I am a bit rusty with my knowledge of the human body so I thought I would partake in more figure drawing workshops. An artist I admire recommended "Life Drawing Muze" at Artshare LA. A great program. 10 dollars for each 3 hour session of straight drawing . I could not find the right materials to do pastels, so I brought water colors. I am not great with water colors, but I need to improve my skills there so I figured it would be easier for the first time. I am making the main category for this post drawing rather that painting because it seemed more appropriate for the topic.
Below was my first study, you can see how stiff I am. The model was great, stood perfectly still and he was very handsome.
The second image was perhaps my least favorite; I have to learn to work between model breaks because it is impossible to return to the exact same pose.
The last image was perhaps my best composition, as I was remembering how to enjoy the process a bit more. I made the body fill the space completely and paid close attention to both negative and positive space.
I was a bit sad that it ended just as I was getting into it, but I will definitely return; maybe with pastels or vine charcoal next time. I like working with watercolor but I find for figure studies I like a material more forgiving for exploration and discovery before the final composition is worked out. I was able to do more than I thought with watercolor this way, but perhaps I should return to it when I am less..."rusty"
I like that the sessions are right in the heart of the arts district. I stopped at the "Piehole" for a slice of pie before heading home. It was delicious, a thanksgiving turkey pie complete with cranberry dressing, and it was a great place to wait for an Uber on a Wednesday night.