Angel Eyes and Some Studio Notes

Angel Eyes - Graphite on 11x17 Bristol

This is a drawing from a photo.  The baby I have drawn has all of the classic cherub qualities.  She is beautiful.  She has the most amazing little lips.  She has the perfect baby nose.  The most important thing that makes me want to draw her is that her little eyes look as though she knows something the rest of the world does not.

I am pretty close to the finish line on this, but this is where I had to stop so I could go to the studio for class.  I will most likely finish her today and start working on a few others I have on my list.

The studio time was great.  I am setting up to do a cast drawing.  I am using the site size method on this and it is going slow and methodical -just as it should.  A game I play when doing these are to make a small mark where I guess it should be using pure observation and then measuring to correct my guess.  It isn't the fastest way to complete the cast drawing, but it makes me really tackle those observation mishaps. 

I was pretty surprised how very off I was on a few marks but absolutely delighted with my visual accuracy on a few.  I don't keep track of how many times I am on or off.  Instead I let each mark be it's own action and celebration.  Right or wrong, I win every time because I am learning to see.  There is an immense amount of being in the moment in doing it this way.  It is like artistic meditation.

Beside me is another student Tanya that is working on a still life.  I am learning by listening to her struggles and watching her progress through struggle.  This is the biggest advantage to working in a studio with other students.  It is awesome to have an instructor guide you through your own problem areas.  It is even more awesome to have a fellow student ask a question you had not thought of yet.  This is why learning on your own is so very slow, tedious and somewhat ineffective.  The questions you never ask are the missing pieces.

I showed my drawing to James and he told me that I need to be careful about my edges.  Babies are soft and fatty and there are no true hard edges on them.  Keeping that in mind I will continue to finish this piece and prepare it for possible entry into the art show in a couple weeks.