This time I'm a student

I'm taking a figure drawing course at ACAD instructed by Carl White. I figured it is a good idea to devote more time to the practice and being enrolled for a certain time frame really helps, plus there is a live model in each session.

 Working on large format newsprint experimenting with the mark making I can do with my tools.

 Starting up can be a little awkward. The poses are fast so you need to look as long as you can and then work quick.

The idea Carl presses is in the minimum marks being made and to let go. Harder for me since I am used to draw with line.

Here I use a bit more tonality in the form as a starting point, a core I work out from and attempt to capture the feeling of the gesture.

Here I tried to use even less line work and to experiment with the use of the side of the charcoal to create differing values. The figure in the middle is an attempt to express upward the reach the model presented.

 Here things were once again falling into my outlining and getting out of this pattern is desirable to really discover new ways to make a drawing.

 Working quickly really helps this. In one drawing there is only the shading and no line describing what I perceive as the edge of the form, yet there is no line in life and no real edge, that is just an illusion.

By loosening up and forgetting about proportion or drafting techniques I am changing the way i create the gesture.

 Now I'm starting to use less to communicate more. In the top one there is no line where the light is brightest. I use a dark pulled away from the body to give it more form.

 This looks very soft and works for me as a quick descriptive gestural representation of our model.

 Here I get to focus a bit more on the nuances of the muscles tone in her back.

I feel that this one was the most successful in "letting go" and really has some nice mark making within it. So I figure now I'm finally warmed up and getting it.

I had more time to develop my final drawing of the session, I am very happy with hour it developed. It is just past the point of not being simple enough and could use a bit more work, that or I went to far. I  attempt to express my intention to celebrate of the beauty of the female form.