Life drawings

[Kai H]

Hi iam training artist from Finland. Iam aiming to be classical fine art panterr. Iam now 22. I started in the beginning of 2006 and somewhere on the same spring I found Harold Speed book and started training with it. I had been concentrated mainly on the measurements, the tilts and curvature of lines. The values and edges are the next thing iam going to jump in.

I quitted my current school (University of art and design Helsinki, Taideteollinen korkeakoulu in finnish) about week ago, to pursue drawing full time, and to prepare good work to get accepted in atelier.

My family had promiced me that I can live home after I go to atelier and to pay me 2-3 years atelier tuition + the living and other expences on florence or NYC. The next thing is sending portfolios to ateliers, and trying to start my studies.

I had thinked alot of Florence Academy of Art and Waterstreet, Iam now leaning towards Florence Academy of Art, because I propably cant get the visa to USA. If anyone knows any ways to get visa to study in atelier write to this topic or PM me. Waterstreet would been great, if I would get accepted ofcourse.

I like the work of Douglas Flynt, Carl Dobsky, Jacob Collins, Edward Minoff, Tony Ryder, Scott Waddell and on the other hand Adrian Gottlieb, Daniel Graves, Jura Bedic and Andrew Ameral. It is just the sight-size drawing that bothers me and, the thing that not many Florence academy artist explain or "think" the 3dform... or I dont know iam just newbie on these things.

http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n108/baretul/Casts%20objects%20bargues/kleaopatra2.jpg

http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n108/baretul/Casts%20objects%20bargues/davidsilmt2.jpg

http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n108/baretul/Casts%20objects%20bargues/davidnena.jpg

http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n108/baretul/Long%20poses/longpose1h20min.jpg

http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n108/baretul/Casts%20objects%20bargues/apollo.jpg

I have to use just straight line and block the rest of the shadow forms in, before I can give value for those.
http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n108/baretul/Casts%20objects%20bargues/Davidnoseeye.jpg

Copy of Jacopo Pontromo and Charles Bargue (from Holbein drawing)
http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n108/baretul/Sketcbook%20and%20short%20poses/sketchbook8.jpg

Copy of first bargue plate (three of the lowest eyes are missing)
http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n108/baretul/Casts%20objects%20bargues/plate1.jpg

[Kai H]

I had to push more now. I had lost enought time. the measurements, values and edges are not what i want. I must be more accurate.

I like the way that the Waterstreet and Florence Academy people do those. simplified but still very accurate.

The heigh/width and hours are just guessing.


26x30cm. This took me very long time. Something like 70-100 hours. I had to read alot of Harold Speed and other books to survive from this one. Cause this was the first long one that i have ever done. I measured things alot with plumbline and knitting needle, measuring little angles of outline and reflected lights (It didnt worked).

The values of the cast was too dark comparing the cloth on the backround. Or the values of the backround were too light. There is alot of chaotic and incorrect values and lines everywhere. The values and edges dont really explain much the form of the cast.
http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n108/baretul/web/davideye.jpg


25x20cm. 50-70 hours. I think I survived trought this little better than the last one. But still the same flaws. Still alot of unnesecary curvature of the outlines of shadows and the edges were really bad. I did most of this just by eye. Some of the tilts and the tic marks i did with pencil or plumb line.
http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n108/baretul/web/davidnosemouth.jpg


27x22cm. 20-25 hours. This is quicker one. I had to rush this one a bit. Not really worked. The values were really incorrect, i mean those were really simple and clean, but I still messed those :D. I did too much of this with knitting needle. More eye next time.
http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n108/baretul/web/tahkopaa.jpg



Few quick poses. Something like 2-3mins. Too short poses for me. Had to leave all of these a bit unfinished. And one page from sketchbook.
http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n108/baretul/web/3-20minposes15.jpg
http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n108/baretul/web/3-20minposes16.jpg
http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n108/baretul/web/3-20minposes17.jpg
http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n108/baretul/web/sketchbook10.jpg


Bigger images you can find here: http://s110.photobucket.com/albums/n108/baretul/Casts%20objects%20bargues/

[MattGamer]

Wow, really nice studies. The figures pop out of the paper. Merry Christmas and keep the updates coming. :)

[GNL]

I agree, ace work!

You will go far at an atelier.

[jdeegz]

these are really great. why just straight lines? i think they are very nice, but just wondering.

:-D

[Kai H]

Its easier to use straight lines to simplify forms. With rounded forms you can get lost much easier, when doing the harold speed/ryder etc. "draw what you see" method.

And in general I like more straight lines than rounded :)

[Eux]

Great studies. I really like you longtime studies. However is the Tony Ryder method really suited to short poses ? In his bock he wroite it was more for 40+ hour drawings. Aren't a more gestural way better for the short ones to breath more life into your drawings ?

[Kai H]

Hello. I have been accepted to Florence Academy of Art, and i propably study there for 3 years. I'll start at 7th april this year. Really exited about the school :).

Eux I dont use the Ryder method like it was described in the book (I propably should sometimes :) ). I rely more on Harold Speed method, just by measuring and placing top, bottom, extreme left, right, middle, etc. marks. and putting things "inside" of those.

But in general i think you need to be able to guess quite accurately in shortposes too. And in long poses you really have to think that, is something right (like thinking "is this measurement is just right", is the value little bit off etc.) That really perfects your skills and kicks you forward. Because you have to do something better than last time.



Iam now concentrating more on the block-in. And trying to do the whole block-in process with my eyes, without mechanical measurement. Althou i usually end up using the knitting needle and plumbstring, which is very bad. I should get rid of all mechanical measurement :) . This final month I want to do just the block in, and just by eye, using minimum mechanical mesurement. The future goal is to be able to guess really accurate measurements quickly. I cant spend 40hours of guessing, triangulatin etc... when drawing someones portrait :)

Hygeija statue. Aprox 20-25h. Pencil on Bugra paper (not good brand, dont try). Too much needle and string :(
http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n108/baretul/web/hygeija_scan_web.jpg
http://s110.photobucket.com/albums/n108/baretul/Casts%20objects%20bargues/?action=view&current=hygeija_scan.jpg

Bargue foot. Too much mechanical measurement on this too.
http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n108/baretul/web/bargue_jalka.jpg
http://s110.photobucket.com/albums/n108/baretul/Casts%20objects%20bargues/?action=view&current=bargue_jalka-1.jpg
http://s110.photobucket.com/albums/n108/baretul/Casts%20objects%20bargues/?action=view&current=bargue_jalka2.jpg

Young Buddha statue. Dont remember the hours. A little bit less perhaps than my first ones. really concentrated on the block in, triangulation and dividing the 2d form to light and shadow. Still very much mechanical measurement. The scan shows that the paper is yellowish, but its really 6h derwent pencil on white stonehenge paper.
http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n108/baretul/web/Buddha.jpg
http://s110.photobucket.com/albums/n108/baretul/Casts%20objects%20bargues/?action=view&current=Buddha.jpg

Just some block in stuff. Some are longer and some are quicker. The first one is very long actually. I did it almost completely with eye. It was really pain in the ass.
http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n108/baretul/web/bear4.jpg

http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n108/baretul/web/bear2.jpg http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n108/baretul/web/bear1.jpg

http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n108/baretul/web/bear3.jpg http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n108/baretul/web/hyacinth.jpg

http://s110.photobucket.com/albums/n108/baretul/Casts%20objects%20bargues/?action=view&current=bear4.jpg
http://s110.photobucket.com/albums/n108/baretul/Casts%20objects%20bargues/?action=view&current=bear2.jpg
http://s110.photobucket.com/albums/n108/baretul/Casts%20objects%20bargues/?action=view&current=bear1.jpg
http://s110.photobucket.com/albums/n108/baretul/Casts%20objects%20bargues/?action=view&current=bear3.jpg
http://s110.photobucket.com/albums/n108/baretul/Casts%20objects%20bargues/?action=view&current=hyacinth.jpg

Some very quick poses from sketchbook,
http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n108/baretul/web/sketchbook12.jpg http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n108/baretul/web/sketchbook11.jpg
http://s110.photobucket.com/albums/n108/baretul/Sketcbook%20and%20short%20poses/?action=view&current=sketchbook12.jpg
http://s110.photobucket.com/albums/n108/baretul/Sketcbook%20and%20short%20poses/?action=view&current=sketchbook11.jpg

[panchosimpson]

Congrats on Florence man!! your new work is showing much improvement!

[junthi]

Helvetin hienoo et pääsit Firenzeen! Sust tulee kova luu=)

[Kai H]

Thanks Panchosimpson and junthi

Toivottavasti musta tulee kova luu, pitää treenata tuplasti enemmän kuin nyt :)

[Pau1Winslow]

I've enjoyed going through this thread, top studies. I like to use a lot of straight lines, too, it helps with generally everything from blocking in form to keeping everything in proportion. Using curved lines tends to leave me with loads to correct.

Keep it up and best of luck to you.

[Kai H]

Pau1Winslow Thank you for encouragement. You are right about the straight lines!

Cast of niccolo da uzzano (no sure about the name). Something like 10-15h. Mostly just eye, not much of mechanical measurement. And drawing of model named Laura. 1 hour. Mostly just eye measuring.
http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n108/baretul/web/Uzano.jpg http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n108/baretul/web/laura_1h.jpg
http://s110.photobucket.com/albums/n108/baretul/Casts%20objects%20bargues/?action=view&current=Uzano.jpg
http://s110.photobucket.com/albums/n108/baretul/Long%20poses/?action=view&current=laura_1h.jpg

Some misc. shortposes 5-20 min each.
http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n108/baretul/web/3-20minposes18.jpg http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n108/baretul/web/sketchbook13.jpg

http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n108/baretul/web/3-20minposes19.jpg
http://s110.photobucket.com/albums/n108/baretul/Sketcbook%20and%20short%20poses/?action=view&current=sketchbook13.jpg
http://s110.photobucket.com/albums/n108/baretul/Sketcbook%20and%20short%20poses/?action=view&current=3-20minposes18.jpg
http://s110.photobucket.com/albums/n108/baretul/Sketcbook%20and%20short%20poses/?action=view&current=3-20minposes19.jpg

[GriNGo]

beautiful studies! keep them coming...

[Kai H]

I had been lazy for the past week, hadnt done anything except scanned few books and watched seinfeld :D... Anyways...

Here are some lousy stuff that I did on my first trimester. I put some thoughts about these works and what i have been doing wrong etc...

My first Bargue about 100 hours
http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n108/baretul/web/barguefoot.jpg
http://s110.photobucket.com/albums/n108/baretul/Casts%20objects%20bargues/?action=view&current=barguefoot.jpg

My second Bargue. About same amount of hours
http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n108/baretul/web/barguehand.jpg
http://s110.photobucket.com/albums/n108/baretul/Casts%20objects%20bargues/?action=view&current=barguehand.jpg
http://s110.photobucket.com/albums/n108/baretul/Casts%20objects%20bargues/?action=view&current=barguehandWIP.jpg

Messy charcoal long pose
http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n108/baretul/Long%20poses/alesandro.jpg

Some pencil drawings that we did few times in a week around 2-3h each.
http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n108/baretul/web/evening1.jpg http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n108/baretul/web/evening2.jpg
http://s110.photobucket.com/albums/n108/baretul/Long%20poses/?action=view&current=evening1.jpg
http://s110.photobucket.com/albums/n108/baretul/Long%20poses/?action=view&current=evening2.jpg

http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n108/baretul/web/evening3.jpg http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n108/baretul/web/evening4.jpg
http://s110.photobucket.com/albums/n108/baretul/Long%20poses/?action=view&current=evening3.jpg
http://s110.photobucket.com/albums/n108/baretul/Long%20poses/?action=view&current=evening4.jpg

http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n108/baretul/web/evening5.jpg http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n108/baretul/web/evening6.jpg
http://s110.photobucket.com/albums/n108/baretul/Long%20poses/?action=view&current=evening5.jpg
http://s110.photobucket.com/albums/n108/baretul/Long%20poses/?action=view&current=evening6.jpg

The foot on the last drawing is drawn by my teacher as a example how to look internal information from the leg and how to think about the overlappings of outline.
http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n108/baretul/web/evening7.jpg http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n108/baretul/web/evening8.jpg
http://s110.photobucket.com/albums/n108/baretul/Long%20poses/?action=view&current=evening7.jpg
http://s110.photobucket.com/albums/n108/baretul/Long%20poses/?action=view&current=evening8.jpg

[GNL]

Great work, Baretul!

I trust you are enjoying being in italy?!

Keep up the great work man.

[Kai H]

It turned out that i have been drawing/blocking-in with the wrong way the whole two years that I drew on my own. I used the system that they called "drawing with dots" (picking vertical and horizontal measurement and then merging them as one dot). It is very impractical and slow way to draw. They just draw the two dimensional shapes. Althou you must be all the time aware of the tilt of the line compared to the vertical or horizontal line and the lenght of the line. And the horizontal and vertical placement of anglebreaks. So the outcome must be really perfect, eaven you dont measure and try to be all the time really conscious of every little measurement.

Drawing with dots just gives me pointless angles and shapes that doesnt represent anything actual on the model. The whole idea of using sight size and drawing in general is to put something in the paper and not to try to act like human xerox.

So my goal is now just to "draw the shapes" as much as i can. I propably want to draw some line bargues and maybe one normal bargue at the summer. And do alot of the shape exercise.
(drawing just simple shapes like quadrangles, triangles, hexagons etc... on paper, then put tracing paper next to the "shape paper" and try to copy the shape as precise as you can thinking first the tilt of the line and then the lenght of it. You can copy the first line of the shape with the tracing paper or just try to match it with sight-size". I think Harold Speed speaks about this on hes book. Horace Lecoq Boisbaudran memorybook also deals with this I think)

http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n108/baretul/shapes2.jpg

The instructors noticed also that I use really thin and determined lines already at the beginning of block-in. So I should use far more looser (thicker and hazier) lines at the beginning of block in, because iam searching the shapes, and trying to lock them together. And if you have really sharp line where the form turns it is really hard to make soft edge of it. And there are usually no clear place where the shadow meets the light, so I should make the lines and especially the shadow shapes more flexible.

The instructors also gave me alot really great critiques/pointers like I should make my drawings cleaner :), watch about non paralelism of shapes, the overlappings of outlines, compare the transistions/edges and so on...

Basically I try to start from the clean table at this summer, and try to change my way of thinking and seeing visual things.

[panchosimpson]

very nice improvement here, you've come a long way, I'm proud of you man. The second bargue is particularly nice. While, you're at the Academy, I would recommend trying to study anatomy on your own (don't they offer some ecorche thing too?), and also look into analytical/volumetric drawing so you can learn to think in 3D as well and advance beyond most FAA graduates who can only think flatly. You're definitely learning the right way, just remember that shape is only one piece of the puzzle. Keep it up my friend :)

-Ramon

[Kai H]

Thx Panchosimpson...

I will definetly try to study thinking at the 3d form, at some point. Some of the instructors try to all the time remind us that all the 2d shapes that we put there should represent also something three dimensional.

Our anatomy teacher Andy Ameral left from the school to pursue his own carreer as a painter in US. So I have to do that on my own. I also have opportonity to attend a year long russian program in Finland, so it could be that I do most of the 3d/construction/anatomy stuff after the florence :), dont know yet. Tought i know that the anatomy and construction is very important and i have to dive into it at some point.

http://kymenlaakso.com/repin-akatemia/index.htm

[Art_Addict]

baretul, a nice progress you've got going on.

The main problem that I see at this point imo are the lack of gesture in the figure drawings. Most of them look like you are past the block-in stage and moved on to the contour refinement without attention to the flowing movement, the energetic gracefulness of the human body. It is very important in order to create a feeling of something alive that you focus on the gesture as a base to build the rest of your drawing on.
The body's parts are at all times connected, right? So when you make isolated observations and zoom in on specific areas and its actions it's easy to lose sight of the big underlying movements. Remember that when the body undertakes a certain action, the whole moves. When we say body parts, it's already a language connotation that we make with a specific area, like hand or arm, nose or ears, fingers etc etc.... and we have a tendency to zoom in on those specific areas and not see the continuous movements, the entire organism.

On a much smaller scale but covering more or less the same concept, your figure drawings suffer from what some people call 'broken stick configurations'
When you change direction, your lines are very abrupt. At joints for example, remember to curve into the change of direction. The contour of the body is never made up out of straightnesses. Think about how a river or fright train changes direction when you move from the lower leg into the foot or from the tilt of the head into the neck into the shoulder action into the upper arm into the lower arm into the hand into the finger into the tip of the finger. All curved, all started way ahead and all connected trough the large underlying gestural movement(s).

Good luck
Tom

[Kai H]

Thank you Art Addict! The crit is very valid

My gestures are very stiff and "dead". I think it is also question of seeing precise shapes in general and knowing how to approach "rythms" with lines. Which is something i have to practice alot. The movements and rythms are definetly the thing that makes things beautiful.

[Andy_Mac]

Thank you baretul, this is a great thread to watch. I've just started drawing under the tutelage of Jonathan Hardesty (mindcandyman) so these drawings are great inspiration to me.

[YuZa]

Moi baretul,

Very impressive studies. Can't wait to see more of your work!

[Kai H]

Ive been trying to improve my skills. I think i made tiny bit of progress. But still need to be way more accurate with proportions and shapes. And ofcource with gestures, anatomy and values. I think i spend most of my time trying to get proportion and shapes look right. And missing the rest like gesture, values and anatomy.

Long pose. Happier with this one. The handling of charcoal were better than on the first one. But for example the anatomy of upper body is not that well done.
http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n108/baretul/Casts%20objects%20bargues/2008%20fall%20FAA/guido.jpg

Long pose 2
http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n108/baretul/Casts%20objects%20bargues/2008%20fall%20FAA/carola.jpg

Bargue death mask
http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n108/baretul/Casts%20objects%20bargues/2008%20fall%20FAA/deathmask.jpg

Bargue Dante charcoal. Its still tiny bit unfinished. Finished one is ruined, because the Zecchi spray fixative spitted tiny drops all over the drawing.
http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n108/baretul/Casts%20objects%20bargues/2008%20fall%20FAA/dante.jpg

Bargue Parthenon horse charcoal. Tiny bit unfinished. Need more edge handling, details and tine shape adjustments.
http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n108/baretul/Casts%20objects%20bargues/2008%20fall%20FAA/horse.jpg

Pencil poses. I need to pay more attention to big proportions, gestures and anatomy. Not happy at all with my pencil drawings.
http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n108/baretul/Casts%20objects%20bargues/2008%20fall%20FAA/pencil4.jpg

http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n108/baretul/Casts%20objects%20bargues/2008%20fall%20FAA/pencil3.jpg

http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n108/baretul/Casts%20objects%20bargues/2008%20fall%20FAA/pencil1.jpg

http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n108/baretul/Casts%20objects%20bargues/2008%20fall%20FAA/pencil2.jpg

Random Sketchbook pages
http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n108/baretul/Casts%20objects%20bargues/2008%20fall%20FAA/sketchbook_portraits.jpg

Copy from richer book, drawing of bone and plaster hand, and copy from peck books photograph.
http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n108/baretul/Casts%20objects%20bargues/2008%20fall%20FAA/sketchbook_2.jpg