littlejohn's life drawings

[littlejohn]

Here are a few from two weeks ago. All are on 18x24" Canson Biggie Sketch paper using a 2B Conte crayon.

Sorry for the bad reproduction. Any c&c welcome.

2 min:

http://www.davidhendee.com/images/unknown_guild_model2.jpg

http://www.davidhendee.com/images/unknown_guild_model4.jpg

http://www.davidhendee.com/images/unknown_guild_model5.jpg

http://www.davidhendee.com/images/unknown_guild_model6.jpg

http://www.davidhendee.com/images/unknown_guild_model7.jpg

5 mins:

http://www.davidhendee.com/images/unknown_guild_model8.jpg

http://www.davidhendee.com/images/unknown_guild_model9.jpg

[Finnegan]

very nicely done... i like how you're keeping the negative in mind in your compositions. Very nice for 2 minutes. I can't wait for school to start back up again, so i can jump into clothed fig 3.

thanks for sharing! very cool!


=FINN=

[Switch]

Love them all.

[littlejohn]

I started my portraiture class today. I'm pretty excited.

Here are some 30 second gestures from today's session.

http://www.davidhendee.com/images/unknown_student_model1.jpg

http://www.davidhendee.com/images/unknown_student_model2.jpg

http://www.davidhendee.com/images/unknown_student_model3.jpg

http://www.davidhendee.com/images/unknown_student_model4.jpg

[ELWOOD]

I like the portraits stuff. When you do figure drawings keep in mind of haveing the whole figure fit on the page, from all of these drawings you leave of the feet or they aren't finshed. But good stuff,Keep working , I am.

[Manta_Ray]

Little John

Whats your thoughts on blocking out areas? How did you determine those areas needed blocking out for the negative shapes? I am a noob at this stuff....
Cheers

[littlejohn]

ELWOOD: Thanks for the tip. I tried to incorporate your feedback in last Friday's life drawing session.

Manta_Ray: I'm by no means an expert, but I try to look at the background when I draw figures in tone. The contrast between dark parts of the background and light parts of the figure shape my interpretation of the scene. I'm only trying for 3 values and interesting negative shapes just seem to show up. It doesn't always work:

http://www.davidhendee.com/images/ruth9.jpg

http://www.davidhendee.com/images/ruth11.jpg

http://www.davidhendee.com/images/ruth14.jpg

http://www.davidhendee.com/images/ruth15.jpg

http://www.davidhendee.com/images/ruth16.jpg

[littlejohn]

my latest sets. c&c welcome.

life drawing:

http://www.davidhendee.com/images/diana4.jpg

http://www.davidhendee.com/images/diana7.jpg

http://www.davidhendee.com/images/diana10.jpg

http://www.davidhendee.com/images/diana12.jpg

http://www.davidhendee.com/images/diana13.jpg

portraiture:

http://www.davidhendee.com/images/unknown_portrait_model4.jpg

http://www.davidhendee.com/images/unknown_portrait_model6.jpg

http://www.davidhendee.com/images/unknown_portrait_model11.jpg

http://www.davidhendee.com/images/unknown_portrait_model21.jpg

http://www.davidhendee.com/images/unknown_portrait_model23.jpg

http://www.davidhendee.com/images/unknown_portrait_model24.jpg

[Ochre Face]

delightful- your line quality is exquisite

jeremy

[MolvaDo]

ochre face took me words right out of my mouth. Nice though

[NoonThirty]

Man, this is just great stuff! I especially dig the blue-tinted batch. And those gesture drawings are totally rad.

Keep posting!


Noon:30

[Oblio]

Hey, mate... you blew me away! Excellent line - I HAVE to do this too - what are you working with? What kind of paper? What size? Charcoal? What kind? Tell me EVERYTHING!

Dang! :D

Oblio

[littlejohn]

Ochre Face, MolvaDo & NoonThirty: Thanks a lot for the comments.

Oblio: These are all drawn on 18x24 sketch paper using 2B black Conte crayons. I sit on one of those strange horse benches with my pad propped up in my lap. Half of the drawings are done at open life drawing sessions and the other half at my portraiture class.

Life drawing is really a life-long pursuit. I've been doing it for four years now and there are people where I draw at that have done it for forty.

I'll post more as soon as I have a chance to shoot them.

[MolvaDo]

Ahh the days of the wooden horse, you, your sketch pad, a piece of charcoal, and a naked person to stare at for hours on end. Well man all I have to say is that you are really fortunate cause our models sucked ass and we were hard pressed to get a decent pose out of them. Where do you go for class? Look forward to seeing more of your work.

[Switch]

The last of the blue tinted ones is my fave. Inspiring thread. Keep it going. :)

[littlejohn]

A few more:

http://www.davidhendee.com/images/andy3.jpg

http://www.davidhendee.com/images/andy5.jpg

http://www.davidhendee.com/images/andy7.jpg

http://www.davidhendee.com/images/andy14.jpg

http://www.davidhendee.com/images/andy21.jpg

[Lukias]

Amazing work.

What size paper are you working on, is it quite fine or porus(sp)?

What type of charcoal are you using, it appears very smooth and light.

[littlejohn]

Lukias: Thanks! See details on my materials up above, though these are done on newsprint. It started seeming expensive to do 40 30-second poses on sketch paper.

I'm starting to get anxious to start painting some of these portraits. But I love the short stuff:

http://www.davidhendee.com/images/ilyana20.jpg

http://www.davidhendee.com/images/ilyana21.jpg

http://www.davidhendee.com/images/ilyana27.jpg

http://www.davidhendee.com/images/ilyana35.jpg

http://www.davidhendee.com/images/ilyana36.jpg

http://www.davidhendee.com/images/ilyana37.jpg

Her neck somehow grew in 20 minutes:

http://www.davidhendee.com/images/ilyana40.jpg

[Death.By.Pencil]

Wow these are great. I love gesture drawings because they have so much life in their spontaneity. Great linework and in your 2nd to last post with the fellow, you capture a great sense of mood. keep going.

[littlejohn]

Another bunch:

http://www.davidhendee.com/images/unknown_092702_3.jpg

http://www.davidhendee.com/images/unknown_092702_7.jpg

http://www.davidhendee.com/images/bryce3.jpg

http://www.davidhendee.com/images/ilyana42.jpg

http://www.davidhendee.com/images/ilyana50.jpg

http://www.davidhendee.com/images/ilyana54.jpg

[littlejohn]

For my own sake, a few recent drawings and one of my first gouache paintings from portraiture class. Anybody know a good gouache tutorial?

http://www.davidhendee.com/images/illa1.jpg

http://www.davidhendee.com/images/illa2.jpg

http://www.davidhendee.com/images/illa3.jpg

http://www.davidhendee.com/images/maria3.jpg

http://www.davidhendee.com/images/maria4.jpg

http://www.davidhendee.com/images/maria2.jpg

[Koryh]

I just love figure drawings and I really love ones that are well done. So need less to say you have made me happy.
What is lacking in structure is more than made up for in exspressiveness. With a little more concideration for form your drawings will be taken to the next level.

Keep up the great work. I can't wait to see some more.

[littlejohn]

Thanks for the comment and advice, Koryh. Construction is my big issue these days. I'm working on it!

1 min:

http://www.davidhendee.com/images/malikah02.jpg

http://www.davidhendee.com/images/malikah03.jpg

http://www.davidhendee.com/images/malikah04.jpg

10 min:

http://www.davidhendee.com/images/malikah05.jpg

40 min:

http://www.davidhendee.com/images/malikah01.jpg

[littlejohn]

Another gouache. I cropped the part I liked.

http://www.davidhendee.com/images/malikah06.jpg

[brokencow]

good stuff...you've got nice rythem and form. Are the most of these blind contor drawings? how are you drawings these?

[littlejohn]

Most of my drawings use some gesture, contour and tone. They may look blind, but only because they are done quickly (30 seconds for many) and because of my somewhat poor construction.

Thanks for the comments. I showed up for portraiture class today but there was no class on account of Veteran's Day (in the US).

[I.was.ink]

wow!!! im lovin it. ur pretty good. yeah those inspired me to draw. thanks. i didn't go to my calass today either. u know,.. I'm goin to try what u said about the shadow s from the background or enviroment coming into the drawing. I'm at ur skill level. If u were at 100% im at like 90%, so im close but ur still better. anyways. thanks for that tip, that'll make my drawings a lot more interestng. Im trying to put my portfolio together cuz there's this school I want to go to. Have u heard of ART CENTER College of design. it is a really good school in pasadena.

once again thanks for the tip. hope to see more of ur stuff soon.

[littlejohn]

iwasink: Good for you! I only know a little bit about Art Center, but I hear it's a good school too. Good luck with your work. Life drawing is something you can do for your whole life (except on Veteran's Day, I guess).

[littlejohn]

Two more gouache paintings from portraiture class. First one ten minutes, second around 25.

http://www.davidhendee.com/images/kevin01.jpg

http://www.davidhendee.com/images/kevin03.jpg

[MindCandyMan]

These are really good. Excellent work man. I'm diggin the gouache ones.

[littlejohn]

MindCandyMan: Thanks. I'm starting to like gouache, too. It's tricky, but having opacity as another variable adds something.

10 minutes:
http://www.davidhendee.com/images/kevin04.jpg

20 minutes:
http://www.davidhendee.com/images/kevin05.jpg

[littlejohn]

another:

http://www.davidhendee.com/images/gary01.jpg

[littlejohn]

this one started out as a double portrait but then one of the models left. here it is, both ways:

http://www.davidhendee.com/images/gary_malekah01.jpg

http://www.davidhendee.com/images/gary02.jpg

[MindCandyMan]

Little John these are very inspiring...keep up the good work man. These are great.

[littlejohn]

New model today; taking some getting used to. I think the placement of her right eye is a bit wonky.

http://www.davidhendee.com/images/joy01.jpg

Thanks, MindCandyMan

[I.was.ink]

Wow!! I'm glad your trying out new stuff and thanks for the advice it really helped a lot:) !
I also started to paint. Only I'm using oil bars. There exactly what they sound like, so i first sketch out my drawing with vine charcoal and conte and then i come back with the oil bar and use it like paint. I make a swatch of color off to the side and take paint from there. I can't get to much detail, but thats the point right now. Today I had a really good painting. One of my best actually:D I'd post it but my digital cam takes crappy pics. I'll post it later with my friends digital cam.

Oh yeah, I wanted to tell u how much I like the 10 and 20 min. paintings of the guy with the white shirt and stripes. Looks NICE:)! :) !:) !:D

[littlejohn]

iwasink: Thanks! You should post more drawings to your thread. :)

It's so hard to place the eyes. Ack.

http://www.davidhendee.com/images/joy02.jpg

[littlejohn]

Here are a few from tonight's life drawing session. Figure drawing is so different from portraiture; but it's a fuzzy line.

These were drawn on copy paper with a 6B pencil. 5 min. each:

http://www.davidhendee.com/images/nona01.jpg

http://www.davidhendee.com/images/nona04.jpg

10 min. watercolor/gouache:

http://www.davidhendee.com/images/nona07.jpg

20 min.:

http://www.davidhendee.com/images/nona08.jpg

[littlejohn]

a few from today's class:

http://www.davidhendee.com/images/illana03.jpg

http://www.davidhendee.com/images/illana02.jpg

http://www.davidhendee.com/images/illana01.jpg

[taff]

wow, just discovered this thread. littlejohn, I love your life-drawings. Esspecially the series of really quick drawings and a little more detailed one at the end are great.

Very inspiring.

*crabs mirror*

[littlejohn]

I learned a thing or two in life drawing tonight.

http://www.davidhendee.com/images/life_121302_01.jpg http://www.davidhendee.com/images/life_121302_02.jpg

taff: Thanks for the comment. I know I haven't been in the self-portrait thread recently; I'm slacking. :(

[I.was.ink]

Wow!! Great job on those watercoolor pieces. I'm going to try a few next week. Since i'm off school now. Can u suggest any tips?

[littlejohn]

iwasink: I'm by no means an expert. But here's what I was doing this time (10 minute poses):

1. Spend a couple of minutes drawing some shapes to suggest the form in pencil on crummy watercolor paper. You can do it without a sketch. I find it difficult.
2. Lay in a cool color (I used cobalt blue) wherever there is shade.
3. Work the background to define the form (I like Payne's grey) while the blue dries a bit.
4. Put in some warm skin tone. Dilute Cadmium Scarlet is a great short-cut (read "crutch") caucasian skin tone. Leave some whites and blend into the blue to make purples.
5. Do some painiting. I was trying to find some contrasts in the background (like a chalk board). I also tried to bring in some cooler reds (alizarin crimson, I think) and tried to get some darks (Payne's grey mixed with Van Dyke brown).

I just used one brush: a synthetic 12 round.

You probably didn't want that much info. But maybe you'll find something worthwhile in there. Please share your technique, too: I'll look for your paintings in the forum.

[Big_O]

Your drawings are very much inspiring my own effort to become better in lifedrawing. All info you can give is very mcuh appreciated- Keep on the good work.