New Drawings

Over the last few weeks, studio work has involved not only drawing folds and drapery but various paintings and other drawings. In particular I've explored preliminary thoughts and ideas of new subject matter. Most mornings I spend at least a few minutes drawing, either to warm up for the easel or to explore various techniques and so on.

Here are a few new drawings.

This is a small 5x5 graphite and chalk drawing of a gargoyle that lives atop Notre Dame cathedral in Paris. I drew the head from an old photo I found online. The gargoyle here almost seems to be smiling at the hapless city spread below its gaze.

This graphite line drawing was also done from an online reference showing a draped back. It was interesting to work on smooth lines in various weights, values, and widths as well as the obvious need for accuracy in drawing the figure. The folds were intricate enough to be challenging to bring off without much shading. This is about 10x10 on tan paper.

Finally, here's a drawing after Degas. This figurative work of drapery can be easily found online. The original is charcoal on paper, and is mostly lines. With this copy I was practicing the use of white on a tan background and a darker line drawing. This one is actually a digital image that I made using Sketchbook Pro and a Wacom Cintiq drawing tablet. It's remarkable how digital images can emulate "real world" drawings.