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 …
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 ….
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 …
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 ..
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.
Session 6: Woman, Nov 2018.
A week later, same taught class. Same model again, have discovered I much prefer drawing people with short hair!

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!
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.
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.