Seated Nude - charcoal drawing of a nude model

My most fun art thing - drawing from the model.  I love the emotion that shows in the posture of every person, whether they are posing in the studio, or maybe visiting with friends or reading a book, whatever - it keeps me on my artistic toes.
In this case, I found the dignity in the pose so beautiful. And, of course, my usual complaint -  there's never enough time to do everything in a timed drawing, so I went for some lost and found lines in this piece. It's about 9 x 9" - on Strathmore toned paper, using the ever wonderful vine charcoal.  Thanks for looking!

Soulful Bridgette - original charcoal portrait drawing

An all-time favorite of mine - drawing from the posed model. And she is a great model, too! Some things I could change, but not going to because it was my reaction to her that I want to save.
 This drawing is on pale blue Stonehenge paper, which I absolutely love (it doesn't really look blue in the photo, but that's my fault), using soft vine charcoal. Stonehenge is fabulous for charcoal drawings, as well as oil pastel and several other media.  I guess I'm talking about Stonehenge because there were many comments in the drawing group about this lovely paper, which I have used for years, and I just thought it deserved mention. Although I use all of the Stonehenge colors, this pale blue is beautiful.  You can visit Legion paper - the company that produces Stonehenge here.   And it's made  in America!👍
Thanks for stopping by!

"Nude with Earrings" - original oil pastel painting of a nude

I've always loved back views because they are mysterious and actually very challenging.  I worked here to get the values correct.  And just to be completely true to myself, I didn't add color to her left leg.  Drawing - my true love!  Using Sennelier oil pastels, I painted this piece on 12 x 9" Colourfix paper.  Thanks so much for looking!

"Black Dress" - oil pastel drawing of the model

I loved drawing this model - there's nothing like drawing from life!  I used a sketchy scribbling with my oil pastel to (I hope) capture her pose and, yes, could have "finished" it more, but then it wouldn't have been as much fun.  About 9 x 9" on Colourfix paper.  Thanks for visiting Hackberry Street Studio!

A Quick Life Drawing - original charcoal life drawing

I came across this drawing today from several months ago - it illustrates my favorite art thing to do which is drawing quickly without thinking - just reacting to the model.  This kind of approach often produces something unexpected, but always interesting and full of life.  In this drawing, I'm most pleased with her hair and the tilt of her head because it's done with economy plus it has a bit of an Oriental feel to it.  And I was also happy that I didn't overwork her hand.  Charcoal on paper.  Thanks for looking!

Drawing of a Nude - charcoal life drawing

This charcoal life drawing was quick and needs some "fixing", but I know every time I do that, I just mess it up, so just leaving it alone.  It's on 9 x 12" paper.  Thanks for looking!

Trish - original charcoal nude drawing

This charcoal nude is on 12 x 9" Strathmore drawing paper using vine charcoal - drawing is about 9 x 7".  Thanks for looking!

Lindy Sleeping - original charcoal figurative drawing

Here's a sketch from life of a sleeping girl - done with compressed charcoal (not my favorite, but okay once in a while) on Bristol paper.  It's about 11 x 14".  I could clean it up, but this is just a quick sketch after all, and I'm always inclined to overdo the cleaning up, so am just leaving it alone.  This is probably one I could use for a painting.  Thanks for stopping by!

Lexie Just Thinking - original charcoal figurative drawing

I always wonder what the model is thinking and how she can possibly stay awake.  They earn their pay!  This one was done with responsive vine charcoal on Bristol paper, 14 x 11".  Thanks for looking!

Small Sanguine Portrait - original watermedia portrait sketch

Here's a small sanguine Caran d'Ache Neocolor II drawing I did around Thanksgiving.  I painted it on Yupo - I can't even explain why I love this surface so much. It just allows you to be expressive without fearing you'll break rules - brush this way, brush that way, take a pen and go hog wild.  It doesn't really matter.  Whatever happens, it's good - and fun, too. Neocolor II is the water-soluble version of Caran d'Ache's wax crayon - with the addition of  a little water, it just blossoms.  Very satisfying to use.  This portrait is about 7 x 6".  Got to get some sleep now, getting up early for exercise class early in the morning - have to get those Fitbit steps going!  Thanks for stopping by!

The Nude on Thursday - original charcoal drawing of a nude model

Just about my favorite subject to draw - the nude from life.  I love poses where the model is looking away and this drawing fills the bill.  Hoping to make it into a painting to see if I can capture her air of mystery.  On 9 x 12" Borden & Riley Paris paper for pens.  Thanks for looking!

Janie - original charcoal portrait drawing of a young woman

This little portrait - on 12 x 9" Canson illustration paper - is one of my all time favorites, because I feel I captured the slight smile (which at times verged on a bit of a smirk) and her reserve.  And also because it's not what one would call finished.  Works for me.  The paper is 150 pound - nice and hefty and great for the side of a little piece of vine charcoal, which is what I used, except for a few lines here and there.  Thanks for visiting my blog!

Two Nudes - original charcoal nude drawing

Here are two more nudes from the latest drawing session.  Done on Strathmore drawing paper, about 14 x 9".  I drew while listening to "music" that sounded like pots and pans banging around.  I am not kidding - but it was a mostly youngish group and since I was the newcomer, I couldn't say anything.  Thanks for stopping by!

Nude in a Yellow Chair - original oil pastel nude painting

This oil pastel is painted on 12 x 9" Guerilla carton board.  Wonderful stuff.  I just ordered some Caran d'Ache oil pastels because I think they will work really well on this surface.  I was going to do something with the background, but didn't have time, and didn't really get much of a finish on the model, either, but maybe next time.  Thanks for looking!

Thursday's Model - original oil pastel drawing of a nude

 

Using carton board, I started this drawing with Crayolas, but decided I needed a little more 'oomph', so went for my wonderful Sennelier oil pastels.  They never disappoint.  It's on 12 x 9" carton, but I cropped it - in the photo only - to about 11 x 5".  Thanks for stopping by!

Chess Players - original oil pastel portrait drawing

Not being much of a chess player myself, I was totally absorbed in the expressions of the players and since I only had them for a little while, they were my focus.  As for the chess pieces, they were on their own, plus, they kept moving!  Go figure. 
Sorry for not posting more often, but it's that time of year - today it was my Lizzano tomatoes, which I'm actually growing in pots where the deer could get them, but I've wrapped them in netting.  That's a huge pain, but an absolute must in this area. 
Okay, back to art - this drawing from life was done with mostly Sennelier oil pastels on light green Mi-Teintes board, 16 x 20".  If you haven't tried this surface, you should really check it out.  It's the textured side of Mi-Teintes paper, but in board form.  I think this surface helps to keep drawings loose, because it's tough and time-consuming to work in a tight manner on this board.  My opinion, anyway.  Thanks so much for stopping by!

Nude in Mixed Media - original mixed media drawing of a nude

This is a drawing that I did from life several months ago and just forgot about.  I came across it today while I was going through and (I hope) organizing some of my things.  (This project is endless, I tell you.)  The gestural lines were drawn on Yupo, using wax crayons (Caran d'Ache Neocolor I).  I added a little watercolor - which, of course, doesn't adhere to the wax lines, then applied touches of watercolor crayons (I LOVE those things!) and just generally had a great time.  It's about 12 x 9".  Thanks for visiting my blog!

The Participant - original quick portrait sketch from life

This young woman was a participant in a life drawing group I attended recently and I did this little sketch while the model was getting into the next pose.   My subject would have made a fantastic model!  She had a beautiful face that reminded me of a Renaissance painting and it would have been great to sketch her when she turned her head my way, but she seldom did, so I have to rely on memory.  That's one of the things I love about life drawing groups, it's always so relaxed, and between poses, there are people sketching the other attendees, the room, the easels, you name it!  It's a life drawer's fantasy.  I drew her with vine charcoal on 12 x 9" Strathmore drawing paper.  Thanks for stopping by!

Chaos - original charcoal life drawings

Sort of weird, I know, but I just like to draw the model in really short poses over other really short poses.  Previous poses are often obliterated, but I'm mainly interested in line variety. This is vine charcoal on Strathmore drawing paper, 18 x 24".
More about the knowing people through drawings thing I mentioned in my previous post.  When I said I was looking for line variety in the above paragraph, it's one of the things that thrills me about drawing.  When I was little, one of my aunties - I loved her dearly - would always draw for me 'the old, poor cow' and laugh and make fun of her inability to draw. Well, I LOVED those drawings, but I didn't know why.  Now I understand that she had just naturally and unknowingly used a weighted line.  The 'old, poor cow' was simply beautiful!
Thanks for visiting my blog!

Tuesday's Pose - original charcoal nude life drawing

Oh my gosh, I loved this model - her poses were ones that I'd like to spend a lot of time drawing.  Somehow, I never felt that I captured her the way I wanted and I hope the next time she shows up, I'll be there for another try.  Drawing from life is the very best and it helps me - and I'm sure everyone who does it - in so many ways.  I always think I know how everything fits together, but I always get my comeuppance in life drawing groups when I can observe.  It's all about seeing, really, and I'm still working on it. 
This was done on Strathmore drawing paper and is 24 x about 16".  A note about a new discovery - well, new to me, anyway, is Utrecht vine charcoal - I bought the assorted pack and it's great.  They weren't kidding.  There are so many thicknesses and such variety in the sticks, although they are all a pleasure to work with - haven't found one yet that's too hard or scratchy.  Thanks for stopping by!