1000 Figures

Figure 21 This is the figure I worked on yesterday. All along,...

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 09:20:02 -0400

Figure 21

This is the figure I worked on yesterday. All along, the voice in my head kept giving me reasons why I should just give up. Hard to argue at times too.

I was having a hard time with the position of her right arm, so I left it out. Drawn on 12”x9”.

Figure 20 Figure 20 took me about 7 hours to complete. I really...

Mon, 26 Sep 2011 14:40:51 -0400

Figure 20

Figure 20 took me about 7 hours to complete. I really took my time and enjoyed it. I am happy with the result. A few odds and ends I see are “off” but considering I am 2% there, yeah I am happy with it. Drawn on 9”x”12”.

It was a busy weekend so I didn’t get to draw as much as I would have liked. However since the last figure, I did do some studies and started going through some old books reading did doing some of the exercises.

Figure 19 Last night’s drawing. I took my time and I think...

Fri, 23 Sep 2011 11:26:32 -0400

Figure 19

Last night’s drawing. I took my time and I think the initial line drawing was pretty good. Then shading happened. Fuuuuuu

Drawn on 12”x9”.

Figure 18 I worked on figure 18 last evening. Another battle....

Thu, 22 Sep 2011 14:28:00 -0400

Figure 18

I worked on figure 18 last evening. Another battle. Pretty near gave up on it. Thankfully I didn’t. I fear that if I start giving up it will become a habit. I gotta finish it. Good, bad, whatever it is. I really need to do something with my shading.

Drawn in my moleskine, which I am not really convinced is comfortable and something that I want to keep doing.

Grumble grumble.

Figures 16 and 17 I thought I was having a hard time with figure...

Wed, 21 Sep 2011 11:34:40 -0400

Figures 16 and 17

I thought I was having a hard time with figure 16 until I did 17 at which point I just about stubbed myself in the eyeball with the pencil. This is supposed to be fun - and I guess it really is. I don’t know why I get so frustrated at times. I have 983 figures to go - if I was able to get everything right already, I wouldn’t have to do the rest. I just gotta keep reminding myself that.

Drawn on 12”x9”.

Figure 15 Yesterday I found out that the local art store closed...

Tue, 20 Sep 2011 11:47:22 -0400

Figure 15

Yesterday I found out that the local art store closed down. It didn’t have a great variety but at least I could pick up some basics. So I guess from now on I either have to take a trip to the city or order online.

I did pick up a new sketchbook, a few pencils and a kneaded eraser and I did figure 15. For the first 20 minutes or so, I just about sent everything flying out the window but I settled down and chipped away at it. Considering how it could have gone, I am happy with the results.

Figure 14 This one just happened on a backpage of my Moleskine....

Mon, 19 Sep 2011 20:27:00 -0400

Figure 14

This one just happened on a backpage of my Moleskine. More of a sketch really, which I am going to count, because I make the rules.

Figures 11, 12 and 13 I worked on those Saturday night. I...

Mon, 19 Sep 2011 20:20:41 -0400

Figures 11, 12 and 13

I worked on those Saturday night. I don’t get to smoke and draw at the same time. It was almost orgasmic. Drawn on 12”x9”.

Figure 10 I spent yesterday looking at a lot of photographs....

Sat, 17 Sep 2011 17:19:57 -0400

Figure 10

I spent yesterday looking at a lot of photographs. Classic and not-so-classic poses. All through the wonders of the “interwebs”. Trying to really feel the poses in my own body as much as possible. Hopefully it was time well spent. I will keep doing this every so often.

Maybe it’s because it is a simple/familiar pose but the basics of figure 10 were done probably in 15-20 minutes. Then I took sometime with the shading. Probably too long compared to the results. Drawn on 9”x12”.

That’s 1% of the project done.

Man.

Figures 8 and 9 Figure 8 came rather effortlessly. I was able to...

Fri, 16 Sep 2011 11:45:00 -0400

Figures 8 and 9

Figure 8 came rather effortlessly. I was able to get a few good marks early and then it’s straight forward. I really like the way I got the tilt of the head there. I didn’t want to try to put a face there an ruin it. Plus I rather like the android/faceless look.

I think I made the legs a bit too large for the body (or the other way around). And yes, I am just throwing something together for hands. Overall happy with figure eight.

Figure 9 came relatively easy as well. Maybe I am starting to find good marks easier. Yeah. Let’s go with that thought - it sounds good.

I did fight the front leg quite a bit however and still I am not happy with it. I think the perspective/proportions are off.

Happy with the result. And I think I like the faceless approach for the moment.

Drawn on 12”x9”.

Figure 7 Last night and today I doodled and sketched a lot. My...

Thu, 15 Sep 2011 12:05:15 -0400

Figure 7

Last night and today I doodled and sketched a lot. My hand felt really lose and I was able to get some interesting shapes and angles from imagination going. Just putting marks down and feeling my way through them in a very gestural way. And for the first time they actually made some sense besides being some bullshit lines I used to do.

Progress.

I started taking notes. “Dear diary” type of thing. You are reading them.

I think it will be interesting to go back and read my thoughts through all this. I like the anonymity and that I can say whatever I want without feeling that I have to comply to some rules, standards and expectations - that interestingly are only set by myself rather than anyone else.

On the actual process: I think I erased more than I actually drew. Searching the playing with the lines until eventually they find their way on the paper. And somehow, that moment that the came together and it read correctly, you feel like there is a small miracle that takes place. As almost if you are a little God creating.

I need to not be afraid try things out. “If I fuck it up” well, it’s my drawing to fuck up and that should be just fine.

Looking at it with a clear head (i.e. next day) there something cartoony and lacking here. Either way, it is figure seven on 9”x12”.

Figure 6 Today I got around to starting the blog and also posted...

Tue, 13 Sep 2011 21:15:00 -0400

Figure 6

Today I got around to starting the blog and also posted the first five figures. I watched a lecture by Costa Vavagiakis on drawing the figure. I got inspired. Then I got looking at the work of others and I got really discouraged. I decided I should do something about it and work on a figure. For the first half an hour it was a battle. Nothing was coming together. The paper was funny. The pencil was weird. It was this, that and the other thing.

Eventually, I got a couple of decent marks down and the drawing settled down from there. I didn’t plan to crop the hand on the top, but by the time it worked out to be up there, I wasn’t going to change anything!

I was temped to shade it but used my better judgement. Anyway, this is figure six on 9”x12”.

Figures 4 and 5 I don’t know why I chose to shade those...

Tue, 13 Sep 2011 14:25:13 -0400

Figures 4 and 5

I don’t know why I chose to shade those when I fully well knew it would turn out poor. I think I got excited finishing #4 and it just happened. If I try and look past the atrocity of the shading on #5, I am rather impressed I even attempted a pose like that, which is difficult for me. Then there is obviously a plastic/empty stare on her face. Still she reminds me of someone I know. Or maybe it’s like that when you draw from imagination/memory. You kind of know them.

Drawn on 12” x 9”.

Figure 3 This may be the worst piece I’ve ever produced...

Tue, 13 Sep 2011 14:20:16 -0400

Figure 3

This may be the worst piece I’ve ever produced since childhood. I was uninspired and in a really bad mood. I forced myself to draw something and the result is just plain atrocious. Nevertheless, it is figure #3.

Figures 1 and 2 Kicking off the project. Drawn on...

Tue, 13 Sep 2011 14:16:48 -0400

Figures 1 and 2

Kicking off the project. Drawn on 12”x9”.