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 'Life Drawing' , 

Pablo Picasso had once said that "In drawing, nothing is better than the first attempt." 

I am not entirely sure about that sentiment, at least not in the life drawing class that I attended this evening.  I hadn't been to life drawing class in about fifteen years and when I contemplated that thought I wondered to myself why that was so.  I had always enjoyed life drawing for it had taught me to look closely at the subject; every line, wrinkle, muscle ripple, shadow, shape of the human body and once that had been mastered I had the confidence to draw anything on the planet. 

Nature repeats itself time and time again, shapes inherent in the human body will be seen elsewhere.

But back to Picasso, hmm, I'm not sure that the first attempt in the life drawing class is anything to brag about.  In Life drawing classes the poses are initially for a short time, and then they get longer to allow the warm up of the brain and the hand.  So in essence the first attempt in life drawing is just a warm up.

I had planned to use ink for the longer poses which were 20 minutes each and by then, I had been accustomed to the model's body-It's shape, posture and command of the space.  Every model commands the space differently, and will use their space according to their individuality, some will have props and others will lounge about or contort to exhibit the potential of the human form.

Every inch of the human body is fascinating and full of wonder, so it is no surprise that artists have used the body as a point of reference, or used models as their muses time and time again.  Muses are inspirational, especially in the creation of art.  Diego's love for Frida Kahlo may have at times served as Kahlo's muse.  In the following portrait she had depicted Diego Riviera on her forehead.

'Diego on my mind', Frida Kahlo, 1943

I was slightly nervous with the use of ink, as I wasn't sure that I would be able to control the brush and ink to create an effective piece, but I love using ink for it dries very quickly and because it is monochromatic I like that I can go over it with a darker intensity to create the shadows or lines that are obvious. 

The two art pieces were from twenty minute poses.  Enough time to focus on the light and shapes.

I had to work quickly, but I was happy with that, and I wanted the lines to have energy and movement.  Most of that energy I think was coming mainly from me, possibly with the excitement of having been in a life drawing class after so many years.  At the conclusion of the class, the model came to look at the works and absorbed them, remarking that the art works are always fascinating, particularly as each artist's interpretation of the model will without fail, be different.


Enjoy

Stella Grammenos-Dimadis








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