I have been thinking about how and what to share from the life drawing I’ve been doing over the last few months. I could select a handful of my most successful drawings, which would perhaps be more flattering to my ego and shelter my nascent artist a little more. But for reasons I can’t exactly fathom, I feel compelled to share my life drawing progress in all it’s stumbling glory.

So here goes, in date order, with a little commentary along the way.

Life Session 1: Man, October 2018

My first time life drawing in at least 8 years … deep breath, here goes …

The first few poses were for 2 mins each

The last of the 2 minute poses. By this point my brain felt frazzled and I definitely felt frustrated as I drew. I think of this as my Trump drawing! Tiny hands etc.

A 5 minute pose I think. Those extra few minutes really help

The drawing I most enjoyed doing during the session

Quite like this one, thing it’s having time to look at the space he was stood in

Last pose was 20 minutes. Felt like quite an achievement after the nadir of Trump man.

Life Session 2: Woman, clothed, October 2018

I was quite surprised by my first session. There were a few awful frustrating moments, but overall I felt like the whole thing had gone far better than I imagined.

So for session number two I felt far more confident. I’d also been doing various exercises during the week of blind contour drawing, which I was keen to test out in the session. Plus I went larger – A3 and bolder, with pen.

Cue, very deflating challenging session and one of those times I feel hugely relieved the poor lovely model didn’t see how I’d drawn her.

If I was editing, these drawings wouldn’t see the light of day ….

Strangely cartoonish. I think it is the eye that does it …

… was really looking at contours and negative space. Doesn’t really feel like me drawing

The poor model! The only bit I like is her hand on the stool

… back to slightly cartoonish. I don’t mind the feet, but she clearly wasn’t levitating

But overall a very frustrating session …

Session 2.5: Studio practice

While my sister was visiting, I managed to convince her to humour me and sit in my pretty chilly studio for a while …

I quite like the eyes and hands .. still struggling with some proportions though

Session 3: Woman, nude. Oct 2018

One week later, different drawing group, strangely same model again – my heart sunk. But working in pencil again seemed to help things ..

.. 2 mins .. I want to be able to look for longer

… 2 mins … for my eye to calibrate with the page ..

… I feel relatively ok with the last few!

Life Session 4: Woman, Nov 2018.

Possibly one of my favourite sessions. Really like some of these lines … even the quick 2 minute studies. Have discovered keeping them small helps!

Session 5: Longer poses, Nov 2018

More of a taught class, rather than a drawing group. Has been interesting to see how this has changed my drawing.

The teacher adamantly told me I hadn’t rawn the models legs long enough. If I’m honest, I still can’t see it … but other things she has mentioned have been helpful

… such as adding some faint axis to help guide you through the space

Session 6: Woman, Nov 2018.

A week later, same taught class. Same model again, have discovered I much prefer drawing people with short hair!

Using axis definitely helping me get better at getting the whole person on the page! One of the things I find most challenging ..

Damn tricky, chair, lines, negative space, proportions … tough!

Session 7: Building up to portraits

In theory this session was about portraits, but when a model is sat nude for you, I find it really hard to just do the face!

Another favourite, same model. And not a terrible likeness either! Progress!

Often towards the end of the class we do some drawing from anatomy books. Here’s a skull I quite enjoyed drawing

Session 8. A Trip to the Museo de Bellas Artes

Not a class or drawing group, like the sessions above. But a day I spent out and about drawing in Valencia with everything I’d been thinking about and learning recently, floating around my head.

Trying to practice sighting. Can I get all of the trees in and where they’re supposed to be?! Tricky, but I think a helpful exercise

A beautiful little statue in the Royal Gardens

Another statue in the gardens. Another favourite drawing

Mega giant marble in the foyer at the Bellas Artes museum set against an impressive apocalyptic painting. Next time I’m there I’ll note down who the sculptor was!

Study of face. Trying to think about all those rules of proportion.

A Ribera painting. It was the skull that caught my eye. Think all of the talk of anatomy has got to me …

Selection 9. Various portraits

Not quite a session, but a few portraits I drew during December while I was still in Spain. A mixture of class and friends kindly offering to sit still!

And that just about rounds up my first 10 weeks or so of life drawing in Valencia. It’s pretty interesting looking at how my drawing has progressed, with some clear ups and downs!

My aims for next year are to keep going, more drawing, more looking, more trying. I’m going to keep trying not to care too much about how a drawing is progressing, and not let my self-conscious, ego-driven side of the brain interrupt. I’ve also noticed that I’ve definitely been shying away from quicker, smaller, looser sketches, so I’m going to try and do more of that too.