Today I surprised myself!

If I'm asked if I can draw I say no, because I can't get the results I want and don't know how to do anything that will make things better. I've read enough to know that I draw what I see, not what I think I see and that negative space is important, but the theory doesn't prevent the final result from looking primative, naive ...? I'm searching for a word that better describes the lack of depth in my drawing even on those occasions when I manage to capture a reasonable likeness to the subject.

A couple of weeks ago Channel 4 ran a 5 programme series on life drawing . It's described as learning to draw from a tutor, but is more an opportunity to see a model for 30 minutes whilst listening to the artist working. I've watched three of the five programmes so far and I've enjoyed my first attempts enough to think I could look for a proper live life class to see if I could learn to draw, in spite of the results! (But then I wouldn't be thinking about it if I was happy would I!)

Today was slightly different, I grabbed a pencil and some paper and drew the model (the only programme with a young female model, as it happens) and was quite pleased with the overall likeness, but I can never manage the shadows I see.



I decided to find a graphite pencil I have thinking a thicker line might make me draw differently. I couldn't find it so decided to use some charcoal I'd bought for a class last year. I haven't used it since because I couldn't control it and didn't understand the oft repeated phrase 'working into it' - nor did I like the smudges.

I quickly sketched a basic frame for the model then worked on top of it with the charcoal, the likeness isn't as good and there's a lot that could be corrected, but the joy was working with the charcoal - it was amazing! I seemed to have so much control (with so much to learn too) that I can't understand why I didn't like it before, other than the fact that we were drawing 2D shapes and using very heavy shading. Perhaps the fact that I was working quickly meant that things eren't too laboured?



Whatever the reason, there is enough here for me to continue playing - I was amazed at how much I enjoyed myself!