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!

Late Afternoon - original charcoal figurative drawing

This drawing just begs to be a painting and I'm sure it will be, but I also am happy with it as a drawing.  The light in the late afternoon was so soft and to get the figure down in a hurry, I pulled out my vine charcoal and got to work.  I'll probably used a very limited palette - I painted for years with only white, black, red and ochre.  And really, that's enough for me.  I do love blue, though.  This drawing is 12 x 11" on Strathmore drawing paper.  Thanks for looking.

Sketch of 'Chele - original charcoal portrait drawing

This quick drawing - on 14 x 11" Strathmore drawing paper - is just one of those satisfying things because when you don't have much time to draw and the result looks like the person - well, that's where the satisfying part comes in.  Of course, I could change this or that, but I think it's more valuable when you can see the hand of the artist and see what was going on at the time artist did his or her work.  Thank you so much for stopping by Hackberry Street Studio! Sold

Drawing of a Nude - original charcoal drawing of a nude model

Here's a nude that I pulled out of my stash of life drawings.  This one is on 14 x 11" Strathmore 400 Drawing paper and is done with soft vine charcoal - there is nothing so sensitive and forgiving as vine charcoal.  Thanks so much for stopping by!

Three Evening Nudes - original ink drawings of nudes

Three more nudes, from two different sessions, on 9 x 12" Bristol board paper.  Thanks for looking! Sold

The Mechanic as the Model - original watermedia portrait drawing/painting

This painting is one of those fun things that is quickly drawn with watercolor crayons (Caran d'Ache) and then with a very wet brush, just go a little crazy.  It's always great to have a live model, especially when you find a regular guy who can hold a pose.  The painting is done on Rapidograph paper for pens - which I think I've mentioned before is practically an antique - and it will wrinkle a little, since it doesn't like to get this wet, but after being weighted down for a day or so, it's perfectly fine.  Oh, and it's 12 x 9".  Thanks for dropping by.

A Sketch Begins - original oil pastel figurative drawing

The model got tired and got up, so, of course, I had to stop.   Every single time that I've tried to finish something after the model left, the drawing lost its life and emotion.  Even if the model returned, I wouldn't work on this drawing any longer because I had the "feeling" while I was working on this quick sketch and I just don't think it's coming back.  Sometimes "unfinished" works better, anyway. 
I used 9 x 12"Sennelier Carte d'Art which has a rough finish that helps me stay loose. Check out my blog for oil pastel to see my work there.  Thanks so much for visiting Hackberry Street Studio - I'm always glad to see you here!

A Little Drawing Exercise - original charcoal figurative drawing

I know.  This is just a teensy bit weird, but everything is either not finished, or not dry enough to photograph without very shiny spots.   These tiny drawings are great drawing improvers, I think, and every time I attend a drawing group, I do some of these - they're perfect for positive/negative.  The whole thing is about 14 x 14", so you have some idea of how small the individual drawings are.  They're done on Canson Beverly drawing paper, which probably isn't produced anymore.  I have lots of drawing paper on hand - some from years ago - that I'm sorry I can't find in stores these days.
We still have the fire in our county - it's about four miles from our small town - and it's really unnerving.  Sincere thanks to all the firefighters who are battling the blaze - they must be exhausted by now.  We are so fortunate to have our local firemen, plus selfless volunteers from around the area and the Texas and U.S. Forest Services and other government agencies to defend against this monster.  It has burned over 10,000 acres and we are hoping it can be contained soon.  It hasn't helped that we've had over 100 degree temps and 30 mph winds.  What a summer this is going to be!
Thanks so much stopping by - it's always great to see you here!  Sold

Ginny's Just Waiting - original charcoal figurative drawing

This sketch is going to evolve into a painting, probably, but I really love a drawing for its own sake.  For me, a drawing, especially from life, always captures that moment in time that the model was really right there in front of me.  Done with pastels and charcoal, the sketch is on Borden & Riley sketch vellum, 12 x 9".  Thanks for stopping by.  Sold

Sketch of a Girl Studying a Painting - original charcoal figurative drawing

Okay.  I know it's not colorful and the lines aren't in the right places and I just left original lines, rather than erase them.  But, the curve of her back was irresistible and I had to get it down right then and there.  This will become a painting in the coming weeks.  The girl was completely absorbed in what she was seeing - 17th century paintings, I think.  You know how it is when there's something before you that speaks to your soul.  This little drawing is charcoal pencil on 6 x 6" Bristol board.  Thanks for dropping by!

Ana, Standing - original charcoal nude drawing by Connie Chadwell

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I love, love, love standing poses! They're always a little mysterious to me. Add a profile to the standing pose - a little more mystery, a little more emotion - ahhhh!

Today was spent waiting for the cable guy, so I didn't get to my studio until late afternoon and then worked on some tango paintings and a larger painting, but only for awhile. My sweet dog, Roger, has a bad infection resulting from a face full of porcupine quills - such a dreadful experience - so I had to get home to give him another dose of his medicine. He's really sick, poor little thing, so I didn't do much art today.

This drawing is one that I did the same day I did the previous drawings of "Ana" - it's 14 x 11" on Strathmore drawing paper. I thought there were more of the 'Ana' drawings, but maybe this is the last one - at least until she models for the drawing group again.

Thanks so much for visiting Hackberry Street Studio - I'm always delighted to have you stop by!

Ana Again - original charcoal nude drawing by Connie Chadwell

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Here's another view of Ana - 11 x 14" on charcoal paper. Thanks so much for stopping by!

Al - original charcoal portrait drawing from life by Connie Chadwell

This twenty-minute drawing of Al is an example of my all-time favorite art method - drawing from life with a stick of vine charcoal. I have a box of different thicknesses of charcoal that is very messy and disorganized; at the end of the session, there is as much charcoal on me as on the paper. In the heat of battle, I just grab a stick and go to work.

I don't really look - just reach. If that stick works, great; if not, I grab another.

Timed drawings from life are such great training - you don't have time to focus on each mark and can put your drawing know-how to work without really thinking about it.

This piece is 24 x 18" on Strathmore 400 drawing paper.

Thanks for stopping by!