Michael Seated Painting

This was Michael's first time modeling and was another session that was organised as half nude and half clothed. Here, Michael is seated with a strong silhouette - shoulders angled, torso leaned over the asymmetrical legs and head turned to the side. The pose makes good use of the space on the page and gives the impression of a subtle strength. I chose to approach this pose with black gouache on textured, brown craft paper (the reverse side is smooth), using a thick brush to make my bold, broad marks. Varying the amount of paint applied, I have areas of thick, dense tone where the brush was heavily laden for the dark areas, and areas of soft tone, used for the shadows cast by the light coming from the left hand side, achieved by using a dry brush effect. I love playing with light to create volume and the lighting here coupled with the twist in the torso and the relation between the legs and the seat, give us an excellent sense of depth. It was done in Portland, OR in a small atelier where a few people gather once a week for figure drawing.

 All of my figure drawings are from life - no photos were used at any point in their fabrication. The model is in front of you and you have a definite amount of time to get down as much information as you can or see fit. Because of this, each drawing is truly unique and a complete one of a kind, containing a spontaneity that can never be duplicated through photo inspired drawings/paintings.