Getting over the funk

Drawing number 109

I think I have worked out some of the things that were preoccupying me, at last :)
When I'm worrying away at a problem (or set of problems) all my words desert me, as if they're absorbed by analyzing, disecting, gnawing, digesting the thing that is bothering me. I can't articulate it till it's done.

So, moving on. Ideas are flowing once more, now that the dam of words has been breached.

One of my themes this year is turning out to be found paper, or more particularly found surfaces because it's not all about paper all the time. Today I prepared some large A1 sheets of paper for drawing class tomorrow, pasting down some pages torn from an old Sydney UBD (street directory). I like using maps to work over, the lines form an interesting background. I plan to use more UBD pages in printing, in a smaller format. I also glued down some dressmaking pattern pieces (from an incomplete pattern, not one I could use or sell or pass on to someone)
- I drew over some of this last year and it makes a lovely, soft surface for charcoal. Not sure how it would work with pastel, but I'll try it tomorrow. The Bloke brought me a roll of wonderfully aged paper (not newsprint, might be butcher's paper), all speckled and brown and spotty, some sheets with holes or tears, and I'm taking a couple of those sheets, too.

This term we have life models for drawing, and boy, am I out of practice in just a few months (last time I did life drawing was last November). I just felt like I was beginning to get it after the terror of life drawing all last year, only to stop. Once this course is over, I may have to find a private life class to keep my hand in; it's hard, it's scary, but it's very good for my skills.

Back to school

Drawing day eighty

Drawing day eighty-one

Drawing day eighty-two

Classes began again today and I was ready to go back - I missed the place, the people, the projects. Today was Studio Materials, in which we are currently learning Photoshop, which is fascinating. Confusing, but fascinating. I think it's just that there is so MUCH to remember, but the things possible with the program are awesome, and will be very useful in generating future art pieces.

We also had Drawing, and this term (except for one week) we have a model for two hours of each three hour class, so back to life drawing. I am rusty! We did so many short drawings I lost count - 30 second, 1 minute, 2 minute, 5 minute, 15 minute. We did two where the model moved a quarter turn ever two minutes, just drawing over the existing drawings so it looked almost like movement. Next week we'll do a longer pose - I felt like I was just warming up when we finished. Good class, but exhausting - I'm shattered!