Life Drawing - Third Session

All drawings 18 x 24, drawn with burnt sienna and (the last two) ivory nupastel stick. Click for larger views.

I would guess our model this evening was over sixty years old. I was excited by this for several reasons. First, I've never had the opportunity to draw figures much over late twenties. I was curious what differences there would be, and what that would mean in the drawings. And second, I had a hunch there would be more of the sign of the bones beneath the flesh. And it's paying attention to the bones that makes a figure drawing convincing, it seems to me.

We did our usual run of four two minute poses, four five minute poses, then a couple of tens, and the last hour with two poses around twenty to twenty five. After the ten minute poses I switch to better paper (the short poses are in a cheap newsprint pad).

The two poses above (crossed legs and the back) were each five minutes. I loved both poses, and was fascinated by the shapes and the bones in in her knees and feet. The back pose was what I've been waiting for - an opportunity to try to better understand how the back is put together, and how the bones and muscles play over each other. This is my best back so far.

The next illustration leaning forward while seated on a folding chair, was still in the newsprint pad. It was my strongest drawing of the evening - and by accident we let the ten minute pose run to 17 minutes. I loved the way she had her shoulders up (resting her weight on her locked arms) and the way the shoulders were forward. I probably had one of the best positions in the room for this pose, with the arms and breasts so beautifully aligned. Another thing I love about this drawing is that while there are certainly signs of our model's age, there is so much young woman in this pose. I've spent a lot of time observing how we stay a certain age on the inside (for me it's 32), while our body ages on past us. This drawing captures a little of that.

The longer poses were less inspiring for me, especially the third photo here, where she knelt in the big wing-backed chair, with her back to the room. But it was an opportunity to try to draw the complex shapes of the lower back, brightly lit. All those long concave areas, and the bridge just below the last trace of spine.

The last pose, curled up in the big chair, looked like a tangle of limbs when I first looked. There were glimpses of portions of figure in so many layers going away from where I stood... I'm not unhappy with this drawing; it just doesn't do much for me. I'm actually pleased to have captured the pose pretty well.

After the session tonight I feel more relaxed and human again than I've felt in a couple of weeks. I totally forgot about work for the first time in too long. Oldest was worn out after a few days of work this week, too - but he came along and enjoyed it as usual.