Life Drawing

I discovered a fantastic group of artists in San Francisco that hosts a weekly figure drawing workshop  every Saturday morning.  The models are very professional and provide some very beautiful (and challenging) short poses.   It starts with 2 minute poses and ends with 20 minute poses for about 3 hours.  Instead of a workshop it should be called a workout because it takes a lot of concentration to sincerely capture the beauty and humanity of these models.  Here are a few drawings from September.

After Taddeo Zuccaro

I was at the Cantor Arts Center today to see the collection of  Italian master drawings on loan from Princeton.  I greatly admired their knowledge and rendering of human anatomy through their masterful use of line.  Here is a figure drawing sketch after Taddeo Zuccaro, a 16th century painter from the High Renaissance.

Jazz saxophonist

Here is a quick charcoal sketch of a friend of my daughters playing the jazz saxophone.  They play in a jazz band together which is awesome!

Moroccan Saddling Horse after Delacroix

Eugene Delacroix was a master storyteller through his paintings.  Here is a drawing copy I did of his Moroccan Saddling a Horse.  He vividly portrays the love between this man and his horse and how they are dependent on each other for survival.  Delacroix draws you into the scene as you figuratively become the man and feel yourself hoisting the saddle onto the horse.

Henri Fantin-Latour

I am a big fan of Henri Fantin-Latour's floral compositions and I'm not even sure I can explain why.  I  simply like the shapes, colors, and energy in his paintings.  Here is a copy of a self portrait.  The eyes are a bit too close too each other so I need to be more diligent at measuring before I commit the darker values.

White and Pink Roses

If you look at a Henri Fantin-Latour floral painting it has a calming effect to transport you to a world of pure beauty.  Here is a sketch of one of his many floral paintings.  I started with the big shapes and then added in enough detail until it looked believable.

Lion King

In our living room stands this ferocious lion plaster statue.  Every now and then I sketch the lion.  Here is my latest attempt to capture a true form and representation.