Monday, September 14, 2009

Woman Reading



I did this today, from life, in a long pose workshop. On paper, about 15"x22".

One cool thing about this model: she really was reading this book, not just posed with a book. This means her hands and the book, especially, would change as she read, in addition to the usual changes on resuming a pose after break, but it also means that her gaze was concentrated and not the usual blank or sleepy look.

I'm happy to be back, drawing and posting, and painting and posting (soon).

17 comments:

  1. I'm happy you're back 2, JS.
    Interesting face. And, it looks like she could have used the book for something besides reading.

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  2. Thanks, CO. I feel really rusty, but forging ahead should take care of that.

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  3. this is a powerful one - and she does look as though she's concentrating - natural and unposed looking :>)

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  4. This is a good drawing!! Hands are so difficult to draw, but you succeeded well here. I love the colors. It's amazing you get such great result with Tombo markers. I have bought some Tombo markers to, but I am still unable to draw something fancy with them:-(
    Kind regards!

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  5. Thanks, Margaret, Vivien and Annie.

    Vivien, this model positioned herself in a comfortable, supported pose for reading--and then read during the posing periods. I looked more closely at the cover of the book she was reading during one of the breaks, but don't have much to report, other than that I think it was in Swedish or Norwegian and I didn't recognize the author's name.

    Annie, I draw with the marker, then use a brush and water, and then draw some more, brush some more, draw some more . . . . Sometimes I draw with the paper still wet, sometimes I let it dry. It's not all that fast. This took about half of the three hour pose.

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  6. What kind of concentration would that take?

    Really like the look of concentration between the eyes, the expression of the mouth.

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  7. i loved the colors you used on this work .

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  8. Have you ever looked at the portrait of Van Gogh's mother at the Norton Simon? I'm with Margaret on the dollap of peach (and aqua in the corner). So you did this with a marker? That sounds intimidating.

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  9. Thanks, AH and Caio.

    You're welcome, Annie.

    PA, as it happens, I was just looking at a photo of that green lady today. The marker thing started out as a way to get some color without making a mess, for drawing where a good sink for clean up was not an option.

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  10. Jean: This is really a terrific drawing!
    I could go on and on analyzing it, but I'll refrain. The main thing is that it works.

    You make such a good distintion between actually reading and posing. I do know so well that look models have most of the time. I call the expression vacuous, but there is really a person here, reading and thinking.

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  11. I am especially fond of the spontaneity you profess-fearlessness!

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  12. Must go see the green lady. Has a rather critical place card next to it. Something about monotone etc, anyhow, it's so bright that it sucks the air out of the room. I swoon over it at every visit.

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  13. Thanks, Shanna and bandit.

    I love those galleries and that painting, PA. I also love the kind of scary mulberry tree painting.

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  14. hands

    the hot light on the cheek

    expression capture

    success

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