGA meets AAA

I am indeed very grateful for having the privilege to study under Colleen Barry from the Grand Central Academy, New York.  She ran the last workshop at the Angel Academy of Art this summer: Drawing the Human Figure. A private benefactor and a couple sketches and prints sold allowed me to take this one of a kind opportunity here in Florence. I'm spilling the beans now...

After a year of studying the human figure in graphite and charcoal in the traditional 'less is more' French academic method, it is time to push the boundaries a little to see where I can advance to in the next phase of drawing.  The answer is clear and simple.

I journey back 200 years to the time of the Renaissance when drawings were not formularised and were a lot freer.  Where forms were pushed a little more in context of the overall drawing. Michelangelo understood this technique very well.  It's being able to add a little more of what's inside of the artist to produce a looser and yet aesthetically sound drawing.

The height of the figure is 60cm.


Fabriano Hot Press toned paper is very forgiving. 
The Col-erase pencil by Prisma also allows more control over the values than the regular 2B graphite. 


Sketching in the gesture after a quick thumbnail. 


A skeletal structure can help in understanding the forms of the figure. 


And voila!! 


Having a Creme al Caffe with Colleen at the end of the session to beat the summer heat! 


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